Thais and foreign tourists are invited to witness what could be the most unusual and unique ordination ceremony in the world – the Brutal Ordination Parade which will be held on 2 May at Ban Non Salao – Ban Non Tan, Phu Khiao district, Chaiyaphum province.

Held annually since 1971, normally in the month of May before the Buddhist Lent period, this ordination ceremony is organized for young male villagers of the Ban Non Salao – Ban Non Tan communities at Phu Khiao district in Chaiyaphum who are to ordain to become Buddhist monks.

Each would-be novice is placed on a bamboo stretcher and carried by young male villagers around the village for approximated 3 kilometers. And while they are sitting on the bamboo chair and carried around, they are shaken violently and harshly.

Witnesses may feel the ordination parade looks very brutal but local people believe that this endurance test is like a proof of their real intent and determination to become Buddhist monks. Although those that fall off the bamboo stretcher cannot enter the monkhood, so far, since the ceremony was initiated over 40 years ago, no one has fallen off. Everyone has succeeded in becoming a Buddhist monk.

For more information, contact:

TAT Nakhon Ratchasima Office

Tel: +66 (0) 4421 3030; +66 (0) 4421 3666

E-mail: tatsima@tat.or.th

The annual Festival of Fruits and Local Products of Ko Chang 2018 is scheduled to take place from April 27 to May 1 on Ko Chang in Thailand’s Eastern Province of Trat.

Ko Chang is Thailand’s second largest island after Phuket. Its plentiful land area and beautiful beaches make the island a popular destination for Thai and foreign tourists. As well as tourism and fishery, fruit farming is one of the island’s sustainable sources of income.

The Festival of Fruits and Local Products is being organised to promote Ko Chang’s famous durian which has its own unique salty taste unlike anywhere else. Known as ‘Ko Chang’s Durian’, the fruit contains a higher content of iodine-based substances, according to lab test results.

The five-day festival offers the opportunity for locals and visitors to savour the delicious Ko Chang Durian at very attractive prices. There will be a QR code for buyers to scan detailed information about the durian orchard. Many other fruits will also be on sale including rambutan, mangosteen, pomelo, coconut, as well as agricultural and seafood products.

The event takes place daily from 09.00 – 16.00 hrs.

For more information, contact:

TAT Trat Office

Tel. +66 (0) 3959 7259-60

E-mail: tattrat@tat.or.th

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has started its annual seasonal closure of several attractions in 66 of 147 national parks nationwide.

According to the Department, this is normal practice, as it closes several attractions every year for a certain period, depending on weather and park conditions. Dates are varied, and the closure is often due to extreme weather, especially during the rainy months that may create unsafe conditions, and allows for some ecological recovery time.

According to the Department, Thailand currently has a total of 147 national parks, covering an area of 70,038.65 sq km or 13.64 percent of the land area of the country. Of the total, there are 59 national parks in the North, 43 in the South, 25 in the Northeast, and 20 in the Central, Western and Eastern Regions.

This year, the Department is closing attractions in 66 national parks nationwide, including 24 national parks in the North, 28 in the South, nine in the Northeast, and five in the Central, Western and Eastern Regions. These are:

The Northern Region

The Southern Region

The Northeastern Region

The Eastern Region

The Western Region

For more information, please contact:

National Park Office

Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation

Tel. / Fax.: +66 (0) 2562 0759

Website: http://www.dnp.go.th

For the digital manual of Thailand’s National Parks, please visit:

http://park.dnp.go.th/file/NATIONALPARKS_Eng.pdf

The book set combines Chiang Mai’s culture, gastronomy and art in a way that brings the city to life in a new light, targeting young and active travellers looking to discover its hidden gems along running or cycling routes.

He noted that it is unique both in form and content and consists of five individual sections: ‘Ride’, ‘Run’, ‘Restaurants’, ‘Gallery Museum’ and ‘Bookshops’.

According to the Rabbithood Studio, the Chiang Mai-based studio and design lab commissioned to create the guidebook, the initial brief from TAT was to create a map of Chiang Mai’s bookshops, restaurants and museums that bring together the city’s local establishments with bicycle and running routes in Chiang Mai as an added bonus.

What differentiates Little Chiang mai from most guidebooks is that each section has a character that is relatable to its content, which is divided into five individual pocketbooks distributed within the one package.

In addition to the design, another important element is the way it views reading as an experience. The design team intended Little Chiang mai to have a bit of everything that people cannot get online; each of the five books comes in different sizes and uses different types of paper for the printing and binding techniques. For example, the design of the page layout of the Gallery/Museum pocketbook uses a die-cut technique creating a presentation that looks similar to how a painting is framed and exhibited in an art gallery.

Little Chiang mai  is priced at Bt1,500 and can be purchased at the Tourism Authority of Thailand. For more details, call +66 2250 5500 Ext. 2116-2119.

The 5-day special hot deal is available for every package at every hotel, every room type and for every day of stay, the hotel group announced.

Membership registration is free and only takes a few seconds. If you’re not already a member, join now at https://centara1card.com/signup/, the group said in a press statement.

Guests can select destinations throughout Thailand and overseas from our 38 properties of the Centara Hotels and Resorts locating in Bangkok, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Trat, Koh Chang, Rayong, Phuket, Khao Lak, Hat Yai, Krabi, Samui, Chiang Mai, Mae Sot, Udon Thani, Maldives, Vietnam, Oman and Sri Lankaand.

The campaign covers:

Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre at CentralWorld

Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok

Centara Watergate Pavillion Hotel Bangkok

Centra by Centara Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre Chaeng Watthana

Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Hua Hin

Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya

Centara Grand Phratamnak Pattaya

Centara Pattaya Hotel

Centara Azure Hotel Pattaya

Centara Nova Hotel & Spa Pattaya

Centra by Centara Avenue Hotel Pattaya

Centra by Centara Maris Resort Jomtien

Centara Chaan Talay Resort & Villas Trat

Centara Koh Chang Tropicana Resort

Centara Q Resort Rayong

Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket

Centara Karon Resort Phuket

Centara Kata Resort Phuket

Centara Villas Phuket

Centara Blue Marine Resort & Spa Phuket

Waterfront Suites Phuket by Centara

Centara Seaview Resort Khao Lak

Centara Hotel Hat Yai

Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi

Centara Anda Dhevi Resort & Spa Krabi

Centra by Centara Phu Pano Resort Krabi

Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui

Centara Villas Samui

Centra by Centara Coconut Beach Resort Samui

COSI Samui Chaweng Beach

Khum Phaya Resort & Spa, Centara Boutique Collection

Centara Mae Sot Hill Resort

Centara Hotel and Convention Centre Udon Thani

Centara Grand Island Resort & Spa Maldives

Centara Ras Fushi Resort & Spa Maldives

Centara Sandy Beach Resort Danang

Centara Muscat Hotel Oman

Centara Ceysands Resort & Spa Sri Lanka

These include festivities in Samut Prakan, Ayutthaya, Suphan Buri, Chon Buri, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Nakhon Phanom, Nong Khai, Khon Kaen, Phuket, and Songkhla with event dates varying, with some starting as early as April 7 and running until April 20.

In addition, TAT is also supporting Amazing Songkran 2018 events in five emerging secondary destinations known for unique traditions in celebrating the Thai New Year: Sing Buri, Chanthaburi, Kamphaeng Phet, Kalasin, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Dates also vary between April 11 and 17.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said: “Songkran is one of Thailand’s most important festivals. It is a time when families celebrate with centuries-old traditions, returning to their family homes for three to five days of making merit and water splashing ceremonies, which invokes sins being washed away with scented water.

“The main activity is pouring this scented water on sacred Buddha images of local temples in a ritual called Song Nam Phra. Lustral water used to clean Buddhist statues has been regarded as a form of spiritual cleansing since ancient times. It is collected and then gently dripped over the hands of senior family members for luck in a ritual called Rot Nam Dam Hua.”

At the five emerging secondary destinations, locals and visitors can ‘Open to the New Shades’ and celebrate the Amazing Songkran 2018 Festival with nostalgic time-honoured rituals.

In Sing Buri, the celebration is centred around the ancient Ban Bang Rachan, an important settlement during the Ayutthaya period. Chanthaburi’s Wat Tapon Noi and Wat Kwien Hak annually hold a unique procession of decorated ox-carts parading sacred cloth of the Buddha to warn off bad luck.

In Kamphaeng Phet, where retro-traditions for Songkran are held along the Ping River, there is another Buddha image wrapping procession. The Phrae Wa silk city and dinosaur excavation sites in Kalasin are prominently featured as its two time-honoured symbols of the Songkran tradition.

In Nakhon Si Thammarat, the religious element of the celebrations takes on a distinctly Hindu feel, with Brahmin ceremonies and rituals as well as the must-attend Nang Dan parade.

During April 12-16, 2018, TAT expects tourism spending from foreign and Thai travellers to reach Bt19.8 billion, up 18 per cent from the same period last year. Of the total, Bt9.4 billion will be spent by an expected number of 530,000 foreign tourists, representing an increase of 21 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively. Domestic tourism spending is estimated to reach Bt10.44 billion (up 15 per cent) from Thai travellers making about 3 million trips (up 12 per cent).

For more details of Songkran activities in various locations throughout Thailand, please call the TAT Contact Centre 1672 or visit the TAT Contact Centre website.

His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun is graciously initiating the organisation of a Songkran celebration to be held at the Royal Plaza on the grounds of Dusit Palace, Sanam Suea Pa, from April 6 to 8, 2018 between 14.00 and 21.00 hrs. daily.

The event begins April 6 with a religious ceremony performed by 239 Buddhist monks in tribute to previous Kings and to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. Members of the public and overseas visitors are welcome to take part in the rites, with all participants receiving prayer books as souvenirs.

Visitors are invited to participate in the bathing rite, or Song Nam Phra, on a Buddha image cast to mark King Rama X’s ordination as a Buddhist monk in 1978. There will also be a dedicated section where visitors can pour lustral waters (Rot Nam Dam Hua) as an act of paying respect to elders. This revered Songkran tradition passed down through generations and still honoured today, is performed by gently dripping scented water over their hands.

The three-day event will also feature an exhibition on traditional Songkran activities plus a myriad of cultural performances, folk games and traditional craft demonstrations. Of course, Thai gastronomy will be on prominent display with a selection of rare Thai dishes, desserts, snacks and other traditional delicacies for sale with proceeds going to local charities.

The public is encouraged to dress in traditional Thai period costume, wear Thai clothing or polite smart casual attire. Water guns and baby powder pasting are discouraged.

The 14th annual Top of the Gulf Regatta will be held from April 27 to May 1 in the waters of the Gulf of Thailand, based out of the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya.

Held annually since 2005, the Top of the Gulf Regatta is known for providing international-standard race management and close and competitive racing across all classes. With the aims of promoting sailing, Pattaya and the Gulf of Thailand, the event attracts a diverse range of boats from optimists and dinghies to one-design Platus, cruises, IRC yachts and multihulls. Sailors are also varied, ranging from youngsters in the Optimist and dinghy classes to past Olympians and regional champions, sailing pros and weekend sailors.

This year, the Top of the Gulf Regatta will feature up to 12 classes, including keelboats, multihulls, one-design Platus (competing for the Coronation Cup), beach catamarans, dinghies, Optimists (competing for the Thailand Optimist National Championships), and IOM Class RC Yachts. The organiser will also consider Class 0 for TP52 yachts subject to entry numbers.

While this year’s event will continue to operate on its successful formula, including the established venue, the four-day format, and the friendly social scenes, there will be extra elements added. These include a new arrangement for all race classes to finish together in order to join in the final night’s Gala Dinner; the ‘Live Results’ for the keelboat and multihull classes will be posted to the official website immediately after the race has concluded; the ‘Maximise Racing Time’ new courses and class split, and a new menu at The Sailor’s Bar.

For more information, please visit: http://www.topofthegulfregatta.com

The annual Phuket Bike Week 2018 is celebrating its 24^th anniversary this year and is again scheduled in two parts at two locations in Phuket, starting with four days of activities at Patong Beach from April 11 to 14 and continuing for another two days at Boat Lagoon in Phuket Town from April 20-21.

During the four-day event at Patong Beach, spectators can enjoy a host of exciting and fun-filled activities including a motorcycle festival, riding convoy around Patong, custom bike contest, daily live music with different bands, Miss Phuket Bike Week 2018 contest, and music festival and beach party.

The motorcycle festival will then continue for another two days at Boat Lagoon in Phuket Town. Highlights include a convoy from Boat Lagoon to Phuket Gate Way for a corporate social responsibility activity, live music performances, final round of the Miss Phuket Bike Week 2018 contest, music festival, and live concert by Carabao band.

For more information, visit: http://www.phuketbikeweek

The trip is open for 400 Thai and foreign family cyclists with a registration fee of 600 Baht each inclusive of a brand shirt and six meals. The fee does not cover accommodation, but space for camping tents is available free-of-charge on Ko Taen.

Nongyao Jirundorn, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Ko Samui Office, said: “Samui can be seen for the first time and on repeat visits in different ways. Cycling offers the chance to discover unique Thai local experiences and the ‘Thainess’ of the locals, while embracing an inclusive tourism approach which TAT is focusing more on with the ‘Open to the New Shades’ marketing concept.”

Coming under the long established ‘Amazing Thailand’ brand, ‘Open to the New Shades’ encourages tourists to discover Thailand again and again, each time from a new perspective.

“This ‘Pan Yok Khrua Tour Ko Samui Talui Ko Taen’ trip is, as its namesake, to encourage the entire family to enjoy cycling together or ‘Pan Yok Khrua’ while exploring the beautiful scenery and key attractions of Ko Samui and Ko Taen,” added Ms. Nongyao.

The three-day programme will begin with participant registration and shirt collection at Na Thon Pier on Ko Samui from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, April 6.

On Saturday, April 7, registration will continue from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., followed by a welcome speech by Ms. Nongyao Jirundorn, Director of TAT’s Ko Samui Office, after which the bicycle caravan will set off along Provincial Highway 4169 and 4174 to It-viset Pier at Na Sai Bay.

From here, the group will travel by ferry to nearby Ko Taen, for the event’s opening ceremony and CSR activities. Hosted by Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui and the Chumphon Provincial Office of Natural Resources and the Environment, this will see participants helping release marine life (saltwater clams, turtles and fish) into the sea and cleaning up the mangrove forest area at the Tan Marina Bay Resort and Restaurant.

The day’s programme also includes time for cycling and sightseeing through Ko Taen’s picturesque scenery, and dinner along with folk songs, storytelling and other fun as well as a lucky draw. Participants can choose whether to stay a night on Ko Taen, or return to Ko Samui for their night’s rest.

On Sunday, the programme features more cycling and sightseeing; this time along Ko Samui’s scenic route with stops at key attractions including the Guan Yu Shrine, the White Jade Buddha image at Wat Samret, Wat Phra Chedi Laem So, Khao Le and Bang Kao Beaches.

Following lunch, the group will cycle along a scenic tourist route back to Na Thon Pier for the conclusion of the Pan Yok Khrua Tour Ko Samui Talui Ko Taen’ trip.