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.

Phu Wiang National Park is like many other dinosaur-related travel sites around Thailand. It is weird, wonderful and wacky, located well and truly off-the-beaten track, or the so-called ‘tourist trail’, hundreds of miles away from Bangkok in Thailand’s Northeast region of Isan.

All around Isan, visitors are likely to find huge dinosaur models in parks, zoos or alongside temples. Dinosaurs even decorate the tops of some public lamp posts as a shout out to the region’s ‘big lizard’ claim to fame.

Khon Kaen province is well known for dinosaurs, and particularly the Phu Wiang mountains where several important paleontological discoveries have been made, including two previously unknown species: ‘Phuwiangosaurus Sirindhornae’, a 15-metre (49 feet) long sauropod named after Thailand’s beloved Princess, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, and ‘Siamotyrannus Isanensis’, an ancestor of Tyrannosaurus Rex named after Thailand and Isan.

Exploring the Phu Wiang National Park attractions, kids can discover completely new dinosaur species they might never have even heard of before. The Park covers an area of over 380 sq km, so there is a lot of ground to explore. Several unique species indigenous to Thailand have been discovered at the National Park and around other sites in and around Khon Kaen province, which is why many consider it the dinosaur capital of Thailand. Visitors will find fossil digs, bones and models in its museums and current active dig sites around the park.

‘Siamotyrannus’ is the Thai version of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and looks kind of like a cross between a T-Rex and a crocodile. It stands upright, but it’s got a crocodile head, and it waded in shallow water looking for prey.

The huge plant-eating long-necked Phuwiangosaurus, also discovered in Phu Wiang, is considered a sauropod, as scientists now more commonly refer to it. In many sites, geologists have found fossils of infant dinosaurs, small crocodiles and mussels dating back more than 150 million years.

Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum goes international

The Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum became Thailand’s first dinosaur fossil museum when it opened in 1995, while the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum opened in 2000 and is generally considered one of the world’s three great dinosaur museums, along with the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Canada and the Zigong Dinosaur Museum in China.

Also located in Isan in Kalasin, Northeast Thailand, the Sirindhorn Museum is now part of a partnership between Thailand and Japan and the two countries’ best-known dinosaur museums. The Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum and the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, located in the Chubu region of Japan, are now ‘sister museums’ in a move expected to facilitate joint studies, research projects, fossil preservation and the development of geological tourism between the countries. The agreement was initiated when the Fukui PDM borrowed fossil samples from the Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum for a special display in Japan.

Si Wiang Dinosaur Park

The Si Wiang Dinosaur Park is another well-known tourist attraction of Khon Kaen province that first welcomed visitors in 2007. The Park features various spots for relaxation including a health garden, waterfall, pond, playground and over one hundred statues of dinosaurs; some of which are animatronic that move and make sounds like real dinosaurs once a coin is inserted into the machine. These statues are representative of the fossilised dinosaurs discovered around Isan.

It is even further off-the-beaten track on the road leading to the Phu Wiang National Park from Khon Kaen town.

When dinosaurs roamed Isan

When dinosaurs walked the earth, they left big footprints wherever they trod. Physical evidence of this is prevalent around Isan, with massive dinosaur footprints at the Phu Faek Forest Park in Kalasin. As the story goes, a family noticed strange footprints in the middle of a rock terrace back in November 1996. They later informed Thai geologists who came to survey the site. They discovered 21 footprints in total, belonging to carnivorous dinosaurs, believed to have lived in the area 140 million years ago. At present, only four footprints can be clearly accessed by the public.

The Dinosaur Footprint Park in Nakhon Phanom province features footprints imprinted into the region’s reddish-brown sandstone approximately 100 million years ago, and later confirmed by Thai palaeontologists as footprints of theropods and ornithopods.

Dinosaur excursions make for outstanding day trips in Thailand, which around Khon Kaen province also offers awesome views of the circular Phu Wiang Mountains as a dramatic backdrop. It makes for a great day out with family or friends, or offers an adventure for travellers who seek Thai local experiences that date to when dinosaurs roamed Isan, and pretty much every other place on Earth.

The opening ceremony is scheduled on March 31.

The event is usually held every first weekend of April to celebrate the unusual phenomenon when the rays of the rising sun shine through all of the Khmer temple’s 15 doorways at the same time.

This awe-inspiring spectacle takes place four times a year at the Phanomrung Sanctuary and is believed to bring great blessings upon everyone who is there to witness it. For those who wish to see the magic happening in 2018, make sure to be present at the sanctuary on April 3-5.

Several other activities will also take place as part of the event. Not to be missed include the ‘dimensional mapping light and sound show’ and the ‘special light show’ highlighting the legend of Phanomrung Sanctuary, a ritual to worship the gods and celestial beings, as well as a grand procession and Apsara dance performances.

Visitors can also enjoy shopping for local arts and crafts, as well as souvenirs, or try a wide range of local cuisine at the traditional-style flea market.

Having visited the Phanom Rung Sanctuary, tourists can also explore other attractions in vicinity including Muang Tam Sanctuary in Prakhonchai district, Wat Khao Angkarn – the Buddhist temple on an extinct volcano, the silk and cotton weaving village of Tambon Charoensuk, and Lamnangrong dam of Non Dindaeng district.

Another awe-inspiring place of interest in Buri Ram is the i-Mobile Stadium (Thunder Castle), which is currently the largest football stadium in Thailand and becoming a new magnet attracting visitors to Buri Ram. This 32,600-seat football stadium is owned by the Thai Premier League club Buriram United – a rising-star football club in Thailand. Also not to be missed is the Chang International Circuit, which will host the MotoGP 2018 in October.

This year’s event joins the action-packed Thailand Tourism Year 2018, which promotes the time-honoured cultural events and festivals, as well as helping to spread tourism income to local communities across the country. 

For more information, contact:

TAT Surin Office

Tel: +66 (0) 44 51 4447-8, or 1672

Email: tatsurin@tat.or.th

Website: www.tourismthailand.org/surin

Facebook: TAT Surin Office