Pachyderms on the pitch

The 14th King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament takes place from tomorrow to Sunday on the banks of Anantara Bangkok Riverside Resort. This year’s event will have 10 teams encompassing more than 40 players, including Thai celebrities, professional horse polo players, New Zealand All Blacks rugby players and Thailand’s famous transgender cabaret team Miss Tiffany. Tickets cost Bt200 and are available at the pitch on tournament days. The special one-day VIP Pass is Bt5,000 per person and includes free-flow drinks, polo shirt and snacks. A two-day VIP Pass gives access to the Charity Auction Dinner and is priced at Bt15,000. The gross proceeds go to Golden Triangle Elephant Foundation in Chiang Rai province. Call (097) 012 0417 or email kmin@anantara.com.

Making new connections

AirAsia responds to the growing demand for domestic routes with daily direct flights between Khon Kaen and Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen and Hat Yai adding to the success of its regional connections. AirAsia flight FD5500 leaves Chiang Maidaily at 7am and arrives at Khon Kaen at 8.10am. The return flight FD5501 takes off at 2.20pm before landing at Chiang Mai at 3.40pm. A daily flight from Khon Kaen to Hat Yai leaves at 9.20am and lands in Hat Yai at 11.20am. Coming back, passengers leave Hat Yai at 11.50am and arrive at their destination at 1.50pm. Visit http://www.AirAsia.com.

Cooking up a storm

Calling all chefs, sous chefs and chef de parties! The S Pellegrino Young Chef 2016 contest is now inviting applications from chefs less than 30 years old to demonstrate a number of skills including mastery of ingredient selection and the ability to transform ingredients into wonderful dishes. The deadline to apply is March 31. Register now at http://www.FineDiningLovers.com.

Novices on parade

The Hat Siao Elephant Procession returns to the riverside communities of Sukhothai province on April 7. The annual ordination always draws many thousands of visitors for the unique and colourful elephant parade across the river. The elephants carry young men into their monkhood with the ordination s taking place at the local Buddhist chapel. Folk dances, music and other festive activities add colour to the rite. Hat Siao is part of Si Satchanalai District, home to Wat Chang Lom in Si Satchanalai National Historical Park.

Birds by any other name

The Asean Barred Ground Dove Festival will again draw birdwatchers to Thailand’s southern province of Yala this Saturday and Sunday. The annual festival takes places at Khwan Muang Park in Muang District where thousands of bird cages filled with zebra doves from Thailand, Indonesia and other Asean countries will keep judges busy as they search out the best cooing birds. The red-whiskered bulbuls will coo, too, and compete for “best of breed”.

Flower power in the park

Si Sa Ket province welcomes summer from March 11 to 13 with its annual Dok Lam Duan Flower Festival that runs from Friday through Sunday in the Princess Mother Memorial Park. More than 50,000 trees will be showing off their fragrant Melodorum fruticosum petals as locals and visitors enjoy cultural shows and delicious Isaan dishes. The event is held concurrently with the Four Tribes Annual Cultural Festival with ethnic Lao, Khmer, Kui and Yoe groupings each showcasing their unique culture.

High kicks and sacred ink

Thai kick boxers from around the world will gather in Ayutthaya province on March 17 for the “World Wai Khru Muay Thai Festival”. The event is held annually to pay homage to Thai boxing masters and to showcase Thai martial arts, which are now known and appreciated throughout the world. The festival includes professional muay Thai bouts as well as demonstrations of Thai arts and handicrafts, traditional Thai tattooing and the making of ancient weapons..

The beat goes on

The Pattaya Music Festival 2016 returns to this popular resort in Chon Buri province from March 18 to 20 for a beach party that features pop, rock, hip-hop and R ‘n’ B. Taking part this year is a wealth of local talent as well as some 10 artists from Thailand’s Southeast Asian neighbours.

Call (038) 427 667.

A taste of Krabi

Krabi province – one of Thailand’s best beach holiday destinations – will host the Krabi Naga Festival from February 27-29. Staged along the beautiful strip of Klong Muang Beach, the festival draws locals for the live music and sets by popular Thai singers and bands. Foreign tourists should follow their noses and indulge in the range of seafood and other dishes catered by local restaurants.

Living the Thai way

The Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai offers Thai culture classes and workshops to its guests. Herbal compress making, Thai massage, yoga, Thai boxing, rice-growing and buffalo-riding are among the many classes that help visitors experience the Thai way of life. Some of the classes are complimentary. Find out more at http://www.DharaDhevi.com. Call (053) 888 888.

AirAsia to fly to Luang Prabang

Budget airline ThaiAirAsia is all set to add Luang Prabang in northern Laos to its destinations, making the Unesco World Heritage Site and former capital of Laos much more accessible and affordable to all. Thai AirAsia’s service between Bangkok and Luang Prabang will begin on March 24. Flight FD 1030 will depart Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport at 2.10pm and arrive at Luang Prabang International Airport at 3.30pm. The return flight FD1031 will leave Luang Prabang at 4.45pm before landing in Bangkok at 6.05pm. Visit http://www.airasia.com.

Thailand clamps down on overstays

From March 20, Thailand will impose a strict re-entry ban on foreign visitors who overstay, the Interior Ministry has announced. The ministry notes that a number of aliens, or foreign visitors, with temporary permission to stay in Thailand have overstayed beyond their permitted date, thus placing the safety of people and national security at risk. Offending foreigners may be banned from re-entry to Thailand for one year to 10 years depending on the length of overstay.

Yamazato, the signature Japanese restaurant at The Okura Prestige Bangkok, is celebrating the ancient Hinamatsuri Girls’ Festival through March 6 with a Gozen set lunch (Bt900) and Kaiseki set dinner (Bt3,000) created by master Chef Shigeru Hagiwara. This historic festival is celebrated annually in Japanese communities on March 3 to wish good health and future happiness for girls. Visit http://www.OkuraBangkok.com.

Lanna and loving it

After two years of success, the Nan Arts Festival is returning to the small Northern Province for its third edition from February 19 -21 on the theme “Nan Ter!” – a typical yet funny exclamation in the Lanna dialect. Taking place around Nan Museum, the festival features a short film showcase, art exhibition and installations. Noted for its rustic scenery, the northern province is isolated from the mainstream tourism industry. Visit Facebook.com/NanArtsFestival

Trang is hosting the annual Underwater Wedding Fair from Friday to Sunday and you don’t have to be a deep-sea diver to join in. The event has many colourful activities for landlubbers as well, not least watching a traditional wedding ceremony and the remarkable khan maak procession, which features hundreds of speedboats decorated with multi-hued flags. Visit http://www.UnderwaterWedding.com.

At home in the city

Visitors to Bangkok wanting luxury without a major outlay should check out The Silver Palm Rama 9 in Hua Mark. Within easy walking distance of Hua Mark Airport Rail Link Station, the hotel is an ideal place for business and leisure travellers who want to enjoy the capital a little longer. All 89 rooms are equipped with an in-room multi-function work area and free in-room Wi-Fi. For guests with medical needs, international names like Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital and Bangkok Hospital are nearby. Cafe Edge offers all-day-dining services with Thai, Asian and European dishes to suit every palate.

Monkey says, monkey does

Yaowarat, also known as Bangkok’s Chinatown, will be celebrating the Chinese New Year next Monday and Tuesday. The main roads and small sois will be closed to traffic and will instead feature gorgeous lanterns and stage shows. Festival-goers can pray for a harmonious and healthy year to the Ksitigarbha Buddha Image, which the Chinese Government is installing especially for the occasion.

Small steaks for a healthy lunch

Babette’s The Steakhouse Bangkok is offering a small lunch set that’s ideal both for business meals and relaxed dining with friends. Created by the restaurant’s new executive chef Tobias Schwarzendorfer, Babette’s set lunch has a choice of two or three courses and costs Bt449 and Bt599 respectively. The restaurant is located at Hotel Muse Bangkok on Lang Suan. Visit http://HotelMuseBangkok.com.

Thai tastes with a difference

After a four-year absence, Thai chef Tummanoon Pubchun returns to Mon Tri’s Kitchen restaurant in Phuket from tomorrow through February 20 and will be whipping up a nostalgic culinary feast that includes fish fillet with a tom yam coulis, Boneless Duck Breast with Five Chinese Spices and a rock lobster threesome.

Celebration, Chinese style

Enjoy a feast from February 6 to 8 at The Golden Palace Restaurant of Hotel Windsor Suites. The Chinese dining set, which is for 10 people, costs Bt8,888 and features eight dishes including Baked Abalone with Ginseng, Steamed Snow Fish with Salt & Chilli and Quick-Boiled Sliced Whelks served with Shrimp Paste Sauce. Book a table at (02) 262 1234 extension 1410.

Chiang Mai celebrates its annual Flower Festival with colourful parades, floats and cultural shows all through the old city. Taking place at Suan Buak Had public park in Muang District from February 5 to 7, this annual festival turns the park into an open-air exhibition venue where local and international visitors can marvel at a magnificent tapestry of floral splendour. An agricultural exhibition, flower arrangements and Miss Flower & Miss International Flower Blooming Beauty Contests add to the fun. One of the Festival’s highlights is the parade of elaborately decorated floral floats during the opening ceremony, which is being held on February 7.

Sweet, sweet music

Let’s Sea resort in Hua Hin invites guests to let their hair down with Beach Piano every Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 6pm. Pianist Chalermpon Palacheewa’s repertoire includes His Majesty the King’s compositions, bossa nova jazz and soft pop. This chic beachfront resort is 10 km from both Klai Kangwon Palace and Sam Phan Nam Floating Market and is known for its alfresco beachfront restaurant. Visit http://www.LetUsSea.com.

Get up close and cosy with the cows at the annual Dairy Farm Festival, which kicks off today at Thai-Danish Dairy Farm in Muak Lek, Saraburi. The festival continues through next Tuesday and has something for all ages. Kids will love the tour of a dairy farm in action including milking and caring for baby calves while the adults can enjoy country music, a cowboy show and delicious dairy snacks and drinks.

Bountiful brunch

Tuck into the best dishes from around the world every Sunday with a brunch at Phuket’s Amatara Resort & Wellness’s The Grill restaurant. You’ll enjoy roasted free-range and farm-raised meats, oysters, fresh lobsters and other seafood, organic salads, artisanal cheese, handcrafted bakery and pastries items and healthy and organic raw juices. The brunch runs from noon to 4pm and costs Bt2,100 with soft drinks.

Centara Hotels & Resorts has been renamed Central Hospitality International – or “CHi” for short. This renaming applies to the management and holding company behind the group’s collection of hotels and the hotel brands, products and services will remain unchanged. The introduction of CHi serves to differentiate the corporate brand and its member hotel brands, as well as to align the hotel group with the other Central Group companies, thus creating greater affiliation and synergy within the Central family. The inclusion of the word “International” signifies CHi’s intent to continue to expand its portfolio both in Thailand and the international market, becoming even more of a global player in the hospitality sector.

The speedy and the slow

Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort offers guests a free ride on an elephant along the nature trail when they purchase a full day’s speedboat service to Phi Phi Island. The speedboat is the ideal mode of transportation for hoping around the islands and costs Bt30,000 for a maximum of six passengers. Call (075) 627 800 or email: h6184-re@sofitel.com.

AirAsia introduces daily flights between Phuket and Wuhan, making it easier for the Chinese to visit Thailand’s famous beach holiday destination from central China. AirAsia FD808 leaves Phuket International Airport at 5.25pm and arrives at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport at 11pm (local time). The returning FD809 departs Wuhan for Phuket at 11.45pm and reaches the resort town at 3.15am. The flight time is about four-and-a-half hours, and a one-way ticket starts at Bt2,290. Visit http://www.AirAsia.com.

Crustacean with a crunch

Feast on super-sized lobsters all this month at the Loong Foong Chinese Restaurant of Swissotel Le Concorde Hotel Bangkok. Prices start at Bt1,800 per dish. Swissotel Le Concorde Hotel is on Ratchadaphisek Road about four minutes on foot from Huai Khwang MRT Station. Book a table at (02) 694 2222 extension 1540.