甲米府─贝壳墓冢

甲米府─贝壳墓冢

贝壳墓冢位于甲米府班郎坡海岸（Ban Laem Pho）的东北边，离市区17公里，该地聚集密密麻麻2公分长的淡水贝壳，其中绝大部份是田螺，千百年来，贝类遗骸不断在页岩层上堆积，经过风化，形成贝壳墓冢奇景。



而这些贝壳化石因地壳隆起而「浮出海面」，是一个非常重要的考古研究场所。该化石墓冢刚被发现的时候，推测其有7,500万年的历史，但随着大量化石的发现和研究的不断进展，推测出该贝壳墓冢约有2,000-4,000万年的历史。



甲米府的贝壳墓冢曾是一大型淡水沼泽，有各种淡水贝类栖息，其中2公分​​长的田螺居多，由于地质改变，海水入侵，贝类与海底的石灰石融为一体，形成厚达40公分的贝壳墓冢(Shelly Limestone)，由于地壳隆起，这些贝壳化石便浮出水面，而这种具上千万年历史的贝壳墓冢全球仅3处，分别是美国（芝加哥）、日本及泰国。



参观门票：

本地人：儿童10铢、大人20铢；外国人：儿童100铢、大人200铢。

开放时间：

每天08:30至17:00

交通：

自驾车：从甲米市区使用4034号公路往班赛泰(Ban Sai Thai)行驶，在班赛泰三叉路左转往4024号公路行驶，往奥南茅(Ao Nam Mao)码头直行即可。

共公交通：双条车(白色)甲米(Krabi)-奴帕拉特塔拉沙滩(Nopparat Thara Beach)-奥南(Ao Nang)-贝壳墓冢(Su-san Hoi )​​​​线，服务时间： 07:00-17:30。

最佳旅游时间：整年，但雨季的时候应多加小心，因海岸会长青苔，容易滑倒。

~以上新闻转自世界日报~

Wonders in wax

Wonders in wax



Thailand marks the beginning of the Buddhist Lent with candle carving, merit-making and folk dancing

With the monsoon season now in full swing and the rains nourishing the delicate rice seeds sowed not so long ago, it's time for Thailand to mark the Khao Phansa Festival. Held across the country in the middle of July, this spiritual event sees devotees of the Buddhist faith offering beautifully carved candles to the temples in a gesture reminiscent of the days when the monks would use the candles to provide light as they chanted Buddhist texts throughout the night.

From Ubon Ratchathani to Nan provinces, from boats on the canals to rides on elephant-back, the festival is celebrated in many different ways with floats, cultural shows, folk music, traditional dance and parades forming the main theme.

We take a look at some of the most delightful candle festivals.

UBON RATCHATHANI

When: July 18-20

Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand's lower Northeast is the champion when it comes to candle carving and spectacular floats and parades. Tourists and devotees are lured to the provincial capital to admire the amazing wax and candle carvings, many of them shaped into Buddha images and angels. In more recent years, the festival has incorporated a candle contest, with international artists and college students competing to show off their artistic creations. This year's event kicked off at the beginning of this week and runs through July 20 with artists from Russia, the US, Taiwan and Spain exhibiting their works in Thungsrimuang square. A sightseeing tour of the candle-making communities of Wat Sripradoo, Wat Thungsrimuang and Wat Pholphaen allows visitors to watch as residents cut up and melt the beeswax then pour it into moulds to form components of the huge, elaborate candles. The event culminates on July 20 when thousands of spectators line the streets to witness the colourful candle float parade.

NAN

When: July 20

If extravagant candle floats are not your cup of tea, then check out the humble wax-offering rite in Wiang Sa, Nan Province. On July 20, two days after the full moon, residents of Wiang Sa district will offer small dice and sticks of candle and wax to the Buddhist monks at Wat Buen Yeun. Like almsgiving, this unique yet original candle offering has been an act of virtue since the early 1800s. With the monks staying in their temples for three months during the Buddhist Lent, the candles will be used for learning and practising Buddhism by night.

NAKHON PHANOM

When: July 20

Nakhon Phanom Candle Festival takes place at Phra That Phanom, one of the most revered pagodas along the Mekong River. As elsewhere in the country, the ceremony will be celebrated in a devout yet festive fashion. The colourful procession of exquisitely carved candles, Miss Candle Beauty Contest, classical dancing, a mass merit-making ceremony will take turns to brighten up the spirit of Khao Phansa on the river bank.

SURIN

When: July 18-19

Temple murals reveal a lot about the elephant's great contribution to Buddhism, and the pachyderms of Surin once again underline their important role in religion at the beginning of Vassa. Surin pays homage to its traditional beasts of burden with 100 elaborately decorated elephants carrying some of the city's most revered monks around the town in a unique and memorable ceremony. There's also a candle procession and an elephant-back merit-making rite at the Monument of Phaya Surin Phakdi Sri Narong Changwang.

SUPHAN BURI

July: 19-20

Suphan Buri Province holds its candle festival at Wat Pa Lelai Woravihara with a showcase of beautifully carved candles. The colourful procession along with performances of folk and traditional dance by local art students takes place on July 20 starting from the Clock Tower in Muang Suphan Buri District and continuing through the downtown area. The candle showcase and dance is staged at Wat Pa Lelai. Suphan Buri natives are famous for laying on good entertainment, so visitors to the festival won't be disappointed as folk dances add fun to the festival.

NAKHON RATCHASIMA

When: July 19-20

Nakhon Ratchasima Candle Procession Festival takes place at the Tao Suranaree Monument and promises a procession of floats bearing carved candles as well as a range of other merit-making activities. Ahead of the province's grand celebration, Phimai and Chokchai districts will hold the candle festivals to mark the start of the Buddhist Lent.

SARABURI

When: July 19-20

The annual Tak Bat Dok Mai, or Flower Offering festival, returns to Wat Phra Phutthabat in Saraburi to mark the beginning of the three-month-long rains retreat. Thousands of Buddhist monks, mostly from Phra Dhammakaya temple, are expected to attend this year’s event. The festival celebrates the bloom of the local flower known as Dok Khao Phansa at the beginning of Vassa. The flower offering takes place twice daily at 9am and 3pm on both July 19 and 20.

AYUTTHAYA

When: July 19

The riverside community of Ladchado, Ayutthaya Province, will be celebrating the annual Candle Festival along the river on July 19 and thanking the rain for replenishing its canal. Like many things in Ladchado, the candle festival is celebrated on the water with hundreds of small sampans decorated with flowers and colourful parasols making their way downstream from the far side of canal. Tucked away in Phak Hai district, Ladchado is about 40 kilometres west of downtown Ayutthaya.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

猜也奔暹罗郁金香 月底开满林

猜也奔暹罗郁金香 月底开满林



猜也奔府(Chaiyaphum)农布拉合县塞通国家公园和贴沙提县巴欣南国家公园的暹罗郁金香已开放了10-20%，预计本月底暹罗郁金香将绽放满林区，游客可以在守夏节期间（本月底至8月初）前往参观。

巴欣南国家公园工作人员昨天（4日）称，暹罗郁金香林区已开花了约10-20%，预计本月底将全部盛开，因为受到雨季的影响，花卉盛放时间会延迟至下月底。而塞通国家公园工作人员称，现在森林里的暹罗郁金香也已经盛放了20%，预计全部开放还需等到本月底，而两座公园绽放的暹罗郁金香都比往年多得多。

猜也奔府在雨季期间的旅游亮点就是欣赏绽放的暹罗郁金香，该类花卉与姜科相似，只要到了冬天，就只剩下根茎埋在地里，等到夏天后就会生根发芽，特别是雨季期间。

游客想咨询更多信息，可以拨打泰国旅游局呵叻(Nakhon Ratchasima)办事处电话：0-4421-3030、0-4421-3666，或者塞通国家公园电话：0-4405-6141-2，巴欣南国家公园电话：08-9282-3437。

~以上新闻转自中国报~

旅游局向中国客介绍泰文化

向中国客介绍泰文化 旅游局赠旅行社【享受泰国之旅小贴士】

泰国旅游业联合会副主席塔叻、泰国旅游局芭堤雅办事处主任安塔蓬，于昨天（4日）一同向春武里府芭堤雅市旅游企业、旅游景点赠送中文版「享受泰国之旅小贴士」宣传字牌，通过该牌子向中国游客介绍泰国的文化传统习俗，同时推动当地旅游业的健康发展。 此次活动共有芭堤雅旅游公会、东部地区酒店公会、春武里府旅游景点协会、东芭乐园、是拉差龙虎园、芭堤雅四区水上市场、皇权免税中心等企业代表出席。

塔叻表示，每年大约有800万名中国游客来泰国旅游度假，今年有望突破1000万人次大关，而芭堤雅属于大多数中国游客必游的旅游目的地，且逐渐取代以往的欧美、欧罗斯游客。但随着大量中国游客的增加，也给当地民众带来了诸多的不便，特别是中国游客的诸多习惯不符合泰国的文化传统，从而造成一些负面影响。但是这也不能单纯地责怪中国游客，因为主要是对当地传统风俗和生活习惯不了解而造成。

塔叻还表示，当前芭堤雅旅游市场依然需要中国游客的支持，但为了避免上述问题的发生，泰国旅游议会联合国家旅游局印制了中文版的「享受泰国之旅小贴士」宣传字牌，发放给芭堤雅各旅游企业和旅游景点，让中国游客可以了解当地的文化传统和生活习惯，同时在旅游过程中避免再次发生误解和影响当地民众的正常生活，也避免给中国游客自身带来不必要的麻烦。

~以上新闻转自中国报~