Delightful flower festival at Bangkok's Rama IX Park

Delightful flower festival at Bangkok's Rama IX Park

Head for Rama IX Park in the eastern suburbs of Bangkok for one of the most delightful events of the year

One of the most delightful flower festivals in Thailand – the Suanluang Rama IX Flower Festival is taking place again this year from 1-10 December, 2017. As usual, there are many different flowers and blooms on display in all areas of Suanluang Rama IX Public Park.

Highlights also include an exhibition in remembrance of His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and his royally initiated projects in all parts of the country. There are also booths selling flowers and plants as well as gardening tools.

In addition, there are cultural performances from four regions of Thailand, an ornamental plant contest, and a floating market selling food, arts and crafts, and souvenirs.Suanluang Rama IX Public Park was built in 1987 to commemorate the 60th birthday of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. 

Covering an area of 500 rai, the park is divided into six sections: ‘Garden of the Great King’ which is home to the Ratchamangkhala Pavilion; ‘Botanic Garden’, the ‘Reservoir’; ‘Romanee Garden’; ‘Water Garden’; and ‘Sanam Rasdara and Sport Center’.

In addition, there is an international garden featuring arrangements from different regions of the world. For more information, please visit: www.tourismthailand.org (in English) or suanluangrama9.or.th (in Thai)The Suanluang Rama IX Public Park is located deep inside Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Soi 103 (Udomsuk) Road. It opens daily from 08.00 – 19.00 Hrs. Admission is 10 Baht.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Trang-Bangkok train service cancelled Thursday

Trang-Bangkok train service cancelled Thursday

Thursday evening’s Trang-Bangkok passenger train had to abandon its service and return to the station because the track was flooded in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Officials said the train, which left the Trang railway station in Mueang district at 5.20pm, returned to the station at 9.15 pm after it found it could not continue after reaching the Huay Yod station in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Huay Yod district.

Officials said that a section of the railway ahead was underwater and so it was decided to abort the service and return to the Trang station. The train was full with passengers, including foreign tourists.

The Trang station allowed those passengers, who could not return home or stay in hotels, to remain on the train for the night. The Trang-Bangkok train service is suspended indefinitely pending further notice.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Central World Bangkok lights up for the holiday season

Central World Bangkok lights up for the holiday season

Festive season is (already) here once again, with decorations and lights going up in the areas around CentralWorld and Rajprasong

CentralWorld Shopping Complex in the heart of Bangkok is putting on its much-anticipated annual light displays for the holiday season, from now until 7 January, 2018.

Highlights for this year are more than 400 Christmas decorations, cartoon characters and art pieces, including the five-metre-tall sculptures of Santa Claus and friends, created by the famous Argentinian illustrator, Javier González Burgos, under the theme of “The Dazzling Celebration.”From 21 to 26 November, there’re daily light-and-sound shows at 19.00, 20.00 and 21.00 Hrs.

~News courtesy of The Nation~

Corn slides 切片玉米

ข้าวโพดสไลด์

ข้าวโพด khao pod 玉米 Corn

สไลด์ slide 切片

芭堤雅往返广东梅州 直飞航线开通

芭堤雅往返广东梅州 直飞航线开通



一架飞鸟航空公司涂装形似小鸟的飞机13日中午平稳降落在广东省梅州市梅县机场，标志着泰国芭堤雅往返广东梅州直飞新航线正式通航。

该国际航班由飞鸟航空公司采用B737-800机型执飞，每周2班，逢周一、三飞行，均于北京时间早上9时从芭堤雅起飞，中午12时到达梅州；返程则于下午1时从梅州起飞，下午4时到达芭提雅。

这也是广东梅州梅县机场继开通雅加达航线后开通的第2条东南亚航线。该新航线的开通，不仅对梅州连接东南亚地区侨胞具有重要意义，也将更好地服务国家「一带一路」倡议，进一步促进梅州乃至广东与世界的互通互联。目前，11月梅州飞往芭堤雅的机票已经售罄。

广东梅州被誉为「世界客都」，也是著名侨乡，泰国、印尼、新加坡等东南亚地区分布着众多祖籍梅州的侨胞。

《泰国世界日报》

Smoking ban on 20 popular tourist beaches

Thailand bans smoking on 20 popular tourist beaches



Tourists sunbathe at Phuket's Patong beach on Nov 30, 2014.

Thailand is to ban smoking on some of the country's most popular tourist beaches, with the prospect of up to a year in prison for those caught lighting up, according to reports by local media.

The move follows a recent survey of litter on Patong beach, Phuket - visited by millions of foreign tourists each year - which found an average of 0.76 cigarette butts per square metre in a sample area, which would amount to 101,058 butts on the 2.5km-long stretch of sand.

The survey was undertaken by the country's department of marine and coastal resources, which described it as a "serious problem". Discarded cigarette butts accounted for a third of rubbish collected by the department.

"Cigarettes have a direct effect on the natural environment," director-general Jatuporn Buruspat told the Phuket Gazette .

"The butts clog the drains contributing to floods. When the cigarettes stay under the beach sand for a long time, it also negatively affects the ecosystem. And then when the chemicals from the cigarette butts reach the water, it also releases cadmium, lead, arsenic and some acid from insecticide which are poison to the natural food chain."

The ban, which will come into play in November, will affect 20 beaches including Patong, Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nai (Phuket); Hua Hin, Cha-Am, Khao Takiab (western province of Prachuap Khiri Khan); Pattaya, Jomtien, Bangsaen (eastern province of Chonburi) and Samila (Songkhla city).

After a trial period, the ban is expected to be enforced on all Thai beaches, as well as on passenger and tourist boats, to tackle the problem of butts damaging the underwater environment.

Anyone found to be breaking the law will face one year in jail or a maximum 100,000 baht (S$4,080) fine, or both.

The Bangkok Post also reported the news, adding that Thailand has the sixth most rubbish-strewn areas of sea in the world.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~

Chiang Mai improves its connectivity in readiness for Asean Tourism Forum 2018

Chiang Mai improves its connectivity in readiness for Asean Tourism Forum 2018



The Wat Rajamontean Temple in Chiang Mai, which is home to more than 300 temples.

Chiang Mai continues to expand international direct flights to Thailand’s northern gateway city as it prepares to meet demand leading up to the Asean Tourism Forum 2018 (ATF 2018) in January next year.

Mr Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said: “The increase in international direct flights will support the ATF 2018 theme of 'Asean - Sustainable Connectivity, Boundless Prosperity.’

“Chiang Mai is a gateway to the north of Thailand. Delegates or tourists can enjoy their time in this northern city and then continue their journey to other parts of Thailand or within Asean via the many intra-regional and international connecting flights available.

“While flights are currently keeping up with demand, there is also available capacity to handle future growth as we expect hosting ATF 2018 will also result in more travellers wanting to visit Chiang Mai.”

He also noted that TAT has recently hosted several multi-country Asean familiarisation trips, linking Thailand with key commercial capitals around Asean to support intra-regional tourism growth.

In 2017, Chiang Mai is on track to welcome a total of 7,614 direct international flights and 567 indirect flights (via major destinations), with almost half coming from China (3,436 flights).

The top four cities of origin in China include Beijing and Shanghai (1,022 flights each), Guangzhou (664 flights), Kunming (450 flights) and Hangzhou (365 flights), with the remainder coming from Wuhan, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Haikou, Nanjing, Nanning, Qingdao, Xi’an and Chengdu.

Other international flights include from Hong Kong – 1,088 flights; Myanmar – 880 flights; Kuala Lumpur – 837 flights; Singapore – 489 flights; Macau – 365 flights; and Seoul with 242 flights (flight data from OAG).

The Bangkok to Chiang Mai domestic trunk route also continues to expand to meet the growing demand from Thai and international tourists.

Daily flight services from both airports are served by Thai Airways, Thai Smile Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air and other Thailand-based carriers, in addition to international direct flights.

Chiang Mai is also linked domestically with other major Thai cities, including Phuket, Ko Samui, Krabi, Chiang Rai, Pattaya, Surat Thani, Hat Yai and Prachuap Khiri Khan (Hua Hin).

Domestic flight services are also available between Chiang Mai and other secondary Thai cities, including Phitsanulok, Tak (Mae Sot), Ubon Ratchathani, Mae Hong Son, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.

~News courtesy of Straits Times~