There is no doubting the majesty and grace of the elephant. And if you are travelling to Thailand on holiday in the near future, you will have the chance to see them a lot closer than you ever have before.

Elephant trekking is a popular excursion to go on in Thailand. The elephants are trained carefully to provide this experience for tourists. They are used to walking around villages and various other locations so you can see them from a different angle. If you are slightly nervous of climbing up onto the back of an elephant, don’t be – they typically have seats on the back which make them very easy to sit on.

Some caution is of course required when you are thinking about trying elephant trekking. For example all elephants have handlers whom they are used to. Make sure you never go near any of the elephants unaccompanied because they may see you as a threat. These tours are quite safe provided you follow all the rules and apply some good natured common sense, so just bear that in mind.

The best elephant trekking opportunities are those which have been around for a long time. Unfortunately some people exploit the animals and this does not do them any good at all. That’s why you must do your bit to find elephant trekking companies that have been established for a long time, as they will take good care of the elephants.

There is no doubt that trekking in this way offers an altogether different side of Thailand for you to see. For starters you are riding high up and you have a unique angle to benefit from. Make sure you strap your camera around your wrist and make good use of it to fill up your photo album when you get back home.

You can spend as long as you like trekking in this way. Some tourists opt for an hour long experience initially, and then opt for a whole day out elephant trekking once they realise just how good it really is. Could you be one of them?

Every country has its own beliefs and religions that are more prevalent than others. And in Thailand you will find many Buddhist temples that point to the beliefs that are inherent in this country.

And if you want to see one of these temples during your stay in Thailand, be sure you don’t miss Doi Suthep. Its proper name is Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, as Doi Suthep is actually a mountain. But people refer to it by its shortened name quite often. Just be careful that if you ask for directions you make sure you refer to the temple itself rather than the mountain.

One thing worth knowing when you are in Thailand is that the other two names – Wat Phrathat – can be seen several times. You will often come across temples that bear these two names. Basically they mean that the temple has relics of Buddhism inside, so as soon as you read the name of a temple you will know what to expect once you step inside.

The temple itself is reached via a long flight of stairs. On either side of the stairs themselves there is a dragon – make sure you take some photos of these to take back home with you.

The stairs seem to go on forever but the journey is worth it – as you will see when you reach the top and see the first few buildings of the temple. You won’t find it difficult to buy a few souvenirs of your visit to Doi Suthep, since there are plenty of sellers in the area by the temple who sell all kinds of things.

Remember as you go inside the temple you will have to take your shoes off. Look out for the Chedi, one of the most famous sights of Doi Suthep. Not only is it very big, it is also made from gold on the outside, and it is quite a sight in itself.

Be prepared to spend several hours wandering around and taking in the many sights of Doi Suthep. Many have to be seen to be believed.

If you have never been to Thailand before, make sure your first visit takes in Bangkok. This is where you will find Siam Ocean World and it is well worth stumbling over!

You may even end up finding it on a shopping trip, because it is situated in one of the most unlikeliest positions you could imagine. Head for the Siam Paragon shopping mall and you will see what we mean. It is actually located in the basement of the mall, so you really can go out and do two completely different things in the same building.

So what can you expect to find in Siam Ocean World?

Well to begin with there are seven totally distinct areas to explore when you arrive. One of these is called Sea Jellies, which is perhaps the most unlikely name for a zone that you could think of. The one thing they all have in common is the ability to introduce you to all kinds of different sea living creatures – including many you will not be familiar with.

Ocean World is separated into two levels so you can expect to spend a few hours here exploring all that it has to offer. One thing you cannot fail to be impressed with is the scale of the place – the viewing areas are huge and you will be able to see more than you had perhaps bargained for in many cases.

You can see giant water rats (yes there really is such a thing), rays and of course sharks. All of these are great draws and bring the people flocking to see them. But perhaps the greatest feature of all is the long tunnel which enables you to walk underneath all of these creatures and see them up close. And if you are up for the ultimate experience you can even try a supervised dive into the tank itself to get about as close as it is possible to get.

As you can see, a visit to Siam Ocean World gives you a lot more than you may have bargained for. Enjoy!

Every city has its unmissable sights, and Bangkok is no different in that respect. So no matter where else you decide to go while you are there, the Grand Palace should be high up on your list of places to visit.

The Palace itself sounds like a single building, but its name is misleading. It is actually the name for a whole host of buildings created in the one space. Hence it is quite a sight to see, especially from a distance. The many spires and roofs all combine to make a distinctive mark on the skyline of the Thailand city.

As you would expect from a Palace like this, the King of Thailand used to live here. But that isn’t the case any more. It has been some decades since the King of Thailand has taken up permanent residence here.

Even though that is the case, you shouldn’t expect to see virtually all of the Palace buildings. Less than half of the location is available to look round, though that should be plenty to keep you occupied during your visit. Ironically if there is anything about the Grand Palace that will surprise you, it is the size. It does live up to its name in every sense of the word.

It is over two hundred years old too, and seeing the detail and dedication that went into the making of the Palace is something to remember for a long time afterwards. This is a building to be respected, as are the rules that surround any use of or admission to it. You might be on holiday but shorts and vest tops will not be tolerated. You must cover up – and that includes socks as well. It might sound strange but remember that this building also has religious connections so don’t underestimate what you need to do in order to see the inside.

Of course there is plenty to see outside as well, such as the statue of the half man, half bird called a Kinnara. This is just one of the many sights you won’t want to miss while you are marvelling at the delights of the Grand Palace, Bangkok.

19 July 2007

The Science Museum is located in Pathum Thani, north of Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. It is the first museum that was opened under the management of the National Science Museum organization (NSM), and aims to involve its visitors in the excitement of science, ultimately to increase the public understanding of science and technology.

Through the use of interactive exhibits and everyday examples, visitors can see the links between science and technology that are present in nearly every aspect of our lives. By looking at examples close to home, science becomes more familiar and exciting.

The objective of the new traveling exhibition project of the museum is to reach out to audiences that are located in remote areas across the country and deliver hands-on science experiences not just those who visit the National Science Museum. Now, the museum takes this interactive exhibition on the road, spreading the fun of science throughout Thailand to schools, science clubs and organizations.

The prime targets are children and young adults. The content of the exhibition is curriculum-based and the themes are: mathematics, mechanics, magnetism, electricity, optics and light and perception.

Hüttinger won the contract to design and build the traveling exhibition consisting of 35 interactive hands-on exhibits. The initial set-up took place in July 2007 at the National Science Museum Thailand.

20 April 2007

More than 100 films from about 30 countries will feature in the fifth Bangkok International Film Festival (BKKIFF) that is scheduled to be held from 19-29 July, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The festival, which was to be held in January, was postponed due to the unavailability of screening theatres.

"But we are all set to go now," said Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, Chief Officer of the BKKIFF, who will be overseeing the festival, this year. He stated that it would be a "streamlined festival, where we’ve trimmed off the excesses" and added, "The focus will be on quality films which is really the heart of any film festival."

"This year, our main focus will be to provide the movie-loving audiences of Bangkok, with the films they’ve been waiting to see.” While there would still be a Red Carpet Opening night, it would be on a more modest scale as compared to previous festivals, in keeping with the Sufficiency Economy Theory of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

There will be more emphasis on the cultural and technical parts of the festival. "Promoting cultural events is an important part of TAT’s activities," informed Chattan. The Program Director of this year’s BKKIFF, is Kriengsak Silakong, who served in the same capacity when the festival was first started in 2003, before moving on to the World Film Festival of Bangkok. The former theatre stalwart from Bangkok said he hoped to work out a good program, with his team. The BKKIFF would have a strong Asian focus this year, with more movies and movie stars from the Asian region making their presence felt.

The jury members would also be mostly from Asia. "Asian films are in vogue now," said Silakong, who visited festivals in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and India, to acquire movies. The final stop, of course, will be the Cannes Film Festival, in May. Chattan stated that the TAT would possibly hold a small function to announce the BKKIFF in Cannes, along the lines of the modest reception they held at the Hong Kong Film Festival recently.

As for the different sections of the festival, there would be three competition sections that would present the Golden Kinnaree Awards to the winners - International, ASEAN and Short Films. The ASEAN category is unique to this festival, and this year boasts of an arresting package of 10 films from the newly developed cinema of countries like Malaysia and Indonesia. The Short Film Competition is new to this year’s BKKIFF.

An important highlight of this year’s festival is that many of the competition films will have Thai sub-titles. The World Cinema section has about 20 movies from countries like Germany, France, Denmark, the U.K., while the Asian Cinema section has nearly 30 films from the region.

"The Asian films contribute to more than 50% of this year’s festival," said Silakong. As for the Thai Panorama section, he said they had a rich crop of 12 newly released films. There was also the possibility that the Opening Film would be from the kingdom, too.

Other features at this year’s festival, which are still being negotiated, are a special package of Greek movies, as well as a cluster of rare films from French master Luis Bunuel. A Lifetime Achievement Award would be given to the great special effects guru Ray Harryhausen. The festival also plans to have a tribute to a well-known director or actor, with five of the artist’s movies screened, in his presence. This is still being finalised.

"We also plan to hold seminars and workshops, which are a vital part of any film festival," said Chattan. He said the seminars would discuss topical subjects like anti-piracy, censorship and film shooting in Thailand. They would be conducted by well-known Professor Kittisak Suwannabhokin. There would also be an animation workshop, conducted by a well-known animation company from Okinawa, with a special focus on clay animation.

An important aspect of the BKKIFF would be the Bangkok Film Market that is being organised by the Federation of National Film Association of Thailand, from 23-25 July. With the big demand for Asian cinema on the world festival circuit, Chattan said the Film Market would give a boost to the sale of Asian and Thai films.

19 February 2007

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the signing of the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort, scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2008.

InterContinental Hua Hin Resort is being developed by Proud Resort Hua Hin Company LTD, and will be managed by IHG. Occupying a prime beachfront location along Petchakasem Road, the contemporary Thai-style resort will have 120 rooms and three beachfront villas with private plunge pools. All rooms will have spacious outdoor lounges with daybeds and dining space, with some ground floor rooms featuring either private gardens or direct pool access.

Other facilities planned for the resort include a Spa InterContinental with outdoor garden treatment pavilions, five different pools spread across the grounds, specialty Thai-Chinese, Japanese and grill restaurants along with a tea lounge set within a courtyard.

Of the development, A. Patrick Imbardelli, chief executive of IHG Asia Pacific, said: “The entry of an InterContinental property in a key destination like Hua Hin reinforces InterContinental Hotels & Resorts’ appeal as a provider of memorable resort experiences.

This highly-anticipated luxury beachfront property will complement the unique offerings of our other Asia Pacific InterContinental resorts in Bali, Bora Bora, Tahiti and Moorea. With the anticipated increase in visitor arrivals to Thailand and the strength of IHG’s operating systems, we look forward to maximizing the potential of this unique property.”

Khun Sangvorn Lipatapanlop, Chairman of Proud Resort Hua Hin Co. Ltd, said: “We are very pleased to be working with IHG on this project. We are confident that their knowledge of the industry in Thailand and the InterContinental brand’s track record as a global leader in hotels and resorts management will ensure the success of InterContinental Hua Hin Resort.”

Hua Hin is acclaimed as Thailand’s first seaside holiday destination. Just two-and-a-half hours from Bangkok, Hua Hin is well known for its excellent beaches, historical attractions and golf courses. Frequented by Thai royalty and home to the Summer Palace, the destination is fast becoming a popular vacation destination for international and domestic travellers.

For more information visit Hotel Asia Pacific