Issue 5 / December 2011
http://www.facebook.com/lomprayahmag
Lomprayah Team Editor in Chief Roengchai Tipyosot
Executive Editor Wanitcha Sukchet
Senior Writer Jamree Preechasoonthorn
EditorialCookiesssss Staff
Surasit Preechasoonthorn Juntiya Laoniyomthai Nokweed NuYoii Pumpui
Art Director Methakritsada Wanngoen
Editor’s Talk Everybody is waiting for New Year as a new hope and new beginning. We hope that to leave the bad luck away from us and bring a new beginning for our better life throughout New Year. For some, New Year is worse than others. However, “New Year” will come along with new thoughts, plans and ideas for sure. King Bhumibol Adulyadej reign with righteousness for the happiness of all Thai people. His Majesty composed a New Year blessing song for all Thais. Let us all listen the song. Long Live The King
Roengchai Tipyosot
roengchai@lomprayah.com http://www.facebook.com/lomprayahmag http://www.twitter.com/lomprayahmag
Lompraya News
Cross Year Prayer of 2012
Period: 31st December 2011 – 1st January 2012 Time: the End of Year’s night until the New Year’s dawn.
List of Names of Temples participating in this project in Bangkok
Wat Suthatthepwararam (Sao Chingcha) Wat Devaraj Wat Srakesa Wat Traimitr- Withayaram Wat Rajathiwas Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm (Wat Pho) Wat Paknum (Bhasicharoen) Wat Ratchaorasaram -
For more information: http://thai.tourismthailand.org/see-do/eventsfestivals/info-page/cat/3/event/3311/parent/180/lang/2/
The International Horticultural Exposition Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2011 Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Tourism and Sports and Horticultural Research Institute approved this flora fair from December 14th, 2011 to March 14th, 2012. The 99 days of the expo will be held at the Royal Park Ratchaphruek, Mae Hia District in the provincial town of Chiang Mai. This fair is aimed to commemorate the 84th Birthday Anniversary of His Majesty the King, the 80th Birthday Anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen and the 60th Birthday Anniversary of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The event also displays the Royal agricultural works. The flora exhibition will include international indoor and outdoor gardening. And visitors will enjoy many international cultural performances throughout the event. It also includes fantasy parade and musical shows at the night expo. There will be agricultural materials and equipments available for sale and souvenir shops and restaurant to accommodate number of visitors.
Lompraya News
Winter Festival at Mrigadayavan Palace
Period: December 2011 Place: Mrigadayavan Palace (Rama Vl Camp), Phetchaburi Province. Activities: There will be souvenir shops and rare products for sale, a variety of performances and activities from the Fine Art Department and local performances. It also includes Mrigadayavan history exhibition and workshop. For more information: - The Foundation of Mrigadayavan Palace: +66 3250 8444 -5 - Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phetchaburi Center: +66 3247 1005-6
Cover Story Real experience
New Years Eve on the
THAI ISLAND
One of my closest friends emailed me from Paris in early December and asked if I wanted a partner in crime for the holidays - to meet me in India or Thailand for Christmas and New Years! What a special treat! So, Barbara came from Paris and met me for a holiday. It felt great and so comfortable to be with such a good friend - someone who I’ve known for 11 years. We talked, drank banana-coffee shakes, and shared cocktails, watched sunsets and laid under the stars. Oh, and we had one of the most memorable New Years of my life
I arrived in Thailand with no expectations. And, within 20 minutes I had my own seat on a brand new, plush, airconditioned bus WITH a separate area for my baggage!!. I never knew how much I had appreciated a bus ride. Yes - a bus ride!
famous Khoa San Road - on a cute little street with its own restaurant/bar/shopping ‘scene’.
I felt like I was being re-introduced to a world that I had known in a previous life. I drank cocktails with ice. I got online and had a fast Internet connec Within one minute of getting off my tion! Wow - Thailand is amazing!!! It’s bus in Bangkok, two Swiss girls told me so easy here. about the perfect place to stay. So, I didn’t even open “the Bible” (Lonely Planet, for those of you who didn’t know it’s proper name)! They were right. This hotel/hostel/dorm was close to the
I spent 4 days wandering around Bangkok. I met a really nice girl from Egypt and we visited as many Wats(Buddhist Temples) as we could. This had an entirely new meaning to me after my Tushita Buddhist Meditation experience and reading so much Buddhist philosophy. For me, visiting Buddhist temples has become more than just ‘sight-seeing’ - they actually make me ‘feel’ something. And, they mean something to me. Bangkok is filled with wats and iconic Buddhist statues. I visited the “Standing Buddha,” the “Reclining Buddha,” the “Golden Buddha,” “the Emerald Buddha,” and a dozen more. My Canadian friend, Deb from Mcleod Ganj (and Pushkar) met up with me and we shared stories and shopped the crazy Bangkok markets. I never knew I was such a good shopper. I can bargain! But shopping is too easy here. If you’re good, you can get every item you want for under $10. If you’re REALLY good, you can get two-for-$10. Its actually quite fun. What will I do with all this stuff....?. I had a FANTASTIC time in Bangkok.
settle into a new place. We had no definite plans for New Years Eve and so we decided to just “see what happens. I love traveling like that. So, we started the evening with some cocktails at our resort bar where we met a Dutch guy and a German couple. Barbara had a tube of glitter and de After that I went to Kho samui island cided that everyone needed a little to met up Barbara. But, after two days, we glitter on their face. took the ferry over to Kho Tao to meet Matt, Hannah and Jessica from the Full Moon Ok. And then they invited us to join them for the evening. Why not? Party. So, we jumped in Bondi’s jeep and Kho Tao was amazing. The five of us must have drunk over 100 shakes combined. Banana shakes, Mango shakes, Chocolate-Coconut shakes, M&M shakes, Banana-coffee-chocoate shakes and dozens more. Oh, and a few cocktails too..... We laid in hammocks and ate long relaxed dinners on wooden-deck restaurants hovering over the beach. The days were filled with snorkeling, reading, talking, eating, and drinking more shakes. We didn’t need to adventure much. It was nice to relax and just chill. Barbara and I left to be on Kho Phangan Island for New Years. We were lucky to find some beautiful bungalows and
went for a nice dinner on another beach up a dirt road. Barbara had brought her little tube of “glitter” and started glittering everyone she saw. Soon, people started coming up to her and asking to be glittered. Pretty soon, we were the most popular people on the beach - “the glitter people”. We drank champagne and island cocktails all evening. We met people from dozens of countries all around the world. I think Barbara glittered over 200 people that night. At one point, I looked around at the beach-night-
club and every single person had glitter on their face. Every single person! Watching them get glittered was hilarious. Some people were shy. Some hesitant. Some bold and wanted more. Some brought their friends over to get glittered. We made friends with everyone, and it was quite amazing. And.... we were so lucky with the music!! Aaron from Defected Records (one of my favorite house music labels) was on tour - on his way to Hong Kong and happened to be at our beach for New Years. So, he DJ’d all night - into the wee hours of the morning. We had what I call “a magic music night.
“There was amazing music bumping in every corner of the bar, on the beach and at every moment of the night! People were setting off fireworks in the sand. And, just after midnight, we bought a prayer-light. This is like a mini hot air balloon (the size of a TV) that you send up into the sky. Each of us wrote our own wish on the material and sent it off - watching it float away up into the sky. It was a beautiful way to start the year. Happy New Year. I hope it is a happy, peaceful and healthy year for you!
Special Thanks to Dan http://www.travbuddy.com/musicdan
Agency PR
LIFE IS A
JOURNEY
MR.
ANTHONY
HILL
A I S A CLUB
Another year comes to an end and we have to prepare to say ‘Good Bye’ to this year. And we are all waiting for holidays to refresh the life in the new beginning of the year. But for Mr.Anthony Hill, he is the founder of “Club Asia”. He works and travels aboard that he truly loves at the same time. Let’s read and become more familiar with him!!
MR. ANTHONY HILL Lomprayah : Please ,Introduce your- amount of money than your normal self about your work in depth. tourists‌..and more importantly they support local communities instead Mr. Anthony : My Name is Anthony Hill. of spending there money in foreign I have been working in the adventure owned chains. travel sector for over 20 years. Over the last 2 decades I have worked my way through the ranks from being a guide to being the operations director. I have worked in over 50 countries around the globe including Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and most recently in Asia. Deciding on the difference between a good day and bad day is easy A good day is when I go to work wearing crocs, shorts and a t-shirt. A bad day is when I need to wear a suit & tie and sit in a concrete office (But this has only happened 2 or 3 times in the last 20 years).
Lomprayah : What kinds of work do you do? Describe its challenge, enjoy and interesting about your work.
Mr. Anthony : In most countries backpackers spend over double the amount of money than your normal tourists‌..and more importantly they Lomprayah : What kinds of work do support local communities instead you do? Describe its challenge, enjoy of spending there money in foreign owned chains. and interesting about your work. Mr. Anthony : In most countries backpackers spend over double the
Lomprayah : What common problems do you face in your work? And solution?
Lomprayah : What is the vacation style that your clients like the most? ( conservative style, mountain, beach or others ) Mr. Anthony : “Club Asia” travelers are more interested in the journey rather than just the destination. Most our travelers love and embrace the different cultures they are traveling through…. Like all cultures (Thai’s, Australian’s, European’s, Canadian’s, Kiwi’s, etc…) most travelers in their teens, 20’s and 30’s love to meet other like minded friends and have a bit of a party at night…..then during the day experience the villages, beaches, learn to dive, trek with hill tribes, raft down the mekong….the options are endless.
Mr. Anthony : Travelers not reading there tour vouchers and miss their departures….. Solution: They don’t normally make the same mistake twice – it is too expensive…LOL Lomprayah : What is the interesting point that attract your clients to choose going with you? Mr. Anthony : We are all backpackers that are helping other backpackers travel. Before our packages depart we always have a party so our travelers actually meet before starting there adventure. Our accommodation in all the locations is the best on each island we visit We are all about making traveling affordable, fun and the most awesome experience you can imagine.
MR. ANTHONY HILL
Mr. Anthony : I work a month on / month off – so I travel between Australia and Thailand every 4 weeks. Lomprayah : Where is your favorite Lomprayah : What do you think about Thailand in your eyes? place to visit? and why? Mr. Anthony : I have been coming for 19 years and absolutely love it. If you embrace the culture then it embraces you back.I first traveled to Koh Tao, Koh Phangan & Koh Samui in 1992. Back then these islands had no real tourism infrastructure – it was really just bamboo huts on the beach. Thailand still has 100’s of islands like this Lomprayah : How often do you come – you just need to know where to find them. and work in Thailand? I’ll give you a hint www.clubasia.co LOL Mr. Anthony : In Thailand / Laos I love the Mekong Region especially the more remote villages….. Down in the islands I would need to say Phi Phi – Just because the parties on the beach at night are awesome and then 2 or 3 minutes away by longtail boat you can be on a secluded beach.
Lomprayah : Please say something to persuade more foreigners to visit Thailand in specific point. Mr. Anthony : 365 Days of summer – what other county can boast this? Lomprayah : What should Thailand tourism need to be changed or developed? Mr. Anthony : Restrict development on some of the untouched islands so generations to come can still visit & enjoy this wonderful kingdom. Lomprayah : Where is the best place to celebrate in this Christmas / New year? Mr. Anthony : Koh Phangan without a doubt – where else in the world do they celebrate in such a big way with 10,000’s other revellers on the beach of a tropical island.
Speci
MR. ANTHONY HILL
ial Thank : http://www.adventuretravel.com.au/
Lomprayah : If I were your clients and want to buy a package for my girlfriend from your company. I want to surprise my girlfriend with calm, cute, romantic and inexpensive place. Where do you suggest me to enjoy in this Christmas? Mr. Anthony : Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay. This is one of Thailand best kept secrets. For romance you are on a tropical island with no other hotels, resorts or guest houses in site. You have beautiful white sandy beaches with great sunsets. Koh Yao Noi is also great for rock climbers, yoga enthusists, kayakers‌.. or for anyone that wants to experience the untouched island in the national park region of Phang Nga Bay.
MR. ANTHONY HILL
Tip to Trip
The Most
s e c a l P Popular for this
s a m t s i Chr and y a D s ’ r a e Y w Ne Here we are at the end of December and almost the end of another year. Tip to trip offers the most popular places and attractions to guide you decide where for celebrating in upcoming Christmas and New Year’s Day in Thailand.
1
Nine Temples around Bangkok
The first attraction is becoming increasingly more popular for people who want to bring themselves good luck for the New Year and throughout the year. People usually go for blessing and praying their respects to Buddha for the new beginning. It’s not only to make merit; you can also enjoy travelling beautiful ancient temples around Bangkok as following: 1. Wat Suthatthepwararam 2. Wat Bowonniwet Vihara 3. Wat Chana Songkhram 4. Wat Saket 5. Wat Phra Siratana 6. Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangklararm Rajwaramahaviharn 7. Wat Kalayanamit 8. Wat Arun Rajwararam 9. Wat Rakang Kositaram
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is commonly known as the ‘cool town’ in the cool season. It is a good place for couple or family to celebrate and enjoy cool weather there. Or you can experience other places by climbing up through the fog and mist. And you will then visit the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek Expo. You will be fasctinated by the beauty of scenic views surrounding by mountains. Don’t forget to take your camera and snap some beautiful photos to share us!
2
Pattaya
3
Pattaya is city that never sleeps. Pattaya is also known as for its beautiful beach and many attractive places. Pattaya City has approved the budget to cater the ‘Pattaya Countdown 2012’ event from 25 to 31 December 2011 at Bali Hai Pier, South Pattaya. This event includes grand fireworks show, concerts from leading artists in Thailand and local Thai cultural performances.
4
Sanamluang
Last year Sanamluang is voted among top ten destinations for celebrating New Year. This event expresses authentic Thai-ness with offering foods to monks, Thai culture and tradition, Thai local performances, and Thai foods. Moreover, it is at the opposite side of the Grand Palace.
5
Rajprasong Intersection
On the Rajprasong intersection where from Patumwan to Chidlom road and Lumpini to Pratunum intersection go along that way, it is a great place for celebrating the New Year’s Eve event. It is beautifully decorated with colourful lights along the road and sidewalk. Besides, Central World is another famous place to Countdown on New Year Eve. It provides live on-stage performances by popular artists, food stalls and beer gardens. You can enjoy taking photos with a huge Christmas tree and decorative graphic lights from Korea and mini play park on the Central World Square. Then don’t miss this event!
Last but not least, there are also many other great places to visit. There are different ways to celebrate New Year in different cultures. Thailand is waiting for you…
credit : http://www.kapook.com, http://www.askmen.com