Chiang Mai Lifestyle including long-tail boat ride Overview

This trip is a gentle way to see Chiang Mais? People?s lifestyle. Leave hotel to Wat Chai Mongkol where you start cruising through rural Mae Ping River by long-tail boat for 30 minutes. Softly moving along the river you will see wooden houses and modern residences with colourful scenery and lifestyle of the local people. Arrive at a local farm house where you can take a leisurely stroll around the grounds. Continue on to Waroros Market, to see and feel the real northern people way of life and much more. In order to feel more about it, we take a tricycle ride along the main road to the old city. Then come to the main temple in town named Wat Prasingh (A.D.1345), housing a very old and sacred Buddha image, Phra Singh, for a visit. This temple contains supreme examples of Lanna art at Viharn Lai Kham which was built to house Phra Singh image enthroned inside. Lai Kam refers to the elegant gold tracery used for decoration. On the inner walls of the Viharn Lai Kham are some murals of two fables. Prince Sang Thong of the Golden Conch lies on the north wall and the Heavenly Phoenix takes up the south.

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Bangkok Floating Market and River Kwai Tour

If your time in Bangkok is limited then this is an ideal way to see two great places in one full day excursion! Your journey commences with a leisurely drive passing through salt fields and rice paddies before arriving at a jetty. Here we will board long tail speed-boats to take you to the market. The market is made up of Thai style canoes laden with colorful , succulent fruits, vegetables, sweets and meats. They gently ply their way through the canal selling as they go. From the market we will continue west to Kanchanaburi, home to the River Kwai and it?s infamous bridge. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant before visiting the bridge after which a visit is made to the new Thailand - Burma War Museum which is adjacent to the War Grave Cemetery. Combining the two attractions unfortunately means there is not enough time to take a train ride, before your journey back to Bangkok and your hotel.

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About Active Management Asia

Adventure racing is the fastest growing sport in the world and Active Management Asia is leading that growth in Thailand with its incredibly popular races and training programs. Now in its third year of operation, Active Management Asia has established an international reputation for solid logistics and challenging race courses. These non-stop races, ranging in length from 4-8 hours, require teams to run, trek, mountain bike and paddle, while navigating an unmarked course through the wilderness. Likened to an expedition with a stopwatch, adventure racing requires teamwork, perseverance and strong navigation and wilderness survival skills.

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Royal Beauty at Doi Angkhang

One of the coldest places in Thailand, Doi Angkhang in Chiang Mai, is renowned as a scenic wonderland of orchards, flowers and forests. The area attracts tourists to enjoy the chilly beauty of this picture-perfect valley in the mountains 1,400 metres above sea-level. Here, the ever-present influence of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Rama IX, can be sensed at the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang which has done so much to effect the greening of the valley, bringing agricultural affluence and a better quality of life to the ethnic people there.

Royal Intervention

It was not always such an attractive place to live. In the 1960s, Doi Angkhang was remote, isolated, with no roads and off limits to outsiders. Its occupants — refugees from Yunnan in China and Black Musers — grew opium, peaches and rice, living in poverty with no proper access to education or medical treatment.

King Bhumibol learnt about Doi Angkhang while travelling nearby in 1969. “As we had a helicopter, the King decided to fly to the top of the mountain to see for himself,” explained His Serene Highness Prince Bhisadej Rajani, Chairman and Director of the Royal Project Foundation. “There were poppies and peach trees, but the hillsides were extensively deforested through slash and burn cultivation.”

It was time for intervention. The King purchased land to set up the first research station for temperate fruit, vegetables, trees and flowers. According to Prince Bhisadej, “His Majesty asked us to find temperate fruit to grow on Angkhang, because he thought that income from the fruit would be higher than from poppies.”

It was. The Royal Project persuaded two or three families to grow some fruit. “We helped them cultivate the fruit, harvest and sell it. They earned a lot of money. Once word got around about the income coupled with the King’s influence, everyone wanted to grow fruit,” recalls Prince Bhisadej. “After that it was easy.”

Today, the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang is the flagship for the Royal Projects, and the premier research station in Thailand for temperate fruits, testing new strains and cultivating fruit saplings for extension throughout the Royal Projects.

Other goals set by King Bhumibol are also evident. The hillsides are covered in new forests and agricultural plots that have helped eliminate poppy cultivation; four schools provide education for children; a small medical centre keeps everyone healthy; and there are now good roads to the outside world.

Attractions

Flower Gardens

Tourists love to visit Doi Angkhang to experience the cold weather (it can dip below zero in December and January), and to enjoy the scenery and burgeoning plant life. The Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang is actually a research station for temperate climate fruit. During the winter, temperate fruit trees shed their leaves and plants do not bloom. “Visitors used to complain that the trees were dying and there was nothing to see,” says Prince Bhisadej, who decided to introduce something for tourists “to see.”

The result is a number of beautiful flower and plant gardens at the Royal Station that are cultivated to provide blooms throughout the year:

Garden 80 — named for Prince Bhisadej’s age (which is now 86) is decorated with short lived plants

Scented Garden — aromatic plants and herbs

Rhododendron and Azalea Garden — beautiful temperate plants

English Roses — half-bred roses from England, best seen in March-April

Temperate Flower House — a beautifully decorated greenhouse rich in plants with a coffee corner for visitors

Bonsai Garden — award-winning, long-lived bonsai plants and rock garden

Plus many demonstration plots for flowers and vegetables, as well as a small tea house where visitors can taste the oolong and green teas grown on Doi Angkhang

Military Base

A small military base right on the border with Burma next to Nor Lae village provides security for Doi Angkhang, and is also a popular scenic spot. The soldiers are friendly, welcoming visitors and providing insights into the tough life of being a Thai soldier on border patrol.

Ethnic Villages

Khob Dong village is home to the Black Muser community, originally from Tibet, who have abandoned their opium-growing ways in favour of better incomes from fruit, flowers and vegetables. Visitors can see how the Musers live, and purchase gifts like grass bracelets and musical instruments from the village handicraft centre.

Nor Lae village is home to the Palong from Burma, who walked for seven days to Doi Angkhang when they first heard about the Royal Project. The tribal head met and petitioned King Bhumibol to be allowed to stay, and a place was duly set aside for them at Nor Lae.

“They used to grow tea and opium,” says Prince Bhisadej. “Now they grow tea and organic vegetables. The Palong have never grown vegetables before, so they follow everything we tell them about organic farming.”

Education

Following King Bhumibol’s wish to provide education, there are now four schools on Doi Angkhang teaching Muser, Palong and Yunnanese children from kindergarten to secondary level. A senior teacher at Khob Dong primary school, Kru Riem, epitomizes the educational commitment required. The first time she met King Bhumibol, he told her that he was too far away and asked her to teach the children on his behalf. Originally from Bangkok, she has been at the school for 24 years, refusing to leave since receiving the royal request.

Junior Guides

Nine years ago, Kru Riem started the Junior Guide Programme, training school children to show tourists around their villages at weekends and holidays. It was a popular special activity that helped the children gain confidence to talk to adults, and to develop interpersonal skills.

When the Ministry of Education introduced curriculum changes to include one local subject for upcountry schools, Kru Riem proposed the Junior Guide Programme. It was accepted as a compulsory subject in the new curriculum. Makoo Techasophon of Angkhang Nature Resort and Royal Project staff were roped in as part-time teachers.

Today, Junior Guides are stationed at their villages every weekend, ready and eager to show tourists about life in the village. However, tourists are not allowed to take children outside the villages in their cars. There is no charge for the service, but donations can be placed in a special box to be split up every month — 60 per cent shared among the Junior Guides, 40 per cent going to the schools to fund summer camps and field trips.

Reforestation

Restoring forests to denuded hills is an important goal of the Royal Project. Doi Angkhang’s reforestation programme began in 1982, in a cooperative effort between Thailand’s agricultural university, Kasetsart, and the Taiwan government, with technical support from National Taiwan University. Various temperate tree types were tried until five fast-growing species were found to respond well to the Angkhang climate — Taiwan acacia, Griffith’s ash, Camphor tree, Fragrant maple, and Paulonia.

To date, 681 rai of land is under new forest cover, with a further 118 rai extended as community forest to be looked after by the villagers, who can cut down and utilize the wood, provided they replant the trees. Visitors can discover the beauty of the forested slopes with treks along ten marked nature trails, all just over a kilometre long.

The wood processing plant is a tribute to sustainability, one of King Bhumibol’s most popular themes. Pieces of wood from trimming the trees, dead wood and branches are converted into charcoal in the factory kiln. Smoke from the kiln is cooled to collect the condensate, which is later distilled into wood vinegar that is used to protect trees and plants from insects and to reduce farm smells among other uses.

Good wood, including wood purchased from the community forest, is dried and shaved into straight pieces used to make outdoor furniture, boxes, baskets and other items that are in the process of development. Shavings from the wood processing are mixed with leaves and vegetation to make compost for the organic farms. Visitors are welcome to see the production process, or purchase wooden items from the Royal Project shop in the Flower Garden.

Buffaloes Everywhere

Smiling buffaloes seem to be everywhere. Initially King Bhumibol donated two pairs of buffaloes to the Musers to help in their rice cultivation. However, they earned so much money from temperate climate produce, they stopped growing rice and buy it instead. Now the buffaloes having nothing to do but eat and multiply. The Musers refuse to sell or even eat them “because they are a gift from the King,” as one Muser farmer explained.

Produce

A variety of temperate produce is currently grown on Doi Angkhang:

Fruit — strawberries, kiwi, peaches, apricots, raspberries, pears, plums and persimmons

Vegetables — butterhead, red coral lettuce, radishes, rhubarb, artichokes, kale and chayote

Herbs — chamomile, lavender, lemon thyme, oregano, parsley

Beverages — oolong and green tea, arabica coffee

Flora — roses, chrysanthemums

Marketing

The agricultural development of Doi Angkhang succeeds because the Royal Project guarantees to purchase all fruit, vegetables and flowers at good prices, provided they meet set standards of quality. Agricultural areas, especially the organic farms, are inspected by Royal Project staff prior to harvest. Then the produce is taken to the pre-cooling factory in the Royal Station, where it is checked, graded, packed, and stored in a cooler ready to transport to the Royal Project production plant in Chiang Mai.

Currently, Royal Project produce is sold under the Doi Kham brand to leading hotels in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, restaurants, and to corporate entities like Thai Airways International. The airline is a strategic partner of the Royal Project and its largest customer, using fruit and vegetables in its inflight menus, airport restaurants and outside catering. The general public can also buy through supermarkets like Tesco Lotus, Tops, Big C, Carrefour, Golden Place as well as Doi Kham shops.

However, as of December 2007, this produce will be sold under the Royal Project brand and through Royal Project shops, replacing the Doi Kham brand. A launch of the new branding will take place during the Royal Project Festival at Chiang Mai University, 13-16 December 2007.

In Father’s Footsteps

Makoo Techasophon has spent over ten years on Doi Angkhang as general manager of Angkhang Nature Resort, learning much about the lives of people inhabiting the mountain and the important role King Bhumibol has played in improving those lives. To give visitors a better understanding of life on Doi Angkhang, two years ago Makoo launched his “To Follow Father’s Footsteps” programme, which he conducts himself with support from staff at the Royal Station.

Taking groups for two days and a night, the programme is basically a walking tour through villages and agricultural areas, ending at the Royal Station, and talking with people along the way about their lives and how they met King Bhumibol. “I tell my groups that the King has walked everywhere on Doi Angkhang. We are merely following in his footsteps,” explains Makoo.

The tour begins at Khob Dong school, where Kru Riem introduces her children who accept donations from the visitors and then perform some ethnic dances. It then heads to Khob Dong to meet Ja Mor, the Muser witchdoctor, who has drunk tea with King Bhumibol and is one of his most ardent supporters.

Occasionally quite strenuous, the walk continues through the development areas of strawberries and organic vegetables to Nor Lae village, and a possible meeting with the headman who originally petitioned King Bhumibol for the Palong tribe to stay on Angkhang. Following a picnic lunch of northern Thai food, the walk continues through tea plantations and forests, ending at the Royal Station. Not everything is done at once, but planned in advance depending on how much the group wants to see.

Makoo does not charge for the tour. It is his personal tribute to the work of King Bhumibol. Although aimed primarily at groups, during the December and January high season the tour is run regularly for individual visitors who really want to know more about the King Bhumibol’s work and are prepared to follow in his footsteps.

In-Flight Meals

To celebrate King Bhumibol’s 80th birthday on 5 December 2007, Thai Airways International has created special onboard menus using Royal Project produce to be served on all international flights departing from Bangkok in the 4-6 December period. Passengers in all classes will be able to enjoy such dishes as grilled prawn with apple and orange salad, marinated tabtim fish with spicy lemongrass, carrots and French beans, and Royal Project chayote gateau.

Royal Project Festival

13-16 December 2007

At the Chiang Mai University Convention Hall

Fruit, vegetables and a variety of other produce grown at Royal Project centres throughout northern Thailand will be on sale at the Royal Project Festival 2007 to be held at Chiang Mai University Convention Hall, 13-16 December. An extensive exhibition of King Bhumibol’s work in the Royal Project will also be on view.

Angkhang Gourmet Tour

To promote visits by tourists to Doi Angkhang during the warm season, the Royal Project plans two gourmet tours — at the end of both February and March 2008. Each tour for up to 80 persons will be three days, two nights and feature a special gourmet meal prepared by a guest chef, a briefing on the work of the Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang and a guided tour organized by Royal Project staff.

The cost is 14,000 baht inclusive of return airfare, accommodation, and gourmet meal. Norbert Kostner, Executive Chef of The Oriental Bangkok, will create a special meal for the February tour. Interested persons should call the Royal Project’s public relations office tel: +66 (0) 53 810 765-9 ext. 104.

Web site: www.angkhang.com (Thai only)

Accommodation on Doi Angkhang

The Royal Agricultural Station Angkhang offers accommodation in hillside bungalows — 12 bungalows for two persons, six bungalows for six persons, and a large bungalow for 47. Two restaurants serve food grown within the Royal Project.

Accommodation enquiries:

Tel: +66 (0) 53 450 107-9 ext. 113/114

Angkhang Nature Resort, operated by Amari Hotels & Resorts, provides three-star accommodation, with 72 rooms in bungalows affording either garden views or mountain views. Located next to Angkhang Station, the resort was voted Best Eco Resort in Asia in 2000 by Travel Asia magazine. With the cool climate, the rooms have no need of air-conditioning, instead offering electric blankets to keep guests warm.

Accommodation enquiries:

Tel: +66 (0) 53 450 110

E-mail: reservations@ankhang.amari.com

Getting There

Doi Angkhang is located on the Thai-Burma border, 160 kms north of Chiang Mai city in Fang District. This involves a three-hour drive with very steep roads up the mountain that cannot accommodate large tour buses.

On request, Angkhang Nature Resort offers a pick-up service by van from Amari Rincome Hotel or Chiang Mai airport, at a cost of 5,000 baht for the return journey.

Alternatively, visitors can make arrangements with various travel agencies in Thailand that offer guided Doi Angkhang tours:

Local Agents: Asian Trails, Diethelm Travel, Destination Asia, Asian Horizons

Domestic Agents: NS Travel, Proud Holidays, Nice Spot Holidays, Baan Tour, Blue Sky Travel, Travel Smart

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Exotic Thailand 12 Days (Bangkok –Kanchanaburi - Pattaya)

Day 1

: Meet and Greet at the airport. Transfer to hotel. Evening with Thai Dinner and Thai Traditional Dance, Experience a variety of typical Thai foods and the warm hospitality of waitresses dressed in national costumes. After dinner sit back, relax and enjoy a spectacular performance of Thai classical dances. After dinner, entertain with The Ultimate Cabaret Show, Experience Bangkok's exciting nightlife with the Mambo cabaret Show Thailand's newest wave of entertainment .You can't leave Bangkok without seeing The Mambo Cabaret Show. Relax and overnight at hotel.

Day 2

: Breakfast at hotel. Morning with Bangkok City and Temples Tour and Grand Palace, This is a "must" for every visitor to Bangkok, for the Grand Place Complex, which includes the Temple of The Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Keow) is unquestionably one of the wonders of the world today. Within its enormous grounds is the most exotic Buddhist temple and at the heart of the temple itself is a fabulous Buddha image, carved from one piece jade, which is the holiest and most revered of religious objects in Thailand today.

: Lunch at Thai Restaurant.

: Evening return to hotel.

: Relax and overnight at hotel.

Day 3

: Breakfast at hotel. After breakfast visit Floating Market (Only in

Dinner Cruise

Bridge on The River Kwai

Nong Nooch Garden

Thailand you can see the floating Market .An exhilarating narrow long tailed speed boat ride through the small canal pass, Thai Houses and their Vegetable's Farm, Flower's Farm, Fruit's Farm. At Floating Market with the Thai style canoes laden with colorful, succulent fruits, vegetable sweet and meats, gently ply their way through the canal.

: International Buffet Lunch.

: After lunch entertain with Sampran Elephant & Crocodile Show, Experience our thrilling world famous " Crocodile wrestling " and "Acrobatic Elephant " stage shows.

: Relax and overnight at hotel.

Day 4

: Breakfast at hotel. Free and easy day. Evening with Thai Dinner Cruise (A beautiful night dinner cruise on The Choaphaya River. Wan Fah is luxury Thai-Style boat restaurant with Thai Food & Seafood and beverage delight accompanies by Thai Classical Music. You will enjoy a pleasant atmosphere with our charming and friendly hospitable services. Come a long and explore the Siam culinary experience on water. After an exciting day of travel keep the rest of your time for relaxation with our fine tradition service. Welcome to our luxury boat restaurant with all kinds of attraction ranging from ancient relics to modern comforts). Overnight at hotel.

Day 5

: Breakfast at hotel.

: Travel to Kanchanaburi. Visit the JEATH War Museum, Bridge over the River Kwai.

: Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, proceed to Phu Toey Village, then followed by 45-minute trekking through bamboo forests, cliffs and have a bird's eye view of River Kwai Valley to the Mon Tribal Village to experience the simple way of life. Check-in at the River Kwai Jungle Rafts.

: Dinner, followed by a 45-minute presentation of Mon Dance and overnight at the Jungle Rafts.

Day 6

: Hearty American Breakfast. Enjoy an hour canoeing along the Scenic River Kwai to visit Lawa Cave. Explore the fascinating rock formations inside. Check-in on arrival at the 'River Kwai Resotel'. Lunch. Afternoon delight !, get on mountain biking through the jungle scenery of National Park and local villages. Dinner and overnight at the Resotel.

Day 7

: Hearty American Breakfast. Morning relaxation in paradise at your leisure (Swimming, Bird Watching, Fishing, Jogging, etc.) Take a boat ride to Resotel Pier and continue to visit to the Hell Fire Pass Memorial. Then return to Pier and have lunch at the resort.

: Dinner at the resort. Evening, relax at resort.

Day 8

: Breakfast at resort. Lunch is provided. Free and easy day at resort. Evening dinner at the resort.

Day 9

: Breakfast at resort. Check-out and depart for pier. Transfer to Pattaya Beach.

: Arrive Pattaya and check in at hotel.

: Relax and overnight at hotel.

Day 10

: Breakfast at hotel. After breakfast visit Coral Island, Koh Larn (Coral Island) is the largest of Pattaya's archipelago. Major attractions include viewing coral reefs from glass-bottomed boats.

: Enjoy seafood lunch on the beach. Transfer back to hotel.

: Relax and overnight at hotel.

Day 11

: Breakfast at hotel. Visit Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, your memories of Thailand Just 15 minutes east of Pattaya. Nong Nooch Tropical Garden has emerged as a fascinating tourist destination renowned for its wide-ranging orchid species, a palm garden, and various flowering and decorative plants from all corners of the world. The highlight of our program and everybody's favorite is the elephant show. You'll see these gentle giants, the symbols of Siam, perform various tricks such as riding bikes, playing football.

: Evening return to hotel.

: Relax and overnight at hotel.

Day 12

: Breakfast at hotel. Transfer you back to Bangkok Airport for next departure.

Package includes

1. Accommodation

2. Daily breakfast

3. Transportation from airport – hotel – airport

4. Transportation from Bangkok – Kanchanaburi

5. Transportation from Kanchanaburi – Pattaya

6. Transportation from Pattaya - Bangkok

7. Tour programs as indicated in the itinerary

8. Seven lunches and six dinners

9. Entrance fees

10. English speaking tour guide

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Bangkok Park-Sanm Luang

The Story of Sanam Luang

Sanam Luang has been a place of central importance for the Thai people for centuries. Sanam Luang is Thai for royal ground, and it is a place where the King performs state ceremonies.

In the past, Sanam Luang was an open field located between the Grand Palace and the Palace of the Second King. It has been used as a site for the cremation of kings, queens and nobility since the reign of King Rama I. For this reason, in former ti mes it was officially known as Thung Phra Meru (cremation ground).

During the reign of King Rama III, when Thailand was engaged in a conflict with Vietnam, the King wished to demonstrate to other nations that Thailand was such a fertile, flourishing country that even the area in front of the Grand Palace was culti vated. Sanam Luang was then a normal plot of land, used for growing rice. When there was a Royal Funeral, it would be smoothed over to prepare for the event.

During the reign of King Rama IV, when the ground was still used for farming, King Rama IV changed its official name from Thung Phra Meru to Thung Sanam Luang.

Sanam Luang has been used as the cremation ground for all of Thailand's kings and Royal Family members except for King Rama VII, who died in England. The most recent cremation rite to be held there was for Queen Rambhai Barni, in 1986.

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Dream Bangkok

Welcome to Dream Bkk

Asia's new fashion hotel shot in the arm…a true "Hautel Couture" 5-star experience situated in the heart of Sukhumvit road; Bangkok's pulse for fashion, entertainments, city's top restaurants, shopping centers and businesses.

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Khao lak beach

Khao Lak

Khao Lak Beach

in the South of Thailand

in Phang Nga

Province

The beach at Khao Lak has been developed into a refuge for nature lovers and tourists seeking a peaceful, quiet resort area. Richard Point at the KM 57.2 marker on highway 4 offers a fantastic view: A goldenbeige ribbon of sand, picturesquely interspersed by some rocky outcrops, divides the blue waters of the Andaman Sea from lush green palm groves. A belt of casuarina pines and other large trees hugs the 12 km long beach. In the flat land, 600 to 2000 meters inland, rubber and coconut palm plantations, fields and tiny villages extend into the distance. Many lakes hide in between, remnants of the flourishing tin mining industry from nearly two centuries ago.

Setting the stage to this vibrant town is the magnificent backdrop of the densely forested Khao Lak-Lamru National Park. 2 km further along the H4 is the small town of Ban Bang Niang. Here, restaurants, shopping areas and a very popular weekly market can be found.

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Thai Dinner and Classical Thai Dance Tour Overview

This evening introduces you to mystical dances, Thai food and a truly Thai ambiance. During dinner feast your eyes on the grace and beauty of the dancers, elegantly performing stories from classical Thai literature and folklore. These traditional colorful costumes must be captured on camera.

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Phraya

Bangkok Dinner Cruise on the Chao Phraya River Overview

Treat yourself to a memorable night on board one of Bangkok?s most luxurious restaurant boats. Relax in modern comfort and dine on a variety of Thai dishes while you slowly cruise along the River of Kings - Chao Phraya River passing the temple of dawn (Wat Arun), Grand Palace and life along the river as it slowly starts to unwind after a busy day. The on board band will also keep you entertained.

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Muay Thai classes-Thai Boxing

Muay Thai - Thai Boxing Overview

Thai Boxing is now a popular sport all over the world. Arrive at the ring by air-condititioned vehicle and be seated in a VIP area for good viewing. The history of Muay Thai is interwoven with the history of the Thai people. There is simply no better place to watch Thai Boxing than in Bangkok! There are fights most nights of the week in one of the two city boxing stadiums. For centuries Thai boxing was a dangerous sport with no safety gear of any kind for the fighters. However, over the years rules have been written along the line of international boxing regulations. The atmosphere inside is electric as professionals fight, punch and kick their way to the top! It should be noted that the tour duration might vary depending on how long each fight takes and children under 18 years of age are not permitted.

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THAILAND BANGKOK TOUR

Bangkok was founded in 1782 by the first monarch of the present Chakri dynasty. It is now the country's spiritual, cultural, diplomatic, commercial and educational hub. It covers an area of more than 1,500 square kilometres, and it is home to approximatlely ten million people or more than 10% of the country's population.

Over the last few decades, Thailand's capital city, Bangkok, has changed into a modern, exciting and sophisticated city. It offers to visitors not only the cosmopolitan amenities they would expect from other big cities, but also a unique treasure trove of cultural attractions. Thailand, in the heart of Southeast Asia, was never colonised and thus kept its unique culture and heritage intact. Bangkok offers visitors the opportunity to experience fascinating glimpse of Thailand's gentle culture amidst the bustle of a great and dynamic metropolis. This great city has had astounding success in combining the ancient and modern world.

For tourists, Bangkok has a feast of attractions to offer. The city is dotted with 400 glittering Buddhist temples of great beauty and fascination, magnificent palaces, classical dance extravaganzas, numerous shopping centres and traditional ways of life, especially along the "Venice of the East" timeless canals and the Chao Phraya River of the "River of Kings" winding through the city. It is worth taking a trip along its waters before exploring further into different canals to take a glimpse of old Bangkok

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GOOD THAI FOODS

Thai food is known for its enthusiastic use of fresh (rather than dried) herbs and spices as well as fish sauce.

Thai food is popular in many Western countries especially in Australia, New Zealand, some countries in Europe such as the United Kingdom, as well as the United States, and Canada.

Instead of a single main course with side dishes found in Western cuisine, a Thai full meal typically consists of either a single dish or rice khao with many complementary dishes served concurrently.

Rice is a staple component of Thai cuisine, as it is of most Asian cuisines. The highly prized, sweet-smelling jasmine rice is indigenous to Thailand. This naturally aromatic long-grained rice grows in abundance in the verdant patchwork of paddy fields that blanket Thailand's central plains. Its aroma bears no resemblance to the sweet smell of jasmine blossoms, but like jasmine flowers, this rice is precious and fragrant, a small everyday delight. Steamed rice is accompanied by highly aromatic curries, stir-frys and other dishes, incorporating sometimes large quantities of chillies, lime juice and lemon grass. Curries, stir-frys and others may be poured onto the rice creating a single dish called khao rad gang , a popular meal when time is limited. Sticky rice khao neow is a unique variety of rice that contains an unusual balance of the starches present in all rice, causing it to cook up to a pleasing sticky texture. It is the daily bread of Laos and substitutes ordinary rice in rural Northern and Northeastern Thai cuisine, where Lao cultural influence is strong.

Noodles, known throughout parts of Southeast Asia by the Chinese name kwaytiow, are popular as well but usually come as a single dish, like the stir-fried Pad Thai or noodle soups. Many Chinese cuisine are adapted to suit Thai taste, such as khuaytiow rue, a sour and spicy rice noodle soup.

There is uniquely Thai dish called nam prik which refers to a chile sauce or paste. Each region has its own special versions. It is prepared by crushing together chillies with various ingredients such as garlic and shrimp paste using a mortar and pestle. It is then often served with vegetables such as cucumbers, cabbage and yard-long beans, either raw or blanched. The vegetables are dipped into the sauce and eaten with rice. Nam prik may also be simply eaten alone with rice or, in a bit of Thai and Western fusion, spread on toast.

Thai food is generally eaten with a fork and a spoon. Chopsticks are used rarely, primarily for the consumption of noodle soups. The fork, held in the left hand, is used to shovel food into the spoon. However, it is common practice for Thais and hill tribe peoples in the North and Northeast to eat sticky rice with their right hands by making it into balls that are dipped into side dishes and eaten. Thai-Muslims also frequently eat meals with only their right hands.

Often thai food is served with a variety of spicy condiments to embolden the dish. This can range from dried chili pieces, sliced chili peppers in rice vinegar, to a spicy chili sauce such as the nam prik mentioned above.

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WEATHER

Thailand can best be described as tropical and humid for the majority of the country during most of the year. The area of Thailand north of Bangkok has a climate determined by three seasons whilst the southern peninsular region of Thailand has only two.

In northern Thailand the seasons are clearly defined. Between November and May the weather is mostly dry, however this is broken up into the periods November to February and March to May. The later of these two periods has the higher relative temperatures as although the northeast monsoon does not directly effect the northern area of Thailand, it does cause cooling breezes from November to February.

The other northern season is from May to November and is dominated by the southwest monsoon, during which time rainfall in the north is at its heaviest.

The southern region of Thailand really has only two seasons -- the wet and the dry. These seasons do not run at the same time on both the east and west side of the peninsular. On the west coast the southwest monsoon brings rain and often heavy storms from April through to October, whilst on the east coast the most rain falls between September and December.

Overall the southern parts of Thailand get by far the most rain with around 2,400 millimetres every year, compared with the central and northern regions of Thailand, both of which get around 1,400 millimetres.

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GEOGRAPHY

The kingdom of Thailand lies in the heart of Southeast Asia, making it a natural gateway to Indochina, Myanmar and Southern China. Its shape and geography divide into four natural regions : the mountains and forests of the North; the vast rice fields of the Central Plains; the semi-arid farm lands of the Northeast plateau; and the tropical islands and long coastline of the peninsula South.

The country comprises 76 provinces that are further divided into districts, sub-districts and villages. Bangkok is the capital city and centre of political, commercial, industrial and cultural activities. It is also the seat of Thailand's revered Royal Family, with His Majesty the King recognised as Head of State, Head of the Armed Forces, Upholder of the Buddhist religion and Upholder of all religions.

Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, or King Rama IX, the ninth king of the Chakri Dynasty, the present king. The King has reigned for more than half a century, making him the longest reigning Thai monarch. Thailand embraces a rich diversity of cultures and traditions. With its proud history, tropical climate and renowned hospitality, the Kingdom is a never-ending source of fascination and pleasure for international visitors.

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