Thailand Travel Notes

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. October 14, 2008

DECEMBER 15, 2006. It's December again. This is the end of the year, but perhaps the most joyous time of all in Thailand. The weather is cooling down and traveling around the country is even more pleasant. In this land of smiles, December is also a month packed with holidays and celebrations.

Festive December started this year with H.M. the King's Birthday celebration on December 5th, including the trooping of the colors, parades and fireworks. Ratchadamnoen Road in Rattanakosin Island, near the Grand Palace, is decorated with many lights and images of the King. These decorations will last until the end of the year, making for some of the best evening strolls in Bangkok.

And there are many other festivals coloring December. The inaugural of the "Jazz Royale Festival", honoring His Majesty as the world's leading royal musician, takes place this month. Thailand also kicks off this month a year-long celebration of the King's 80th birthday celebration. In Chiang Mai, the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 continues, an international horticultural expo offering one of the biggest collections of flora and fauna staged anywhere in the world. (More on that below.)

Anytime is a good time to visit Thailand but December is the best time if you are in a festive mood, are willing to travel inside Thailand, and enjoy counting down the final of 2006 and welcoming 2007 in a way you will remember for the rest of your life.

H.M. THE KING RECEIVING THE FIRST DR. BORLAUG MEDALLION

This month His Majesty the King will receive the first ever Dr. Norman E. Borlaug Medallion, awarded by the World Food Prize Foundation. Ambassador Kenneth M. Quinn, President of the Foundation, announced the award October 19 as a special commemoration of The World Food Prize twentieth anniversary. "Since his accession to the throne in 1946, King Bhumibol has displayed an unwavering dedication to the well being of his subjects, and a deep concern that they have sufficient food and proper nutrition," said Ambassador Quinn.

ONE MILLION VISITORS AT THE ROYAL FLORA EXPO

The Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 - the International Horticultural Exposition in Chiang Mai - celebrated its one-month anniversary by receiving the millionth visitor on the morning of December 1, 2006. As the weather gets cooler in Chiang Mai, visitors to the expo are expected to increase. Highlights of the event include the international gardens where 32 country governments from five continents have paid homage to H.M. the King by building "International Gardens," using designs unique to each nation that integrate imported plants, flowers and architectures.

Among the most popular gardens is the Bhutanese Garden, an outdoor paradise titled "Himalayan Garden of Peace." It features Bhutan architecture with a beautiful bridge, a tall temple and herbs that are unique to Bhutan. Also popular is the Chinese Tang Garden, a traditional Jiangnan garden combining the style the Tang Dynasty with Buddhist culture. It commemorates the long history of Chinese garden and Buddhism and stands as a symbol of the long friendship between the people of China and Thailand. The expo will last until January 31, 2007 and is expected to draw two million visitors.

STARS COME OUT FOR THAILAND

"Jazz Royale Festival" will honor His Majesty the King as the world's royal musician. The event will be held during December 9-17, 2006, with more than 100 world-class artists and staff taking part. Led by Kenny G, McCoy Tyner, Nancy Wilson, Chris Botti, Regina Carter, and Dizzy Gillespie All Stars, the event will take place in four main cities of Thailand.

The first stage will start in Bangkok at Sanam Suea Pa December 9-10. The second stage will follow at the Horseshoe Point in Pattaya December 11-12. The third stage will be held at Sanam Hor Silp in Chiang Mai University December 14-15, and the festival will end at Karon Beach in Phuket December 16-17. Part of the proceeds will go to H.M. the King's royal patronage projects.

NEW YEAR'S EVE IN THAILAND

Wherever you might be around Thailand this festive season, you can rest assured you will have an exciting and colorful experience. Countdown junkies are going to have a maximum amount of fun. In a never sleeping metropolis like Bangkok, New Year's Eve features countless Chao Phraya river cruises, with sumptuous onboard Thai meals, followed by fireworks at the count of midnight. For those who prefer to stay on land, there are year-end celebrations at the Central World Plaza, Silom road and Sanam Luang Park near the Grand Palace, where numerous traditional and modern entertainments can be found to help you ring in the New Year.

Besides the regular countdown in Bangkok, major destinations such as Chiang Mai, Phuket and Samui are also offering New Year's Eve events with regional food and craft festivals, as well as folk and pop music performances. While Ubon Ratchathani in the Northeast of Thailand will offer the first sunrise of 2007, the absolutely perfect place to watch on New Year's morning is along the banks of the Mekong River as the first rays of bronze sunlight breaks across Thailand.

NEW THAI MASKED DANCE PRODUCTION AT ROYAL THEATRE

Khon, the Thai masked dance, is a classical art which combines three schools of traditional performing arts - mask dance, martial arts and shadow play. Khon is partly derived from stage drama performed in the royal courts. The most popular script is the Ramakien, which is based on India's Ramayana epic.

To honor the 60th Anniversary of His Majesty the King's Accession to the throne in 2006, the Sala Chalermkrung Foundation has joined hands with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Crown Property Bureau to launch the "Khon Sala Chalermkrung" Project.

The project will showcase this classical dance discipline for Thais and for the rest of the world. On stage now is Hanuman the Mighty, a new Thai masked dance production currently playing at Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre every Friday and Saturday until December 30, 2006.