BAMBI Holiday Bazaar on 17 November in Bangkok

Shop ’til you drop at the annual BAMBI Bazaar! Over 100 tables of new baby, children and family products will be on sale. Handicrafts by ThaiCraft will be featured, along with a wide array of clothes, jewellery, organic products and many more, making this the perfect opportunity to shop for Christmas and New Year gifts!

BAMBI is a non-profit mother-led volunteer organization that provides information, support and companionship for pregnant women, mothers of babies and small children. Founded nearly 30 years ago BAMBI is a project of the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Foundation of Thailand. Today BAMBI has over 800 members representing dozens of nations all over Bangkok. For further details, visit www.bambiweb.org

Event: BAMBI Bazaar 2012
Date: Saturday, 17th November 2012
Time: 10am to 3pm
Location: Bangkok International Preparatory & Secondary School, Sukhumvit Soi 53. Bangkok Prep is adjacent to Thong Lo BTS station (Exit 1) – school entrance is 30 metres along Soi 53.
Parking: Free on-site parking available (limited). Additional parking is available at Grand Tower Inn, located between Soi 53 and Soi 55 at cost of Baht 20/hour (with school stamp from school security guard). Without school stamp, parking is Baht 45/hour for the first hour and Baht 30 for additional hours.

Entrance Fee: FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL

Great British Circus Live Show at Asiatique

Asiatique The Riverfront is bringing a world-class acrobatic stunt show by the Great British Circus to perform for the first time this Friday, and then each day until 11th November 2012. The “Great British Circus Live Show in Thailand Tour 2012″ will wow the audience with adrenaline-pumping acts including acrobatic dance, acrobatic gymnastics, trapeze bars, and rope dance in a huge marquee decorated with sparkling lights. The acts will be performed by more than 40 professional acrobats from England. After their Bangkok debut, the troupe will tour 15 other provinces across the country until February next year.

The Great British Circus Live Show in Thailand Tour 2012 will be staged at the Asiatique Park, Asiatique The Riverfront on Charoen Krung Road, at 6.30 pm and 8.30 pm from Friday until 11th November 2012. Tickets cost 300, 400, 500 and 600 Baht from Thai Ticket Major booths. Call 02-262-3456 or visit www.thaiticketmajor.com.

2012 Great Thailand hotel deals online

Avista Resort And Spa PHUKET 5 star resort
Rating by customers 4.22 out of 5
from 2,386 THB/ Kata Promentary

Early Bird and Free Night Specials at http://hotel-travel-phuket.com/hotels/HKTAVI-specials.htm
14 day Early bird for 3, 5, or 7 night deal.
60 day Early bird for 4,6, 8 night deal
15 Night Free Night Special

Avista Resort And Spa PHUKET 5 star resort

 

 

 

Amari Palm Reef Resort SAMUI ISLAND.
4 star/ Rating by customers 4.44 out of 5/
Prices from 3,805 THB/
Right on the beach/
Early Bird and Free Night Specials at http://hotel-travel-samui.com/hotels/SMUAMA-specials.htm

Amari Palm Reef Resort SAMUI ISLAND 5 star resort

Sofitel Phokeethra Krabi       5 Star Resort
Rating by customers 4.5 out of 5/
From 3,844 THB a night
Special Deals, Free Night Specials at http://hotel-travel-krabi.com/hotels/KBVSOI-specials.htm
14 day Early bird for 3, 5, or 7 night deal.
60 day Early bird for 4,6, 8 night deal.

Sofitel Phokeethra Krabi       5 Star Resort

Kantary Bay PHUKET    4 star resort
Ratings by customers 4.57 out of 5 (excellent)
from 1,302 THB a night/ on the beach front

Early Bird and Free Night Specials at http://hotel-travel-phuket.com/hotels/HKTBAH-specials.htm

14 day Early bird for 3, 5, or 7 night deal.
60 day Early bird for 4,6, 8 night deal
15 Night Free Night Special

Kantary Bay PHUKET    4 star resort

Grand Mercure Fortune Bangkok- Ratchadapisek Hotel 4 star Resort
Rating by customers 3.82 out of 5 / from, 1,810THB/
Early Bird and Free Night Specials at http://hotel-travel-bangkok.com/hotels/BKKGRE-specials.htm
14 day Early bird for 3, 5, or 7 night deal.
60 day Early bird for 4,6, 8 night deal. 15 Night Free Night Special

Grand Mercure Fortune Bangkok- Ratchadapisek Hotel 4 star Resort

 

Outdoor Dance Music Festival in Bangkok on 17 November

Celebrate Halloween at MegnaBangna

Megabangna invites all to celebrate Halloween during the ‘‘Khon Aoud Phee Festival: Play with Ghosts @ Megabangna’’. Held in collaboration with WorkPoint Entertainment, the six-day fun will feature seven haunted zones with a lot of activities. Two supernatural specialists Riew Jit Samphas and Jane Yanthip together with the other three MCs of the Khon Aoud Phee (People Challenging Ghosts) — Krit Sriphoomset, Tak Boriboon and Pong Kapol, will also bring spooky and entertaining experience to visitors. The spooky week continues until Wednesday 31st October 2012 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Top 15 Hotels in Thailand by Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards

The results of the 25th Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards have been announced. Here is their list of the “Top 15 Hotels in Thailand”:

1. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok: “Every hotel could learn something from this one. Staying here is an experience not to be missed.” The oldest hotel in Thailand, this property on the Chao Phraya River has a colonial Authors’ Wing, a contemporary River Wing, and a Garden Wing overlooking the pool. “It’s a beautiful location, with views of the river and its fascinating life.” All rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and are decorated with teak and Thai silk upholstery in colors of deep blue, purple, and red. “It feels like home each and every time . . . and oh, the shampoos and pedicures!” Staff are “friendly and helpful.” Lord Jim’s has a seafood buffet lunch and a 52-foot aquarium.

2. The Peninsula, Bangkok: Sitting on the west bank of the Chao Phraya, this W-shaped tower was designed so that all rooms have river views. Accommodations have marble bathrooms with a television above the bathtub, and silk-clad finishes; some suites even have outdoor hot tubs. Guests value the “immensely attractive” waterfront location and the “amazing international breakfast” at The River Café and Terrace—it’s “the best in town!” The three-tiered pool is surrounded by lush landscaping; “you’ll be convinced that you’re at a tropical resort.” The ESPA spa is housed in a three-story colonial-style building with reflecting pools lined with silk lanterns; “the only drawback is that it’s across the river.”

3. St. Regis, Bangkok
4. Shangri–La Hotel, Bangkok
5. JW Marriott Bangkok
6. Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai
7. InterContinental Bangkok
8. Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok
9. Le Méridien Chiang Mai
10. Banyan Tree Bangkok
11. Lebua at State Tower, Bangkok
12. Conrad Bangkok
13. Shangri–La Hotel, Chiang Mai
14. Dusit Thani, Bangkok
15. Four Seasons, Bangkok

Bangkok Voted Number 1 City in Asia in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards

Thailand has once again been recognized as a premier travel destination in the 25th Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards, one of the highest accolades in the industry. This year’s awards reflect the opinions of a record 46,476 readers who participated in the survey, and who honored the Land of Smiles in several categories including the world’s top cities and the top cities, best islands, and favorite resorts in Asia.

Judged on factors such as Shopping, Ambience and Friendliness, Bangkok came in with a #4 ranking on the Top Cities in the World list, one spot behind Florence, Italy, and ahead of other world-class destinations like Vancouver, Sydney and Buenos Aires. As for the Top Cities in Asia, Condé Nast’s readers rated Bangkok #1 – edging out Hong Kong and Kyoto, who took 1st place in the 2011 survey – giving it high marks for its Restaurants, Lodging and Culture. Readers also heaped praise on Northern Thailand’s largest city and cultural centre, Chiang Mai, which earned the #5 spot in Asia sandwiched between Singapore and Ubud, one of Bali’s major arts and culture centres, and ahead of Tokyo and Shanghai.

Moving from the cities to the sea, Thailand continued to score high marks. In the Top 10 Islands in Asia category, it rang in with two of the top five selections once again. Phuket, ranked #2 on the list behind this year’s winner Bali, was favored for its beautiful beaches (scoring second-highest in Asia on that criteria behind only Lombok, Indonesia) and its wealth of activities; and Koh Samui, the #5 island in Asia, was buoyed by its lovely scenery and its diversity of lodging options and placed just a fraction of a point behind fourth-place Langkawi, Malaysia and one spot ahead of Hokkaido, Japan. Others making the list include Philippines favorites Luzon, Cebu and Mindanao, and Malaysian Borneo.

New Project for Renting Bicycles in Bangkok

The local government in Bangkok will soon be launching a new project to allow the public to “borrow-rent” bicycles using an automated system. The Bangkok Governor said that he was concerned by traffic congestion and the rising number of cars on the roads. He sees the importance of encouraging people to use public mass transportation instead of their cars. Bangkok already has the BTS Skytrain and the MRT Subway systems but they are not very extensive yet. So, encouraging people to use bicycles instead of their car is a leap in the right direction.

The first two pilot stations are at MRT Sam Yan (in front of Chamchuri Square)  and BTS Siam (in front of Bangkok Bank). At each station there are eight bikes locked in the bicycle racks. In total there are 100 bicycles being used in this test stage. As everything is automated, they will be able to see if one of the stations is running out of bikes. They can then “top-up” the station with more bikes if necessary. Their plan is to have 50 such stations around Bangkok by February 2013 with up to 500 bicycles available to “borrow-rent”.

To be able to use these bikes you need to register for this RFID smart card. These were given out for free today to members of the media and also for anyone else who attended the opening ceremony this morning. From what I understand, no-one else will be able to sign up for these cards until February 2013 while the system is being tested and fully prepared. The price on the receipt was 320 Baht which was broken down as follows: 120 Baht for the RFID smart card, 100 Baht credit on the card and 100 Baht membership for one year.

I am planning on testing out these bicycles soon. From the information that I have so far, it is free for the first 15 minutes. This is just enough time to go between BTS Siam and MRT Sam Yan. If you go over this time then it is 15 Baht for the first hour. The longer you have the bike the cheaper it will be. It is 20 Baht for three hours, 40 Baht for five hours and 60 Baht for six hours. For one day the rental fee is 100 Baht. The rental fee includes full insurance. The above picture shows the RFID chip that stores your data. It is also the lock for the bike station.

For this bicycle project to work they need it to be easy to use and accessible to everyone. Having 50 bike stations at the official launch in February will certainly be good. But, the way it stands at the moment, it is really only of interest to local Thai people and expats living in Bangkok. They need to make it more attractive for foreign tourists as well for it to be truly successful. Foreigners can use their passport to register but who would want to pay 320 Baht when they might only be here for a few days? On top of this they have to pay rent. But, I truly hope that this project is successful and that they eventually go beyond 50 bike stations.

New Flights from Pattaya to Siem Reap and Chumphon

A relatively new airline in Thailand is trying to shake up the industry by taking their passengers to places where other airlines don’t want to go. Using a small Dornia 228, Solar Air only has to find 18 passengers to fill their aircraft. Captain Jiratid Ong-Aree announced at a press conference this weekend that they will be launching two new routes on 9th November 2012. These will take off from U-Tapao International Airport which is only half an hour away from Pattaya. They were joined by Maxx Royal Tour who will provide package holidays on these new routes and others coming soon.

The first route is to the popular tourist attraction of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Normally you would have to fly by Bangkok Airways to get to Siem Reap. But Solar Air manages to do this by flying via Pattaya. This is obviously good news for expats living in Pattaya as well as holidaymakers who don’t want to travel all the way to Bangkok just to fly to Cambodia. Solar Air will fly four days a week, on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The flight will leave Pattaya at 10 a.m. and arrive in Siem Reap one hour later. They have also started a 25-minute flight between Bangkok’s Don Mueang and Pattaya’s U-Tapao. The Siem Reap trip is 11,800 Baht return (not including airport taxes) and the Pattaya-Bangkok trip is 1,200 Baht one way (not incl. airport taxes).

The other new route to open soon is from Pattaya to Chumphon with boat transfers to the islands of Koh Tao and Samui. It is already possible to do this from Bangkok, but this is something new for Pattaya. In the past, people would have to transfer to Don Mueang Airport to fly to Chumphon or take a bus to Bangkok and then change to another to Samui. By flying straight from Pattaya to Chumphon tourists can save a lot of time. Repeat tourists to Pattaya who want to try something different will be able to do a three day side trip to a small island like Koh Tao. Another new route due to start in 2012 will be from Pattaya to Kanchanaburi. Again this will save tourists a lot of time making it easier to do as a day trip. The main market for these new routes are of course the Russians as well as the Chinese.

Lopburi’s Monkey Party Confirmed for 25 November 2012

Now in its 24th year, the popular monkey party at Phra Prang Sam Yot in Lopburi will take place on Sunday 25th November 2012. The city is famous for the monkeys that roam the streets and temple ruins. The event was started about twenty years ago as a way for local business people to thank the monkeys for attracting tourists to the city. A big banquet is put on for the monkeys which includes local fruit. The opening ceremony and special activities will be at 10 a.m. There will then be a second round of feeding the monkeys at 12 p.m. Some people go to Lopburi as a day trip from Bangkok, but it is more advisable to book a hotel. The last time that I went I stayed at the Lopburi Inn. It is also a good opportunity to visit the local sunflower fields in Lopburi and nearby Saraburi.

View larger map

Russian Film Week in Bangkok in November

PP Casita 5 night Christmas Package

PP Casita on Phi Phi Island

PP Casita; my fav and popular resort on Phi Phi Island; you can stay here from 1,478THB/ night which maske it the best value resort with a pool. It is only 70 meters from the beachfront of Loh Modee bay. Loh Dalum is one of Phi Phi's most celebrated bays being the northern side to the famous dumbel as seen from the Phi Phi Viewpoint.


There are some 5 night Christmas 5 Night Package still left at which might be of interest if you are visiting at theat time of year. http://phi-phi.com/hotels/KBVPPS-specials.htm It can really get busy so these rooms will get taken.


Have a great time on Phi Phi!!

Buffalo Racing in Chonburi 2012

One of the most popular events that is organized towards the end of the rainy season every year is the Buffalo Racing in Chonburi. This takes place in front of the provincial buildings. The festivities will run from 26 October to 1 November 2012. However, the popular buffalo racing takes place on Monday 29th October. As well as the racing there will be buffalo beauty contests, parades and sporting events such as climbing the greasy pole. Follow @RichardBarrow on Twitter for the latest news and live pictures from this event.

McDonald’s joins TAT to launch “Tourist Postcards for Charity”

McDonald’s restaurants in Thailand has joined the Tourism Authority of Thailand for the campaign “Tourist Postcards for Charity” to support domestic tourism and raise fund for the Ronald McDonald House Charities Thailand which helps under privileged ill children and their families. Customers can help improve the well-being of underprivileged children and families at all McDonald’s restaurants nationwide. Donate 300 baht to receive a set of 10 postcards and McDonald’s gift vouchers worth 200 baht or donate 20 baht for a postcard from now until December 31, 2012.

Tickets to Watch the Royal Barge Procession in Bangkok

One of the grandest spectacles in Thailand and indeed, the world, the Royal Barge Procession is an ancient tradition that was revived by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej in 1959. This breathtaking water-borne procession is reserved for nationally auspicious occasions and has been held only 16 times during His Majesty’s reign. The main procession will be held between 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. on 9th November but full dress rehearsals by the Royal Thai Navy will also be held on 2nd November and 6th November which you can watch. Tickets are available at the website listed below for those wishing to watch the Procession in comfort from the Royal Thai Navy pavilion. Please note, the Procession can also be viewed for free from various public spots along the river (see map).

The Procession, which this year will commemorate the auspicious occasion of HM the King’s 85th birthday on 5 December 2012, involves barges carrying the deeply revered Buddha image (Phra Buddha Sihing) and members of the royal family to present offerings of saffron kathin robes, food and other necessities to the monks at Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). The procession takes approximately 55 minutes to make the 4.5 kilometre journey down the Chao Phraya River to Wat Arun, covering the section from Thonburi Bridge to Phra Phutta Yodfa Bridge. The official ceremony is expected to end at approximately 5.30 pm.

Asiatique Festivities in the Cool Season

Asiatique The Riverfront will launch year-end and New Year festivities with a spectacular celebration called “ASIATIQUE Festival”. Under the concept “Happy Winter Celebration 2012”, the event promises thrills and happiness to all visitors this cool season, from dining and chilling to shopping and entertainment. Festivities run from November 1, 2012 to January 13, 2013.

ASIATIQUE Park: Encounter the amazing and adventurous performance of over 40 beasts at the Great British Circus, straight from England. The show runs from November 2 – 11, 2012, with show times at 18.30 and 20.30 daily. In November, witness the opening of the giant Ferris wheel that is “ASIATIQUE Sky” the very first in Thailand with views overlooking the Chao Phraya River bend – perfect for a romantic evening. As for concerts, the ASIATIQUE Music Fest, offering various musical genres, complements the cool winter atmosphere throughout the month of December. Countdown to the New Year across the country with the ASIATIQUE Countdown 2013 on the evening of December 31, 2012, along with a concert of music acts from across the country and dazzling fireworks extravaganza over the Chao Phraya River.

The Promenade: Soak up the atmosphere along the river while enjoying fine cuisine from all over the world with the Riverfront International Dining experience from November 1, 2012 to January 13, 2013. Experience Thai cultural traditions with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s “Colors of the Water: Loy Krathong Celebration”, a huge and stunning Loy Krathong festival held from November 24 – 28, 2012. Enjoy the beauty of sparkling and colorful lights from the giant Christmas tree along the river that leads into the season of celebration from November 1, 2012 to January 13, 2013.

Town Square: Enjoy a wide selection of quality wines and beer from all over the globe that have been specifically selected for the International Wine & Beer Fest, from November 1, 2012 to January 13, 2013 only.

Halloween Party for Kids in Bangkok

Navaratri Festival Parade in Bangkok 2012

Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of the Hindu deity Durga. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The festival is being held in Bangkok at the moment from 14-24 October 2012. This takes place at various Indian temples around Bangkok.  Although Little India is in the Pahurat area, to the west of Chinatown, the main Hindu temple is Sri Maha Marianman Temple (Wat Khaek) on Silom Road. It is here where the parade will take place on Wednesday 24th October 2012 from 7:30 p.m.

I have marked the parade route on the map above. It is best to come early as Silom Road inbound, Narithawat Road, Sathorn North Road and  Surasak Road will be closed. The best way to go would be by skytrain as BTS Chong Nonsi is on the parade route. If you are looking for somewhere to stay in the area, then I can recommend the Lub D Silom Hostel on Decho Road. It is only a short walk away from the main action. The staff are very helpful and will answer any questions that you may have.

Alms Offering to 2,600 Monks in Bangkok

Thailand Book Expo 2012

Watching the Rehearsals for the Royal Barge Procession

If you are in Thailand at the moment then you are in for a treat. During October 2012 they are conducting a series of rehearsals for the Royal Barge Procession along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. I took these pictures during the rehearsal last Friday. There will be three more this month on 19th, 25th and 29th October. There will then be two full dress rehearsals on 2nd and 6th November. The real event is then on 9th November. If you want to watch, then you are advised to attend one of the rehearsals as it will be very crowded on the final day. Click here to see my map of places to watch the procession.

Once you have found a place to watch, you need to make sure that you can be there before they close the river down. After 11 a.m., you won’t be able to cross the river by boat. In fact, you won’t even be allowed to stand on any of the public piers. They also stop the Chao Phraya Expres boats. They are very strict about this. So, don’t get the idea of watching the procession from a boat. The picture above shows some of the security forces that patrol the river all day between Rama VIII Bridge and Wat Arun. I took this picture at about 1 p.m.

The reason that they close the river so early is that the barges have to be towed up river to the starting point beyond Rama VIII Bridge. This has to be done slowly as these boats are very old and are national treasures. I have been on the river before when the express boats pass and they do produce quite a high wake. There would be a danger of one of these boats getting swamped and sinking. They start towing shortly after the river closes at 11:00 a.m. I spotted the last boat passing the bridge at about 2 p.m.

The smaller boats were already moored at the pier near Wat Racha at Soi Samsen 9. These are towed upriver straight away after the rehearsals have finished. Only these more beautiful boats were being towed upriver on the day of the rehearsal. I presume this is because they are stored at the Royal Barge Museum while not being used. My first set of pictures were taken at Rama VIII Bridge. I could see that all of the boats were waiting between Wat Racha and the bridge. Some of the sailors had been on the boat all day and speedboats were going up and down doing toilet runs.

The procession then started at about 3 p.m. Everything was synchronised in order to make sure that all of the boats kept in their correct positions. Each boat had flagmen to help with this. As they rowed, royal boat songs were played over loudspeakers with the oarsmen joining in with the chorus. There are 52 boats taking part in the procession. Out of these, there are eight animal masthead barges like the one above, 22 lesser escort barges, and 18 other vessels. In total, 2,200 oarsmen take part in the procession.

I am told that the journey to Wat Arun, commonly known as the Temple of Dawn, takes nearly an hour. There are a number of vantage points along the river where you can watch the procession. For example, at the riverside park for Phra Sumen Fortress. I took most of my pictures from Praya Palazzo Boutique Hotel which is directly opposite the fort. The smaller vessels past us so close that we could almost reach out and touch them. However, the more beautiful barges with animal mastheads kept to the middle of the river.

The last royal barge passed us at 3:30 p.m. and so that means it took only 30 minutes. You would think that they would then re-open the river but they didn’t do this until about 6 p.m. This is because the last boat wouldn’t have reached Wat Arun until about 4:30 p.m. and then they had to be towed back upriver to Wat Racha. Like I said before, I presume the animal masthead barges were towed to the nearby Royal Barge Museum. I am planning on going to another rehearsal and hopefully will have some more information for you.

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Passenger Numbers up again this year at AoT Airports in Thailand

The number of passengers passing through the six airports operated by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) was up +7.87% to a total of 71.5 million passengers in its fiscal year ending September 2012, according to the Moodie Report published today. The six airports are Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket and Chiang Rai. Suvarnabhumi Airport had the most passengers at 52.4 million which is a rise of +9.56%. Out of this, 38.7 million were international passengers, an increase of +7.31%.

The following chart shows the number of international passengers each month at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Jan 2011: Arrive (1,634,911), Depart (1,613,869), Transit (126,194) => +6.94%
Feb 2011: Arrive (1,519,596), Depart (1,573,084), Transit (100,529) => +8.90
Mar 2011: Arrive (1,569,195), Depart (1,684,527), Transit (125,286) => +10.62%
Apr 2011: Arrive (1,496,381), Depart (1,520,462), Transit (129,556) => +22.78%
May 2011: Arrive (1,343,501), Depart (1,412,625), Transit (131,190) => +44.53%
Jun 2011: Arrive (1,367,796), Depart (1,304,184), Transit (137,354) => +34.15
Jul 2011: Arrive (1,591,377), Depart (1,534,409), Transit (152,231) => +19.82%
Aug 2011: Arrive (1,505,196), Depart (1,570,590), Transit (143,963) => +17.50%
Sep 2011: Arrive (1,392,959), Depart (1,413,025), Transit (150,666) => +17.00%
Oct 2011: Arrive (1,412,258), Depart (1,439,679), Transit (146,871) => +3.58%
Nov 2011: Arrive (1,134,099), Depart (1,056,330), Transit (119,785) => -22.51%
Dec 2011: Arrive (1,561,776), Depart (1,356,971), Transit (124,081) => -6.81%
Jan 2012: Arrive (1,669,678), Depart (1,659,490), Transit (128,927) =>+2.46%
Feb 2012: Arrive (1,597,636), Depart (1,647,357), Transit (109,180) => +5.04%
Mar 2012: Arrive (1,708,266), Depart (1,806,442), Transit (120,321) => +7.58%
Apr 2012: Arrive (1,674,283), Depart (1,717,023), Transit (103,141) => +11.06%
May 2012: Arrive (1,497,178), Depart (1,544,977), Transit (109,083) => +9.14%
Jun 2012: Arrive (1,536,342), Depart (1,468,194), Transit (114,733) => +11.00%
Jul 2012: Arrive (1,674,991), Depart (1,636,752), Transit (123,967) => +4.81%
Aug 2012: Arrive (1,678,314), Depart (1,726,363), Transit (111,478) => +9.21%
Sep 2012: Arrive (1,519,247), Depart (1,535,169), Transit (118,374) => +7.31%

Map of Where to Watch the Royal Barge Procession

A spectacular procession of royal barges will be seen along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok on the 9th November 2012 as part of the celebration to mark the end of the three month long Buddhist Lent. The Crown Prince will be on one of the barges and will travel from Rama VIII Bridge to The Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun). A total of 2,082 oarsmen will row 52 barges for the 45 minute journey along the river. At Wat Arun, the Crown Prince will present robes to monks at the temple as part of the Royal Kathin Ceremony.

During October and early November 2012 there will be a series of rehearsals. The next ones are on Friday 19th October, Thursday 25th October and Monday 29th October. There will then be two full dress rehearsals on Friday 2nd November and Tuesday 6th November. The actual event will then be on Friday 9th November. All dates are of course subject to change. You can watch the procession on any of the dates though on the last day there will be countless thousands of people lining the banks all day.

View larger map

At the weekend I was out scouting various places where you could watch the Royal Barge Procession. I have marked these places on the map above. Some of them need to be confirmed and so if you can help, then please post in the comments your own tips. The river will close to boat traffic from about 11 a.m. This is a full four hours before the event is due to start at 3 p.m. at the Rama VIII Bridge. Please alos note that they will also close all public piers so you won’t be able to watch from these. On the final day, the bridges will be closed too.

Rock Climbing Walls in Bangkok

For rock climbing enthusiasts, there are least two places that come highly recommended. The first is at the Racquet Club which is on Soi Sukhumwit 49. They have a 13 meter rock climbing wall which is suitable for climbers of all ages and abilities. Guest pricing for the club, which gives you access to all facilities including swimming pool, is 425 Baht on weekdays and 525 Baht at the weekend. For more information, visit www.rqclub.com

Another popular place to climb in Bangkok is at PT Climbing Adventure which is as Big C Lat Phrao (commonly called Imperial Lat Phrao). They are open every day from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Cost is 250 Baht for guests and 150 Baht per day for members. For more information and pictures, please visit their Facebook page.

Amazing Japan-Korea Festival at Seacon Square

One of the better shopping malls for organizing events is Seacon Square on Srinakarin Road. This week they are celebrating “Amazing Japan and Korea 2012″. The large atrium at the mall has been converted into a slice of these two countries, complete with authentic buildings and blooming trees. Here you will be able to buy food and souvenirs from Korea and Japan. The festival runs from now until Sunday 21st October 2012.

Owl Art Museum in Nakhon Pathom

If you have any interest in owls then you should check out the new Owl Art Museum (พิพิธภัณฑ์ศิลปะนกฮูก) which is in Nakhon Pathom Province to the west of Bangkok. Here you will find over 1,000 different owls on display. As well as the museum, there is a shop selling owl handicraft and both children and adults can join art classes. On Saturdays there is a craft market.

The Owl Art Museum is about 400 meters away from the popular Thana Market along the Nakhon Chaisri River in Nakhon Pathom. It is open every day except Mondays. On Tuesdays to Fridays it is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the weekend it is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.  It costs 40 Baht for adults and 20 Baht for children. For more information and pictures, please visit their Facebook Page.