Thailand Hotel

Thailand Festivals & Events { March - April 2009 }

Other Festivals & Events

• January - February 2008
• March - April 2008
• May - June 2008
• July - August 2008
• September - October 2008
• November - December 2008
• January - February 2009
• March - April 2009

March 2009

The 24th ASEAN Barred Ground Dove Festival
Date: 7 - 8 March 2009
Venue: Khwan Mueang Park, Mueang District, Yala

Thais have long believed that doves are creatures which bring good luck to those who rare them. They are also regarded as symbols of purity and peach. Those with qualities specified by ancient texts are believed to bestow great wealth and honor upon their owners. The ASEAN Barred Ground Dove Festival attracts dove-lovers from the southern part of Thailand as well as from neighboring countries. The major highlight is a dove-cooing and red-whiskered bulbul singing competition. Local products are on sale as well.

 

Thai Elephant Week
Date: 13 March 2009
Venue: Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, Lampang

Thailand's most noble beast, the elephant is the star of two important events this month. In the  northern province of Lampang, people interested in the welfare and care of these noble animals gather for Thai Elephant Week, 13  March at the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre.

The scene of documentary films made for worldwide TV audience, the conservation centre, located in Hang Chat district in Lampang province, is a renowned refuge where elephants, both healthy and invalid, can be cared for and respected.

In this day visitors can learn from mahouts about the traditions and practices that help to maintain an elephant's health and well-being. On the lighter side, visitors can also join the mahouts, feeding the elephants in the style of the northern Khantok dinner.  Considered an ancient royal tradition adopted by princes and high-ranking officials of the Lanna Kingdom, the Khantok dinner is at the pinnacle of traditional northern cuisine. 

For more information: www.thailandelephant.org

 

2009 King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament
Date: 23 - 30 March 2009
Venue: Anantara Golden Triangle Resort, Chiang Rai

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas have announced the 2009 dates for the King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament. The highly popular event will take place from March 23 to March 29 in the northernmost region of Thailand known as the Golden Triangle.

A blessing ceremony will be held before the opening match where monks sprinkle holy water over both players and animals to ensure a successful tournament.  In addition, a parade of northern traditional-style dancers, hill-tribe villagers in traditional costume, elephant spirit men (Khru Ba Yai), colourfully decorated pachyderms and teams holding up their respective country flags will kick off the weeklong competition held on the banks of the Ruak River which divides Thailand from Burma.

During the first five years of the tournament, the event took place in the Royal seaside town of Hua Hin before moving to the native home of elephants in 2006 – the Golden Triangle. The tournament was introduced to Thailand in 2001 by Anantara Resorts and is a charitable event that raises money for the country's National Elephant Institute in Lampang, northern Thailand.

In just seven years the King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament has gone from a small two-day event with six teams into a week-long extravaganza, which in 2008 featured 12 teams from four continents encompassing 40 players from at least 15 countries.

Through its own Elephant Camp located within the grounds of the Anantara Resort Golden Triangle, the property's focus on the future of Thailand's pachyderm population forms an integral part of the resort's operations. On an ongoing basis, resident Elephant Camp Director, John Roberts, works closely with the Thai government's Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang to develop Anantara's camp as an elephant sanctuary.

To date the tournament has raised over US$200,000 for the National Elephant Institute, which provides medical care, sustenance, employment, and mahout training to Thailand's elephant population. In 2008 the funds were used to run the custom build ambulance that was donated at the opening ceremony of the most recent tournament. It is estimated that Thailand has around 2,500 domesticated elephants and 1,500 wild elephants. This is down from an elephant population of around 50,000 in 1950 and 100,000 in 1900. 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) fully endorses the King's Cup Elephant Polo tournament, having identified it as one of the country's prime annual special events. It will take place in the grounds of Anantara Resort Golden Triangle, and spectator entrance is free. 

 

Mekong River International Multi-Sport ITU Asian Cup 2009
Date: 27th - 29th March 2009
Venue: Along the Mekong river, Amphoe Mueang Nong Khai, Nong Khai
in Pa Sang Sub-district of Mae Chan, Chiang Rai

Hightlights:
Buddy Bike & Run
Aquathlon Asian Cup Series 2009
Duathlon Asian Cup Series 2009
Triathlon ITU Asian Cup 2009

Let's see Thai-Lao Friendship Brideg, OTOP Fair, Food Fair, etc.

For more information
Triathlon Association of Thailand: Tel. 66 (0) 2578 4515, (0) 814 843 335
TAT Udon Thani: Tel. 66 (0) 4232 5406-7

 

April 2009

Magic moments in Khmer heritage
Date: 2 Apr 2009 - 4 Apr 2009
Venue: Nakhon Ratchasima

A splash of sunlight penetrating an ancient temple cloister signals a distinctive celebration at Prasat Phanom Rung.

Knowing the exact moment to witness a spectacular sunrise through the doorway of an ancient Hindu temple requires a detailed calculation. 

The most auspicious day is 3 April; the time, 0602.32 at sunrise, as the amber sun is perfectly aligned in the centre of the main doorway to a temple standing on a former volcanic mountain in northeast Thailand.

Actually, the sun rays pass straight through 15  perfectly aligned doorways of Prasat Phanom Rung, a revered and ancient Hindu monastery, just four times a year -– two  sets of sunrises, in April and September, and two sets of sunsets, in March and October.
These spectacular solar-related events, that also bear religious significance in the Hindu faithful, span just three days –- 2, 3 and 4 April. The second day is considered the most auspicious as the sun is visible dead centre of the outer doorway of this Khmer Hindu temple. Sun rays cast light through 15 aligned doorways that span 75 metres of the temple's inner courtyard illuminating a revered lingam deep in the main sanctuary. On the other two days, the sun passes one of the corners of these doorways.

Located about 120 km east of Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway to the northeast region, Prasat Phanom Rung presents a picturesque setting high above the surrounding countryside. A series of steps lead to this ancient monument that stands on the peak of an extinct volcano offering panoramic views of rice fields and hazy mountains on the border with Cambodia.

While photographers will not want to miss the opportunity to capture the  3 April sunrise perfectly aligned within the lintels of the doorways, most visitors will settle for the evening festivals and a colourful light and sound show organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand performing nightly from 2 to 4 April.

Officially known as the  “Ascent of the Mountain Annual Festival” or the “Festival Of The Thousand Year Miracle of the Phanom Rung Grand Shrine” the celebrations start with the religious significance of the sunrises, but continue with community festivities on each of the three days, well into the night.

The 80-minute light and sound show, that start at 20:00, highlights the history of Prasat Phanom Rung and explains the significance of the sunrise and its alignment with the temple's courtyard doors.
The show is described as an “extravagant outdoor Son et Lumiere performances led by a large cast of actors, dancers and acrobats.”

This evening spectacular, held within the temple complex, compliments the daytime activities that start with the sunrise ceremonies and are followed by colourful festivities throughout the day. In the afternoon there is almost a carnival spirit as visitors enjoy the local food specialities sold at stalls, the folk music and dances as well as handicraft displays.  Many visitors are tempted to stay on to admire the floodlight sanctuary, or slumber through night under the stars to ensure they have a prime spot to participate in the sunrise ceremonies on the following morning.

 

Songkran Festival
Date: 13 Apr 2009 - 15 Apr 2009
Venue:

While the water splashing will flourish, the traditional values of Songkran are the focus of the 2009 celebrations.

Songkran is without doubt the most popular of all Thai festivals and rightly so.
It marks the beginning of a new astrological year and its exact dates are determined by the old lunar calendar of Siam.
This year the three-day festival falls on 13 to 15 April.

Traditionally, April 13 is known as “Maha Songkran Day” and marks the end of the old year, April 14 is “Wan Nao”, while April 15 is “Wan Thaloeng Sok” when the New Year begins.

While the festival has its roots in Buddhist heritage, the washing of Buddha images, merit making, traditional family values and the sprinkling of water in respect for  elders,  it is best known for the fun and “sanuk” everyone gains from splashing copious quantities of water on all who happen to pass by.
Songkran is celebrated with gusto by young and old, throughout the country. City communities and villages in rural Thailand forget their troubles and concentrate on the serious of business of having fun as well as cooling off, during the height of the summer's scorching tropical temperatures.
Probably of all the national festivals, this is the one that foreigners love to experience the most. They will come across water splashing festivities wherever they travel giving them an opportunity to share in a festival that is immensely popular, while still retaining a link to its traditional roots and values.

One of the traditional values points to the Thai family and the opportunity for family members to express their respect for their elders. Younger members of the family pour scented water on the hands of their parents, and grandparents. They may present them with gifts or tokens of their love. In return, elders wish youngsters good luck and prosperity.

In temples, elder members of the family gather to make merit, offering alms to the monks. They may help clean the temple courtyard, or perform bathing rites for Buddha images

In by-gone days, the fun of splashing water on friends or strangers had to wait until the late afternoon when the religious duties and ceremonies were over.
Today, the lines are often blurred with the younger generation making the most of the three-day opportunity to splash water on everyone in sight.

For more information: TAT Call Center 1672

Sai Buri Fishing Competition
Date: 24 Apr 2009 - 26 Apr 2009
Venue: Pattani

Game fishing competition in the Deep South attracts teams from Singapore and Malaysia.

Sports events are few and far between in April, possibly due to soaring summer temperatures. Schools are on holiday to give children a break from the heat, while Thailand's most important festival, Songkran, the celebration of the traditional New Year, has a practical application too. It's the one time in the year when it's cool to throw a bucket of water over your neighbour.

But for the hardy go-any-where fishing community it appears the heat of the summer sun is not a deterrent, nor apparently is the sensitive security issues surrounding the event's venue in the Deep South province of Pattani.

Both local and foreign anglers, many from neighbouring countries, meet in Pattani province and make friends at one of the oldest sports fishing events in the country, the 22nd Sai Buri Fishing Competition.

Pattani hosts this event, 24 to 26 April, at Wa Sukri Beach, 50 km from Pattani town. Talubun Municipality, in Sai Buri district, organises the annual event that features both on-shore fishing competitions for individuals and off-shore contests for teams with a maximum of three members per boat. The on-shore contests require competitors to cast their reels to catch fish that dwell close to shore, or take shelter under rocky outcrops.  In the off-shore team events, anglers travel some distance by boat to snarl game fish as large and marlin and tuna.

Depending on the swing of the monsoon season, the event has been held annually for 21 years, either in late April, or early May. Last year, it was held early May and welcomed 157 people for the on-shore competition and 38 teams for the off-shore boat game fishing competitions. Most of the participants at this competition are Thais, but there is also a strong representation in the team events from neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Singapore.

The registration fee is Bt100 for individuals and Bt2,000 for a team including meals during the event. Participants have to bring their own fishing tackle, rods and reels, while teams rent fishing boats for the off-shore event at around Bt1,300 per day. Bait is provided.

The off-shore, competition starts at Wat Sukri Pier, with boats heading for fishing grounds near Losin or Laopi islands. Trophies and prizes are based on species and weight of the fish caught.

For more informations: contact Talubun municipality in Sai Buri district at, Tel: 073 411 810 and 073 411 015.

1ST ASIAN MARTIAL ARTS GAMES 2009
Date: 25 Apr 2009 - 3 May 2009
Venue: Bangkok, Suphan Buri

The 1st Asian Martial Arts Games 2009 will be hosted by Thailand from 25 April to 3 May 2009 in Bangkok as well as Suphan Buri province of Thailand. Featured games including compulsory Martial Arts, namely Karatedo, Kickboxing, Wushu, Muay, Kungfu and Kurash, as well as optional Martial Arts namely, Jujitsu & Beltwrestling, Pencat Silat and Kaliripattu.

This event will see the participation from 45 countries with expecting more than 2,500 competitors around the world.

For more information, please call 1672

 

Top