Loy Krathong began in the northern province of Sukhothai during the reign of Thai King Rama IV in 1863, and is now one of the most popular Thai celebrations and is celebrated throughout Thailand every year. The raft is decorated with elaborately folded banana leaves (a Krathong-small raft made of banana tree leaves), flowers, candles, and incense sticks. The incense and candles are lit and the Kratong is pushed out onto the water in a symbolic act of letting go of one’s bad luck. The term Loi, or Loy, means “float” and this is what is happening to your bad luck, it floats away.

Each province in Thailand celebrates their own versions of Loy Krathong and the Government offices hold big events to celebrate the full moon buring this time. Chiang Mai’s skyline lights up as the capital of the north celebrates with Yi Peng Lantern balloons released. These lanterns float into the night’s sky fuelled by only a small candle inside. Ayutthaya, just north of Bangkok, holds Krathong contests and puts on a re-enactment of an ancient Loy Krathong festival, and in contrast to these cultural performances they hold a Miss Noppamas beauty contest. As can be imagined the best place to watch the celebrations of Loy Krathong would probably be Bangkok were all the waterways, including the great Chao Praya River, have small and large Krathongs reflecting of the waters surface as the night-sky’s are filled with fireworks.

Hotel	Name/Location	Class	Price
	The Imperial Mae Ping Hotel Chiang Mai		26 GBP
	Ambassador Hotel Bangkok		26 GBP
	Deevana Patong Resort & Spa Phuket		19 GBP

The actual act of these rafts floating also has some other important means to people, besides letting go of your bad luck. For many Thais the Krathong is a way to thank the goddess of water, Phra Mae Kongka, for allowing them to use the water from rivers and canals all year long. For romantic couples the Krathong is floated out and should stay upright until it has left their sight, this is a symbol their love will last forever.

The biggest advantage for anyone on holiday in Thailand during this time is that this festival is one in which both Thais and tourists can participate. In fact local Thai people actively get tourists to purchase and float their own Krathong. This is a wonderful time to get to know many new Thai friends and is a great way to break the ice. Start asking about what Loy Krathong means to them and many Thais will be happy to share their thoughts about this wonderful festival.

Technorati Tags: Ambassador Hotel Bangkok, Deevana Resort & Spa, Holidays to Thailand, Imperial Mae Ping, loy krathong, thailand festivals

These protests are against the government and have nothing to do with tourists,  and are unlikely to spill into the main tourist areas in Bangkok. But all this is not going to stop the media from painting a bleak picture of the current situation in Thailand.

If you want to travel to Thailand I would say do so but if you plan to go to Bangkok get the updated information. As for travelling in Thailand I have heard no reports of  a disturbed transport systems and that nothing in Phuket, Krabi or any of the other southern tourist destinations are affected.

The keep you informed of changes within Thailand the TAT or Tourism Authority of Thailand are publishing updates on their website of what is actually happening in Thailand, here is the latest from them.

TOURISM AUTHORITY OF THAILAND FACT SHEET AS OF OCTOBER 8, 2008

• The current political situation in Thailand — change of government and political demonstrations — should be seen as part of the Kingdom’s evolving political development under a democratic system of governance.

• The protests are directed at Members of Parliament and other political figures. These incidents are limited to the administrative centre of Bangkok. The rest of the city is unaffected.

• The PAD anti-government rally is restricted to the designated protest site and the immediate areas. Tourists and expats in Bangkok are advised to avoid travelling to areas near the demonstration site namely — Government House, the Parliament Building and its immediate vicinity.

• For visitors planning trips to various sites around Rattanakosin Island (Koh Rattanakosin), shuttle boats and river taxis that serve the various public piers along the Chao Phraya River provides fast and convenient transportation to several of these sites.

• All other key tourist sites in Bangkok, and nationwide, are completely unaffected.

• Life in the capital and the rest of the Kingdom continues as usual. Foreign nationals are unaffected.

• Hotel and other travel-related infrastructure and services, including all airports, operate as normal. Train services throughout the country have resumed full operations. Roadways are open, with only certain roads in Bangkok around the Government House compound remaining closed.

• Public utilities and communication services operate uninterrupted, contrary to reports of possible disruptions.

• The Kingdom’s various tourist attractions and shopping districts are unaffected, safe and open for business as usual. Tourists can continue to enjoy the amazing variety of sites, foods and experiences at even more amazing prices that make Thailand such a special travel destination.

• To ease any concern that foreign visitors may have in travelling to Thailand, the Thai authorities concerned have stepped up measures to ensure their safety and to facilitate their travel, both to and within the country.

• The latest updates will also be made available on the websites of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at www.mfa.go.th and of the Tourism Authority of Thailand at www.tourismthailand.org and www.tatnews.org.

The choice whether or not to travel to Thailand is yours obviously but  I would say that you should not let the current political climate affect your decision. Get the facts before you book your holiday to Thailand. If your worried about the situation in Bangkok then avoid it and fly direct to Phuket, Krabi, Chaing Mai or Koh Samui.

The one thing you should avoid doing is not going to Thailand! The tourist industry has had a lot of bad lucky for the past years with Tsunami, SARS, Bird Flu and the Bali bombings all having an adverse effect on the country.

Book your holiday, go have fun, come back and let everyone else know that Thailand is still a great place to have a holiday in.

Technorati Tags: bangkok travel, Holidays to Thailand, tat, thailand riots

The four Douglas C-47 Dakota Skytrain’s and six Sikorsky S-58T helicopters are to be sunk 1km from Bang Tao bay on the north west shore of Phuket island. The aircraft will be secured to the sandy bottom by large concrete blocks and the aim will be to arrange the aircraft in a circular pattern. At a depth of around 20meters and not far off the shore these artificial coral reefs will be an ideal training ground and a new attraction for the visiting divers. It is hoped that the new dive area will help reduce the number of divers visiting the natural coral reefs in the area and help the natural environment recover from years of diver traffic.

The creation of artificial coral reefs to help protect the natural environment in over dived areas is not a new one. In 2006-2007 an artificial reef was built in Egypt after scientists at the Ben Gurion University, Eilat, reported some 50% reduction in the natural coral reef, caused mainly by diver traffic. Although the damage to natural coral reefs in Thailand are not that sever these new dive sites will most definitely help those that are under some pressure.

The work to get the aircraft in place is due to start on 12 November and be completed early December, just in time for the peak holiday season in Thailand. Obviously divers to the wrecks will not see much coral life, but with open swim-through and crystal clear waters at  20 meters you should get a visually stunning and extremely fun dive anyway. Unfortunately I can’t take anymore holidays to Thailand this year so looks like I won’t be diving these aircraft until early 2009. I just hope they last that long or at least longer than the King Cruiser Wreck. This passanger ferry  sunk only 10 years ago, about 2 hours boat ride from Krabi, but already has deteriorated and collapsed in many places making swim through dangerous.

If anyone gets a chance to dive this ‘Coral Reef Squadron’ could you please contact me with your experiences or leave a comment below about your dives, thanks.

Technorati Tags: coral reef squadron, Holidays to Thailand, scuba diving, thailand coral reefs

Bangkok (The Nation): Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has lost his post and his cabinet will function as a caretaker cabinet following this afternoon’s Constitution Court verdict that the PM is guilty of violating the nation‘s charter.

Six judges considered Samak to be the “employee” while three others considered him a “business partner” of a TV studio, a constitutional offence in both cases.

The court said evidence presented by Samak that he was only given transport fees for hosting the show “contradicted” payment evidence by the studio, Face Media.

The court went strong on the principles laid down by the Constitution against conflicts of interest. The judges pointed out that Samak’s defense, using definitions of “employ”, “employer” and “employee” from different laws, was not enough to determine whether the will of the Constitution had been violated. (src)

Technorati Tags: Thailand News

Unlike the UK many, if not all, hotels in Thailand reduce their rates throughout the year. The period between mid December and the first week in January is the peak season when room rates can double and almost treble in price. You may also find that you’re expected to stump up for a Christmas or New Year gala dinner if your holidays to Thailand coincide with this time of year. In contrast though, if you were to visit the same hotel during the ‘Green Season’ you would be shocked at the discounts that are offered during this period.

What is the green season?
This is the time of year during which Thailand receives most of its rainfall. Traditionally the Songkran water festival is the celebration to start this rainy season but in reality the rains don’t come for a few weeks more. When they do arrive the surrounding landscape becomes very lush and green as the plants and trees begin to grow after the long dry period. It’s the greener of these plants that have given this period it nickname, the ‘Green Season’.

When is the green season?
In general the green season occurs during the UK’s summer time but each region of Thailand will have its own set time for the green season. The majority of holiday destinations in Thailand will reduce their prices between 1st May and the 1st November but there are some exceptions to this.

Koh Samui for example does not share the same weather patterns to Phuket and as such don’t have the same rainy season. The low (green) season on Koh Samui is mid September to mid December, but in Phuket the low season is between the end of May and the end of October.

What will the weather in Thailand be like during the green season?
Depending on where you chose for your holidays to Thailand you will most like see some rain during the green season but how much rain will depend on your location and when you are there. Not so long ago I can remember the dry season lasting well into May and June but those arriving for their holidays in Thailand during November to Ao Nang, Krabi, caught the end of the rainy season. You should always remember that you are dealing with the weather and it is often unpredictable.

How much can I save during the green season?
I’m not getting into the price of flights to Thailand from the UK or which airline is best. If you choose to arrive in Thailand during the green season you will most probably save some money on the cost of your flights. Finding cheap hotels in Thailand during the green season is really easy for most locations but you should know that the savings will not be great from hotels in Bangkok. I will provide the cost of a double room for the 3 seasons that most holiday destinations share, the low, high and peak season.

In Phuket the Deevana Patong Resort & Spa Phuket will cost 2085 baht in the low season 3108 baht in the high season 4274 baht in the peak season.

In Bangkok the Majestic Grande Hotel Bangkok will cost you 3700 baht in the low season and 3800 baht in the high season. Although not a great saving there is also no increase for the peak season. So if you plan to be on holiday in Thailand around the Christmas and New Year time you should consider being in Bangkok around this time. Be warned however it does get busy and rooms book out fast.

In Chaing Mai the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel cost 2200 baht in the low season and 2900 baht in the high season but during the peak season the cost goes up to a whopping 9000 baht! Obviously this includes the compulsory gala dinner dances but from the few I’ve been to you are best to try and organise your own entertainment. I feel I should add another warning here and say that if you do decide to organise your own celebrations while on holiday to Thailand don’t expect too much to be available when you get there. For families it may be best to stick with the hotel organised entertainment, this will save a lot of trouble for you.

The hotels I’ve listed here are for illustrative purposes and if you search around the internet you may find different prices offered. If you look on the right side of this page you should see a search function that allows you to look for all hotels for your holiday to Thailand.

So just to recap! The green season is the wet season and varies across Thailand but in general it’s around the same time as the summer in UK. If you time things right you can save a lot of cash on your hotel booking. Other services will also be reduced during the green season such as tours, car rentals, internal flights etc. If there is no reduction you could always ask for a discount! Everyone is looking for customers during this quite period so why not plan your holidays to Thailand around the green season and save yourself some cash.

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