During March 2012, there will be a series of six alms giving ceremonies around Bangkok involving an estimated total of 100,000 monks. The purpose is to celebrate the 2,600th anniversary of the Lord Buddha’s Enlightenment Day. The first event took place early this morning, 10th March 2012 along Phahonyothin road near Ying Charoen Market. It was difficult to estimate the number of monks present today, but I reckon that there were at least 8,000.

Monks traditionally go on alms round near their temple. Usually they leave the temple in the early hours of dawn while it is still dark. The Buddhist faithful are waiting for them in front of their houses. On Wan Phra days, which is the Buddhist sabbath, the monks stay in the temple and the lay people go there to make merit. However, these days it is not always easy for people to make merit in this way as they need to get up early to go to work.

There are two other kinds of alms giving that I have witnessed. One is often held on special occasions such as New Year’s Day or the King’s Birthday. The lay people line the side of the road in groups and as hundreds of monks pass, they offer the food. With the mass alms giving that I attended this morning, that method isn’t practical. After chanting and a short sermon, the monks walked down the rows in front of the seated lay people until everyone was in position. Then, after a signal, everyone offered alms at the same time.

As a foreign tourist you are welcome to watch this event. You can even join in if you like. Set up along the road there are many tables where vendors are selling bags of food for offering to the monks. As there are thousands of people, you need to arrive early to get a good spot. The ceremony starts at 6:30 a.m. and so it’s best to arrive before 6 a.m. if you can. The roads will be closed so its best to go by public transport or by taxi. If you are taking part you need to wear white clothing.

The following are the locations for the alms giving events in Bangkok this month:

Sunday March 11th, 2012 – Kaset Junction – Ratchayothin Crossroad
Saturday March 17th, 2012 – Ladprao 5-Junction – Saphan Khwai
Sunday March 18th, 2012 – CentralWorld Department Store, Ratchaprasong Road
Saturday March 24th, 2012 – Yaowarat Road – Charoenkrung Road
Sunday March 25th, 2012 – Ladya Road – Wongwian Yai

I have prepared a google map of these locations

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Billed as Thailand’s Grand Canyon by those honest people at the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT), if you go with this in mind you most likely will be disappointed, however you just want to go to a dried river bed to visit an unusual rock set in some spectacular scenery this could be a highlight of your visit.

Literally meaning 3000 holes, Sam Pan Bok is a lunar landscape covered by the a river for three quarters of the year, but in the sweltering heat of the hot season the H20 will retreat to cooler climbs leaving the river bed exposed. When exactly that is the local TAT office in Ubon gets regular water level reports and are happy to inform.

I’d been meaning to visit this place for a long time and after a few cancellations due to this year’s flooding keeping the water levels unusually high found time to go in February. I arrived at the place around one o’clock on a Sunday afternoon and felt I was not exactly in a tourist Mecca, stalls selling cold drinks, Mama and Som Tum fought for custom with ones selling Sam Pan Bok T-shirts and sun hats. Apart from traders there were less than 40 tourists there, all Thai and mostly locals, though most likely it would get busier later, Thais won’t usually venture out to places like this till after 4pm for fear of darkening their skin. I guess if I’d come midweek I’d have had the place to myself.

The entrance gives a stunning panorama of the riverbed and the sign written in Thai only tells of the height the water reached during the recent flooding, an absolutely jaw dropping difference in water level. The rock itself, Sam Pan Bok, lays a few hundred metres walk along the riverbed to the right and lives up to its reputation as it gives you the feel you’re walking on an alien planet. The thousands of holes range from centimetres to metres in size, many filled with water and even having fish. The largest hole is a popular smimming spot if you carry a costume with you. There are also several boats tied up along what remains of the river who will do everything from ferrying you to the other bank to giving you a guided river trip.

Sam Pan Bok is located in the far east of Thailand in a small tributary to the Mekong River on the Lao border. Getting there is easy with your own transport, but a little more difficult without.

By Car or Bike from Ubon: Sam Pan Bok is 130km from Muang Ubon and a relatively easy ride along major highways. From the Ubon ring road follow route 2050 almost to Kemmerat then hang a right down route 2337 to the village of Song Kon and finally turn right at the T junction along route 2112 to Sam Pan Bok.

By Bus from Ubon: I went to the TAT in Ubon before I left to ask about buses and was told to get a bus from Ubon bus station to Song Khon village and walk the last 2km. Fortunately I decided to drive and when I got there discovered it was 7km from Song Khon not 2km. I went back to the TAT after I returned to double check the information I was given first time and was told there was no bus to Song Khon from Ubon only to Pho Sai about 30km away, but there was a bus to San Pan Bok from Kemmerat, which would mean to get there you need to take a bus from Ubon bus station to Kemmerat then change at Kemmerat to San Pan Bok. Check if the bus goes to San Pan Bok itself or drops you off outside the entrance on the highway, it’s a 4km walk from the entrance to the attraction.

Overnight: There are several paces between Ubon and Sam Pan Bok but all too small to likely have accommodation, so Kemmerat around 50-60k away is the only real option.

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Hua Hin Floating Market

During 2011, two purpose built floating markets opened in the seaside resort of Hua Hin. Surprisingly, not only did they open during the same year, but they also can both be found down Soi 112 which is about 6 kilometres away from the city center. I visited them over the new year holiday and both of them were very crowded with tourists. I’m not sure at this stage which one will survive.

Hua Hin Floating Market

The first one that you will come across is Hua Hin Floating Market (see map). You can’t miss it. When we arrived the queue for the car park went out onto the main road. My first impressions were good. All of the shops were built in a retro style to remind you of the olden days in Hua Hin. The boardwalk around the lake is wide which allows you plenty of space as you explore the shops. There are no cheap or tacky souvenirs here. Most things are good quality handmade products that you won’t find elsewhere.

Hua Hin Floating Market

Hua Hin Floating Market is open Monday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. They have stage shows during the day at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. You can also join a boat tour which is 200 Baht for four people. It seems to be a good place to do some shopping for a few hours and then sit down for a meal. Most people came here by private car but I heard that there is a public songtaew from the town for 20 Baht.

Hua Hin Samphannam Floating Market

If you drive a short distance away from this market, and then turn left at an intersection, you will see almost immediately Hua Hin Samphannam Floating Market (see map). Like the other market, this one was also very crowded. But as Samphannam covers a much bigger area, I would say that there were far more people here. There are 193 shops and 40 vendor boats. The floating market is built around a lake that was already there. The buildings might not be as stylish as at the other market, but it had its own charm.

Hua Hin Samphannam Floating Market

I like Hua Hin Samphannam Floating Market more than the other one. This is mainly because they have many more activities that you can take part in. It isn’t all about shopping. The boat trip here is only 20 Baht each. You can also join a train trip around the market for the same price. There are also daily shows. At one end there is a replica lighthouse as well as beached fishing boats. Plenty of photo opportunities here which Thai people love. The best thing for me was the wide variety of food available.

Hua Hin Samphannam Floating Market

Hua Hin Samphannam Floating Market is open every day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Most people come here by private car. There is enough parking for 1,000 cars and it was full when I visited. Like the other market, you can take a public songtaew here from the town for 20 Baht. You probably don’t want to do both of them in one day, but if you are in Hua Hin for a week then it is worth visiting both. But, if you only have time for one, then go to Hua Hin Samphannam Floating Market. It has a much better atmosphere.

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Caroline Wozniacki, the world’s number one female tennis player, was back in Thailand recently to take part in the World Tennis Invitation Hua Hin 2012. This was her second time to take part in this exhibition match in the seaside resort of Hua Hin (see my report from last year). Caroline has really fallen in love with the country and the people. She didn’t just come over for the tennis match as she came here early with her parents to celebrate the new year. Her boyfriend, world No.2 golfer Rory McIlroy, arrived a few days later.

I thought that this was only her second time in Thailand as last year she was telling everyone that she had never been before. However, at the press conference she revealed that she has been back quite a few times. She told reporters, “I’ve been to Thailand six or seven times. I’m basically half Thai”. Caroline went on to say that she loves the people and the culture. During this trip she was able to ride horses on the beach at Hua Hin, play with elephants, cook some Thai food and enjoy a spa at the InterContinental which she described as “unbelievable”.

At the exhibition match, Caroline played against Victoria Azarenka, on the left of this picture, who is the world’s number three player. The event took place at the InterContinental Hotel’s Centennial Park in Hua Hin on New Year’s Day.  Both Victoria and Caroline entertained the crowd with their skills and also off-court humour. At one point they got together to do a little dance. Victoria won the match in straight sets 6-2, 7-5. After the match she told the crowd,  “Thank you so much for having me in Thailand. You know, it was the first time and I enjoyed my time I hope everybody enjoyed our match and I hope to be back soon”.

Also playing at the exhibition match was world number 18 John Isner from America and former world number 9 Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand. Paradorn has been retired for a few years now and although he looked lean and fit, he was sweating and was visibly tired. However, he played a good game against the American and surprised everyone by winning 6-4, 7-5. At the end of the match, John told the crowd, “I really had a good time here. I will stay in Thailand for a few more days and then go to Sydney to play in a warm-up tournament before the Australian Open.”

At the start of the World Tennis Charity Invitation Hua Hin, each of the players, and golfer Rory Mcllroy donated 100,000 Baht to help flood victims. In fact the whole event this year was in aid of charities helping with flood relief. You can view more of my pictures from this charity match on my Facebook Page. Later this week I will be writing about some of the places that I visited in Hua Hin on this trip. So, keep an eye on www.thai-blogs.com and www.thaitravelblogs.com.

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The closest I have been to celebrating a Christmas in Thailand are the Christmas lights and the big trees in the shopping malls. If we are lucky, like this year, we might also have a cold wind which will add to the illusion that it is Christmas.  But none of this is real as the majority of Thai people are Buddhists and they are just celebrating for fun. Like in the West, it is all very commercial.

For the first time in many years, I’ve just celebrated what I consider to be more of a real Christmas. I’m in Sakon Nakhon Province which is in the Northeast of Thailand. A number of districts here have large Christian communities. The biggest is in Tha Rae sub-district where I’m told that out of the 50,000 or so residents, nearly 100% of them are Christians. To confirm this, all you have to do is walk around the neighbourhood on Christmas Eve and you will see that the majority of the houses are decorated with Christmas lights and decorations.

This is where I went on the 23rd and 24th of December. On the first evening I joined a tram tour around the neighbourhood where we took picture of all the beautifully lit houses. Everyone was so friendly and many people shouted out “Merry Christmas” to me.  Afterwards I joined in with the first of three parades where local people carried handmade Star Lanterns to Saint Michael’s Cathedral. On Christmas Eve I was back again for a bigger parade of brightly lit stars on the back of about 30 pick-up trucks.

At the conclusion of the parade, the church bells started to toll and everyone headed to Saint Michael’s Cathedral for the nativity play.  This was the first time I had seen this performed in the Thai language.  It was the normal story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus in a stable.  They even had kids dressed up as sheep and shepherds and three wise men. They all did a very good job much to the amusement of the large audience. The play was followed by a Christmas Mass.

On Christmas Day they had another parade, but this time much bigger. In addition to the floats from Sakon Nakhon, Thai Christians from three neighbouring provinces also took part in the parade.  These provinces were Kalasin, Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom. I was told that this time there were over 300 vehicles taking part in the parade through Sakon Nakhon city. Apparently the day before they had all taken part in smaller parades in their local communities.

Lining the street were thousands of people who had come to watch the brightly lit parade. Most of the floats had a Santa Claus that was handing out candy to the children. Adults too joined the scramble to pick up the candy that was thrown into the crowd. It reminded me a bit of Halloween. Some of the floats were better than others. One of my favourites was the brightly lit tuk tuk being driven by Santa Claus.

What all the floats had in common was a giant Star of David which gives the name to the parades. The parade finished at St. Joseph School where everyone was entertained with Isaan style music. I had a great time and would recommend it to anyone who wants to celebrate more of a real Christmas in Thailand with other Christians.

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Today, people from all around the country are coming together to celebrate the 84th birthday of H.M. The King. Many of them are wearing pink which is an auspicious colour believed to help make the King better. The Thai monarch has been in Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok for several years now. About 1,000 well-wishers gathered at the City Hall Plaza in Samut Prakan to give alms to 99 monks in honour of His Majesty.

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The ceremony was opened by Wanida Bunprakhong, the new Governor of Samut Prakan. She first paid homage to a Buddha image and then took part in chanting. Attending the event were many local government officials who all came together to pay homage to His Majesty. A similar event was being held at the same time all around Thailand. H.M. The King is regarded as a father to all Thai people as they love him so much. This day is also celebrated as National Father’s Day.

After the chanting had finished, the Governor led the local people in giving alms to several hundred monks. Tables had been set up around the parade ground and local people had gathered behind them since early morning. They did this to make merit on behalf of H.M. The King. To make the most merit, the food should have been prepared by themselves before they arrived and not bought at a food stall. Leftovers from the night before must never be given to monks.

The local people stood behind the tables as the monks slowly made their way down the row. People were giving fresh food as well as pre-prepared packages such as pot noodles that you can see in this picture. As some of these items were too big for the alms bowls, each of the monks were assisted by temple boys who carried big sacks. The monk then emptied their bowls into these sacks. By the end of the alms giving event, the pick-up trucks from the temples were full with sacks of food. Local people also gave the monks purple orchid flowers and also envelopes containing money.

After the alms giving had finished, Wanida Bunprakhong and local people made merit for H.M. The King by releasing 1,000,000 sea creatures into the Chao Phraya River. This is a common event done to make merit for birthdays. People usually release birds or fish. I thought that 1,000,000 was a staggering number to release in one go, but it turned out to be very small shrimps. These were in plastic bags which people emptied out into a large tub of water. From this there was a pipe which washed the shrimps out into the river below. This evening, Wanida Bunprakhong will lead the local people to light candles to wish the monarch a happy birthday.

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Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to watch a moving documentary called “Living With The Tiger”. It is about about Thai kids growing up with the stigma of  being infected with HIV through no fault of their own. Often these kids are abandoned by their own family. For many of them, Baan Gerda became their new home. What this documentary aims to do is to show Thai society that these kids are not dangerous. That they have hopes and dreams just like the rest of us. Hopefully the documentary can get the exposure that it deserves and help, through showings at schools and universities, break down the stigma of HIV/AIDS.

Not long ago I was lucky enough to meet up with film-maker Mike Thomas and I asked him how he came to make this film.

1. How did you first become involved with Baan Gerda?

Actually, it was by accident! An American friend was visiting Thailand to do some research on orphanages for infected children. I spoke to someone I knew in the Thai Red Cross and he recommended Baan Gerda. My friend asked me if I wanted to accompany him on a visit so I decided to go along. I was profoundly moved by what I saw and it was nothing like I expected. These kids were happy and healthy and it was obvious that they were well cared for. I remember feeling a strong sense of injustice that they could be born into this world with a deadly disease through no fault of their own, and then abandoned by society to die. I offered to help out as a volunteer and designed a new website for them.

2. What knowledge did you have of people with HIV before you arrived?

My experience with HIV was limited to what I had learnt over the years through the media. I didn’t know anyone that was infected and that undoubtedly shaped my views. I was cautious when I first met the kids but that changed after just a few hours. I see the same thing regularly with first time visitors to Baan Gerda. They always come away with a different attitude to when they arrived.

3. There are certainly misconceptions about the dangers of being in contact with people with HIV. We saw that in your film. How safe is it really to be with them?

It’s a lot more difficult to get infected than most people realise. You can’t catch it from touching, sharing a glass or a meal, or even kissing. Having an infected person in your home or workplace presents minimal risk. Unfortunately, there are still many people who will avoid any kind of close contact with an infected person and this is why there is so much stigma. The kids in Baan Gerda are very tactile and this helps when there are visitors and they start playing together.

4. In what way did the children and people of Baan Gerda change you personally?

When you put a human face to a disease it changes everything, especially when they are kids and they haven’t done anything wrong. Unfortunately, HIV is often seen as a STD and that always carries with it a certain shame and moral baggage that the person has behaved inappropriately. We need to review our way of thinking because this is not always the case, just as a loyal housewife who has been infected by her husband should not be judged.

5. What was the original intention of doing a documentary film?

In the beginning, we never had a plan to make a documentary film. The first several months I spent filming were to record the music lessons that Bruce Gaston had organised for the children. When he decided to write an opera for them to perform, we started to take it more seriously.

6. How did that change into what we have today?

The turning point was when I found out about Oy’s tragic past, and how he had been abandoned by his uncle and aunt. They sent him to a well known AIDS hospice that did not provide ARV medicine. Obviously they didn’t expect him to survive. Luckily for him he ended up in Baan Gerda which, at the time, was one of only a few places that could provide the medicine he needed.

I asked Lee (the Baan Gerda manager) if she could contact Oy’s uncle and aunt and ask if I could interview them. I didn’t expect them to want to talk about what happened so I was surprised when they agreed. They sounded keen to see Oy so we arranged for him to go there with us. It was the most intensely emotional experience for everyone and many people from the village came to welcome him back. You could see the shock, disbelief, regret and joy in people’s faces. Only a small part of what I filmed that weekend made it into the documentary but I think it conveys the depth of feeling that was apparent. I knew we had something incredibly powerful and that’s when we decided to make a film to show the stigma and discrimination that affects these children and others like them.

7. Did you have sponsors right from the start? The equipment needed, for example, must have been expensive

We had very little money to make the film and mostly relied on the good will of other people. Film crews are normally hired for a specific amount of time to do a job, but the fact that this was filmed over nearly 3 years would have made it prohibitively expensive. I hadn’t intended on volunteering full time but the more things progressed, the more I realised how important it was to bring this story to the attention of others.

We were very lucky to meet a guy called Alec Ceschi after he made a visit to Baan Gerda. He was interested in sponsoring one of the children and then I found out he has video production and post production studios in London. He has been incredibly supportive and helped us in many ways. I think it was fate that we met.

8. The film centers on two of the boys. Was that the original intention?

The focus on Bla and Oy was mainly because they had the lead roles in Bruce’s opera at the time. It obviously meant that I had lots of footage of them so they became our lead characters when we became more serious about making the film.  It wasn’t for any other reason. In fact, there are 83 other children in Baan Gerda and they all have heart wrenching stories.

9. When we photograph or film Thai youngsters they like to play up to the camera or strike poses. How long before you got beyond that?

I think the kids just got bored of it after a while because I was always filming. After a while, they stopped noticing me and their behaviour became more natural. At this point, I was able to follow them around and go into their homes and record some very personal and touching moments. For me, the interaction amongst the children and the support they show for each other is very noticeable. I wanted to be able to capture and portray this in the film for others to see.

10. How did you get the kids to open up to you and sound so natural on film?

This was undoubtedly the hardest and most important part of the film. I always thought that the story should be told by the children as much as possible, rather than adults who often think they know better. I never imagined that Bla would open himself up in the way that he did. It took a long time to get to that point where there was trust and a strong bond between us.

It was really difficult at the start because whenever I tried to interview one of the kids they would just clam up and give 1 word answers. In the end, I found that by engaging them in an activity that they liked, preferably with a friend, they would start to relax. I used a small radio mic that was clipped to their shirt which they soon forgot about, and positioned the camera as far back as possible. It felt less of an interview and more of a friendly chat whilst they had the distraction of another activity.

When Nis (my assistant) started working with us, I asked him to spend time getting to know Bla socially. They both like to play the guitar and Nis used to be in a band so I suggested they jam together. Later that day when I was walking to the dining hall, I saw both of them playing a song with several of the smaller kids watching on. What was surprising was that Bla was singing confidently – a feat that Bruce had been unable to achieve after months of trying. I’d never seen Bla so animated and happy. Nis had made a deep connection with him and I knew that this was going to be significant for the interviews.

They were just about to have lunch so I ran back to my room to fetch the camera and managed to film the last part of them playing. It’s such a beautiful moment. Cindy (our editor) also thought it was strong so we decided to put it into the film.

People who know Bla have a new-found respect for him after seeing the film. He talks about the problems he faces with a courage and dignity that is beyond most of us.

11. Were there other worthwhile stories from the kids that never made it to the film due to time restraints?

There was heaps that had to be cut! When Cindy edited the rough cut, it was more than three and half hours long and I had no idea how we were going to lose over half of that. We could easily have made a film solely on Oy or Bla or the opera. It was a big challenge to weave together so many different elements into a cohesive story. In fact, Oy’s backstory is only half told. He actually has a brother who lives with another aunt and she refused to let them meet. She told the brother that Oy had died already. Oy’s mother was also forbidden to visit him as she had legally adopted him. When she was sick she made one last effort to see her son. she never made it – she became very iill on the journey and was hospitalised and died soon after.

12. What ratio of shot and used footage in the film?

I shot about 180 hours of footage in total and the film is 84 mins long.

13. Any plans for putting outakes on the website or showing in a different form.

I definitely want to make more of the footage available because people have been asking to see it. I’ve edited several short features on Bla, Oy, Baan Gerda and stigma that are part of an educational DVD set for schools. There is also an exclusive video of the kids playing for the prime minister which you can watch by ‘liking’ our Facebook page. Hopefully, I’ll be able to post more on the website in the future.

14. Will you be doing a follow-up to show the situation of the kids now and in the coming years?

We did talk about doing a follow-up to show where the children are, in say 5 years time. The biggest problem would be finance and I certainly couldn’t afford to repeat  this process again! It’s a huge undertaking and even with a few sponsors onboard, it doesn’t cover all of the costs. Maybe someone will commission a follow-up…

15. What are your plans for Living with Tiger for this year? (festivals, private screenings etc.)

Starting from December, we will be touring the country and taking the film to schools and universities. We feel that the film is especially important to students because HIV infection rates are increasing in the younger age groups. We had a recent screening at Prince of Songkla University (Phuket), and more than 90% of the 323 students surveyed said they had learnt something about HIV. More importantly, nearly 80% said they are more likely to interact with someone infected after having watched the film.

Despite the impact it is having, we are struggling to persuade state schools to show the film. The reaction from a lot of Thai teachers is disappointing and it’s clear that they don’t know how to deal with the issue of HIV. It’s easier just to ignore it. This is frustrating because I feel they have a duty to educate and protect their students. We had a much easier time of organising school screenings last month when we took the film to Singapore. Early next year, we are planning for a trip to Hong Kong. After that, who knows!

For more information, please visit their website at www.livingwiththetiger.com or become friends with them on Facebook. If you cannot make it to a screening, it is possible to buy a copy of the DVD on their website.

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One of the most popular festivals in the central region of Thailand is the Monkey Festival held annually in Lopburi. The city is about 150 kms north-east of Bangkok and is a convenient stopover on the northern railway line to Chiang Mai. The iconic Khmer ruin in this city is Prang Sam Yot, which was originally a Hindu shrine. However, it is its inhabitants that is of more interest to both local and foreign tourists. In and around the Khmer temple can be found literally hundreds of Crab-Eating Macaques.

Pictures of the 23rd Lopburi Monkey Festival 2011

These days the monkeys are the symbol of the province. Alighting from the train you will see a giant monkey on the platform. Then a short walk north of the station will bring you to Prang Sam Yot and Sarn Phra Karn. All around this area the monkeys are roaming the street almost as if they were teenage gangs. A naughty student at school is often called a “ling”, which is the Thai word for a monkey. That is exactly what they are. If you are not careful they will snatch a bag from your hand or rifle through your backpack.

I saw them jump onto the back of a pick-up truck as it slowed down to go around a corner. They were looking for anything that they could steal. At the next corner they would jump off and scamper up the side of buildings where they will search through the goodies that they had just stolen. If you are walking down these streets, don’t forget to look up as they are perched on window sills and hanging from telephone wires. Local people arms themselves with sticks and slingshots. Some houses also have electric fences around their windows.

The idea of the Monkey Festival, now in its 23rd year, started with a local man called Yongyuth Kitwatananusont. He is the owner of the Lopbui Inn which is where I stayed the night before going to the festival. In front of the hotel there is a large monkey which he has been using as a kind of symbol for many years. Business has been good for both him and other people working in the tourism sector. Recognizing the important role that the monkeys have played in this, he decided one year to lay on a buffet meal for them.

The first Lopburi monkey festival took place on Sunday 25th November 1989. There were 35 Chinese tables set up and covered with an abundance of food. These were placed at three different locations around the city. Phra Prang Sam Yot, City Shrine and Downtown areas populated by the monkeys. Guest of honour that first year was former prime minister M.R. Kukrit Pramoj. The monkeys were naturally stunned to have so much food offered to them in such a free manner. Normally they would have to work for it.

These days, the festival is held around the main Khmer temple. It starts at around 10 a.m. with musical performances and human monkey dances. After the speech by the Governor of Lopburi, the monkeys are then invited down to eat from the buffet tables. Normally when you explore this temple the monkeys are everywhere. But with literally hundreds of tourists standing around the tables, the monkeys were naturally shy. But, they came down eventually and people were able to get the pictures that they wanted.

The festival goes on all day with two more rounds in the afternoon at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. It was good this year to see more foreign tourists than normal. In particular there were quite a few backpackers. I asked some of them how they had heard about this event and they all said from the Internet. That just shows you how things have changed these days with websites being the prime source of news. It was also good to hear that people had come here after reading about the festival on some of my websites such as www.ThaiFestivalBlogs.com and www.ThaiTravelBlogs.com. If you missed the festival and you want to go to the party next year, then I can tell you that it will take place on Sunday 25th November 2012.

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One of the biggest events of the year for Chiang Mai is the International Horticultural Exposition Royal Flora 2011. It was originally intended to open during November, but due to the flooding situation in Central Thailand, it was decided to move the event to December. This is not because the site was flooded, the organizers just felt that with rail and bus transport affected, it will be difficult for some people to go. The event will now take place from 14 December 2011 to 14 March 2012.

I visited the expo site last weekend as it is open for preview at the moment for the media and travel agents. It is about 90% finished but already looking very beautiful. The Expo is spread out over an 80-hectare area and features a display of colorful plants and flowers and greenery from Thailand and 30 other countries. The expo is aimed to mark and celebrate the three auspicious occasions – HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 84th birthday anniversary in 2011, Queen Sirikit’s 80th birthday anniversary and Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s 60 birthday anniversary in 2012.

Highlights of the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek Fair include the Giant Flora Wheel, Imagination Light Gardens and Kids’ Eco Park. The 40-meter high Giant Flora Wheel allows visitors to enjoy the panoramic view of the entire park. The Imagination Light Gardens has millions of lights and luminous butterflies dancing around to the accompaniment of music. The Kid’s Eco Park features exhibitions and fun activities about global warming to help create the nature loving generations.

The Royal Park Ratchaphruek occupies 80 hectares of land in Mae Hia district in the provincial town of Chiang Mai. It is only 8 kilometers from the airport and has ample parking spaces. Tickets can be bought at the expo at 200 Baht for adults and 100 Baht for children.  Tickets can be bought for half price from now until 13 December. The admission is free for senior citizens and children under 100-cm tall. For further details please contact the Information Center of the International Horticultural Exposition at Tel: +66 2 610 2011 (every day from 08.30-19.30 hrs.) Website: www.royalflora2011.com

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The Vegetarian Festival has now reached its seventh day in Samut Prakan. Last night, many devotees went to the City Hall Plaza to float krathongs on the Chao Phraya River. This was done as a kind of invitiation to the dead souls to come to a feast on the following day.

This is what happened today at Rong Jay Thong Siang in Taiban. Hundreds of local people came to the VegetarianHouse to offer food first to their own dead ancestors and then to all the dead souls.

In addition, they bought a food package consisting of a bag of rice and bananas. These were then later distributed to the poor. The Vegetarian Festival finishes on Thursday 6th October with a giant parade through town early in the morning.

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