THAILAND WINS 2007 DANISH TRAVEL AWARDS FOR BEST TOURIST COUNTRY
Thailand was once again voted ‘Best Tourist Country’ at the 12th Danish Travel Awards in 2007, making this the second time that Thailand has received the award.
Thai Airways International, the national carrier, ranked second in the ‘Best International Airlines’ award category.
His Excellency Ambassador of Thailand to Copenhagen, Mr Chaisiri Anaman, Mr Manit Boonchim — Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Stockholm office and Mr Preecha Nawongse – Manager of the Thai Airways International office in Copenhagen accepted the awards on behalf of the Kingdom of Thailand.
The award presentation ceremony, attended by some 500 Danish travel executives, was held on 11 October 2007, at Vilhelm Lauritzens Allé, Kastrup, the convention facility at Denmark’s CopenhagenAirport.
The annual Danish Travel Awards are organized by Stand By Scandinavian travel trade journal, one of the leading travel publications read by Scandinavian travellers. The selection of winners is based on total scores allocated by individual Danish travellers and members of the Danish travel industry.
In 2006, the Kingdom of Thailand welcomed 128,039 Danish visitors — an increase of 23.37 per cent over the 2005 and 6.5 billion baht in tourism revenue generated. For 2007, TAT Stockholm forecasts a 12 per cent increase in visitor arrivals from Denmark and a 15 per cent increase in total tourism revenue generated.
Wat Phra Kaew the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, and the adjoining Grand Palace together form perhaps the greatest spectacle for the visitor to Bangkok. Despite the fact that the whole compound is so full of tourists you spend half the time trying to avoid getting in people's photos, it's still a pretty amazing place to visit.
It consists of over 100 brightly colored buildings, golden spires and glittering mosaics, and dates back to 1782, when Bangkok was founded. When you enter the compound, you first of all see Wat Phra Kaew and the nearby attractions, and then move on to the Grand Palace afterwards.
Wat Phra Kaew itself, generally known to the Thais as Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, is perhaps the main attraction. This is Thailand's most important and sacred temple, so you're expected to act with due respect inside it. It houses the tiny (between 60 and 75 cm) Emerald Buddha, which is located high above the heads of the worshippers and tourists. Not much is known for certain about the statue, except that it isn't actually made of emerald but rather of green jade or jasper. Getting a good look at it is difficult as photography is forbidden inside the temple, and it's perched so high up inside it's glass box that it's difficult to really see.
It's thought to have been made in the 15th century and was the cause of several wars before ending up for good in Bangkok in 1782. The image is considered a talisman and holds tremendous significance for Thailand and the Thais. The 'robe' that it wears is changed 3 times each year by the King himself, at the start of each season: A diamond encrusted gold robe during the hot season, a solid gold robe in the cool season and a gilded monk's robe in the rainy season.There are also many other Buddha images inside the temple.
Round the interior walls are murals depicting the jataka stories. These are located according to the typical Thai conventions inside temples. The ones facing the altar depict the victory of the Buddha over the evil demon Mara, as he subdues her and achieves enlightenment. As is normal for Thai temples, shoes must be taken off before entering into the temple.
Despite it's national importance, Wat Phra Kaew is the only temple in Thailand that doesn't have any resident monks, and so is not a seat of Buddhist learning in the same way as the likes of Wat Pho and Wat Mahathat.
A cloister surrounds the temple, and depicted along here is an extensive mural of the Ramakian, the Thai version of the famous Indian epic, the Ramayana. In total there are 178 sections, and although they date from the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV 1825-1850) they have since been restored on numerous occasions. The explanatory texts across from each were devised by King Chulalongkorn (Rama V).
Also in the compound is:
- A miniature model of the famous Cambodian temple complex Angkor Wat, made during the reign of King Mongkut (Rama IV) when the Thai empire extended over Cambodia.
- Two libraries, built to protect copies of important Buddhist literature. The Phra Mondop library is impressive, but almost always closed to the public. If not, it's well worth looking at.
- The impressive golden Phra Si Rattana Chedi, which it's claimed (somewhat improbably) houses ashes of the Buddha.
- The Royal Pantheon, with full size statues of the first seven kings of the reigning Chakri dynasty (Rama I - Rama VII). Only open on April 6th, the anniversary of the founding of this dynasty. Surrounding this are large statues of mythical guardians (pictured right), such as the kinaree, half human-half bird and the Hindu garuda bird. It contains the scared Buddhist scriptures, the Tripitaka.
After exiting Wat Phra Kaew, you enter the adjoining Grand Palace.
MaeSai is a typical (and not very pretty) small Thai town and would normally be completely unremarkable. Nevertheless, it is one of the most exciting places in the kingdom, and that is because it is the most northern spot of the country and across a small river lies the Burmese town Tachilek. Every day, a steady stream of commuters crosses the bridge that marks the borders and Thai consumer goods into Northern Burma (and also carries back Burmese specialties like heroin, smuggled rubies, and so on, but that is a different story). Day visa for Tachilek can (at the moment at least) easily be obtained if you have brought your passport; the cost is 250 Baht. Get the visa at the border checkpoint walk across the bridge and you are in Burma.
It is a matter of just 2 minutes but in these 2 minutes you enter an entirely different world. The atmosphere is remarkably different from the one in Thailand. Hire a Burmese rickshaw driver to take you around Tachilek and inspect the temples and markets. There are lots of shops that offer Burmese specialties like longyis (sarong-like skirts), Cheroots (Burmese cigars) or acquerware - unfortunately also things like tiger claws and other animal parts. Don't buy these as you will get plenty of trouble with the custom's office in your home country if you try to import them.
After you return from Tachilek to MaeSai you can continue shopping there, some of the souvenirs, especially lacquer ware, are quite pretty, others you should avoid, in particular glass tones in various colours that are sold as gemstones. MaeSai is also a center of jade trading and if you are interested you can visit some of the workshops to see the jade in its raw state and the methods that are used to process it.
Wat Rong Khun is also known as the WhiteTemple. Whereas most temples visited by tourists have a history going back many centuries, this magnificent place of worship was built only recently. It is the realization of a dream for Thailands noted artist, Mr Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed and is supervising the construction of this beautiful white temple and its many statues of figures based on religious beliefs. The construction started in 1998 and is expected to be completed in 2008. In addition, there is a gallery nearby exhibiting his paintings. To get there from the city of Chiang Rai, drive north along Asia Highway.
Phu Chi Fa is approximately 25 kilometers to the south of Doi Pha Tang in Thoeng District. The cool climate produces colorful flowering shrubs and the large meadow on the top provides breathtaking views of Laos. In addition, spectacular scenery can be seen from the sheer cliff of Phu Chi Fa, especially the sea of mist at sunrise. Visitors can stay overnight at Ban Rom Fa Thong and Ban Rom Fa Thai.
Erawan Waterfalls are the focal point of the ErawanNational Park. This is an exquisite park, very pretty, and very popular with locals and foreigners alike. The waterfalls are equally exquisite. There are seven tiers of waterfalls, each feeding lovely, freshwater pools that you can swim in. A series of tracks lead you to the various falls across wooden footbridges - quite an experience in their own right! The waterfalls can get a bit crowded as they are so popular, so if you are looking for a more solitary experience, you should perhaps look elsewhere. A number of stalls provide staples like grilled chicken and rice along the way, and there is often very much of a carnival atmosphere about the place, especially in April during the Songkran Festival. A visit here will take the day – you should bear this in mind if you have limited time.
Details: Entrance to the park is 200 baht and it is open daily from 08:00 to 16:00.
How to get there: Buses leave Kanchanaburi on a regular basis for the waterfalls, but as you will need the whole day there, you will need to catch the early morning bus (currently 08:00).
Namtok Thi Lo Su This large waterfall is on a limestone mountain, 900 m above sea level. It originates from Klo Tho Creek cascading along a steep cliff. It ranks among the world’s six most beautiful waterfalls.
Namtok Thi Lo Suis in Tak,Thailand
Transportation
Tak is a key communication and transportation center of the North, with three Asian highways passing through the province. AH1 enters through the Myanmar-Thai border at Amphoe Mae Sot AH2 passes through the province from north to south. Also AH16 terminates at Tak. Tak is located 426 km from Bangkok. Daily flights were also between Bangkok and Mae Sot by Phuket Air but now the service has been stopped. The flight takes one and a half hour.
Nestled in a lush valley outside the town of Mae Hong Son, in the mountains of Northern Thailand, you find this beautiful place for nature lovers! The sounds of running water and the peaceful jungle setting is pure relaxation. We are the place for the perfect hide-away!
30 wooden bungalows are built in the local Shan Style and are comfortable and tastefully decorated. Experience the sights and sounds of unspoiled nature! Our friendly and warm staff will make you feel at home right away! ( fernresort.info )
The remote North Western town and provincial capital name Mae Hong Son is little more than a large village or small town. Mae Hong Son province borders Chiang Mai. The inhabitants, not even ethnic Thai’s, comprise of different tribal influences from the west. Amongst the most famous of the cities attractions are the Long-Necked ladies who sport a curious fashion of heavy brass rings around the neck.
They can be reached by boat. The whole region comes alive during February with brightly coloured sunflowers completely blanketing the mountain side. The city itself has exquisite Burmese style pagoda’s which blend perfectly into the slow moving capital. Nearby settlement of various mixed tribal groups adorn the hill sand valley and the venerable cave where giant catfish swim freely with the blessing of the local spirits.
The town is know as city of the three mists as the low-laying clouds envelope the sleepy municipality.(thaifocus.com)
Koh Similan Islands lie approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Phuket in the AndamanSea. In 1982, this 128 square kilometres area was declared a marine national park, and in recent years this group of nine small islands (Similan is derived from the Malay sembilan, and means nine) has become one of the leading attractions for visitors to Southern Thailand.
Ko Similan Islands have never been inhabited and for many generations, the only human visitors were the so-called Sea Gypsies who came to fish on the teeming reefs.
They were followed by dynamite fishermen who destroyed hundreds of years of coral growth with one bomb, collecting the dead and stunned fish before moving to new grounds. Commercial trawlers also came to wreak havoc with corals and fish populations alike.
With the establishment of stations by the Royal Forestry Department on Koh Miang and Koh Similan, fishing within the national park boundaries was banned and the unwanted visitors were substituted by tourists, especially after 1987, when leisure boats and dive operators started coming out on a regular basis.
Today, Koh Similan Islands and all reefs have recovered from earlier disturbances. Boats entering the SimilanIslandsNational Park have to follow strict rules imposed and controlled by the national park officials, have to use the moorings prepared by the national park and use closed waste water systems to avoid any pollution.
The Similan Islands receive a high number of repeating tourists, especially divers, giving a clear sign to others for the popularity and the quality of the protected waters and the diversified underwater world. (www.andaman-island-hopping.com)
Get in
Roads
Highway No. 4 is the main route that connects all districts in Phang-Nga (except Kapong and Koh Yao).
Highway No. 401 connects Phang-Nga to Surat Thani.
Highway No. 402 connects Phang-Nga to PhuketProvince.
Highway No. 4090 connects Muang to Kapong district.
Rail systems There is no rail system in Phang-NgaProvince. The nearest railway station is at Phunphin district, Nakhorn Sithammarat.
Bus There are both non air-conditioned and air-conditioned buses to Bangkok and other provinces. There are also non air-condition inter-provincial buses.
Songthaew (public passenger pick-up vehicle) The public passenger pick-up vehicle is the most popular mode of public transportation in Phang-nga.
Motorbike-taxi These are found mainly in the town areas and are used mainly for very short distances. The charges differ according to the distance travelled through the Motorbike-taxi.
Airport There is no airport in Phang-NgaProvince. The nearest airport is PhuketInternationalAirport. (Wikipedia.org)
