"Hearing The Sunshine" by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is a new short film that accentuates the emotional appeal that Thailand has for visitors.
Travel to listen, see, feel and understand and then respect the different culture because sometimes you can't feel only seeing the pictures or listening to the sound and you can't judge something by watching news or from other people talk but YOU MUST GO and EXPERIENCE it by yourself. Same word can't be explained in 100s of meaning.
Discover What You’re Been Missing in Thailand
Plan the trip of your dream in Thailand with an amazing budget of $5000, share it with the world and you could win the chanxe to make that trip com ture.
The race begins today so hurry up and get planing!
Contest Date August 5th - September 10th, 2010
WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT September 20th, 2010
Pick A Trip by TAT
Date : 19 - 20 September 2010
Venue : Phra Chuthathut Ratchathan Palace, Koh Si Chang District, Chon Buri
For More Information :
Koh Si Chang Municipal Office Tel.: 0 3821 6141
Website: www.tourismthailand.org
Thailand’s annual “Amazing Thailand Grand Sale” kicks off every June offering visitors two months of great bargain shopping. Already one of the prime shopping cities in the world, Bangkok is an even more attractive shopping destination, particularly in recent years when both visitors and residents are looking for more value and bigger discounts when they are shopping.
During the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale most mega-stores and shopping malls offer discounts between 10 to 70%, so there are bargains galore for the shopper prepared to browse around.
The Amazing Thailand Grand Sale usually takes place in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattya, Hat Yai, Phuket and Nakhon Ratchasima, with participating venues typically advertizing the "Amazing Thailand Grand Sale" logo.
The shopping streets in these participating cities allow you to check out all sorts of unique and exotic items. The sales are applicable on all items from fashion accessories to home décor and everything in between, including discounts on hotels and tourist services. There are even free gifts, vouchers, and lucky draw prizes.
These main shopping districts and streets in Bangkok are situated along Ploenchit and Sukhumvit roads as well as around Siam Square. Many of the department stores have direct bridge linking them to Skytrain stations, including Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery Centre, Siam Centre, Central World Plaza, Erawan Bangkok, Amarin Plaza, Gaysorn, Central Chidlom, Home Pro Plus, Robinson Department Store, The Emporium and The Mall Department Store.
Discounts during the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale are also available in King Power duty free shops, both at Suvarnabhumi Airport and downtown locations. There are even discount deals on luxury treatments at spas, rounds of golf at a selection of courses, travel packages, and even medical check-ups at world-class hospitals.
The two month Amazing Thailand Grand Sale campaign also embraces a variety of destinations beyond Bangkok such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hua Hin, Cha-am, Pattaya, Nakhon Ratchasima, Udorn Thani, Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai and Samui Island.
Amazing Thailand Grand Sale prizes are offered in conjunction with the campaign sponsor, Visa Card, and include bargain holiday packages to premier destinations such as Phuket and Samui.
Reference : www.tourismthailand.org
New York, May 10, 2010 — The results of the TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice 2010 awards are in, and the beautiful islands of Thailand brought home four out of 10 awards for beach destinations in Asia.
The islands of Koh Lanta, Khao Lak, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui were ranked #3, #4, #5 and #6, respectively, on the list of "Top 10 Beach & Sun Destinations in Asia." With these honors, Thailand became the most-awarded Asian country in the category, besting Vietnam, the Maldives and the Philippines.
In other award categories voted on by TripAdvisor users, Thailand fared equally well. In "Top 10 Culture & Sightseeing Destinations in Asia," the Thai cities of Chiang Mai, Bangkok and Ayutthaya all made the list-with Bangkok also being named to the "Top 10 Food & Wine Destinations in Asia." And the islands of Koh Lanta and Koh Samui were both named the "Top 10 Romance Destinations in Asia" and the "Top 10 Relaxation & Spa Destinations in Asia," with Chiang Mai also awarded the latter.
"We are immensely proud to have Thailand recognized so extensively in such diverse categories by the members of the TripAdvisor community," says Srisuda Wanapinyosak, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) - New York. "It is particularly gratifying for Thailand to be awarded for its many facets, including beaches, cultural sites, food and spas."
TripAdvisor, which features traveler reviews, advice and opinions of vacation destinations around the world, attracts more than 9 million unique visitors per month.
So how does a good hotel manage to keep dad, mum and the kids content and amused for days on end?
10. Evason Phuket Six Sense Spa
260 Rooms - Rawai Beach
Evason has an excellent kids club and even provides closely supervised 'sleepover' services, leaving quality time for mum and dad. Just Kids! also organises theme nights for the little ones (from four to twelve years old) and has environmentally aware children's projects such as learning about hers in the resort's own vegetable gardens. Family scavenger hunts are also a favourite and the resort even offers family packages. One of the favourite family activities at Evason is to take the free long-tail boat to Koh Bon, an island some 15 minutes south, where the resort has a 400-metre stretch of beach with open bungalows, a restaurant and plenty of water sports equipment.
9. Hilton Phuket Arcadia
677 Rooms - Karon Beach
At number nine in our Top Ten Family Hotels lies the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort. Set in sprawling and verdant grounds on Karon Beach, the Hilton doesn't do things by half. There's a health and fitness centre, a putting green, three swimming pools, free scuba classes, a spa and sauna, tennis and squash courts, snooker and table tennis amongst other facilities so you and your family will have your hands full here. A unique feature to the resort is the 'cinebar' where latest movies are played in a mini movie theatre. The kids club is set in a charming glade with outdoors and indoors facilities and a warm, friendly staff. The Hilton Arcadia lies in the largest resort grounds of the island and next to the beach. So much to do, so much space in which to do it
8. Katathani Phuket Beach Resort
530 Rooms - Kata Noi Beach
If it's tropical beachside opulence you and your family are looking for, then Katathani is certainly one to fit the bill. Even if Katathani weren’t situated beachside your holiday would still be leaning towards the aquatic as the resort sports no less that six, yes six swimming pools and three Jacuzzis! There is a nightly family-oriented musical revue and parents looking for some quality one-on-one time during the daytime there is a kids club for the little ones' amusement. But most of all, it's the 'no-worries' factor of being right by the beach that attracts families here and the fact that, with six food and drink outlets with many more over the road along with in-hotel shopping, the resort is the ultimate in relaxed family holidaymaking.
7. Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort
470 Rooms - Relax Bay near Patong
As the name implies, Le Meridien is located smack-bang on the beach, in this case Relax Bay – between Patong and Karon beaches. This means no hauling bag after bag into the taxi and spending priceless holiday time getting to and from the beach. Simply stroll out and set up on the sand. There are plenty of water sports for all ages to choose from as well as organised beach volleyball. Dad can practise his swing with the supervision of a golf pro on the driving range and if you are hoping for a romantic meal for two simply call the babysitting service. For the kiddies there is the hotel's Penguin Club, open from 09:00 to 19:00 daily that features an amazing array of games and activities – some 31 in all – ranging from aerobics to a treasure hunt.
6. Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket
405 Rooms & Villas - Bangtao Beach
With Asia's longest freshwater swimming pool at 323 metres long and an 18-hole golf course located within the Laguna complex, not to mention access to all Laguna hotels in this integrated complex and their wonderful facilities, the Sheraton Grande Laguna has all the moves needed to make a top family holiday. The VIP (very important kid's) club caters for the little ones in style with daily entertainment games and crafts (complimentary for children aged from 4-12) and the Sheraton's spa facilities are exemplary. Ning Nong and Yum Yum, the resort’s baby elephants, pay their daily visits to play with the little ones and the young at heart. As for family-style accommodation there are two-bedroom island villas as well as three- and four-bedroom private pool villas and residences with cooking facilities.
5. The Ramada Resort
121 Rooms - Karon Beach
The Ramada Resort is really one of Phuket's best-kept secrets when it comes to children's facilities but it's high time the secret got out… The design of the resort shows a tangible sense of humour, with theme bars (Joe Kool's – 'The World's Worst Restaurant!') and theme rooms, such as the Outer Space Room and the Underwater Room as well as the larger Castle Theme Duplex Suite with adult accommodation on the main floor with a kids room on the upper floor. There's also a two-bedroom family suite but the main attraction of this colourful resort is the peace of mind it affords parents when they see their children so well-catered for. On arrival, families are greeted by 'rangers' who are in fact children's minders and who look after all in-house activities as well as excursions.
4.Möevenpick Resort Phuket
382 rooms - Karon Beach
Möevenpick features the largest kids centre in Phuket as well as a fully equipped fitness centre, a spa with eight Thai-style treatment rooms, four swimming pools, two tennis courts, pool tables and the powder-white sand Karon Beach just over the road. With an array of facilities like this, there's something for everyone in the family. Of course there's more… in the shape of a jogging track around the property and individual villas to lend more of a family-like feel to your stay. Families can use the games room for free and it has the advantage of being both indoors and outdoors with everything from newspapers and magazines to billiards to computers with internet access to a 'jungle gym'.
3.Holiday Inn Phuket Resort
265 Rooms - Patong Beach
The Holiday Inn enjoys a great location in the heart of Patong Beach. It also features themed rooms just for families. The 'kidsuite' provides a children’s themed ‘room within a room’. For a little more than a standard room, kidsuites can accommodate two adults and two children less than 12 years of age, allowing all the family to enjoy their holiday. The resort also offers family suites which consist of two connecting rooms; one standard room connected to another specially designed children's room. Designed in a pirate theme, the kids room has beds set in ‘boats’ plus toys and themed furniture. Your children have their own room with TV, video, electronic games, toy box and Playstation. It’s a great concept as it ensures that everyone gets a holiday!.
2.Laguna Beach Resort
252 Rooms - Bang Tao Beach
Number Two on our Top Ten List is Laguna Beach Resort. With its extensive water sports facilities and three swimming pools and water slide, not to mention the beach right by, there's aquatic fun for the family to be had here. The resourceful kids' club with its many resources and age-differentiated activities is another of the many thoughtful touches put into making the LBR an excellent family resort. While mum and dad play tennis on one of the three outdoor courts or even at the indoor one, the kids can take a class in batik or visit the resort's two baby elephants. Afterwards, the whole family can sail a catamaran (complimentary) or hit the games room for more fun.
and The most popular is ...
JW Marriott Resort & Spa265 Rooms - Mai Khao Beach
Sitting on Mai Khao, Phuket's longest beach, the Marriott literally has adventure at its doorstep. What's more, the facilities at this five-star resort and Number One family hotel winner are exceptional. There are no less than 10 restaurants and bars to choose from, all set in expansive grounds and there's certainly no need to get up at the crack of dawn to claim a sun lounger because the resort features three swimming pools. The main swimming pool is enormous with a separate section that caters especially for families, including a shallow bubble pool and a waterslide. The kids club features separate areas for young teens and smaller children. The little ones have a colourful cubbyhouse with a climbing frame, wooden toys, karaoke, a dolls house, computers and even their own pint-sized furniture.
Through a combination of good service, exciting activities with attractive and spacious accommodation, that's how. Here are our Top Ten family hotels, the ones that manage to find that magic balance for that most difficult of formulate: Keeping it in the family.
PHUKET: Laguna will offer a daily kid’s summer fun program from 2-5pm, from July 8 to Aug 30. There will be a daily evening BBQ and a beer garden where major international sporting events, such as The Ashes cricket series, will be televised on big screens. Local kids can take part in the afternoons of activity for as little as 200 baht per child per day.
Laguna is also offering fantastic promotions and discounts on spa, cuisine and much more. Join the launch party on July 10, with Phuket's 91.5FM spinning tunes throughout the festival.
Location Canal Village Laguna Phuket
Contact Mrs. Chureeporn Manabutr
Phone 076-362330
Email shopping@lagunaphuket.com
Website www.lagunaphuket.com
Reference : www.phuketgazette.net
TAT’s “7 Wonders of Amazing Thailand” TV Commercial
TAT’s "7 Wonders of Amazing Thailand" introduces to international audiences the seven “Wonders” of the Thai kingdom — Thai-ness, Treasures, Beaches, Nature, Wellness, Trends, and Festivals.
The concept of the TVC is to show to the world that Thailand is eager and ready to welcome visitors to this beautiful Land of Smiles. Due to a limited time, only four of the seven ‘Wonders’ are featured — Thai-ness, Nature, Treasures and Festivals.
The 60-second commercial highlights the immense beauty of Thailand’s best attractions, incorporating the artistic aspects of the culture that is uniquely Thai.
Terms & Conditions
• “Let’s Fly Back to the Beach” campaign offer special price to Phuket starting from 1,490 Baht per sector (price is all inclusive).
• Enjoying “Let’s Fly Back to the Beach” get special coupons from Nok Air’s partners including;
- Adventure coupons include such adrenalin pumping fun as kite surfing, all terrain vehicles and scuba diving.
- Wellness coupons offer spa and yoga packages, as well as golf.
- Discovery coupons provide the chance to explore Phuket with city tours, island trips or fantastic shows.
• Also hotel deals, car rental and shopping benefits available for those who would like to travel around on their own.
• Let’s Fly Back to the Beach" campaign and special coupons from Nok Air’s partners available from 20 February through 30 April 2009.
• Coupons can be received only at counter check-in Bangkok-Phuket flight, Don Mueang Airport.
Remark:
- Master Car Rental reserved the right for two days advanced booking. For more information please call 02-9318900
- Sukko Cultural Spa & Wellness reserved the right for one day advanced
booking. For more information please go through www.sukkosparesortphuket.com/nokair
P.S Nokair invites you to one of the most tranquil beach in Thailand. Offer 3 Style of package that suits your lifestyle!
ADVENTURE | DISCOVERY | WELLNESS
The Laguna Phuket resorts are offering up to 100,000 complimentary room nights hoping to generate the equivalent number of happy smiles!
Asia’s finest destination resort, invites you to book online from 1-31 March 2009 to stay at any of the featured Laguna Phuket resorts from 15 March - 15 December 2009 and enjoy one complimentary night per online booking at Best Available Rate.
Members of the public can visit www.lagunaphuket.com/100,000-smiles and www.tourismthailand.org/thailandsuperdeal to take advantage of the offer.
Finding a small beach bar or restaurant, settling with a cold beer or cocktail and waiting for the sun to touch the water is also an especially memorable way to absorb this god-given display. Simply strolling on the beach as the sky casts reds and pinks across the heavens is also eloquent and memorable.
Blue Panorama, an Italian charter flight airline, began operating a new route to Phuket for the winter season to increase the number of visitors from Italy. Blue Panorama Airlines has been operating direct flights connecting Rome and the tropical paradise of Phuket since its inaugural flight on 29 December 2008. To support this new development, the Tourism Authority of Thailand recently hosted an Agents Education Trip (AET) and Familiarization Trip (fam trip) for 15 agents to travel to Thailand during 27 January – 5 February, 2009. The itinerary featured the three destinations of Phuket, Bangkok and Ayutthaya.
The objective of the familiarization trip is to promote Thailand as a travel destination for the Italian Market and to restore confidence in travel to Thailand. Additionally, a Media Education Trip (MET) was conducted for 14 top-level Italian media representing television, radio and daily newspapers. Participants took part in the Bangkok to Phuket trip during 5 – 12 February 2009.
With flights being offered every Wednesday until March 2009, the newly-launched Rome – Phuket – Bangkok route is expected to play an important role in encouraging more Italian tourists to travel to Thailand. In addition, another route serving Milan – Bangkok - Phuket operates every Thursday until March 2009. If the service receives positive feedback, it will continue to operate until August. The first flight from Rome was timed to co-incide with a Christmas Day welcome and was launched on 24 December. The first flight from Milan started on 26 December. Though, this is the first service to Thailand following the 2004 tsunami incident, the route is expected to contribute to 500 tourist arrivals to Thailand per week.
The charter flights serving the Phuket-Italy route are mainly aimed at providing services for package holidays. Excess seats are sold off on a flight-only basis. By offering a more restricted service than the major scheduled or low cost airlines, the cost of these seats is highly affordable.
In 2007, the number of Italian visitors who travelled to Thailand was 159,498, or a 16.54% increase over 2006, out of which 140,999 arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport and 17,571 in Phuket. Visitor arrivals to Thailand at Phuket International Airport during January-August 2008 totalled 829,083, an increase of 5.24% from 787,827 arrivals during the first eight months of 2007.
Contact information:
International Public Relation Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48
Fax: +66 (0) 2253 7419
E-mail: prdiv3@tat.or.th
Web site: www.tatnews.org
Ente Nazionale per il Turismo Thailandese
Via Barberini 68, 4th Fl., 00187 Roma, Italy
Tel: (39 06) 420 14422, 420 14426
Fax: (39 06) 487 3500
E-mail: tat.rome@iol.it , tatrome@tat.or.th
Coral reefs - globally significant diversity
The Thai Andaman Bioregion is home to over 300 species of the world’s 800 species of reef-building corals. A quarter of the world’s fish species are to be found here in about 1,200 square kilometres of coral reefs that support about two-thirds of the diversity of Australia’s much larger Great Barrier Reef, which is 344,400 square kilometres in area.
Sea grass beds
Shallow waters stretching from Phang-nga Bay to Trang support concentrations of important sea grass and serve as feeding grounds for the highest number of dugongs anywhere in the world outside Australia.
Offshore islands
The Surin and Similan islands form an extension of Myanmar’s Mergui Archipelago. Here, southern and northern flowing ocean currents converge in the eastern Indian Ocean and feature large underwater granite boulders. These characterize world-class diving spots noted for their diversity of marine fish, corals and crustaceans. Further south, ocean currents that flow northwards up the Straits of Malacca from Indonesia and the South China Sea converge with currents from the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. In this unusual part of the world, Hin Daeng and the islands of Racha, Adang and Rawi boast even greater marine fauna diversity.
Caves and karsts
At Phang-nga Bay between Phuket and Krabi province, towering karst pinnacles covered with scrub forest and plants march seawards from the north, forming caves and arches at sea-level and below. Macaques, serow and flying foxes are some of the distinctive fauna peculiar to this distinctive habitat. The area is immensely popular with sea canoeists. Above them, world-class rock faces offer avid climbers serious challenges and truly spectacular views.
Forests and swamps
Nearly 300 species and subspecies of forest birds reach their southern or northern-most distributions around the Isthmus of Kra, an area eleven to thirteen degrees north of the equator where the Thailand peninsula is only 45 kilometres wide. This means the rainforests in the Andaman bioregion are exceptionally diverse in birdlife. The phenomenon dates from ancient times when sea levels alternately rose and fell, isolating the bird populations of Indochina to the north from those of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia to the south in the evolutionary process.
At the Thai-Malay border, almost 600 genera of flowering plants reach their southern or northern limits. This is evidence of a second prehistoric event that shaped the unique biota of Southeast Asia. In the south and the north, old-growth mangrove forests form wide swathes, harbouring the early life stages of every marine creature found in the sea.
Coastal dunes — the world’s most important nesting sites for marine turtles
At Khao Lak, Tai Mueang and north Phuket, coastal dunes protect beach forests and sleepy lagoons, forming some of the most important nesting areas for leatherback and other turtles in the region.
Rest stops for migrating birds and whale sharks
Tidal mud-flats in the Trang, Krabi and Kraburi River estuaries, along with coastal flats in Phang-nga Bay, are internationally important feeding areas for migratory wader birds. Raptors use the forest corridor leading down the peninsula for their annual migration. In October, over a dozen species of raptors can be seen flying south over Thaleban National Park. Whale sharks frequent the Andaman coastline from October to May. Researchers postulate that whale shark movements are responsive to plankton levels and currents from the Bay of Bengal, both of which increase at this time of year.
The natural wonders of this stretch of the Andaman coastline form treasures that do not belong exclusively to any one nation. Serendipitously, they are to be found in Thailand but form part of the whole world’s heritage — a heritage for all mankind to share and enjoy. Promoting this notion has been a central plank of the Andaman Bioregion Project.
Protecting and Preserving Thailand’s Andaman Coastline
Although parts of the Andaman coastline have been impacted by various developmental and environmental pressures, and by tourism-related activities, eighteen coastal and marine national parks covering 5,380 square kilometres already receive some level of official protection. A further four wetland areas are protected as RAMSAR sites. RAMSAR is an international agreement to conserve and wisely use wetlands of special significance in 158 countries. Thailand has been a signatory to the treaty since 1998 and has nominated ten sites totalling 370,600 hectares for inclusion. Two-thirds of these lie in the Andaman Bioregion.
The Andaman Bioregion Project – Key Approach
The traditional approach to managing Thailand’s Andaman Coastline has been to protect this treasured set of existing national parks. Individual parks might justify nomination as World Heritage Areas. According to marine biology expert Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, places such as Phang-nga Bay where karsts, mangroves, coral and sea grass beds meet, easily make the inclusion grade on the grounds of diversity alone. So too would locales further offshore such as the Surin Islands, where human impact is lower and more easily managed. By comparison, the Andaman Bioregion proposal in its complete form is a visionary approach to managing regional diversity with a solid grounding in science. Dr James True, the plan’s main architect, says it draws lessons from managing the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem by incorporating existing protected areas as the core features, but including other areas as buffers and special management zones. There are also exclusion zones for areas that are heavily degraded and cannot be protected.
Thais have long considered their Andaman coastline a biological treasure. Now scientists are able to demonstrate why this is so, and in so doing they are supporting its nomination as Thailand’s sixth World Heritage Area — the kingdom’s first in the marine realm.
Via : www.tatnews.org
Mr.Salil Tohtubtiang, President of the Trang Chamber of Commerce in association with Mr. Sompong Anuyuthpong, The Governor of Trang, host the press conference of the 13th Anniversary of Trang Underwater Wedding-Love &Harmony in Us All at Central World (3rd Floor, Eden Zone) on 27th January 2009. The press conference is attended by Mr.Surin Tohtubtiang, Honorary Permanent Chairman of the Trang Chamber of Commerce. The actual event will be delicately held at Pakmeng Beach, Sikao District, Trang Province on 13 -15 February 2009 to celebrate the romantic occasion of Valentine's festival and to make the province world-famous as 'Trang – The City of Love'
Trang Underwater Wedding Ceremony is widely known amongst diving couples and tourists throughout the world as an annual event romantically organized on Valentine's Day. Bridal couples participate in a Thai Traditional wedding ceremony and perform marriage registration underneath the turquoise Andaman Sea. This coming 13th Anniversary of Trang Underwater Wedding is under the theme of, 'Love & Harmony in Us All' which signifies the love among us and the harmony with our surroundings. The bridal couple will also be participating in eco-friendly activities, for instance, releasing 'Corallimorphs', a colorful coral and planting the trees of love in a botanical garden. Corallimorphs reproduces very quickly in nature and benefits the eco-system by acting as a nursery for young sea creatures, such as shrimps, crabs and corals.
The 13th Trang Underwater Wedding graciously receives support from numerous governmental and private organizations; The Tourism Authority of Thailand, The Government Lottery Office, PTT PCL, Thai Airways International PCL, Nok Air Co.,Ltd , True Vision UBC PCL, Pacific Internet (Thailand) Co.,Ltd, Marriage Studio Co.,Ltd, Central Pattana Co.,Ltd, Kuang Pei San Food Product PCL, Thumrin Group of Hotels Co.,Ltd, and Trang Travel and Amazing Travel Co.,Ltd.
Via : Package Information
RASSADA, PHUKET: Rassada Municipality will invest 20 million baht to develop the Silaphan Beach area of Koh Sireh into a new tourist destination.
Speaking at the end of his first year in office, Rassada Mayor Surathin Liangudom said the investment is one of many the municipality is undertaking to improve infrastructure in the subdistrict, which surrounds Phuket City to the north and east.
Infrastructure work completed during Mayor Surathin’s first year included improvements to Thepkrasattri Road to smooth traffic flow and drainage, he said.
On education, the municipality took over administration of the Ban Kuku, Ban Thungka Boonkajon and Ban Koh Sireh primary schools on January 20. The move is part of a national decentralization plan to move schools out from direct administration by the Education Ministry.
For fiscal 2009, the municipality has earmarked part of its budget for sports, educational and environmental development, including a “dust free” road project, he said.
The municipality has also applied for 30-million-baht in provincial funding to build a “health garden” on 11 rai in Village 1.
Kom Chad Luek (Youngyot Preuksarak) Via www.phuketgazette.ne
by Antony J.Lynam
Thailand’s Andaman region spans four degrees of latitude and two degrees of longitude. It boasts spectacular land and seascapes across Thailand’s southern provinces of Phuket, Krabi, Phang-nga, Trang, Satun and Ranong.
A new assessment of the biogeography of peninsular Thailand shows the Andaman coastline to be more diverse than ever before imagined. A myriad of ecological processes and diverse geology are concentrated into an area of about 500,000 square kilometres. This diversity is reflected in the vast range of natural habitats and ecosystems that form key elements of the complex fabric of the landscape and marine environment. These include the northern and southern mangroves and seasonal forests, central beaches and forests, karst caves, shallow reefs and sea grasses, as well as islands further offshore.
Scientists are only now beginning to understand how ancient geological and ecological processes have combined to produce the dazzling biodiversity to be found above and below the sea.
This remarkable variety places the region alongside some of the most diverse areas on the planet, and make it unique in places. Peninsular Thailand is one of only two geographic areas where equatorial habitats have links to northern tropical areas via a narrow land bridge. The other is the Darién Gap in the Isthmus of Panama, connecting Panama in Central America to Colombia in South America. In Thailand, the land bridge occurs entirely within a single country, making it unique.
In only a very few locations around the world is it possible to see coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass and rainforest covered islands so closely juxtaposed. In the Andaman bioregion, these features also cover a larger area than in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere in Mexico or the Coiba National Park in Panama. Like the Andaman coast, the Sundarban National Park in Bangladesh features extensive mangroves but it lacks islands by comparison.
Compared with karst rock formations in China, Vietnam and Sarawak, those in Thailand’s Andaman bioregion represent a different period of geological history. Only Vietnam’s Halong Bay and Phong-Nha-Ke Bang World Heritage Area are comparable in size and beauty with the drowned karst seascape of Phang-nga Bay, and the islands stretching to its southeast.
Active fault lines criss-cross the region exposing rock layers from all geological ages. Some of the oldest rocks on the planet are found here, dating to the Cambrian era roughly 500 million years ago. The first evidence of human life in Thailand comes from rock formations in Krabi that are 40,000 years old. Dinosaur fossils are found here too.
These recent findings have led to a new quest by a Thai project team spearheaded by scientists from the Centre for Biodiversity of Peninsular Thailand at Prince of Songkhla University; Kasetsart University; the University of Hong Kong; and the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation. Their shared mission is to protect and preserve this rich natural heritage.
Thailand’s Andaman region spans four degrees of latitude and two degrees of longitude. It boasts spectacular land and seascapes across Thailand’s southern provinces of Phuket, Krabi, Phang-nga, Trang, Satun and Ranong.
A new assessment of the biogeography of peninsular Thailand shows the Andaman coastline to be more diverse than ever before imagined. A myriad of ecological processes and diverse geology are concentrated into an area of about 500,000 square kilometres. This diversity is reflected in the vast range of natural habitats and ecosystems that form key elements of the complex fabric of the landscape and marine environment. These include the northern and southern mangroves and seasonal forests, central beaches and forests, karst caves, shallow reefs and sea grasses, as well as islands further offshore.
Scientists are only now beginning to understand how ancient geological and ecological processes have combined to produce the dazzling biodiversity to be found above and below the sea.
This remarkable variety places the region alongside some of the most diverse areas on the planet, and make it unique in places. Peninsular Thailand is one of only two geographic areas where equatorial habitats have links to northern tropical areas via a narrow land bridge. The other is the Darién Gap in the Isthmus of Panama, connecting Panama in Central America to Colombia in South America. In Thailand, the land bridge occurs entirely within a single country, making it unique.
In only a very few locations around the world is it possible to see coral reefs, mangroves, sea grass and rainforest covered islands so closely juxtaposed. In the Andaman bioregion, these features also cover a larger area than in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere in Mexico or the Coiba National Park in Panama. Like the Andaman coast, the Sundarban National Park in Bangladesh features extensive mangroves but it lacks islands by comparison.
Compared with karst rock formations in China, Vietnam and Sarawak, those in Thailand’s Andaman bioregion represent a different period of geological history. Only Vietnam’s Halong Bay and Phong-Nha-Ke Bang World Heritage Area are comparable in size and beauty with the drowned karst seascape of Phang-nga Bay, and the islands stretching to its southeast.
Active fault lines criss-cross the region exposing rock layers from all geological ages. Some of the oldest rocks on the planet are found here, dating to the Cambrian era roughly 500 million years ago. The first evidence of human life in Thailand comes from rock formations in Krabi that are 40,000 years old. Dinosaur fossils are found here too.
These recent findings have led to a new quest by a Thai project team spearheaded by scientists from the Centre for Biodiversity of Peninsular Thailand at Prince of Songkhla University; Kasetsart University; the University of Hong Kong; and the Thailand Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation. Their shared mission is to protect and preserve this rich natural heritage.
Event Date : Jan 31 - Feb 6, 2009
For more details go to: wickeddiving.com
CAPE PANWA, PHUKET: With the colorful shell of the giant clam highly prized by aquarium owners, the lucrative but illegal trade in the species is causing the population of this marine mollusk to decrease dramatically and experts fear it may become extinct in its natural habitat.
Out of the eight known species of giant clam in the world, five species were once found in Thai waters but two of these are thought to already be extinct, according to researchers at the Phuket Marine Biological Center.
Numbers in the wild have been greatly reduced by extensive over-harvesting for food as well as the aquarium trade. In Thailand, the population of the T. Squamosa species has dramatically decreased with numbers now thought to be less than 1% of the other two species found in Thai waters.
PMBC biologist Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong said giant clam shells are also used as decorative accessories, tableware and even sinks if large enough.
According to Thailand’s Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act, giant clams have been declared a protected wildlife species, with no harvesting, possession or trade allowed.
Giant clams are also listed as an endangered species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES.
The Giant Clam Rehabilitation Project now underway in Andaman coastal areas is working to preserve and spawn more giant clams, which have both male and female organs present in the same animal.
Yet while the illegal trade in the species continues, it is questionable how far releasing farmed clams into the wild will go to alleviating the problem.
The Giant Clam Rehabilitation Project now underway in Andaman coastal areas is working to preserve and spawn more giant clams, which have both male and female organs present in the same animal.
Yet while the illegal trade in the species continues, it is questionable how far releasing farmed clams into the wild will go to alleviating the problem.
Reference: MCOT
Many people flying into Phuket will have looked down on this village seemingly floating in the magical bay and wondered what it is like to live in the place. Phuket.com went out to Panyee to take a look and discovered the true meaning of the phrase, ‘a simple life’.
There are 1,485 people from 315 families who live permanently on Koh Panyee, the youngest being a baby boy born just a month before our visit. All of them are the descendants, directly or indirectly, of Toh Baboo and his family and friends, who were the first people to settle on Koh Panyee some 200 years ago.
Toh Baboo and two other families left their homeland in Indonesia by boat, looking for a new place to live. The three families made a vow to each other that if one of them found a place where there were lots of fish and where everyone could live, that they would signal the others by raising a flag on a mountain as high as possible, so that the others could see it and join them.
At first, fishing was the sole industry for this Muslim community but nowadays it is No 2. These days, half the locals service the tourism industry and 40% are still fisherman.
You can rent a long-tail boat from Surakul pier for around 1,700 baht for three hours. The boat can carry up to ten people – so if you fill it up that’s just 170 baht a head.
What to Wear? This is a Muslim community so women should not wear short skirts or shorts. T-shirts and jeans are acceptable but anything that exposes too much flesh risks a cold shoulder from the locals.
By Rungtip Hongjakpet Izmen (phuket.com)
Source Photo :
Thailand observes many days as holidays and these days are officially declared as Public
Holidays. Thus the list of holidays in Thailand is as follows:
January sees the following holidays:
New Year's Day (January 1st)
Children's Day (January 11th)
Teacher Day (January 16th)
February sees the following holidays:
Chinese New Year (February)
Makha Bhucha Day (February 16th)
There are no holidays in March
April sees the following holidays:
Long Live Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (April 2).
Chakri Day (April 6th)
Songkran Day (April 13th)
May sees the following holidays:
National Labor Day (May 1st)
Coronation Day (May 5th)
The Royal Ploughing Ceremony ( May 8th)
Visakha Puja Day (May 15th)
July sees the following the holidays:
Asalha Bhucha Day( July 13th)
Khao Phansa Day (July 14th)
The Crown Prince's Birthday (July 28th)
August sees the following holiday:
H.M. the Queen's Birthday (August 12th)
October sees the following holidays:
End of Buddhist Lent on October 10th
Piyamaharaj Day on October 23rd.
Halloween Day on October 31st
November sees the following holidays:
Thanksgiving is observed in this month.
Loy Krathong Day is observed on November 8th.
December sees the following holidays:
H.M.the King's Birthday
Thai Constitutions Day (December 10th)
Christmas ( 25th December)
Thus this was the list of all public holidays in Thailand.
