Songkran Festival

Songkran festival

Songkran festival or Water festival is a traditional Thai New Year’s day, it’s celebrated everywhere around Thailand and it falls on 13-15 April every year. The most popular Songkran celebrations are in Chiangmai, Thailand, it continues for six days or longer.

The most obvious celebration of Songkran is throwing water, you will see water guns are selling everywhere in this period and a lot of water containers on the side of the street.

Buddhist people go to the temples to give food to the monks to bring their good luck for the New Year, They may clean Buddha images and pouring Buddha images with water mixed with Thai fragrance. People who works somewhere else will return to their hometown to celebrate Songkran festival with their families.

You can celebrate Songkran anywhere in Thailand.

Lights out Phuket 2012

Switching off your lights for 60 minutes can help a lot to save the earth. We all need to help preserve this planet to be with us a long time. At present our world changes so fast. Caused by human activities including most people wasting  energy.

That is the reason that people do not care to pay attention to waste electricity consumption are some of the causes of global warming because of the electricity we use and waste every day and  the majority of energy is produced by burning  coal, oil and natural gas. Too much energy is wasted and contributes to greenhouse gases and air pollution.

We should save energy.

That will help reduce global warming. It also can help economically as well as help save our world. Please everyone including Celebrities, Actors and the Famous and YOU get together to invite people to help each other save the world with switching of your lights for Earth Hour this Saturday the 31st March. We can all bring the world together to pledge action towards a better environment.

It’s a necessity.

The slogan of Earth Hour this year is “I will if you will” which is a simple promise for everybody.

91.5 FM Presents

The Phuket Blues Rock Festival

91.5 FM Phuket will broadcast LIVE on 25th February from 9pm to midnight @ Laguna Phuket.

Phuket Vegetarian Festival

Phuket Vegetarian Festival : 27 September – 05 October 2011

• Sunday September 29, 2011               Sapam Shrine

• Monday September 30, 2011               Samkong Shrine

• Tuesday October 01, 2011                   Ban Tha Rve Shrine

• Wednesday October 02, 2011              Bang Neow Shrine Cherng Thalay Shrine

• Thursday October 03, 2011                 Jui Tui Shrine

• Friday October 04, 2011                      Kathu Shrine Yokkekeng Shrine

• Saturday October 05, 2011                  Sui Boon Tong Shrine

First Rawai Nai Harn Golf Day

Mother’s day

Traditionally, the mother of the nation was defined on 15^th  April of each year, according to the resolution of the Cabinet announced the approval on February 23, 2493(1950), which considers that the Agency’s work. The National Cultural Council delegate to the event date from the 15^th April 2493(1950) for the first time since then has been a great success. With public support, they can expand the scope of reaching out to them.

Buddhist ceremonies are held. Mother’s Day slogan contest. Mother of the national contest. To honor and recognize the importance of the mother. And to increase the importance of the mother and the other to this end, Mother’s Day is the annual national government under Prime Minister Field Marshal Pibulsonggram. It is generally known as the mother of the nation.

The governments are scheduled on August 12 of each year and are considered to be critical of the Thai people. The set is “jasmine” white as a symbol of goodness of the mother gave birth to us.

Changing How You Eat!!

1.  Working out on an empty stomach.

If you hear a rumbling noise in your stomach, the rumbling is trying to tell you something.  Without listening to them, you are forcing your body to run without any fuel.  Before you exercise or do any physical activity, always eat a light snack such as an apple.

2.  Relying on energy bars and drinks.

Although they are fine every once in a while, they don’t deliver the antioxidants you need to prevent cancer.  Fruits and vegetables are your best bets, as they are loaded in vitamins, minerals, fluid, and fiber.

3.  Skipping breakfast.

Skipping breakfast is never a good idea, as breakfast starts the day.  Your body needs fuel as soon as possible, and without it, you’ll be hungry throughout the day.

4.  Low carb diets.

Your body needs carbohydrates for your muscles and the storing of energy.

Loy Kratong Festival

On the full moon night of the 12th lunar month, the tide in the rivers is highest and the moon at its brightest, creating a romantic setting ideal for lovers. The Thai people choose this day to hold the ‘Loy Kratong’ festival, or the ‘festival of light.’ Loy Kratong is one of the two most recognized festivals in the country.

Loy Kratong is probably the most picturesque and beautiful of all Thai celebrations. ‘Loy’ literally means ‘to float,’ while ‘kratong’ refers to the lotus-shaped receptacle which can float on the water. Originally, the kratong was made of banana leaves or the layers of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. A kratong contains food, betel nuts, flowers, joss sticks, candle and coins. The making of a kratong is much more creative these days as many more materials are available.

The Loy Kratong ritual is a simple one. One needs only to light the candles and the joss sticks, make one’s wishes and let it float away with the current of a river or a canal.

On that day, thousands of people will gather beside the canals and rivers. With kratong in hands, they light the candle, put some coins in the kratong and silently make a wish, and carefully place their kratongs in the water and release them to the current.

They watch intently as the float drifts silently downstream, hoping that the candle will not go out. Its flame is said to signify longevity, fulfillment of wishes and release from sins. Altogether it is considered a romantic night for couples or lovers. Couples who make a wish together on Loy Kratong are thought to stay together in the future.

The Origins of Loy Krathong

Different legends surround the origins of Loy Kratong. The most popular version is it was an expression of gratitude to the goddess of water ‘Phra Mae Kongka’ for having extensively used, and sometimes polluted, the water from the rivers and canals. It is also in part a thanksgiving for her bounty in providing water for the livelihood of the people.

Some believe the festival originates from Buddhism. They say the offering of flowers, candles and joss-sticks is a tribute of respect to the footprint of the Lord Buddha on the sandy beach of the Narmaha River in India, as well as to the great Serpent and dwellers of the underwater world, after the Lord Buddha’s visit to their watery realm. It is possible that this is derived from a Hindu festival that pays tribute to the god Vishnu, who meditates at the center of the ocean.

Others believe that the floral kratong is offered to the pagoda containing the Lord Buddha’s topknot, which was cut off at his self-ordination and is now in heaven. Another explanation is that it is a way to pay respect to one’s ancestors.

Whatever the true origin, the practice of Loy Kratong first began in the ancient kingdom of Sukhothai in the 13th century. A young queen named Nang Noppamas was believed to be the one who made a small boat laden with candles and incense and floated it down the river. The name Nang Noppamas has been associated with Loy Kratong ever since.

Today, Loy Kratong offers a unique occasion to celebrate. It’s a good time for people to make wishes and look to the future as they float their floral offerings along the waterways.

Where to celebrate

Although celebrated nationwide, Loy Kratong is particularly delightful in the provinces of Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya and Bangkok.

As the place of origin of the festival, Sukhothai rightly remains the focal point of the celebrations. The festival comes with a spectacular light-and-sound show held in the ancient and traditional setting of the Sukhothai historical park.

Chiang Mai is another prime site to celebrate Loy Kratong. The festival is known in northern dialect as ‘Yi Peng.’ The largest kratongs are decorated floats, paraded through the town on trucks. The colorfully lit floats form a long glittering parade as they make their way to the river.

Meanwhile, up above thousands of ‘khom loy’ (floating lanterns) drift into the night sky. These large balloon-like lanterns are released at temples and sometimes from private homes in the hope that misfortune flies away with them.

The Chao Phraya River is one of the main waterways to celebrate the Loy Kratong festival. In Bangkok, riverside hotels organize special celebrations for their guests. In some hotels, swimming pools are turned into a temporary river for the Loy Kratong celebration.

Where to Enjoy Loy Krathong in Phuket?

Loy Krathong is celebrated nationwide. In Phuket, major hotels usually host a special evening so that guests can join in.

Guests usually set the kratongs on the sea – a delightful scene as thousands of candlelit kratongs bob on the waves. In places like Patong, little boys will volunteer for a small fee to carry your kratong out a little further for a more auspicious start.

All of Phuket’s major west coast beaches take part in Loy Kratong festivities, with a mix of locals and tourists. Nai Harn Lake and Patong Beach usually have the most activity with locals visiting beaches like Kata and Karon.

Two sites in Phuket Town: Saphan Hin Park and Suan Luang (King Rama IX) Park, are also popular places for locals to celebrate. Expect big crowds at both of these locations.

Loy Krathong 2010

Date : 21st November 2010

Venue: Nationwide