Thailand's never-die tuk-tuks now a global export

After 25 years of service, a company traditionally rewards a loyal employee with a gold watch. But for Win van Rootselaar of Dutch company Cryovat Internationaal, his reward for working for the family company for a quarter of a century is considerably larger and infinitely more unique -- a Thai-made tuk-tuk.

For more than 50 years tuk-tuks have been burping their way around the cities and villages of Thailand, a legacy of the Japanese World War II occupation of most of the region.

Though Indonesia’s Bajaj and India’s auto rickshaw bare remarkable similarities, the stainless steel “Thailand” plate on the rear, liberal chrome plating and the distinctive blue and yellow livery applied to Thailand’s taxi tuk-tuks have seen them become a unique symbol identified with Thailand the world over. Not to mention a vehicle tourists to the country can’t get enough of.



No robots on this production line. All welding is done by hand. Here the roof support is welded for the canvas top.

As a frequent traveler to the company’s Thailand division, Win’s brother Tim was familiar with the tourist appeal of tuk-tuks and concluded that nothing short of a genuine Thailand tuk-tuk would suffice as a suitable silver anniversary gift for his brother.

Though the Thai government will not register any new tuk-tuks for private use, export orders, along with larger variants used by hotels, resorts and shopping malls throughout the country are such that four factories still specialize in their production.

Today's tuk-tuks less noisy, more eco-friendly

Originally fitted with a single or twin cylinder 350cc two-stroke Daihatsu engine, the cause of the high-pitched burping noise they make as they zip around Thailand’s streets, modern-day tuk-tuks are fitted with 660cc four-stroke Daihatsu or Suzuki engines, making them as quiet as a family sedan.

For a long-time the bane of environmentalists due to their lead-fuel operating engines and smoky two-stroke exhaust, all of Bangkok’s taxi tuk-tuks today run on CNG, the result of a government campaign that funded the cost of conversion.

At Tuk Tuk Thailand in the Bangkok suburb of Bang Khae, Chett Taikratoke has been turning out tuk-tuks for more than eight years, prior to that working for Thailand’s largest tuk-tuk factory, which was a casualty of the Asian economic crisis of the late 90s.

“Every tourist who comes to Thailand wants to ride in a tuk-tuk. I even get emails from people wanting me to pick them up from the airport in a tuk-tuk," Chett says.

While road-regulations prohibit tuk-tuks on the country’s expressways and hence entry to the airport, there’s no shortage of affection for the vehicles from tourists, who leap at the opportunity to sit in the open-sided vehicles in the blistering heat or monsoonal rain, choking on the acrid black exhaust fumes expelled by Bangkok’s buses and cars, in preference to air-conditioned taxis.


These old and well-worn tuk-tuks wait to be refurbished for the next owner

Chett said there are about 10,000 taxi tuk-tuks in Bangkok and some 35,000 nationwide, with variations in design depending on the region.

“The Ayutthaya tuk-tuk is very different to the Bangkok tuk-tuk and based on the original Midget MP4 from Daihatsu, while in Udon Thani they are motorbikes attached to carts," Mr. Chett says.

Tuk Tuk Thailand’s team of 10 staff churn out about 200 tuk-tuks a year, with one vehicle taking about five-days to complete, with a large portion of that time spent waiting on chrome plating contractors to return the ornate trim.

With no private tuk-tuks registrable for many years already, one would imagine that the days of Thailand’s tuk-tuks are somewhat numbered, but nothing is further from the truth.

'Tuk-tuks never die'

Pointing to a number of rusting and clearly unserviceable vehicles sitting in the back of his factory, Chett says “tuk-tuks never die.”

“If someone wants a taxi tuk-tuk we take these old ones and replace everything except the chassis -- recondition the engines, build new cabins, new seats and paint them and off they go. They still have the same serial number so they’re allowed to be registered," he says.



Engineering staff at Tuk Tuk Thailand work on a monster-length tuk-tuk for Bangkok’s MBK shopping mall

.While the cost of a taxi-style Bangkok tuk-tuk is fairly reasonable at 150,000 baht (about US$5,000), the cost of a tuk-tuk registration plate pre-moratorium on new registrations is not and at 200,000 baht pushes the cost of a rebuilt Bangkok taxi tuk-tuk with a reconditioned engine to a sizable 350,000 baht.

Chett said the majority of Bangkok’s taxi tuk-tuks are rented by the drivers for 350 baht a day, with drivers earning about 1,000 baht per day. By comparison a taxi driver will pay about 700 baht a day to rent the vehicle and earn about 2,000 baht per shift.

Though the Thailand tuk-tuk might be an undying symbol of Thailand, as Chett claims, the quieter three-cylinder engine might mean the nights of being kept awake by the high-pitched exhaust could one day end.

As for Mr. van Rootselaar, his 25th anniversary gift is bound to attract considerably more attention than a gold watch, with his brother Tim saying they are both eagerly awaiting its arrival.

“We’re about 35 kilometers east of Amsterdam in a town named Nijkerk and we’re both waiting to take it for a spin on the streets here, as well as occasionally up to the capital," he says.


Tuk-tuk number 5111. The plates are more than 40-years old and worth more than Bt200,000 (about US$6,600).

Everything you always wanted to know about a tuk-tuk

Length: 305cm (120 inch)

Height: 180cm (70.75 inch)

Front width: 88cm (34.5 inch)

Read width: 140cm (55 inch)

Length: 250cm (98.5 inch)

Weight: 400kg (881lb)

Engine: Three-cylinder 550 or 660CC Daihatsu or Suzuki. Previously a single or two-cylinder 350cc Daihatsu motorbike engine

Transmission: Four-speed manual with reverse or three-speed automatic

Fuel: CNG or unleaded petrol

Fuel tank: 30L (7.92 U.S. gallon)

Cooling system: Water cooled

Brakes: Hydraulic rear wheel discs

Exhaust: One-inch with catalytic converter and muffler

Engine service life: Nine years

Article and Picture Soure : www.cnn.com

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Peaking at a new location

While some restaurants fail after moving, there are signs An An Lao and its beloved chicken and duck dishes is only getting better

Some restaurants fly higher after their relocation, while a number of less fortunate ones plunge deeply because of their own miscalculations.

An An Lao continues to be a trustworthy venue for those looking for an indulgence of Chinese cuisine that doesn’t empty the wallet.

For more than two decades, An An Lao, which occupied a two-unit shop-house on Soi Thong Lor, had been a trustworthy venue among Chinese food connoisseurs who looked for real gastronomic indulgence that didn't empty the wallet. Constantly enjoying the patronage of local and expat families, the restaurant was highly treasured for its signature chicken dish, gai betong, and a really budget-friendly Peking duck later became another best seller.

So, at the end of April, it was a shock for many passers-by, including my family and friends, to see through the restaurant's glass facade a deserted space that clearly indicated our steadfast eatery was suddenly gone.

Almost at the same time we learned the sad news, I received a postcard from An An Lao saying that it has moved to a new location on Sukhumvit 26.

And, immediately, I decided to give them a call.

As Thong Lor has in recent years become a new chic destination for gastronomy and lifestyle traffic, land values and property rental rates have risen in accordance with the strip's popularity.

Not being able to cope with the astronomical rise of the rent (over 300,000 per month), the owner of An An Lao considered a relocation. Evidently, it was a superb decision.

The extra-large grilled freshwater prawn with its creamy, cheese-like fat that has absorbed the smoky fragrance from the char-grill.

The restaurant's new address may not sound as tempting as that of its previous home. It's a new, low-profile and low-rise arcade on Sukhumvit Soi 26 near Rama 4 Road. Yet, since the restaurant opened on May 11, the business was reported to be overwhelmed. Waiting queues have become the norm and reservations are a must.

The location is more noticeable and can be spotted from Rama 4 Road. But its spacious parking area (with capacity for 300 cars) plays a great role in drawing customers (back) to this time-honoured Chinese eatery.

Now the restaurant, enveloped with glass walls, boasts 200 seats with tables set comfortably far apart in a 500m2 space with three private rooms. There are wheelchair ramps and restrooms. This is of great help to elderly customers who who happen to be some of the restaurant's most loyal.

From a larger, more systematic kitchen, An An Lao's cuisine remains uncomplicated but distinctive.

It continues to offer home-cooked Chinese fare prepared according to the family recipes with main ingredients coming straight from Betong, an agriculturally abundant and lush green Chinese-inhabited district in Yala.

The menu has been expanded to include a number of classic Thai dishes and fresh seafood.

Just as it is presented at most fine Chinese restaurants, food is available in S, M and L portions. Whether you're a first-timer or regular, not to be missed are the two top-selling poultry dishes.

Betong-style steamed chicken (260 baht for a medium portion) is a well-cooked, neatly sliced meat of a free-range Betong chicken that yielded a chewy, rather than mushy tender, texture that fused perfectly with the signature sesame oil-soy sauce.

An An Lao still stays small on the price of its Peking duck (350 baht). It's a bargain considering that you get two substantial and sophisticatedly-prepared dishes, so affordable compared to 800-1,200 baht at other Chinese spots.

Freshly carved at your table, the paper-thin, fat-free and reddish-brown skin of the whole roasted duck came first with the works: steamed flour sheets, fresh vegetable sticks and hoisin sauce.

With all the ingredients rolled together and eaten, it's a mouthful of great textures and tastes.

For the left-over duck meat, diners can pick from four options to have the meat prepared: stir-fried with salted soy beans, stir-fried with beansprouts, deep-fried with garlic and pepper, or, the most popular, is to enjoy it as miang (fried seasoned minced duck meat with fresh green lettuce).

Another of the all-time classics, steamed pork with taro (200 baht for a small portion), presented pork belly, from a prime-grade hygienically raised pig, braised with salted soy bean in salty sweet gravy. The super tender, somewhat fatty pork was enjoyed with piping hot mun thow (Chinese-style steamed buns).

For the new items, my personal recommendation is grilled freshwater prawn (150 baht per 100g). Arriving our table was an extra large, 400g, river-farmed prawn (600 baht) that beautifully exhibited supple meat together with its creamy, cheese-like fat that has absorbed the smoky fragrance from the char-grill.

Enjoyed with sour and spicy seafood dip, the dish is great proof that seafood joints are not the only place where you can find super grilled prawn.

The prawn can also be baked in a hot pot with herbs and glass noodles, steamed with garlic or deep-fried with garlic and pepper.

Another aquatic delicacy really worth ordering is fried curry crab (160 baht per 100g). When it comes to flavour, I've never had faith in extra-large crab. The bigger version usually provides meaty texture, but with a bland taste.

But the crab here _ from Madagascar and weighing more than a kilogramme, with each of its claws almost as big as my seven-year-old's hand _ offered firm and naturally flavoursome meat. The characteristic yellow "sauce", a creamy mixture of egg, onions, capsicums, celery and curry powder, was very tasty with only a whiff of sugar.

I couldn't possibly eat at An An Lao without enjoying my all-time favourite stir-fried watercress in oyster sauce (120 baht). Imported from Betong, the bright green vegetable with a pleasant bitterness was masterly cooked to absorb the wok-burn aroma while maintaining its waterlogged crunch.

The dessert selection was decent, with quite a few options including crispy Chinese pancake with Chinese jujube filling, warm sticky rice with sweet taro and ginkgo nuts and chilled sago with cantaloupe.

Service by the same team of staff plus additional hands proved as efficient as before. Since the restaurant is completely packed over the weekend, expect to wait up to an hour for a table if you happen to walk in. Reservations are highly recommended for any day of the week.

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Special collections here as fashionistas go wild about Louis Vuitton

There's the buzz, and there's much anticipation when a few vast rooms located at an unarguably prime location of Siam Paragon were closed down last year, and the gigantic Louis Vuitton sign was spread across the white panels encircling the space. All the Thai fashionistas and luxury consumers know what to expect _ the fourth, and highly-awaited Louis Vuitton store has finally arrived after 10 years.

  Bangkok’s fourth Louis Vuitton store, the first to be opened in 10 years, reflects the luxury empire’s ‘‘confidence in the potential of this great city’’, said Jean-Baptiste Debains, president of Louis Vuitton Asia-Pacific.

Like the final, once-missing piece of the jigsaw that will complete Siam Paragon's ambition in becoming both the pride of Thailand and a world-class shopping destination, the Louis Vuitton store is an embodiment of house heritage and modern lux, and designed to offer not just retail, but also inspirational experience in discovering the world of this French luxury house.

Surrounded by the 30m-long exterior facade of glass, the store is divided into indulgent lifestyle zones. From the luggage and leathergoods that highlight the Maison's pioneering spirit of modern travel culture, the men's and women's universes of leathergoods, accessories and shoes, to the timepiece zone for the horology enthusiasts, each zone is conceived as a cozy room. The shoe salons are equipped with comfortable seating areas.

A wall is dedicated to the most exceptional leathergoods creations that reflect the house's proud savoir faire. In addition, the new store also features an after sales centre that demonstrates Louis Vuitton's commitment to offering customers superior service.

To celebrate the launch of the latest store, Louis Vuitton is offering fashionistas a special treat in the form of preview of the two special collections slated to hit the shelves this year. Fans will get to see the new line of Monogram Empreinte Speedy Bandouliere 25 which is offered here before its official launch in September. Made in refined Monogram Empreinte leather with the signature embossed Louis Vuitton flower motifs, the new model, which comes in the famous Speedy shape, is available in five colours: orient, chocolat, infini, framboise and aube.

Apart from the Empreinte Speedy, the store will be the only one in Thailand to offer the much-coveted collaboration between creative director Marc Jacobs and iconic Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The Louis Vuitton-Yayoi Kusama collection interprets the artist's most emblematic polka dots onto ready-to-wear and accessories like textiles, sunglasses, leathergoods and footwear, and will hit the shelves on July 13.

  The preview of Monogram Empreinte Speedy, which will be released in September, is another highlight of the opening.

Credit by : http://www.bangkokpost.com/

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5 Bangkok streets you have to hit to really get a feel for the city

Phra Athit Road sits right beside the Chao Phraya River. At the end of the street is the historical white Phra Sumen Fort, which looks over a popular riverside park.

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Visitors to Bangkok find it hard to see past the temples, nightlife and shopping. And those that live in the city often get stuck in a rut of another kind -- hopping from mega-mall to posh restaurant, seldom venturing out of their comfort zones.

So whether you’ve just finished touring a score of wats or spent yet another Sunday brunching on Thong Lor, check out the following streets to see Bangkok in a different light.

Trok Issaranuphap

Most visitors to Chinatown hang out on the main streets, such as Yaowarat, Charoen Krung or Sampaeng Lane, but the older generation knows Trok Issaranuphap is where you'll find the most interesting stuff going on.
At the top of this tiny alley is scenic Chinese temple Mangkon Kamalawat. Inside Trok Issaranuphap there's also a wet market -- not for the faint of heart -- and prepared food stalls.
Getting there: from the Hualumpong MRT station grab a taxi to Soi Charoen Krung Soi 16. Trok Issaranuphap is on the other side of the road.

Arab Street

When it comes to ethnic neighborhoods, Chinatown gets all the attention, followed closely by Pahurat, Bangkok's Little India. But the city is more culturally diverse than it seems at first glance.

Sukhumvit Soi 3/1, aka Arab Street, is a tiny city unto itself, with agarwood dealers, shisha pipe sellers, travel agents and Middle Eastern restaurants crammed into a tiny alley between Soi 3 and Soi 5.
To get there, take the BTS to Nana station and head for Soi 3.

Phra Athit Road

Khao San Road’s fairer step-sister has all the good stuff the travelers’ ghetto around the corner does but, so far at least, the backpackers haven’t smoked out the local residents or stomped out the charming Thainess of this quiet street along the Chao Phraya River.
Bangkok-based foodies should visit for the excellent fusion joints such as the tiny Mister Pas. (140 Phra Athit Road. Open daily, except Monday, 10:30a.m.-11p.m. Tel: +66 (0)2 629 3207)

Taxi drivers all know the way to Phra Athit but it's far more fun to take the Chao Phraya ferry from the Saphan Taksin BTS station and hop off at Phra Athit.

Khlong San Saeb

Ok it’s not really a street since you can’t walk on it, but you can take a long boat ride on this canal for a look at life on the water in the middle of the big city, where you’ll still see grannies hanging out clothes to dry and little kids swimming.
Khlong San Saeb runs parallel to Petchaburi Road and is surprisingly convenient to Siam Square, Chidlom, Pratunam and the Golden Mount.

For the full experience, we recommend hopping onboard the small but fast ferry at Panfa Pier, next to the Golden Mount, and ride all the way to Bang Kapi. You'll have to change boats at the Pratunam Pier.

For more on Khlong San Saeb check out our video of the staff who work on these fast-paced ferries and the passengers brave enough to ride them.

Nakhon Chaisi Road

Before Soi 35 was Bangkok’s street food doyenne, this wide, leafy avenue in the Dusit neighborhood was everyone’s favorite destination for excellent Thai dishes of all kinds.

During the day the street markets of Nakhon Chaisi Road bustle with local shoppers and bureaucrats from nearby government offices on their lunch breaks, and in addition to a scenic view and good food you’ll find traditional shops including a cobbler who’s been making shoes for the royal palace for decades.
For some restaurant recommendations, see our recent feature on Bangkok's Ratchawat neighborhood, which includes Nakhon Chai Si Road.

Read more: 5 Bangkok streets you have to hit to really get a feel for the city | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/play/five-bangkok-streets-you-have-hit-really-get-feel-city-393371#ixzz13ZhA62uD

Article and Picture form : CNN.com

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Talat Noi, a small community in Bangkok's Chinatown,

Nestled by the Chao Phraya River, the Talat Noi community is a smaller and quieter part of Chinatown that dates back to the Ayutthaya period. It is a melting pot of various cultures _ the Portuguese, the Vietnamese and the Hokkien, Teochew and Hakka Chinese _ and where several of the country's leading figures lived
"The Talat Noi community in the early Bangkok period was mainly populated by the Portuguese, the Vietnamese and the Hokkien. The Portuguese established the Holy Rosary Church here. The Vietnamese were led here by Prince Nguyen Phuc Anh
[who had sought refuge in Siam during the First Reign before retaking his kingdom from traitors]. And the Hokkien had moved here from the Kudee Cheen area ... they outnumbered the Teochew in Sampheng and mostly produced iron pans and horseshoes," said Pimpraphai Bisalputra, a well known Chinese culture expert.
According to her, the Talat Noi community expanded along the banks of the Chao Phraya River where Chinese junks would anchor in the middle of the river so people could go there to shop. A wholesale session for traders would be held first, after which a gong would be sounded to signal to the public that they could then board the ships to buy goods. The boundaries of this "floating market" ranged approximately 3 to 4km from Talat Kao near the present-day Memorial Bridge to the Talat Noi area.
French bishop Jean-Baptiste Pallegoix wrote in his Description of the Kingdom of Siam 1854 that foreign trade during the early Bangkok period relied on Chinese junks and large ships owned by bureaucrats and major foreign traders only; and Chinese tycoons owned five to six junks each. Bangkok even had shipyards for the Chinese junks.
In winter, before Chinese New Year, many junks would arrive and dock in the middle of the Chao Phraya, from Ratchawong Pier (Kongsee Lor) to Pak Khlong San. Some 50 to 60 Chinese junks would anchor in front of Sampheng (Chinatown).
In the past, Talat Noi was also the home of several important people, including the Sols. This wealthy Thai-Hokkien family are the ancestors of several influential families such as the Chatikavanijs, Srivikorns and Posayajindas.
The Sols lived at the Sol Heng Tai Residence in Talat Noi and owned a huge plot of land ranging from the present-day Harbour Department to Odeon Circle. They later donated part of their land to the state for the construction of the early section of Charoen Krung Road near Yaowarat during the Fourth Reign.
"The Sols, the Sampatisiris and the Kalayanamitrs are the only three Chinese families known to have entered Siam during the late Ayutthaya period. The proof is in the wooden tablets bearing their ancestors' names," said Ms Pimpraphai, who has written several books on the Chinese in Siam, including Nai Mae (Mistress Mothers).
According to her, a wooden tablet on the Sol Heng Tai Residence's family altar says Siang Sae Sol entered Siam during the Ayutthaya period and had a son in 1776, during the Thon Buri period. His son was Tycoon Ked (1776 to 1841). His grandson was Tycoon Jard, or Phraya Aphaivanich (1813 to 1849), a junk trader-turned-bird's nest tariff collector. After the death of Tycoon Jard, the Sol Heng Tai Residence went to Tycoon Jard's wife, Yoo (1813 to 1893). From then until the 1930s, this house was always inherited by the family's female descendants.
"The Sol Heng Tai Residence is outstanding for being Thailand's only remaining pre-Bangkok Chinese house, and for housing a family altar dating back to the Ayutthaya period. There is historical evidence that the Sols served as translators for King Taksin the Great's last tribute [jimkong] to China," Ms Pimpraphai added.
According to Chinese culture expert Setthapong Jongsa-nguan's article titled Ban Nai Mae, a Chinese-language sign above the Sol Heng Tai Residence's front gate reads "Heng Tai", the name of the family businesses. This house is in Hokkien-Teochew architectural style, known as Sue He Yuan, a group of four houses surrounding a large courtyard. Original Sue He Yuan houses have only one level but Sol Heng Tai houses have two, which is an adaptation of Sue He Yuan and traditional Thai houses.
The structure of the house is mainly made of wood while the external walls and the entire first floor are made of brick. The wooden doors on the first floor are painted with images of Thai trees. The wooden walls on the second floor are an adaptation of Chinese and traditional Thai styles.
The beautifully carved wooden roofing is in Hokkien-Teochew fashion from the southern part of the Yangtze River. The roof of the central house looks like the tail of a swallow, whereas the other houses have saddle roofs. Duangtawan Posayajinda _ the 7th owner of the Sol Heng Tai Residence _ said that her house was built during the Thon Buri period using wood and stone from China. The main ceiling pillar carries a yin-yang symbol, while others are decorated with wooden inscriptions in Chinese. These wooden signs bear testament to the appreciation felt by admirers towards the Sol family for their honesty, gratefulness and love for the country.
The pillars and walls are also decorated with finely carved wooden and Chinese porcelain ornaments in the images of auspicious animals and flowers, which are Hokkien symbols; Lions for protection; goldfish for prosperity; and Mei Hua, pomegranates and Botan flowers for happiness. Its front doors are painted red and carry auspicious Chinese words.
The house's left wing was reserved for the family's male members while the right wing had rooms for the women. The first room in the right wing was the bedroom of the late Pook Posayajinda, owner, who died in 1932. Her room was sandwiched between two rooms: the Fruit Room and the Gold Room. This house also has a Rice Room, a Firewood Room and a Sugar Room.
"The Sols were very rich landlords and moneylenders. They kept their money in iron trunks which grew so heavy the floor sank," said Ms Duangtawan about the family's past glory.
But in the 1930s the family's 40 buckets of gold were stolen from the Gold Room by thieves who had dug a tunnel and damaged the room's seashell-constructed walls using the acidity of vinegar.
According to Ms Pimpraphai, the Sol Heng Tai Residence is also important for reflecting the power of women as it was long inherited by the daughters and not the sons, according to the Thai tradition for daughters to remain and take care of their parents, even after marriage.
Another important person who lived in the Talat Noi area was leading economist the late Puey Ungphakorn. He was born to Chinese parents in Talat Noi's Trok Rong Soob Nam in 1916. His parents worked hard in order to send him to study at the prestigious Assumption School. After he lost his father at the age of nine, his uncle supported his education. He graduated at the age of 18 and became a maths and French teacher at his old school. In 1937 he earned a bachelor's degree in law and politics from Thammasat University. With a government scholarship, he received a bachelor's degree in economics and finance with first class honours at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In 1949, he obtained a doctorate in economics from the same university. During World War II, Mr Puey served in the Free Thai Movement under the pseudonym Mr Khem Yenying. Back in Thailand, he progressed in his career until becoming governor of the Bank of Thailand and rector of Thammasat University.
"Mr Puey lived here in the Talat Noi community until assuming the central bank governor position," Ms Duangtawan recalled.
Chana Samarnruangsak, a Thai-Chinese man who knew Mr Puey and his family, said that Mr Puey had lived in a two-storey wooden house in Talat Noi throughout his childhood and early adulthood. And after moving out, he regularly returned here to visit his family.
"He was a nice person who never looked down on other people. However, he did not like to discuss religious and political issues with the neighbours," he added.
However, the home of the Ungphakorn family was later demolished, and in its place is an alley. Not far from there is Cho Su Kong Shrine, a Hokkien shrine, where many people come to worship the statue of the priest Cho Su Kong and pray for good health and blessings.
Other sites in Talat Noi include Siam Commercial Bank's first branch in Thailand (the bank's predecessor, a pilot after a project called Book Club, was in Ban Mo), a Hakka shrine called Hon Wong Kung, the Holy Rosary Church and a Gothic church established in 1767 by the Portuguese who fled the war in Ayutthaya to Bangkok. To explore this small yet precious multicultural community, strolling is the best choice and takes only half a day.
Article source : Bangkok Post

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Thailand Temperature

Thailand Temperature
City : Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hatyai

June Temperature
Bangkok : 24 - 33 C / 75.2 - 91.4 F

Chiangmai : 23 - 32 C / 73.4 - 89.6 F

Hatyai : 24 - 33 C / 75.2 - 91.4 F

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Bangkok Pride Festival 2007 ( November 3 - 11, 2007)

Bangkok Pride Festival is a number of community events held throughout the year and culminating with a parade and a community day. Bangkok Pride Festival strives to engender a sense of community among the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans gender(GLBT) population in Thailand, and to empower everyone with a stronger sense of pride.

Over the years, the Bangkok annual event has undergone organizational changes, resulting in a current focus on the long-held goal that the Bangkok events and parade be created by and for members of the Thai GLBT community, with support from gay and gay-friendly business and civil society sectors—Thai and foreigners alike.

History of Bangkok Pride Festival

Pride celebrations started in Thailand in the late 1990’s and were first organized by Khun Pakorn Pimton with the support of several Thai gay businesses. Under the name of Bangkok Gay Festival, they presented Thailand’s first gay pride parade in the Silom business district in 1999. This parade attracted representatives from Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other Asian, as well as Western, countries and subsequently led several other countries to follow with their own events.

[Source from; pridefestival.org]

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