Date : 13-15 February 2009
Venue : Ko Kradan, Sikao District, Trang
The brides and grooms parade through the city streets and attend lavish parties. The wedding ceremony will be held on the beach in a traditional Thai style while the registration procedure will take place underwater off Ko Kradan.For more information
Trang Tourism Coordination Centre, Tel. 66 (0) 7521 5867-8Trang Chamber of Commerce, Tel. 66 (0) 2545 3322
Now in its 13th year, Trang’s underwater wedding ceremony, 13 to 14 February, must be one of the most unusual ways to tie the knot.
This unique event is right at the top in the creative wedding category and has defied critics over the years to emerge as a firm favourite for those who want to make their Valentine day wedding extraordinary.
In 2000, it was declared the largest underwater wedding ceremony by the Guinness Book of Records, while more recently it opened the ceremony to physically challenged couples.
Its rise in popularity was not without obstacles, starting with the obvious objection that not everyone has the ability, or the desire, to stand on a sandy sea bed and utter their vows.
Created by Thai Airways International to draw attention to its daily flight to Trang town, the event has certainly put this southernmost stretch of Andaman Sea coastline on the map.
This attractive region lies 870 km from Bangkok and slightly more than 300 km south of Phuket. The town is served by a twice daily rail service direct from Bangkok. The trip takes 15 hours. A daily service on Nok Air, a sister company partly owned by THAI, completes the flight in one hour.
Trang is blessed with an amazing variety of unspoilt beaches and islands perfect for getaway honeymoons and even more perfect if they happen to love diving.
The ceremony is quite straightforward once the couple understand the basic scuba diving techniques and are certified by Naui or Padi, two internationally recognised dive training organisations.
In the presence of a witness, couples descend in clear blue waters to the sandy seabed to make legally binding vows using divers’ sign language. To ensure relatives and friends can share in the fun the wedding ceremonies are part of celebrations that cover three days on dry land.
Town residents come out in droves to make it a memorable and fun event. Hosted by the Trang Chamber of Commerce, in association with the municipality, provincial authorities and THAI the national airline, wedding fever is fired up with a lavish parade, led by over 100 couples, through the town’s centre to a street party venue. The town’s best cooks are there presenting an amazing display of Thai food dishes and fresh seafood barbecued made all the more delectable by the variety of spicy southern sauces.
Dressed in white wedding gowns, or national dress, brides are presented to their grooms at the wedding venue on Pak Meng beach, 15 km from the Trang town. Here the traditional Thai ceremony gets underway, 14 February, in the presence of friends and relatives before a fleet of boats transfer the couples to an idyllic Kradan Island, where they dive to the seabed for the official registration of their vows.
Looking back on this carefully managed scene, the happy couple will declare “it was unforgettable,” a conclusion helped along by a beautiful resort that incredibly still warrants the title “unseen Thailand” for most of the year.
Happy couples return for an anniversary, some even renew their vows at the same underwater spot. A few even return with small children and point proudly at the distant island, where mum and dad played out their romantic fantasies.
Supported by the community Tourism Authority of Thailand and the national airline, this single event has given Trang the right to claim a niche and secure many happy returns to its glorious beaches.
Phuket International Blues Rock Festival
Date : 19 - 22 February, 2009
Venue : Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa, Phuket
The 2009 Phuket International Blues Rock Festival promises to be bigger than ever with at least 12 acts performing on stage during the two-night event. Now a firm fixture in Phuket’s annual entertainment calendar, the festival attracts top blues bands from around Thailand, while two popular bands from Australia and the US return once more.
Ricky Zen will once again MC the event which will have a minimum of twelve acts total with five international bands, and its headliner will be none other than Eric Bibb! Eric is a New York native but has lived in Europe most of his adult life. He is one of the greatest contemporary bluesers and tours constantly all over the world. We are very pleased to have been able to secure this wonderful artist for the 2009 show. Next on the big newcomer list is California’s Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88s. Mitch is a world class New Orleans style boogie-woogie piano man and has set crowds abuzz around the world for 30+ years. From Europe comes Bert Deivert & Janne Zander, a top rated blues duo from Sweden. The OZ contribution to the festival this year is a beautiful lady from the city of Perth in Western Australia. Her name is KNIKI and her voice is grunty, strong and sexy. Having listened to her just released second cd, "JUST", we just felt compelled to invite her to the 2009 show.
For more information
http://www.phuketbluesfestival.com/
Chiang Mai Flower Festival 2009
Date : 6 - 8 February 2009
Venue : Nong Buak Hat Park, Chiang Mai
If you are obsessed with beautiful flowers and decorative plants, this is the festival for you. Experience these beautiful flower-decorated floats and a magnificent tapestry of floral splendor that blankets the land. There are also agricultural exhibitions, floral contents, and product sales by local groups of housewives.
A highlight of the festival is the grand parade that attracts sponsoring companies and organisations that beautify floats with elaborate flower decorations, presenting an eco-tourism message or just simply stealing the hearts of spectators with their vivid colours and beauty.
The parade leads up to the annual beauty competition to crown the city’s flower queen, who represents the flower growers and exporters as an ambassador of good will.
Entertainment, an opportunity to dine on tasty northern snacks and view cultural performances are clearly features that draw both visitors and locals to this annual event.
Home and garden lovers discover Chiang Mai is a February showcase for exotic orchids, flowering plants and blooms that thrive in the northern valley’s temperate cool season.Particularly during the cool season months, mid-November through to February, this northern provinces justifies its title “Rose of the North.” But for flower lovers, who flock to this annual festival, 6 to 8 February in the town’s Buak Hat Park, there is far more to the town’s garden reputation than the impressive display of elegant roses.
Since 1977 when the annual festival was inaugurated, it has earned a reputation on par with similar events such as Japan Sakura Flower Festival and the Netherlands’ flower parades. This was further enhanced by the successful flower expo in 2006.
Due variations of climate and its mountain landscapes, the Chiang Mai Flower Festival presents a diversity of blooms and flowers. Many of them, originally imported from temperate climes such as carnations, chrysanthemum, tulips, are displayed side-by-side with tropical flowers including exotic orchids.
For more information
Chiang Mai Municipality OfficeTel : 66 5324 8604
Website : www.tatchiangmai.org
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