Stories tagged with festival
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Pattaya’s Vegetarian Festival on the way
Pattaya’s annual 10-day Vegetarian Festival is set to begin on 28 September, and is being touted as the greatest in history to be staged in the Thai resort town. This important cultural festival has its roots in the Chinese community, and has been held in Pattaya since 1947.
On the opening day a colourful parade featuring the Chinese gods and local residents will run from Bali Hai Pier through the Walking Street, and then split into two groups with one continuing down Pattaya Beach Road and the other down Pattaya Second Road. They will reunite at the Central Pattaya Junction, then proceed to the Sawang Fa Temple, Lan Pho Naklua and finish at the Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation. Dragon and lion dances will be held along the parade route at Mike Shopping Mall and other stopovers.
Besides the parade, food plays a major role in the festival. This year, chefs have chosen Imperial Noodles as the central dish. They will use 500kg of dry noodles and a massive 3.5m wok to create this massive feast, which should serve around 5,000 people. Other special vegetarian dishes that rarely make an appearance will also be sold throughout the 10-day festival at the city’s restaurants.
Posted by: Andrew on 24 Sep 2008, 18:46 -
Bangkok Film Festival on its way
The political turmoil in Thailand’s capital won’t be stopping the annual Bangkok International Film Festival from kicking off on 23 September. The popular cinematic festival will run for a week, finishing on 30 September and offering locals the rare chance to see some amazing and award-winning films from around the ASEAN region and the rest of the world.
There are 70 films scheduled for this year’s event. They will be screened at SF World Cinema, King Power Complex, and CentralWorld, and open with the Thai movie Queens of Langkasuka, an epic tale taken from Thailand’s history. It was directed by one of Thailand’s most famous filmmakers, Nonzee Nimibutr, and stars one of Southeast Asia’s best-known actors, Ananda Everingham.
Among the other movies eagerly awaited by audiences are Spain’s Birdsong, the Philippines’ Slingshot, and 24 City from China. The noncompetitive category includes a great array of local Thai films that will attest to the cinematic skills of the host nation. Bangkok’s film festival is also a competition, and the Golden Kinnaree Awards Ceremony will cap off the event on 28 September at the Aksra Theatre. HRH Princess Ubolrat Ratchakanya Siriwattana Pannawadi will preside over the ceremony in what should be a regal night.
Posted by: Andrew on 21 Sep 2008, 18:41 -
Bangkok to host world food festival
The 2008 World Gourmet Festival is gearing up for its 9th year in Bangkok. This popular annual foodie-fest will happen at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bangkok between 22-28 September and will feature some of the world’s top chefs from famous restaurants.
An extraordinary roster of internationally renowned chefs from across the globe has committed to this year’s event, including Jeffrey Jake from Napa Valley’s Carneros Inn and Maurizio Quaranta from Locanda del Pilone in Alba, Italy. Although the concept of an international food festival is nothing new, this charity event in Bangkok is one of the few that can bring together such a celebrity lineup of master chefs.
For one week, the chefs will share their tips on cooking and provide insightful information on their award-winning cuisine. There will also be plenty of emphasis on enjoying the array of outstanding food and wine from around the world. Nicolas Schneller, the executive chef of the Four Seasons is overseeing the event.
Each chef will give one cooking demonstration, and host two evenings in one of the Four Seasons’ restaurants. On Friday the 26th, guests can join the event’s highlight, a seven-course Gala dinner featuring all the chefs together. All proceeds from the World Gourmet Gala Dinner will go to HRH Princess Soamsawali’s ‘Save a Child’s Like from AIDS’ project.
Posted by: Andrew on 25 Aug 2008, 17:44 -
Pattaya’s Vegetarian Festival ready to roll
A meeting of the organisation committee at Pattaya City Hall recently made the final decisions on the schedule for this year’s Vegetarian Festival. This popular Buddhist tradition that focuses on a week of refraining from consuming meat will take place as planned in the fall.
The Vegetarian Festival, which is also celebrated in numerous towns around Thailand, is a major feature of Pattaya’s events calendar. It attracts both domestic and international tourists who come to enjoy some rare vegetarian dishes and interesting cultural performances.
Deputy Mayor Verawat Khakhay of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, stated that the TAT will also be heavily involved in this year’s festival, which will take place mainly around Naklua House, the offices of the Sawang Boriboon Thamasathan Foundation. Verawat said the schedule would be much the same as in past years, with a parade on the afternoon of the opening day that will run from Bali Hai Pier along Central Pattaya Road to Naklua House.
One of the highlights of Pattaya’s annual Vegetarian Festival is the cooking of a special vegetarian dish in an enormous pan which is then given out to all the participants. It was announced that this year’s special dish will be Emperor Noodles, so don’t miss out!
Posted by: Andrew on 21 Aug 2008, 09:13 -
Bangkok International Film Festival Ready to Star
Despite being plagued by scandals last year, organisers announced that the sixth Bangkok International Film Festival will happen as planned in September. Both Thai and international films will be screened at the 7-day event.
This year’s film festival will take place from September 23 to 30 at one of Bangkok’s upscale cinema complexes. Although the exact schedule has yet to be published, artistic director Yongyoot Thongkongtoon revealed that a documentary of Diego Maradona, the Argentine football legend, and “Burn After Reading,” the latest film by the Coen brothers, would make it into the schedule. “There will be many international films,” Yongyoot told Agence France-Presse.
Rumors began circulating recently that the festival would not happen following the December arrest of an American couple who allegedly gave US$1.7 million in bribes to a former TAT governor to manage the 2003 film festival. But these rumors have been played down by Thai organisers.
"It is a great opportunity for Thailand to support the film industry and establish a position as a cultural and entertainment hub of the region," Tourism Authority of Thailand's deputy governor Junhaporn Rerngronasa said.
Posted by: Andrew on 06 Aug 2008, 14:43 -
Bangkok Film Fest set for September
The speculation and rumour over the Bangkok International Film Festival has been quelled, as the Federation of National Film Associations has made an official announcement that the festival will indeed be held in Bangkok this coming September. The last festival was overseen by the national tourism body, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, but it was unclear if the organization would be able to once again take its leading role in the event.
This year, the Thai Film Directors Association will be at the helm of the festival’s proceedings, with TAT still contributing some money to the cause without taking an active role in any creative decisions about the festival or the films to be shown. The director’s association president, Yongyoot Thongkongtoon, says no names of international jurors would be released at this time.
The TAT took over last year after the 2006 festival was criticized for the lack of Thai subtitles in some films, and many saw the event’s spending as reckless, with much cash spent on flying Western film stars into Bangkok for the red carpet treatment.
Posted by: DaveB on 08 May 2008, 11:31 -
Chiang Mai International Heritage Festival 2008
Chiang Mai’s first international heritage festival has just been announced and although short notice has been given, the organizers are hoping to see in excess of 300,000 visitors over the three-day event between February 14 and 17.
Officially known as the Chiang Mai International Heritage Festival 2008, the event is hoped to eventually emulate the success of the Edinburgh Festival and will rely heavily on the support of Chiang Mai's expat community, where they will get the chance to promote their country through music, dance, mime, and national dress. Promoters will also have the opportunity to sell cultural items
The festival is open to all residents but will appeal mainly to foreigners and allocated booths measuring six by three metres will be provided free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
The venue was chosen as Ratchapruek – the site of the Royal Flora 2006 – and the festival will be a first and a very big deal for Thailand as a whole. In addition, it is being held in-conjunction with the First International Viva-Weddings in the Air on February 14, Valentines Day.
Couples will attempt to break the Guinness world record by getting married in 14 hot air balloons and both events are likely going to generate huge interest during this time, with organizers Earth Wind and Fire Company Ltd., estimating a 400,000 attendance figure.
Nationalities from all over the globe are eligible to take part in the main festival and those interested must register their details on the website: Chiang Mai Heritage
The closing date for entry is January 15 2008.
Posted by: Andrew on 24 Dec 2007, 08:20