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“7 Miracles of Thailand” exhibition to be unveiled
“Miracle Year Of Amazing Thailand 2012” official launch event at Impact Muang Thong Thani
The Tourism Authority of Thailand will officially unveil
the “Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand” initiative, a mega-campaign to
celebrate the birthdays of members of the Thai Royal Family by highlighting
the many aspects of the Kingdom that make it such an appealing destination
for foreign visitors. The event, which will be launched by Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra, will take place at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani Hall 2. It
features the “7 Miracles of Thailand” Exhibition and is open to the public
between 29 March 2012 and 1 April 2012, from 10:00 to 21.00 hrs daily.
Admission is free.
The “7 Miracles of Thailand” Exhibition is part of the
“Miracle Year of Amazing Thailand 2012” campaign. The exhibition showcases
Royal Projects, Thai cultural events, traditional celebrations, popular
regional tourist destinations, world-renowned Thai cuisine, Muay Thai, and
the art and science of Thai massage, under seven exhibition themes: i) The
Miracle of the Thai Monarchy; ii) The Miracle of Thainess; iii) The Miracle
of Thai Heritage; iv) The Miracle of Arts, Culture, and Traditions; v) The
Miracle of Nature; vi) The Miracle of Health and Wellness, and vii) The
Miracle of Thai Cuisine.
The seven themed exhibition areas will feature displays,
decorations, performances and activities that visitors can truly experience
and enjoy, along with craft and souvenir shops and a wide selection of
stalls offering food from different regions of Thailand.
“We at the TAT are very proud to showcase the meaningful
Royal Projects enabled by the kind hearts of the Royal Family to improve
living conditions and enrich the quality of life for millions of Thais
across the country. This event commemorates the three special Royal
occasions that make up the Miracle Year, which are the 7th Cycle of HM the
King’s Birthday on 5 December 2011; HM the Queen’s 80th Birthday on 12
August 2012; and HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s 60th Birthday on 28
July 2012,” said TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni.
“We invite all Thais and international travelers to visit
the many beautiful places in Thailand and experience the unique culture and
fun-filled activities that the Kingdom has to offer. The Miracle Year of
Amazing Thailand in 2012 is a perfect time to celebrate ‘Thainess’ with the
exchange of friendly smiles and experiencing our rich and varied cultures
and traditions,” said Governor Suraphon.
Developed in response to the Thai government’s goal to
generate 2.2 billion baht in annual tourism revenue by 2015, the Miracle
Year of Amazing Thailand campaign will encourage domestic trips by Thais and
promote the many ways they can enjoy and appreciate the Kingdom’s unseen
attractions. At the same time, the campaign is expected to help grow
international visitor arrivals to Thailand to 19.55 million in 2012.
This event is to kick off the “Miracle Year of Amazing
Thailand 2012” campaign, which will also include more trade events and new
tourism products to offer innovative travel experiences to visitors to
Thailand.
Thailand is a popular tourist destination for travelers
from all over the world, well recognized for warm hospitality, value for
money, and a rich culture & traditions. In 2011, Thailand welcomed over 19.1
million international visitors, up 19.84% compared to 2010. There were 1.94
million international visitor arrivals in January 2012, up 7.65% compared to
the same period in 2011.
Over the past few years, both international and domestic
tourism has accounted for about 10 percent of Thailand’s GDP. In 2012, the
TAT expects revenue generated by the tourism industry to reach 766,000
million baht, up 28% from the 2011 target.
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TAT signs MOU with Krungthai Bank
to issue “Miracle Thailand Card”
Debit card for tourists visiting Thailand that also offers special discounts and Insurance
Representatives from the TAT
and Krungthai Bank, as well as the director of the Association of Thai
Travel Agents (ATTA) and other partner organizations pose for posterity at
the MOU signing ceremony.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Krungthai Bank to issue the Miracle
Thailand Card, a special debit card for foreign visitors to Thailand. The
card reduces the need for travelers to carry cash during their holiday in
the Kingdom. It also offers extra value in the form of discounts at leading
shopping malls and tourist spots, as well as medical and life insurance
coverage in case of an accident.
The MOU signing ceremony took place with representatives
from the TAT and Krungthai Bank, as well as the director of the Association
of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) and other partner organizations attending the
event.
“The Miracle Thailand Card will help ensure visitors who
come to Thailand during this auspicious year enjoy greater convenience and
have fewer worries while they are here,” said TAT Governor Suraphon
Svetasreni.
Travellers can use the Miracle Thailand Card to buy goods
and withdraw cash from ATMs anywhere in Thailand without any charges.
Special discounts are offered when using the Miracle Thailand Card at
leading shopping malls and tourist spots such as The Mall, Emporium, Siam
Paragon, Paradise Park, MBK Center, King Power Duty Free, Siam Park, Siam
Niramit, and Safari World.
The Miracle Thailand Card is an electronic cash card
similar to a debit card. International travelers can buy the card when they
arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport at the ATTA counter, or at any Krungthai Bank
Currency Exchange booth. The basic card costs 100 baht, which includes 7-day
personal accident insurance of up to 10,000 baht for outpatient treatment,
500,000 baht for inpatient treatment, and life insurance of 1 million baht.
The card can be topped up anytime at any Krungthai Bank Currency Exchange
booth up to a maximum value of 30,000 baht. Travellers can also extend the
period for insurance coverage at any Krungthai Bank Currency Exchange booth.
More details about the Miracle Thailand Card are
available from the Krungthai Bank at the www.ktb.co.th or by calling
Krungthai Bank on 02-208-8280.
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TAT supports “Together Festival” music experience
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is extending
publicity support to A. G. Productions and Bangkok’s most prominent house
music promoter, Retox Sessions, in association with Heineken, for the
Together Festival, an ultra hip music experience that aims to put Bangkok on
the map April 5 as home of Southeast Asia’s most anticipated dance festival.
Billed as the emerging name in the world’s music festival
calendar, Together is on a mission to shine like the regional events with a
crowd-pleasing lineup, from most-wanted international artists to local
talents. The event is a prominent one in a number of high-profile
international concerts headlined by pop icons and singing sensations
appearing in Thailand in 2012.
Leading the way will be ‘Party Rock Anthem’ by the Los
Angeles-based duo LMFAO, who will perform live as the headliner of the
festival and the event marks as their debut appearance in Bangkok. Named as
the hottest name in parties and nightclubs around the world, LMFAO has
gained their reputations for their chart-topping tracks ‘Party Rock Anthem’,
‘Sexy and I Know It’ and their latest hit ‘Sorry for Party Rocking’. Earlier
this year, the American electro pop duo also collaborated with the queen of
pop Madonna during the talk-of-the-town performance at the Super Bowl XLVI.
Heating up the list is Amsterdam talent Nick van de Wall,
or famously known as Afrojack. His mind-blowing, heart-pumping tunes and his
heavyweight disc-jockeying skill is guaranteed as he was ranked at number 7
on the list top 100 Deejays of 2011 by the of prestigious DJ Magazine.
Afrojack reached a milestone in his career last year when he was awarded
Best Remixed Recording from mastering his own version of a song ‘Revolver’
by Madonna. His international breakthrough emerged when Afrojack joined
force with the world-renowned deejay David Guetta in the single ‘Toyfriend’.
His international hits include ‘Take Over Control’, where Afrojack featured
with Dutch singer Eva Simmons, and ‘Give Me Everything’, a collaboration
with Latin rapper Pitbull, along with Ne-Yo and Nayer.
Starting out as a deejay at nightclubs in his hometown,
Atlanta, today Jonathan Smith or best known as Lil Jon, is one of the most
important rappers/songwriters in American hip hop history. To name one of
your favorite hip hop tunes, chances are that at least one song is crafted
by Lil Jon. In 2005, Lil Jon wrote a single ‘Yeah!’ for hip-hop/R&B singer
Usher. The song quickly took over charts worldwide, and was awarded Best
Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 47th Grammy Awards.
Sharing the stage with international stars is our own
hip-hop legends Thaitanium. Over 10 years, three titans of Thaitanium have
taken Thailand and Asian hip-hop scene by storm for their unique music that
blends New York street style with a touch of Thai mentality. Representing
Thailand at the festival is also a group of deejays from Superzaaap, a
community of aspiring artists behind Bangkok’s street and club culture.
Marked as the chosen venue of the event, BITEC is a good
choice to host an international event due to its huge concert area and being
conveniently reached by BTS. Together Festival will be on April 5, 2012 from
20.00 hrs. at BITEC, Bang Na. Pre-event tickets are at 1,600 baht and 2,500
baht for limited VIP tickets, available at www.thaiticketmajor.com (tel.
02-262-3456). Tickets will also be available at the entrance on the day of
the event. For the updates of the festival, visit
www.facebook.com/togetherfestival.
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Nong Nooch celebrates National Elephant Day
A clever 9-year-old female
elephant cleverly writes “Stop Killing Elephants”.
Montree Kotchawong
With 40 pachyderms in its stables, there couldn’t have
been a better place to celebrate National Elephant Day than Nong Nooch
Tropical Garden.
Sattahip District Chief Chaichan Iamcharoen and Tourism
Authority of Thailand Pattaya Director Athapol Vannakit opened the annual
Bai Sri Su Khwan Chang ceremony at the Najomtien park March 13, along with
Prawat Rattanapumma, director of Office of Regional Livestock.
Nong Nooch currently is home to 35 female and five male
elephants. The park celebrated the occasion with elephant shows, such as
theatrical battles and a stunt from a 9-year-old female elephant who wrote
“Stop Killing Elephants” on paper. After finishing the show, the elephants
received bananas, pineapples, bamboo and fresh jackfruit.
National Elephant Day was designated to have Thais recall
the role the giant mammals have played in their history, serving as beasts
of labor and war.
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