Lomprayah in Magazine Issue 17 (12/2012) www.facebook.com/lomprayah

Issue 17 / December 2012

Happy New Year 2013 “Year of the journey”

journey to Thailand Prepare for your

http://www.facebook.com/lomprayah

TIMETABLE

Editor’s Talk

Everybody is waiting for New Year as a new hope and new beginning.

We hope that to leave the bad luck away from you and bring a new beginning for our better life throughout New Year.

Inside of this issue of Lomprayah Magazine, there are also other interesting topics such as Thailand Travel Guide - Prepare your trip to Thailand. We invite you to follow us. Besides, there are a lot of other interesting contents for you inside this issue. In Destination Guide, we introduce you to Chaweng - Koh Samui, Chaweng is the nightlife capital of Koh Samui. Place for new year count down, live music, dance floors and live sports are the trademark of the bars, pubs and clubs here. It turns into a joyful and entertaining places with hilarious New Year 2013 Celebration Party. In Place Guide, Santiburi Samui Country Club is Koh Samui’s first golf course and provides both challenge and charm with a lush tropical setting. After tried from the game, in Restaurant Guide, you are guided to favourite english pub in Koh Samui, which have been admired by english tourists who visited Koh Phangan.

“Lomprayah Weekly Lucky Draw” come to the last week, through its Facebook FanPage, in which members can have a chance to win various prizes each week, worth at least 5,000 THB. The only rule is to apply for membership and share the page to your friends, enabling you to have opportunity to win free prize every week or win a free trip.

Follow us at http://www.facebook.com/lomprayah to find out more about our activities and information.

However, “New Year” will come along with new thoughts, plans and ideas for sure. King Bhumibol Adulyadej reign with righteousness for the happiness of all Thai people. His Majesty composed a New Year blessing song for all Thais. Let us all listen the song. Long Live The King

Finally, ever mindful of the pressures that weigh on us all as we set out on the journey through another new year, Lomprayah Magazine provide a handy selection of ways that you can accomplish your resolutions doing something you love—traveling. Read on for ideas, and keep offering us your opinions; you belong to a crowd we trust.

Photjanard Kantiwong

http://www.facebook.com/lomprayah

Lomprayah Team Editor in Chief

Photjanard Kantiwong

Executive Editor

Wanitcha Sukchet

Senior Writer

Thanabat Ouiwongpaisal

Editorial Staff

Vorapong Vongvarothai Juntiya Laoniyomthai Nuttavoot Hinjit Jiraporn Boonta Jiwako

Art Director

Methakritsada Wanngoen

Graphic Designer Seattakit Meunnak

Hilight

journey to Thailand

Prepare for your

Sandy beaches, grand Buddhist temples, tongue-numbing cuisine, and world-class spas a unique and enormously rich language—Thailand is unique among Southeast Asian nations and a not-to-be-missed destination. Thais have a rich cultural history and contrasts abound in the country, both geographically and socially. In a land the size of France, beach resorts run the gamut from sketchy Pattaya to dignified Hua Hin. Idyllic island hideaways of virgin beaches sheltered by palm groves and lapped by gentle waters contrast with the frenetic capital.

Many of the preparations needed will depend on what you want to do and see while you are in Thailand. If you prefer, check out some of the possible family attractions before you make final flight and hotel bookings.

Thailand Hotels

Thailand boasts some of the best hotels in the world for reasonable prices. There are guest houses and bungalows that fit into a low budget family vacation. Families with a higher travel budget can book five star hotels with all the amenities.

Besides hotels and guests houses, another option which is becoming increasingly popular is home exchanges with other like minded persons.

With the aid of the internet, it is possible to make your hotel reservations and bookings online.

You are not restricted by the business hours of your local travel agent. Even at 2 a.m., you can search for the best deals, make your booking deposit and confirm your reservations online.

Necessary Documents

In order to board your flight to Thailand, you will need to have several documents in hand when you check-in. The most important document, of course, is your passport. Besides passports for each member of your family, you may wish to consult with your family doctor about recommended vaccinations and such. Depending on the length of your stay in Thailand, don’t be overly concerned about health issues in Thailand. Thai medical facilities are very modern and communicable diseases are generally under control.

Suggested Thailand Itineraries

If you are traveling to Thailand from the US or UK, your travel time will be quite long. I suggest you plan a stay in Asia of at least two weeks. Perhaps you want to stop at several countries in Southeast Asia, such as Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam. I recommend a minimum of one week in Thailand.

Limit the number of activities you try to squeeze into one day. Remember, you are on vacation to spend time with your family. Focus on the family time and less on the number of activities during your stay in Thailand.

You have much to do before you are ready to board an airplane for Thailand. Make sure you check your luggage now, before you are ready to for your Thailand family vacation. If you need luggage or a new carryon, do not wait until the last minute to make that purchase. Upon arrival in Thailand, the last thing you want is to see your broken piece of luggage coming down the conveyor belt in the baggage claim area.

Direct Flights To Thailand

Cheap flights to Thailand can originate from just about any city in the world. There are direct flights from New York and Los Angeles on Thai Airways, which will have you in Bangkok before you know it. Korean Airlines operates economical flights which leave from several major cities in the US. They even offer flights direct from Seoul to Chiang Mai.

Customs and Duties

Most people pass through customs at Suvarnabhumi without even so much as a glance from a customs officer. Officers worry more about people smuggling opium across borders than they do about an extra bottle of wine or your new camera. That said, if you’re bringing any foreign-made equipment from home, such as cameras, it’s wise to carry the original receipt with you or register it with U.S. Customs before you leave (Form 4457). Otherwise, you may end up paying duty on your return.

One liter of wine or liquor, 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of smoking tobacco, and all personal effects may be brought into Thailand duty-free. Visitors may bring in and leave with any amount of foreign currency; you cannot leave with more than B50,000 without obtaining a permit. Narcotics, pornographic materials, protected wild animals and wild animal parts, and firearms are strictly prohibited.

Some tourists dream of Thailand as a tropical paradise floating on a cloud of marijuana smoke—not so. Narcotics are strictly illegal, and jail terms for the transporting or possession of even the smallest amounts are extremely harsh.

Local Do’s and Taboos

The King : King Bhumibol Adulyadej has ruled Thailand for more than 60 years, and is revered by his people. Any insult against him is an insult against the national religion and patrimony.

Lighthearted remarks or comparisons to any other person living or dead are also taboo. If you don’t have something nice to say about the king, don’t say anything at all.

Out on the Town : Many Thais drink and smoke, but smoking of late has been banned in public buildings (including restaurants and bars). While you might spot a few drunken Thais stumbling about on a Saturday night, public drunkenness is not any more welcome here than it would be at home. Backpackers who flock to Thailand for cheap beer and beach parties rarely leave a favorable impression on the locals.

What It Costs

Despite rapid development, Thailand is still a relatively cheap destination. You’ll spend the most getting here: at this writing, round-trip fares start at around $1,000 from the West Coast of the United States and are a few hundred dollars more from New York. Traveling within Thailand is a bargain (though becoming less so). You can cross Bangkok in a taxi for $5, while a third-class train to Ayutthaya, 45 mi away, costs 50¢. Budget accommodation runs from as low $4 a night, and even five-star is available at $250. One of the reasons people dine out regularly is the cost: a street-food meal might set you back $1.50, while a blow-out Thai restaurant meal with a beer would be about $10. High-end international dining starts at around $35, though imported wine could easily double that.

Tipping

Tipping is not a local custom, but it is expected of foreigners, especially at larger hotels and restaurants and for taxi rides. If you feel the service has been less than stellar, you are under no obligation to leave a tip, especially with crabby cabbies.

In Thailand tips are generally given for good service, except when a price has been negotiated in advance. If you hire a private driver for an excursion, do tip him. With metered taxis in Bangkok, however, the custom is to round the fare up to the nearest B5. Hotel porters expect at least a B20 tip, and hotel staff who have given good personal service are usually tipped. A 10% tip is appreciated at a restaurant when no service charge has been added to the bill.

Language

Thai is the country’s national language. It has five tones, which makes it confusing to most foreigners. Thankfully, Thais tend to be patient with people trying to speak their language, and will often guess what you are trying to say, even if it’s badly mispronounced. In polite conversation, a male speaker will use the word “krup” to end a sentence or to acknowledge what someone has said. Female speakers use “ka.” It’s easy to speak a few words, such as “sawahdee krup” or “sawahdee ka” (good day) and “khop khun krup” or “khop khun ka” (thank you).

With the exception of taxi drivers, Thais working with travelers in the resort and tourist areas of Thailand generally speak sufficient English to permit basic communication. If you find yourself truly unable to communicate something important to a Thai, he or she will often start grabbing people from the street at random to see if they speak English to help you out.

Paulise Bensau Nationality : German

I already came to Thailand twice and really enjoyed it, Therefore I wanted to show this beautiful country to my wife. We only had the idea to spend few days in Bangkok then Chiangmai and finally to head to the islands without any precise plans. We just decide more or less spontaneously how long we stay in one place and move on. We enjoy the possibility to live day by day. All the information i’m searching from Google and tourist counter about the place and activities in Thailand that we want to do and visit.

Mario Herklok Nationality : French

I’ve just made a rough planning for my holiday trip. (First north, South later) The only accommodation I’ve booked before starting the trip was my first hotel in Bangkok and then we plan for day by day for our accommodation in the different place. The rest of my holiday trip a spontaneous decision. Im don’t have any plan or research before, meanwhile i’m love for adventure so planning day by day. I’m went to the tourist counter for the information about the place that i’m want to go.

Destination Guide

Chaweng Koh Samui Everything you need to know about Chaweng Beach

Over the past twenty years, Chaweng Beach has been transformed from a near deserted tropical bay, inhabited by a handful of fishermen and visited by a few adventurous backpackers, into a vibrant, busy, cosmopolitan resort town.

This is undoubtedly the most popular tourist area on Koh Samui, and with its 5-kilometere white-sand beach, water sports, entertainment venues and shopping facilities, as well as a fabulous range of dining options, it is easy to see the attraction.

Chaweng by Areas

Chaweng’s development has naturally centred on the beach, the main road runs parallel to it, and the beach itself is lined with resorts and hotels along its entire length. At the northern and southern ends there is a calmer, more family orientated atmosphere, whilst around the central nightlife zone near the famous Soi Green Mango, budget beach resorts attract a younger crowd.

The seedier side of Thai tourism is in evidence but not dominant in Chaweng, and can be easily avoided. The overall atmosphere will appeal to anyone who likes people watching, and to those who enjoy staying where every service and amenity is conveniently close to hand.

Chaweng Beach Road

On the Beach road, the streets can seem deserted during the hottest hours of the day, when the tourists are all on the beach, so most business is conducted after 5pm, when the hustle and bustle begins, with people cruising for pre-dinner drinks, souvenir shopping at the little street-side stalls, and choosing where to dine.

The scene as the sun goes down is a colourful, noisy melting pot of pedestrians strolling the sidewalks, with motorbikes, taxis crawling along the road n search of a fare. While down in the clubbing zone, the vibrant atmosphere continues way into the night and the crowds don’t disperse until the sun comes up. of Koh Phangan with bars and restaurants all over the peninsula. Haad Rin is usually full most of the year and so even when accommodation is not available tourists stay elsewhere and are taxied in for full moon and the general revellry.

Place Guide

The Santiburi Samui Country Club is Koh Samui’s first golf course and provides both challenge and charm with a lush tropical setting. The 18-hole championship golf course came to fame when it hosted the 2006 Bangkok Airways Open. It is located on a hillside of northern coast of Koh Samui, amidst old coconut gardens. The golf course has a commanding scenic panoramic view of Maenam Beach and the nearby island of Koh Phangan. Golfers are able to enjoy these magnificent views of the ocean and beaches from almost all holes. Waterfalls and creeks run through the land adding lush, natural beauty with the hills providing a picturesque backdrop.

Each of the 18 holes at Santiburi Samui Country Club has its own unique character and challenges.

From steep uphill and downhill slopes to winding fairways that are cut into the forest and meander around cliffs and streams, Santiburi Samui Country Club is one of the most unique Thailand golf courses.

Greens which run very fast are constructed from Tifeagle grass, the same variety used at the Thai Country Club in Bangkok. New shade resistant Sea Isle Paspalam is used on the tees and fairways which insures good playing conditions year round.

The golf course starts off the first few holes playing through a mature coconut forest and then progresses up the mountain. The fairways follow the natural line of the hills, creating an interesting and challenging golf game. Rock outcroppings found on several holes also adds to the challenge.

Due to this being a mountainous course. You do not need a driver on every hole. If you play from the proper tee, this course rewards accuracy not distance. The Koh Samui golf course requires a golf cart to get up and down he steep mountain slopes. Small fairways are the order of the day on most holes, but the large greens make approach shots a little easier.

The luxury clubhouse provides comfortable changing rooms, a well stocked pro shop and a restaurant with beautiful terrace seating to recount your round while enjoying the surrounding scenery just a little while longer.

Restaurant Guide

The Masons Arms (English Pub), Koh Phangan

Address : 145/5 Thongsala, Koh Phangnan Open : Pub Opening hours start from 10 am with last orders called at 11.30 pm. Extended hours are offered for certain local and international holidays or special occasions.

The Masons Arms has become something of an institution on Koh Phangan. It was opened in the early 2000s and has established itself as one of the best, if not the best bar on the island. Although the bars in Haad Rin are closer to the techno / trance action at the Full Moon Parties, and although the Masons Arms is not on the beach, none of them have the audacity of the Masons Arms. It is not just another English pub – it is an exact replica of a mock Tudor pub that was the owner’s favourite watering hole in Southampton prior to moving to the sunny climes of Thailand.

There are Tudor beams in the building’s structure. There are the furnishings that make you think you are back in Blighty. There’s the pool table, the darts board and the table football. The effect is uncanny.

And when you go to the bar you won’t be disappointed. You can buy draught Guinness, Kilkenny, Weston’s Cider and Kronenbourg by the pint.

There are also plenty of bottle beers and spirits to choose from. And, of course, if you want to smoke then you will have to step outside into the beer garden that has wooden benches and tables just like in the UK. The good thing is that you won’t be freezing as you hurriedly smoke your cigarette.

There is a full range of pub grub on offer including such classics and burgers and chips, Irish stew and sandwiches.

On Friday nights there is a pool competition, and sometimes a band plays.

Further entertainment is provided by giant projectors that show live sports events. The jukebox is free, and so is the wifi.

You can find the Masons Arms on the road out of Thongsala that goes to Srithanu and the other beaches along the west coast. It is near to Grand Sea Resort. It is not really relaxing to walk to the Masons Arms from Thongsala.

You need a motorbike – taxi hire back and forth gets expensive. For me this is one of the benefits of the Masons Arms – it doesn’t get over-run with teeth gnashing folk who have escaped one of the outdoor parties.

Real Story

New Year Count Down Koh Phangan at

by Shahla Saurin

It was a beautiful day as we left Koh Samui, thank goodness because I remember the last boat trip to Koh Phangan a few years back when everyone was being sick because it was so stormy and rough! We took the fast boat which was 30 minutes and arrived to catch the last rays of the sun. The beach was lovely here in Baan tai and the sea was calm, unlike Koh Samui. I really hope I can get some diving in if the weather stays like this! It is the night before New Years Eve and we have decided to go to the half moon party in the jungle. We head out about 9 ish and make our way down there. When we arrive it looks really quiet and we don’t know whether to stay and see if it gets busy or go to Haad Rin. We have a bucket and wait to see if it picks up.

We decide to stay and start chatting to some guys from Australia (surprise, surprise), they are in their early twenties and really sweet. They had never done a bucket before so we thought it was only fair to introduce them to one!! Felt really bad though when I saw Aaron puking up later in the bar queue! Felt better about it when we caught sight of them walking into the New Year party on the beach though the next day!!

It started to get really busy and the music was quite trance, not my favourite so at 3am I thought it was time to go as I needed to save myself for the next night, and had lost all the girls anyway, not that I minded as was plenty of nice, helpful young men to keep me company!!!

We spent New Years Eve chilling out on the beach and doing not a lot! Then it was time for the big one! The countdown party on the full moon beach at Haad Rin! It was gonna be massive!!! We set off about 8pm and got some food when we arrived, followed by some body paint just to get in the spirit of things :) then we hit the beach for the biggest beach party in the world!!

I often find New Years Eve a big hype which often ends up in disappointment, and this time was not really an exception! Although it started out as fun the more drunk we got the less fun it became. I miss my friends a lot at times like this, it is not about where you are it is about who you are with, and much as these girls are lovely I don’t really know them that well and there is a big age gap, and at times like this I just want to be around the people I have history with, and I can relate to, and give a big hug and kiss, and this just brings it all home to me. The party was ok, I nearly ended up in a fight with some girl over nothing, and wasted my bucket by throwing most of it on her, then I cut my foot on a bottle, then argued with Nicola over nothing because we were drunk and ended up in tears!!! So another eventful night out! I think I may be in need of some therapy now ha ha!!! Was glad to finally get back to the hotel at 7am!!! Slept all the next day until 5pm as the weather is crap again now and rain and storms are forecast for the whole week we are here! Not the best start to the New Year!!! But can’t really complain as don’t have anything else to worry about except my foot going septic ha ha!!

The weather is still awful, stormy and raining heavily, think my diving is out now, and I am really disappointed about that, as so wanted to dive Ko Tao, but guess can’t control the weather! So now gotta find something else to keep me occupied! Not easy to do as we are on an island where most activities are based around the beach, snorkelling, boat trips, diving etc….and my foot has left me fairly incapacitated.

Totally bored and fed up now and frustrated because I am tired and can’t sleep with the pain in my foot or do anything, went out with the girls as have to do something to stop myself going crazy to watch them wake boarding! Both Carmel and Tracey were naturals and made it look so easy, was gutted couldn’t do it, but might try it when hit south america instead!! The weather is still cloudy but stopped raining for a while when we were on the boat and looks like it is finally changing and the storm is moving away :)

Tonight we decided it was high time we hit the party scene once again and made our way back to Haad Rin beach the home of the world famous full moon party, for another night of fun & frolics, as needed to cheer up! We chose the Drop in Bar where we had such a good time a few years back, nothing had changed!!! Had the most fabulous night!! Better then the New year Party, everyone was just up for a good time, men were even getting naked and skipping over ropes of fire, very brave of them ha ha and class entertainment, we met loads of people including a couple of hotties from Rio De Janeiro where we will be soon, always networking me, and danced all night on tables to the best music on the island, although I did have my havianas stolen

and so did Carmel. People must pick them up off the beach and sell them the next day in their shop!! Should have learnt with my cut up foot not to take my shoes off!!!

I finally dragged myself away at about 5ish to get a kebab, some things don’t change! We bumped into the 2 guys from the half moon party that we introduced to buckets, and Aaron, one of them, came with me to eat and made sure I got a taxi ok by carrying me over a load of broken glass in the road as I had no shoes and did not need any more injuries. Then to his disappointment I left him and went home to bed, well in need of some sleep :) We seem to have fallen into the rhythm now of sleeping in the day and staying up all night! Gonna be a hard habit to break!

Ok, last party night for us on the island! decided to go to a pool party at Coral Bungalows! Supposed to be the best. Although we were torn between that and the waterfall party in the jungle which was on the same night! What to do? Tempted to do both but after hanging around at the pool party for a couple of hours which was not that busy, I got bored and tired and just wanted to get some sleep. I decided to leave and went alone to get a motorbike taxi to take me back! The ride back was exhilarating, I held on for dear life at the back, zipping round the corners and up and down steep hills, with people shouting and singing out of the Tuk Tuk’s passing by, and by the time I got home I was ready to go out again and had second thoughts about going it alone to the waterfall party, but I was here now and just decided to stay put and try and get my foot better as it was still agony and maybe infected, and I could enjoy a final day on the beach tomorrow!! Well after a couple of

hours I woke up with a start, someone was in the room, I was sure! I felt someone sit on the end of the bed! Nicola was not back, I reached up and put the light on, checked in the bathroom, not that I would know what I would have done, probably just screamed the place down, I was so scared now and the adrenalin was pumping, I had left the door unlocked for nicola to get in, and could swear there was someone there. Well I could not find anything out of the ordinary and now could not sleep! Have been having bad nightmares again, not even on the malaria tablets anymore, not sure what is causing them, wonder if we are getting our drinks spiked, because was totally freaked out now!! Ok party over until Rio, need to detox!!!

Our last day in Koh Phangan and finally the good weather is now here, we just chilled on the beach and went for a nice dinner in the evening at the Fishermans Restaurant. How very civilised :) Early start of 5.45am to get the ferry to Suratthani and then bus to Penang, Malaysia! We will arrive there about 10pm as they are 1 hour ahead!!

Horoscope Predictions for the month of

December 2012 Mr. Rup Krishen Baqaya By

Aries: New orientations and directions will suggest themselves and you will pursue them. You will also be keenly interested in research, spirituality and higher studies.You may reach out for new collaborations and tie-ups.

Gemini: There could be new international associations and overseas projects. Your creative potential is unleashed in the process. There is inner growth too, as the divine powers are kind to you.

Leo: Entertainment, socialising, group activities, hobbies and functions make you happy and keep you busy.You enjoy it and are full of hope.

Taurus: You will be busy with the 3 C’s- computers, correspondence and contacts. Travel is foretold and there will be interactions with new people and new opportunities on the anvil.

Cancer: There is professional success and you are admired and respected. There is a tremendous will to excel in your chosen field and you put in extra efforts and win respect, status, perks, benefits, rewards and applause.

Virgo: You will be working hard but do not neglect parents and in-laws. Rest will help you to work better. The divine message is, good rewards for good efforts, but no overdoing things.

Libra: There are many family gatherings and you bond with relatives whom you may not have met for ages. Both professional networking and personal bonding will be equally important in the month.

Scorpio: Health of self and elders in the family may need attention.But for that, there is money, honey and festivity in the air and you cannot be left out of the party.

Sagittarius: As the year ends,Mercury turns beneficial for you.

Its influence will spill into the new year too as you make sustained progress. This is the perfect time to launch yourself, as the divine powers bless you.

Capricorn: There are negotiations, meetings, collaborations and settlements. Destiny deals you the winning hand and so all money making activities will be pleasingly fruitful.

Aquarius: A power packed month which finds you going great guns, both financially and socially. It endows a fresh sparkle, a touch of glamour and style to your creative endeavours. A great month for artists born under this sign.

Pisces: Power, prosperity, progress and position are yours for the asking. All aspects of your life are energised. Home, career, money and entertainment will hog your attention.

Special

The

King of

Thailand

The King of Thailand

The Celebrations on the Auspicious Occasion of His Majesty the King’s 7th Cycle Birthday Anniversary

December 5 each year is regarded as a very significant day in Thailand, as it marks His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday. Since he is recognized as the “Father of the Thai Nation,” his birthday, December 5, is also observed as Thailand’s National Father’s Day.

Thai people are happy under the benevolence of His Majesty, whom they regard as their devoted father. His Majesty is regarded as the protector of his people in every respect. He has become the symbol of unity and social harmony in Thai society.

He is also recognized as a source of inspiration and wisdom for the Thai people.

Each year on National Father’s Day, a number of model fathers are named and presented with certificates and plaques of honor, in the same manner as that on National Mother’s Day, August 12, which is Her Majesty the Queen’s birthday, when a number of outstanding mothers are selected and honored.

This year His Majesty turns 84, the completion of the seventh 12-year cycle. For Thais, the 84th anniversary is considered an important milestone of life, deserving of special celebrations. The deep reverence felt by all Thais for their King is perhaps unique in the modern world. Each year on His Majesty’s birthday, festivities are held throughout the Kingdom; lights decorate households, government offices, public places, and private businesses everywhere.

The love, respect, homage, and joy pouring forth from Thai people to honor His Majesty are wonderful to see.

Besides royal ceremonies, many activities in support of public charities are held to celebrate this important event. As part of His Majesty’s 84th birthday celebrations, the general public has been provided with a variety of celebrative performances free of charge at Sanam Luang and surrounding areas, from December 3 to 9.

From the day His Majesty the King ascended the throne as King Rama IX, on 9 June 1946, to the present day, the words have not been found that can describe his immense kindness and compassion toward his Thai subjects. His Majesty has not only fulfilled the duties of a constitutional king in a democratic regime, but has also offered effective support to the work of the government, especially in cases of public disasters.

The royal activities cover education, science and technology, foreign relations, water resource management, soil conservation and development, forest resource conservation, religious affairs, and medicine and public health, not to mention more than 4,000 royally initiated projects.

Regarded as a role model for Thai people, His Majesty the King has made numerous speeches and given profound advice on various occasions.

He deserves to be called a “paternal monarch” for his great devotion and unbounded love toward his subjects.

Trend

History Bikini

The of the

From fabric rationing to g-strings, swimsuits have come a long way, baby

credit : www.elle.com http://www.elle.com/fashion/spotlight/the-history-of-the-bikini-654900#slide-1

1913

Thirteen years after women are allowed to compete in the Olympics, Carl Janzten introduces a two-piece bathing costume to enhance their performance. It’s really just shorts and a T-shirt but tight-fitting enough to cause a bit of a scandal.

1930s and ‘40s In Europe, women start wearing bathing outfits that reveal a sliver of skin at the waist, and suits shrink stateside as fabric is rationed during World War II. For the most part, hems are shortened and skirts eliminated, but in some cases they do split into two.

1946 With the war over and spirits soaring, Parisian designer Jacques Heim, who works mostly with fur, debuts the atome—the world’s smallest swimsuit.

1947 Louis Réard, a Parisian engineer, introduces an even smaller suit—made from just 30 inches of fabric—and calls it the bikini after Bikini Atoll, the Pacific Ocean site famous for hosting the first atomic bomb test on July 1 of the previous year. Showgirl Micheline Bernardini debuts the suit at a popular swimming pool in the center of Paris.

Early 1950s Beaches across Europe and the Mediterranean try to ban bikinis, as do most Catholic countries and the Miss World pageant. But Réard receives more than 50,000 fan letters and launches an aggressive ad campaign saying it’s not a real bikini “unless it could be pulled through a wedding ring.”

1957 Brigitte Bardot makes a splash at the Cannes Film Festival, where she’s photographed wearing a bikini on every beach in the south of France. Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe and Esther Williams follow suit in the U.S., but Modern Girl magazine writes: “It is hardly necessary to waste words over the so-called bikini since it is inconceivable that any girl with tact and decency would ever wear such a thing.”

Early 1960s In 1960, Bryan Hyland releases a hit single: “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.”

Two years later, Ursula Andress emerges from the sea wearing a belted white bikini as Honey Ryder in Dr. No, Sean Connery’s first James Bond film. That same year, Playboy finally puts a bikini on the cover.

1963 Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon star in Beach Party, and Funicello’s baby pink bikini drives America wild. The Beach Boys are writing songs like “California Girls” and “Surfin’ Safari,” and the bikini officially enters the mainstream.

1966 Raquel Welch wears a fur bikini in One Million Years BC. The rugged, tattered loincloth she wears on the poster ends up becoming more famous than the actual film, and propels her toward a crowning achievement: Playboy’s Most Desired Woman of the 1970s.

1983 Carrie Fisher takes the bikini off the beach.

In Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, Princess Leia rocks a gold metal bikini that will spawn years’ worth of Halloween costumes.

1988 Réard’s company finally closes, but the bikini’s popularity continues to soar, accounting for more than 20 percent of swimsuit sales in the United States. The suit grows smaller than ever, as G-strings make their way north from Brazil and suits are cut higher than ever at the thigh.

2003 It takes more than a string bikini to make a splash these days, but when Demi Moore walked out of the ocean in Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, her comeback turned into the year’s favorite topic of conversation. That scene was credited with reviving her career.

2010 Eva Herzigova wears a retro-looking leather bikini on Adriana Degreas’s Sao Paolo runway. It’s the first bikini that could double as an outfit—if you have Herzigova’s body, that is.

2011 Gwyneth Paltrow takes her family on vacation and is caught showering in a bikini on the deck of Steven Spielberg’s yacht. The mother of two shows off an impossibly fit body and women

2012 Kate Upton, a relatively unknown model best recognized for doing the Dougie at a baseball game in a Youtube video, lands Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover of the year. She wears a swimsuit (if you can call it that) that would make Reard himself blush.

Lompraya News Lomprayah’s new branches at Krabi and Phuket

Lomprayah’s customers get ready for our new branches at Krabi and Phuket. Lomprayah Krabi and Phuket would start its service now, so that customer services can be provided thoroughly both in Krabi and Phuket. We also have several promotion packages for our customers, so please follow us on www. lomprayah.com or Call: 0 7562 2318-9 (Krabi), 0 7621 6044-6 (Phuket)

Lomprayah offers high-speed boat to Full Moon Party and New Year 2013

Special deal! Lomprayah offers high-speed boat services for passengers from Koh Samui to Haad Rin, the Full Moon Party beach and New Year 2013 Celebration Party, officially available since the 28th of December, 2012 and 31 December 2012, for our customer’s convenience and time saving to join the Full Moon Party and New Year 2013 Celebration Party. For further details. please visit www.lomprayah.com and www.lomlahk.com

Greenwood Travel Thailand 20th Anniversary

20th Anniversary Party @Suan Luang Rama 9 on 21 December 2012

Happy 20th Anniversary to Green Wood Travel. Wish you and your team all the best.

Green Wood Travel Co., Ltd. is a local tour operator with over 20 years experience, based in Bangkok; the network of branch offices are located in Phuket, Koh Samui, Hua Hin, Pattaya, Koh Chang and Chiang Mai.

Global News Jet Ski King’s Cup – World Cup Grand Prix 2012 5 – 9 December 2012, Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, Chonburi Province

Jet Ski King’s Cup – World Cup Grand Prix is held continuously every year. The tournament has been receiving great interests from a variety of people including both international and domestic racing teams. The racing can be classified into many categories such as Amateur Class, Sport Class and Standard Class.

Amazing Thailand Countdown 2013 @Central World Bangkok 31 December 2012 – 1 January 2013, Pleon Jit - Ratchaprasong – Pathumwan, Bangkok

Enjoy the countdown celebration around Ratchaprasong area, concert from famous singers in Thailand, entertainment activities and firework presentations.

Pattaya Countdown 2013 31 December 2012 – 1 January 2013, Bali Hai Pier, Pattaya, Chonburi Province

Experience Christmas Day activities along the road which decorated by Christmas lights, Christmas trees, snowman and other Christmas decorations. Enjoy the concert from various famous singers, firework presentations with 2013 shots and countdown celebration.

Tip to Trip

Tips to

Full Moon

Party

- Take your passport copy with you, and keep original passport in the resort’s secure safe.

- Do not bring your valuables to the party. Thousands people are there, you’ll never catch the thief.

- At the party, you may forget or lose your bags, so it’s better if you leave them at the resort.

- Bring enough money for the drinks and keep it attached to yourself.

- Take the resorts details for contacting the resort in case of emergency.

- Wear shoes to protect your feet from broken bottles but do not wear the expensive ones.

- Take good care of your camera, you’re not gonna lose only the item but also memories of the good time.

- Keep away from DRUGS, no matter what anyone says.

Someone might try to sell them to you but remember DRUGS are ILLEGAL in Thailand and VERY STRONG PENALTIES.

- Do not eat or drink anything that is offered by strangers.

- If you don’t plan to stay up all night at the party, you are advised to stay in bungalow facilities outside Haad Rin (unless you think you can sleep with that very loud party noise).

Besides, there are more than hundred bungalow places to choose and you can go back to your bungalow anytime you like by all night taxi service.