t-Globe Thailand Magazine- Nr 1 - English

www.t-globe.com

Vol.1 NO.1 February MMXI

Magazine

Thailand

Features:

Samchuk

100years at

Rolf Potts Travel Writer back to Rolf Potts Thailand again after 7 years

Thailand’s Secret:

Weavings of Suphanburi

www.facebook.com/tglobethailand

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

01

t-Globe Thailand Column คอลั มน์ Magazine Team .....Editor Adviser.....

Rebel Bay Vorapong Vongvarotai

.....Executive Editor Jamree Preechasoonthorn

.....Editor

Woramon Sirinopakul Natwadee Uthaitham

Columnist.....

Sasitorn Namngam Nalisara Tangtrongjaisakun Jenjira Ngernroopngam

.....Graphic Designer

Yada Chinarak Kriticha Kuankitsujjporn

.....Photographer.....

Tipawan Gatesomboon t-Globe Team

t-Globe Thailand Magazine: Ground Floor, 55/531 Muang Thong Thani, Moo 9, Soi 2/2, Chaengwattana Rd., Bangpood, Pakkred, Nonthaburi 11120

02

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

E T O N s ’ R EDITO Happy New Year of the Rabbit 2011 and the Chinese New Year! Here we are with never ending celebrations from one festive season to another. Now is the best time to enjoy traveling, even though unexpected weather conditions due to global warming may occur. So don’t forget to take good care of your health – if not, you may miss out on several interesting places we present in this magazine!

The first issue of t-Globe Thailand Magazine features the story of Samchuk 100 year market, one of the best live museums in Thailand (see in Destinations). Besides that, we give you some more knowledge about Supan Buri local textiles (in Thailand’s Secrets) and then, have a look at several cool calendars for your work desk (in iDea-D).

If you don’t have anything in mind for your Next Trip, look at our selection of wonderful holiday destinations. Maybe you even find a romantic place to bring your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day. All this is waiting for you here…just click!

Jamree Preechasoonthorn Executive Editor

Contents Vol.1 NO.1 February MMXI 04 News 08 Destinations 16

Tour-Thai

20

Thailand’s Secrets

22

Features

33

Lost for Words

34 iDea-D 36

Next Trip

Travel News all around Thailand Samchuk Market: More than an ancient community, more than an award-winning place, but the Living Museum of Suphan Buri.

Up North, down South, from East to West, here we review exciting places where to go and what to see all over Thailand.

In every district you can discover the secrets of unique products.

Read “Jolly Good Excuse for a Party”, a special article

by Rolf Potts - one of the best American travel writers who was back to Thailand again after 7 years A wonderful photo to share - we don’t have to say anything more.

There are no boundaries of creativity for New Year calendars.

34

06 16 22 24 t-Globe Thailand Magazine

03

Column News t-Globe คอลัมน์

Phuket Street Show Festival 2010 The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office, in co-operation with Phuket City, Old Phuket Foundation and Old Phuket Town, organized the first “Phuket Street Festival 2010” on December 17 to 19, 2010.

The festival, which took place on Thalang Road contributed to millions of smiles and brought many joyful moments to the audience.

The local community was encouraged to participate in welcoming tourists, too.

Buri Ram’s New Year Festival

Peerasak Hinmuangkow, the provincial governor and representative of Buri Ram province, together with Prakhon Chai Provincial Organization held the Festival “Kao Mali Hom Pla Jom Kung Chom Tung Nok Prakhon Chai” to celebrate the New Year 2011 in order to promote tourism in the province. The event also included a lot of local food, shopping miles and many contests, expecting sales of more than ten million Baht.

04

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Boomerang Village Very Congenial and Relaxing Ambience, Your relaxing holiday will resemble your dreams...

Boomerang Village, Certificated of Excellent For the Year 2010 by Tripadvisor.co.uk, are located conveniently close to Kata town and only a 45-minute drive from the Phuket International Airport.

Surrounded by lush vegetation and tropical plants.

There are many modern services and luxury amenities for the convenience of guests.

The atmosphere is quiet and intimate and never crowded.

visit www.phuket-boomerang.com or call +66 (0) 7628 4480, +66 (0) 7633 3102 (Mobile +66 (0) 8436 02733) E-mail: info@phuket-boomerang.com or Skype: boomerangvil age 9/11-13 soi 10 Patak rd. Kata Phuket 83100, Thailand

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

05

Column คอลัมน์

King Taksin Memorial Day and Chanthaburi Red Cross Fair Chanthaburi province held King Taksin Memorial Day and Chanthaburi Red Cross Fair on December 28 to January 5 in honor of King Taksin, King Rama V and H.M.the King. Among the main attractions of the event was a Light & Sound performance and various activities as well. The Provincial Governor of Chantaburi and Chanthaburi Provincial Red Cross Chapters also took part as honorary actors during the performance.

The 10th Samchuk Delicious Festival

The 10th Samchuk Delicious festival or “Aroi Dee Tee Samchuk” was back again on December 31 to January 2 in Suphan Buri. The highlights included the largest buffet in Thailand, an old-style cooking demonstration and special food activities – tourists just needed to buy dishes and glasses and got the food for free. Besides that, “Yok Sam Rub” tradition took place. During that ceremony the giver offers food and dessert to their neighbors, saying “Here is wealth” and the receiver will wash and return the dishes, saying “Wish you full dishes of wealth”.

Winter Rose Festival 2010 The Chiang Mai Rose Society organized the “Chiang Mai Winter Rose Festival 2010” at Silapacheep/ Support Foundation Shop on Huay Keaw Road, Chiang Mai from December 24 to 26, 2010. The non-commercial and small scale event took place in a peaceful atmosphere. The visitors highly appreciated the bouquets of roses as well as the information provided to gain more knowledge about these flowers.

06

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

A secret waiting to be discovered and located only 15 minutes from Koh Tao.

"Nangyuan Island Dive Resort" is the place of tranquility and serenity and is a perfect place to unwind from the rigors of travel, or for the more adventurous a chance to dive into an exciting new experience.

Nangyoun Island Dive Resort http://www.nangyuan.com/

46 Moo 1, Koh Tao, Suratthani, Thailand 84280 Tel. +66 (0) 7745 6088-93, +66 (0) 7745 6794-96, +66 (0)8 1958 1766, +66 (0)8 9971 5562 Fax. +66 (0) 7745t-Globe 6088 Thailand Magazine

07

Column คอลัมน์ Destination Writer: Kaki Photo: t-globe Thailand Team

100 years at

Sam

08

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

mchuk

G

ood old days are never forgotten. There fore, Thailand has plenty of floating markets and ancient cities to offer that labeled themselves to be “100 Year old Market�.

For example, there is Gao Hong Market at Amphoe Bang Pla Ma, Si Pra Chan Market in Suphanburi, Rahang Market in Pathumthani or even Nang Loeng Market in Bangkok.

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

09

Column คอลัมน์ However, speaking of the original “100 Year old Market” and the most attractive market for Eco-tourism, “Samchuk Market” or the Century Market in Suphanburi must certainly be mentioned.

10

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Winning the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Merit 2009 in recognition of cultural heritage conservation, Samchuk Market was established in 1896 in large 2-storey wooden buildings. During the reign of Rama V, it was the most important trading post in the province for Chinese and Thai merchants. Nowadays it is proudly called the “Living Museum� as it remained in its original style until now.

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

11

Column คอลัมน์

12

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

For 114 years, the Samchuk community successfully kept the ancient atmosphere unlike somewhere else. Below are some recommendations for those who love traditional places:

“Siwanan Phanich” Coffee Shop A traditional Thai way of coffee making. With an old-style coffee machine and experienced coffee makers, this taste is very unique no matter if it is Arabica or Robusta. The shop has been established in 1965 when the price for one cup of coffee was only 3 to 5 Satang (currently 7 to 10 Baht) and it has been a meeting place for coffee drinkers, the so-called coffeehouse forum of the market. Open daily from 7 am to 5 pm, located in Soi 1 of Samchuk.

Baan Khun Chamnong Jeenarak Museum An ancient 3-storey wooden merchant house, the former home of the first tax collector of Samchuk. The Museum includes photos of traditional life style and antiques like tables, beds or porcelain dishes. Here, the best information about Samchuk community is provided, located in Soi 2.

Old City Pillar Shrine of Samchuk This place is very popular among travelers to pay worship and to pray for good fortune and luck, frequented especially by vendors. Located in Soi 2.

Udom Chok Hotel The hotel, also located in Soi 2, is a 2-storey wooden building. Though it is no longer a hotel, this shop serving soft drinks fascinates with its Soda Lemonade and it offers an excellent menu, too. Furthermore, the walls are decorated with beautiful paintings.

Silp Thammachat Photo Shop Ancient lovers shouldn’t miss a shot here because they still use the same camera since the business started, more than 100 years ago. And if you want to look like in the “good old times”, there are costumes and settings at your disposal.

Hok-An Drugstore A 70-year-old Chinese drugstore that preserves all drug tools in its original state.

Scales, mortars, drawers or abacus that you might have seen in old Chinese movies are handed down from many generations – besides that, more than a thousand different herbs are available!

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

13

Column คอลัมน์ Apart from these nice shops, Samchuk market offers a great variety of food and many famous local desserts set up in two rows: 100-year noodles, rice wrapped in lotus leaf and Ja Cheurd Roasted Duck.

The highlight for old-fashioned dessert is ancient rolled wafers or Tong Muan Boran which have a sweet smell, combining coconut and sesame. Make sure to be quick because they sell like hot cake. Moreover, if you unexpectedly come across Luk Lan syrup or Luk Lan Loey Keaw, you have to know that you are very lucky since Luk Lan tree bears fruits only every 40 to 50 years.

We recommend you to take a ferry ride on Tha Chin River after your exciting shopping and eating adventures. The view from the river is fantastic and at the same time you may realize why Samchuk Market was honored with the UNESCO reward. Along the river, there are old docks for delivering goods, charcoal production and rice mills. The ferry will lead you to Cholamarkpijarn Dam, then it turns to Samchuk temple – another Live Museum administered by monks since the late Ayutthaya period.

Visitors who want to take a ferry can choose either the service of Wat Samchuk, which has no fare charge but is based on donation - or take a private ferry for about 60 Baht. The trip takes 30 minutes to one hour.

You’ll see, Samchuk is a lively place - you can touch, taste and feel the past. And you might fall in love with all what it has to offer.

Famous and rare local food 100-year noodles, rice wrapped in lotus leaf, Tong Muan Boran, Luk Lan, traditional coffee and Soda Lemonade@Udom Chok Hotel.

Date and Time Daily from 8 am to 5 pm.

Tips Samchuk is open every day, thus you do not have to mix with the crowd from Monday to Friday. Yet there are less street vendors and less shops open on weekends and holidays.

14

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Journey : By private car From Bangkok, take the road to Amphoe Bang Bua Thong, then from Nonthaburi to Suphanburi (approximately 107 km.). From here follow Highway 340 for about 20 km to Amphoe Si Prachan.

Tesco Lotus is located at the entrance of Samchuk market.

By van A van to Samchuk leaves from Kokwua Intersection, near Royal Hotel. Take a short walk after getting off and you will be right at the market.

By bus Take the Bangkok-Tha-Chang bus line from the Transport Station and go to Bangkok’s Southern Bus Terminal or to Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal.

Accommodation Samchuk Resort 131 Moo 1 Suphanburi-Chainat Rd., Samchuk district, Suphanburi 72130, Tel. 0 3550 4210, 0 3554 4235 Fax. 0 3550 4752

Ban Suan Resort 193 Moo 9 Yan Yao district, Amphoe Samchuk, Suphanburi 72130, Tel. 0 3554 4143, 08 1012 1253

Tassanee Guesthouse 799 Moo 2 Samchuk district, Suphanburi (500 meters from Samchuk intersection to district office), Tel. 0 3557 1139

Ruen Thai Sakorn Homestay 13 Moo 1 Samchuk district, Suphanburi Tel. 08 1303 3674, 08 6751 2686

Suphannabumi Resort Right at the entrance of Samchuk Market, Tel. 0 3550 4789, 0 3557 1139

Tha Chin Guesthouse near Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi, Center Point Building, Tel. 08 1705 2644

Further information: Samchuk Eco-Development Board Tel. 0 3550 4498, 0 3557 2449 or 08 1640 3327

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

15

Column Tour-Thaiคอลัมน์ Story : Pangjii Winter is the season which everybody has enthusiastically been looking forward to. And it always comes up with questions like: “Where should we go?” or “Which place is interesting?”, and many other questions about travel destinations in this (too short) winter. So, today, “Tour-Thai” would like to recommend you, for this season, some tourist attractions from the four parts of Thailand.

Sweet

Northeast

Cold Weather Flowers in Phu Ruea

Photo : www.loeitravel.com Phu Ruea District is a highland where the weather is cool throughout the year. Besides that, the region has an abundance of various species of flowers. Therefore, the provincial slogan is “City of the Sea of Mountains, Coldest Place in Siam and Beautiful Flowers of Three Seasons”.

From December 29, 2010 to January 3, 2011, a cold-weather flower festival took place at the Phu Ruea City Hall in Loei. For those who missed the festival, you can still visit the town and feel the touch of cool weather in this City of Mountain Sea. It lasts until February.

16

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Up

North

Let’s Go Uphill

“Doi Inthanon” is one of the very places everybody would think of when the cool wind begins to blow. With an altitude of 2,599 meters, Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand and the weather is cool throughout the year. This National Park provides many attractive spots such as Mae Ya Waterfall, Barichinda Cave, Inthanon Royal Project and various walkways for studying about the forest’s flora and fauna that attract many nature lovers. Without a doubt, many tourists enjoy to visit this place. So…“let’s go uphill this winter”.

Photo: http://www.ec-mall.com

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

17

Column คอลัมน์

Down South

New Year Blessing at Relics Pagoda, Tang Kuan Hill

If you’re considering to make this New Year as a good new start for everything in your life, I (totally) agree with that! And to add a small holy quality to it, I would like to recommend you a place where to go to pay respect - Songkhla’s Relics Pagoda. It is located at 2,000 feet above sea level, on the top of Tang Kuan Hill. King Rama IV donated government funds for restoration and renovation. In December 1996, King Rama IX gave the Buddha’s relics to be kept in this pagoda…. I believe that good things come after a good start….

18

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Photo : http://www.oknation.net

On the Shore of the Gulf of Thailand Traveling at Chao Lao Beach

Chao Lao is a beach with golden-rose and fine sand which is exclusively found at Chantaburi. During low tide, you can see the sand dune at the Kung Kraben Wildlife Restricted Area. The east side of the beach is bordered by a rocky cape. A viewpoint is situated on the hill behind the beach where you can enjoy beautiful sea views. You can walk uphill, go fishing (groupers) or snorkeling. There are many accommodation offered and you can find many seafood restaurants that are popular for tourists for their fresh sea specialties.

Source : http://www.muangthai.com http://www.Weluwetland.net http://www.songkhlatourism.org/index.php t-Globe Thailand Magazine

19

จุColumn Thailand’s ดหมายปลายทาง คอลัSecret มน์ By the locals

Weavings of Suphan Buri

Suphan Buri Province is famous for its unique dialects and for a special Thai dessert, a sponge cake called Salee. The province which has a long history of its own is home to several ethnic groups including the Thai-Laotians. Their folk wisdom reveals some rare and valuable knowledge – it is a local secret called Pa Sin Teen Chok Lai Boran, or the traditional pattern weaving.

20

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Photo : http://www.panoramio.com

Categories:

Hand woven textiles

Price:

150-7,000 Baht

Manufacturer:

Traditional Patterned Cloth Weaving Group

In the village of Ban Thung Kan Lueang, there is a large population of Lao Si and Lao Krang who are mostly farmers. When they accomplished their work at the rice fields, they used to weave clothes both for their own use and for sale. Since the hand woven textiles gained a very good reputation, the villagers formed a community to produce the traditional pattern weaving.

Pa Sin Teen Chok is either woven with hand-dyed threads or silk threads, all with natural colors such as bark or true indigo. The people weave the textiles with traditional looms to make patterns. The beauty and uniqueness of each garment originate from the weaver’s imagination and ability; therefore the Lao Si and Lao Krang’s traditional pattern that is developed from generations to generations, can only be found here in Suphan Buri.

Available at:

25/1 Moo 5, Pha Sa Kae District, Amphur Doem Bang Nang Buat, Suphan Buri Doem Bang Nang Buat Community Development Office, Suphan Buri.

For more information:

Mrs. Somchit Pharueang, call 0 9926 2864 or dermbang91@hotmail.com Photo : www.bloggang.com (Abird’s Gallery) t-Globe Thailand Magazine

21

Column คอลัมน์ Features

Rolf Potts Photo : http://www.oknation.net 22

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Who is Rolf Potts has reported from more than sixty countries for the likes of National Geographic Traveler, the New York Times Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, The Guardian (U.K.) …etc. His adventures have taken him across six continents, and include piloting a fishing boat 900 miles down the Laotian Mekong, hitchhiking across Eastern Europe, traversing Israel on foot, bicycling across Burma, and driving a Land Rover from Sunnyvale, California to Ushuaia, Argentina.

Potts is perhaps best known for promoting the ethic of independent travel, and his book on the subject, Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel (Random House, 2003), has been through twelve printings and translated into several foreign languages. His newest book, Marco Polo Didn’t Go There: Stories and Revelations From One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer (Travelers’ Tales, 2008), won a 2009 Lowell Thomas Award from the Society of American Travel Writers, and became the first American-authored book to win Italy’s prestigious Chatwin Prize for travel writing.

Rolf ’s essays have appeared in over twenty literary anthologies, and sixteen of his stories have been short-listed for The

Rolf Potts?

Best American Travel Writing. His writing for National Geographic Traveler, Slate. com, Lonely Planet, Outside and Travelers’ Tales garnered him Lowell Thomas Awards in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009; and he’s been cited as an expert on independent travel by publications around the world, from National Geographic Adventure, to TIME Asia, to Italy’s La Stampa daily, to the Australian Financial Review, to the Russian edition of Newsweek.

Though he rarely stays in one place for more than a few weeks or months, Potts feels somewhat at home in Bangkok, Cairo, Pusan, New Orleans, and north-central Kansas, where he keeps a small farmhouse on 30 acres near his family.

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

23

Column คอลัมน์

Books Marco Polo Didn’t Go There

Stories and Revelations from One Decade as a Postmodern Travel Writer (Travelers’ Tales) This book collects Rolf’s boldest, funniest, and most revealing journeys from his first 10 years as a travel writer — from crashing the set of a Leonardo DiCaprio movie in Thailand to learning the secrets of Tantric sex in a dubious Indian ashram. Each chapter contains a “commentary track” — humorous endnotes that reveal the ragged edges behind the experience and creation of each tale. Offbeat and insightful, this book is an engrossing Book excerpt and full information available at rolfpotts.com/marco

read for students of travel writing as well as armchair wanderers.

Vagabonding

An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel (Villard/Random House) “Vagabonding” is about taking time off from your normal life — from six weeks, to four months, to two years — to discover and experience the world on your own terms. Rolf shows how anyone armed with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel.

Outside magazine founding editor Tim Cahill calls Vagabonding “the most sensible book of travel related advice ever written.”

24

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Book excerpt and full information available at Vagabonding.net.

Jolly Good Excuse for

a Party

by Rolf Potts, first published on January 2004

On a palm-fringed playing field just outside the Thai resort town of Hua Hin, 120 miles south of Bangkok, on the coast, the semifinal of the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament is under way: Two-ton beasts lumber around the pitch carrying pith-helmeted players, who whack at a tiny polo ball with eight-foot mallets. A gallery of Thais and bemused tourists chat among themselves at the edge of the field, pausing to clap politely whenever the ball manages to roll its way over the goal line.

Photo : www.sutprattana.com

I

ssit in the press box with my notepad and try to figure out how to describe the elephant spolo action. It’s not easy. The rules are simple enough: Two teams of three elephants each face off on a pitch slightly larger than a football field for two ten-minute chukkers of playing time; goals are scored when the ball rolls between the red-and-white poles at each end of the playing area. But while the King’s Cup is an elite contest in the sport’s Triple Crown (the other two annual tournaments are played in Nepal and Sri Lanka), it’s hard to get excited about a game that moves at the pace of a slow-motion replay. In sporting terms, the spectacle is slightly more intense than croquet yet somehow less engrossing than skeet shooting. Moreover, considering that none of the players knows

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

25

Column คอลัมน์

how to drive his own elephant (this task is left to the Thai mahouts), specific skills and strategies can be difficult to pinpoint. To get a vague idea of elephant polo’s tactical challenges, imagine a Grand Prix auto race involving school buses that are steered by the racers’ giving verbal commands to Bangladeshi truck drivers.

A gong rings after ten minutes of play, signaling the end of the first chukker. The players retire to a VIP tent for Bloody Marys and cucumber sandwiches, the Thai mahouts squat to smoke cigarettes along the sidelines, and the elephants pad off to douse themselves with pond water. Notebook in hand, I wander over to hang out with the elephants.

One of the aims of the King’s Cup is to raise money for Thailand’s National Elephant Institute (NEI), and on this day the animals are certainly earning their keep. In addition to serving as polo steeds, NEI elephants have been entertaining spectators by painting pictures with their trunks and pounding out music on oversized xylophones. Whimsical though this may sound, these elephantine pursuits have already caused a ripple on the international art scene: Elephant paintings have been auctioned for thousands of dollars at Christie’s in London, and the CD Elephant Orchestra landed on the New York Times’ year-end Best of the Obscure list in 2001.

A new CD, which includes elephant techno mixes and an MTV-style video, is planned for release next year.

Photo : 26

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

www.audemarspiguetreviews.com

Pop art aside, the NEI is the legacy of a 1989 Thai logging ban that put hundreds of domesticated elephants and mahouts out of work. Since there was not enough native habitat left in Thailand to support these animals in the wild, many were reduced to begging for food with their trainers on the streets of Bangkok and Chiang Mai. According to Richard Lair, a drawling San Francisco exile who’s been working with Thai elephants for more than a decade, the institute seeks to provide domesticated elephants the chance to “make a living” through tourist activities, the sale of paintings, and sponsored spectacles such as elephant polo.

“I’m not sure the elephants care one way or another about playing the game,” Lair tells me as we wander through the elephant pavilion adjacent to the polo pitch. “I suppose the younger elephants enjoy running around, but they mostly see it as just another job.”

Of all the exhibits Lair has on display, I’m most fascinated by a booth illustrating how heavy-grade ornamental paper can be pressed from elephant dung (huge piles of which are removed from the playing field by Thai workers as the game progresses). When I express skepticism at the aesthetic appeal of paper that has passed through a two-ton pachyderm, Lair is unruffled.

“Elephant-dung paper is popular with tourists,” he insists. “Although our experiment with elephant-dung hats wasn’t quite as successful.”

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

27

Column คอลัมน์ “Why, was it too hard to mold the paper?”

“Oh, the hats molded just fine,” Lair says, giving me a wry look. “They just didn’t hold up in the rain.” As if on cue, the gong rings and another chukker of elephant polo begins.

That evening, I put on my finery and head out to the “Silk Road” elephant polo gala, which takes place along the landscaped lagoons of Hua Hin’s posh Anantara Resort. Here, the Gulf of Thailand beachfront has been transformed into something resembling a Central Asian bazaar: Chinese acrobats juggle and contort, merchants in colorful tents dispense Persian and Turkish delicacies, and (in a decidedly anomalous detail) a chubby Thai man sings perfect Louis Armstrong.

In keeping with the Silk Road theme, the polo players have come dressed as Venetian merchants and Kazakh warlords.

Though I’ve been mingling with these players for nearly half a week, I’m still not sure what most of them do for a living. A few have referred to themselves as lawyers or real estate men, but there seems to be an old-money vagueness to their professional pursuits. According to the press kit, a Scottish member of the Nepal team has spent time searching for the “lost treasures of the Inca,” an American player on Thailand’s squad has been flying a Cessna around Africa and Asia for the past twelve years, and the English captain of the Sri Lanka team once went to sea on a bamboo raft to prove that the Chinese reached America before Columbus.

At the edge of the banquet hall, I recognize a tall, silk-clad gentleman as Jim Edwards, the sexagenarian Brit who (along with Scotsman James Manclark) dreamed up elephant polo over buttered rum at a St. Moritz toboggan club in 1982. Two decades on, his World Elephant Polo Association has grown to encompass three annual tournaments, a Web site that hawks official sportswear, and formal recognition by the Nepal Olympics Association (which gives elephant polo the distinction of being the first Olympic-candidate sport wherein dung from the gold-medal match can be fashioned into commemorative stationery).

“Technically, elephant polo was never our invention,” Edwards tells me, sipping a gin and tonic. “An early form of the game was played in the eighteenth century, in the harems of the Mogul Indian kings. We’ve just revived that tradition and added modern rules. For those of us who love the game, elephant polo isn’t really a sport so much as a way of life.” He pauses to take in the Chinese acrobats and the sumptuous spread of the buffet tables. “It’s a jolly good excuse for a party, as well.”

28

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Fame Tour & Service

is your one stop travel service for Chumphon, Koh Tao and in general all South of Thailand.

We offer a central guest house in Chumphon Town, with ample and clean rooms, attached bathroom and hot shower, a restaurant pizzeria where you can get the best of Thai, Italian and International cuisine as well as Car & Bike For Rent and Transportation Services.

Located in the Chumphon Archipelago Marine National park, MT.Resort is the perfect place if you are looking for somewhere quiet and relax to spend your holiday. You can visit the Marine Park, go out for a day trip to the nearby islands and even go for a day trip by LOMPLAYAH High Speed Catamaran to the island of Koh tao 37 miles away.

13 Moo 3, Had Sairee, Amphur Muang, Chumphon 86000 THAILAND Tel: 0 7755 8152-3, 08 9505 2490 Fax: 0 7755 8096 E-mail: mt-resort@hotmail.com Tourism Authority of Thailand

Tourism Thailand

www.tourismthailand.org

Visit 188/20-21 Sala Deang Road, Amphue Mueang, Chumpon 86000 Tel. 0 7757 1077, Fax. 0 7757 1076 www.chumphon-kohtao.com

www.chumphon-kohtao.com

THE BEST SAIL ALONG

http://www.tongnatee.page-5.com/ Mae Ping Lake

h t i w Tongnatee Co.,Ltd.

13 Ratchadaphisek Rd. (Tha Pra-Talad Plu zone) Amphoe Bangkok Yai, Bangkok 10160 Tel: 0 2467 2557, 0 2457 3428 , 0 2457 6873-4 Fax: 0 2457 6875

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

29

Column คอลัมน์

The acrobats soon make way for a gala auction of elephant paintings to benefit the NEI. As cocktails are quaffed and the bidding heats up, I casually joke to the resort publicist that elephant polo will one day overtake golf as a status sport for corporate bigwigs. Five minutes later, she returns with a brochure for Anantara’s Elephant Polo Team-Building Programme—a spa package for corporations that includes three-to-a-side elephant polo matches, souvenir videotapes of the action, and trophies for the winners. As I page through the brochure, a Swedish member of the Nepal team leaps up onto the stage, strips off his dirty polo socks, and—in a gin-fueled moment of inspiration—triumphantly auctions them off for a thousand dollars.

By the end of the night, the elephants of Thailand are $25,000 richer and a good number of the players are walking around barefoot.

The championship game takes place the following day, as the defending Chivas Regal Nepal team takes the field against an upstart trio of Mercedes-sponsored Germans. Since the press section is full, I sit with a team of cheerful Australian and Canadian expats who play under the flag of Singapore. By far the most plebian of the King’s Cup competitors, the Singapore team has managed to win the approval of the other players with their boisterous charm, their impeccable sportsmanship, and their hapless tendency to lose every game they play.

“We held most of our team practices in a pub,” Singapore captain Tim Deyzel admits as we watch the Germans lumber to an early lead. “But we’re thinking about buying a ladder for next year.”

“A ladder?”

“For practice.” Deyzel gives me a sober look.

“It’s hard to find elephants in Singapore.”

Photo : 30

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

www.notesfromthailand.com

As the championship game plods on, I joke with the Singapore players about what could be done to perk up such an inherently slow-paced event. Elephant cheerleaders, perhaps? Steroids?

Brawls? A three-point line? Celebrity dung-pickers?

Our answer comes in the midst of the second chukker, when a freak thunderstorm breaks out and the pace of the game mysteriously picks up. Peering into the deluge, I can’t immediately pinpoint the source of this new vitality, since the mahouts appear disoriented, the players look sodden and miserable, and the ball keeps disappearing into mud puddles. Then, amid the raindrops, I notice a certain spring in the steps of the animals that have carried this whole crazy tournament on their backs. Indeed, after four days on the job, it appears that the elephants have finally found a reason to enjoy themselves.

5 lovely Holiday Homes

Sita Garden was designed as a small village of unique holiday homes directly at a perfect bathing beach. With lovely furnitures and facilities, you'll enjoy spending a private holidays here.The staffs are friendly, so impressive that you'll want to come here again next year.

For more information and reservation, please contact sitagarden08@khaolak.de sitagarden08@khaolak.de

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

31

Column คอลัมน์

Around the World With no Luggage 42 days on the road, 34,440 miles traveled, 12 countries visited, 3 oceans crossed, 12 flights flown, 4 trains taken…and 0 bags! And this is the project that Rolf Potts has successfully accomplished: Traveling around the globe without carrying any luggage. (And don’t think it was a “filthy” trip - he washed his clothes every night!)

Traveling from late August to October last year, Rolf’s journey started and finished in New York City. He visited England, France, Spain, Morocco, Egypt, South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. His experiences included a straight razor shave from an Egyptian barber, mountain activities while exploring the laws of physics in New Zealand, eating fried insects from a street vendor in Thailand and many more exciting adventures.

During his trip through Thailand, t-Globe team was part of the Bangkok guides for Rolf and his friends – showing them around Khao San Road, Chinatown and enjoying the night life at Sukhumvit (see Rolf’s perspective on Thailand at facebook.com/tglobethailand).

Embracing the minimalist approach he said in his articles that it seemed, the less he took, the less he had to worry about, and the less slowed him down. Rolf also emphasized that the experience he got during his global trip is more important than what he brought with him.

“I didn’t pack many items for the journey, but I did manage to pack in a lot of experiences — so many that I feel like I’ve been gone a lot more than a month and a half,” said Rolf in the last field report.

34,440 miles traveled 42 days on the road

12 countries visited

3 oceans crossed

12 flights flown

4 trains taken

and 0 bags!

See more No Baggage Challenge and field reports at www.rtwblog.com

32

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

Lost For Words

“When no word is needed”

...ไออุ่นแห่งรุ่งอรุณ... attractive pictures, For those who have nd to share, please se c. et rd ca st po , os phot ption. e.com with some ca ob gl @ am te to em th ly to yourself, since Do not keep them on ”. better than to “say is ” ee “s to es im somet

somboon, Bangkok.

Credit: Tipawan Gate

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

33

Column คอลัมน์ idea-D

After the New Year’s celebration, everybody has to go back to his or her daily routine. But, life can be such a boredom when everything is always done in the same way. Take our desk calendar at work for example.

It always comes with the same old pattern and the certain style. So, today idea-D would like to present some cutting-edge items. You may love some of them… who knows?

Date Lens This particular desk calendar is especially designed for camera lovers. The aluminum lens certainly looks like a real camera lens. To set the date, just rotate the ring around the lens, then adjust the ‘Shutter Speed’ and ‘Aperture Ring’. Now, this calendar is ready to go.

Source : http://www.toxel.com/tech/2009/01/27/the-worlds-first-camera-lens-calendar

Magnetic Perpetual Calendar Speaking of manual date-change desk calendar, many of you might think of a row of wooden cubes with figures from 0 to 9 (plus a pen holder) that shows the date, or another kind that has round lids on the prominent figures on a board telling the date. Here, with the high technology from Gideon Dagan, we have a calendar made from plastic and magnets. Just move the magnetic balls to set the date. This calendar can be either on the desk or on the wall. It was designed ten years ago and, still, how classy is that!!!

Source : Small Perpetual Calendar Gideon Dagan, 2008 34

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

CALENDER

REDNELAC

Calendar with Matches The designer of this unique item created a calendar that can be used to light a fire. (How creative is that!?) Each month is represented by one page and each individual match corresponds to one day. So, whenever you need a light, you will have a match at hand.

Great….no one can ever say you’ve run out of light because now you have it every day. But, what would you do if you use a match from a “wrong date”?

Source : Calendar made of matches

Calendar with Vase This “Calendar Vase” is created

by Koo Jin-Woog from Nothing Design group, South Korea. It is designed as a small vase for beautiful flowers and it will add a decorative element to the typical wall calendar.

So, this “Calendar Vase” is the best gift for a special person in this New Year’s season. But if you haven’t got someone special yet, feel free to send it to idea-D…It will be no waste.

Source : http://www.xn--l3c2a5a7a3cwa.com/archives/3022#more-3022 t-Globe Thailand Magazine

35

Column Next Trips คอลัมน์ Suan Phung Music Festival 2011

March 12, 2011

Banyan Leaf Suanphung Resort proudly presents this love song music festival situated in a romantic mountain setting. Favorite artists include Bell Supon, Singular, “Rose” Sirintip Hanpradit, Pancake, Armchair, “Praew” Kanitkul Netbute and many more. There are also fun activities such as visiting the zoo and shopping for food and herbs. The concert will take place in Ratchaburi on March 12, from 2 pm to 2 am. Tickets cost 900 Baht.

Call 0 8224 8948 or visit www.SuanPhungMusicFestival.com

Colors of the South at Hat Yai Ice Dome :Sky Lanterns and Wonderful Ice World Now to February 28, 2011. Opening hours: from 5 pm to 11 pm Have a look at these spectacular sky lanterns in various patterns and colors as well as the wonderful Ice World at Hat Yai Ice Dome. This special event is aimed at stimulating the economy while assuring tourists the favorite destination they always knew.

Cruising and Watching Brahminy Kite and Fireflies Now to May 31, 2011 Join various interesting activities held at Baan Thasorn, Khlung District, Chanthaburi, such as cruising, watching hundreds of Brahminy kites and visiting fertile mangrove forests with a great diversity of aquatic animals. Discover the local lifestyle of fishermen and their natural environment which is becoming very rare these days.

Source: www.Weluwetland.net

Rak Kan Chang (So Much in Love) @ Kaeng Krachan Now to March 2011 This event is especially held for couples to cherish their love with ten romantic offers, such as sunset viewing on the dam bridge, “sea of mist” viewing on Mount Phanoenthung, camping, stargazing, and honeymooning at the resort along Phetchaburi River, with special deals for couples.

Call 0 3247 1005-6 or log on: www.tourismthailand.org

Northern Dinner & Sung Noen Shopping March 11-13, 2011 Nakhonratchasima Provincial Governor’s Office in co-operation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) organizes the traditional festival “Kin Kao Kham, Kong Dee Mueang Sung Noen” (Northern Dinner & Sung Noen Shopping 2011) at Mueang Khaek Castle, Korat District, Amphur Sung Noen. Enjoy eating Khantoke dinner - a traditional northern style of eating, watch the light and sound performance, go shopping for local products and many other activities. The festival takes place from March 11 to 13, 2011. One Khantoke for 5 persons costs 1,500 Baht.

Call 0 4441 9795 ext. 23.

Information from: Tourism Authority of Thailand (Head office), call 02 250 5500 36

t-Globe Thailand Magazine

http://www.bigbluediving.com/

http://www.la-villa-huahin.com/ La Villa Restaurant exclusively uses first quality products, mostly imported from Italy, in order to preserve the real taste of the traditional Italian food.

MENU Lasagna

Tortellini

Tagliatelle

Welcome to Big Blue Diving Resort, a PADI and SSI Diamond Dealer Instructor Training Facility with a bit of class & character!

17/18 Moo 1, Koh Tao, Suratthani, Thailand, 84280 Tel. +66 (0) 7745 6415 Fax +66 (0) 7745 6772 E-mail: info@bigbluediving.com

Ravioli

Rigatoni

Seafood salad with Italian dressing

Mussels and Clam in marinade sauce Shrimps cocktail

Home-made Tagliatelle with Truffle

2/2 Poolsuk, Hua-Hin 77110 Thailand La Villa Restaurant Open every day (Close the first two weeks of June) Lunch: 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM Dinner: 6:00 PM - 10:30 PM

http://www.chiangmaigardenguesthouse.com/

The real reason for our success is word of mouth: people come, then they come again bringing with them more people. The reason they do this is simple: the food is great with warm and friendly atmosphere.In my restaurant I wanted to recreate the atmosphere of Italian festive days, when couples, whole families and groups of friends seat around a table and enjoy themselves.

For more information and reservations call +66 (O) 76 284450 (phone/fax.) www.capannina-phuket.com or visit www.capannina-phuket.com

Chiangmai Garden Trekking Tour by Pissamorn ���/�� Ratchadumnern Road, Prasingh District,Thailand Chiangmai, ����� Thailand t-Globe Magazine 37 Mobile Number : +�� (�) ���� ���� Phone Number : +�� (�) ���� ���

Column คอลัมน์

k a w a h uB eng C

t a i k a r h p m r e l Cha

) m u i r a u q A k a w ng Cha

(Bue

Office hours • Mon - Fri 8.30 am to 5 pm • Sat - Sun and holidays 8.30 am to 6 pm Tel. +66 (0) 3543 9206 Fax. +66 (0) 3543 9210 E-mail : chawak_8@hotmail.com

38

t-Globe Thailand Magazine