Hua Hin News
Chill Out at Honda Summer Fest 2010
More than 20 Thai and foreign bands come together by the shores of the Royal Resort City for a beach party like no other. Thai acts to watch out for include Joey Boy, T-Bone, Thaitanium, Lipta, Tu Phop Thorn, Champion Supachai. Chirathivat, ETC, Teddy Ska Band, Spydamonkee, Kai-Jo Brothers, Tamone Band, Mocca Garden, and Buddha Bless, among other exciting performers.
Meanwhile, international artists set to grace the stage for the third year of this Summer Music Festival include Pistol Valve and Sweet Vacation from Japan; Uprooted DJ Team from China, Kingkapisi from New Zealand, and more.
If you’re looking to chill out and enjoy a well-deserved break, catch the Honda Summer Music Festival all day from 12 noon to 12 midnight. For tickets, you can log on to www.thaiticketmajor.com or visit www.freshairfestival.com for more details.
Thailand’s First Beach Polo Tournament Set
The Royal Resort City of Hua Hin will once again be the venue for yet another exciting event showcasing Thailand’s growing fondness for equestrian sports.
Beach polo marks its debut in the Land of Smiles with the Intercontinental-B. Grimm Beach Polo Tournament. Set on April 11, the tourney will unfold by the lovely beachfront of the Intercontinental Hua Hin Resort. The event also doubles as a fundraising activity for the Princess Mother’s Charities.
The organizers of the Beach Polo tournament has expressed their anticipation over the upcoming event. “This is a first of its kind for Thailand, so we are looking forward to it,” reveals Suwat Liptapanlop, one of the organizers. The tournament will also help boost tourism revenue in Hua Hin, with the expected attendance of polo enthusiasts.
Apart from the main event, the Beach Polo tournament will also feature performances from the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, a Fashion Show on Horseback featuring collections from Burberry and Escada, along with Kids Polo. A cocktail party will cap off the event prior to an invitational dinner.
Over recent years the equestrian sport of polo has endeared itself to Thailand, and the is a growing number of polo riders serves as a sign that the sport will be here to stay in the Land of Smiles. The Thai Polo and Equestrian Club was founded in 2005 to help gain support for the sport and improve the quality of riding and its regulations.
Hua Hin Hosts First Mekong River Summit
The conference marks the 15th anniversary of the founding of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and will seek to consolidate the commitment of the member countries towards the preservation of the region's most important river basin. The event seeks to bring together political leaders, development partners, officials from the People’s Republic of China and the Union of Myanmar, along with water resource experts in a bid to fortify regional cooperation.
The Summit in Hua Hin will also set the stage for the discussion of current threats faced by the Mekong Basin, including the phenomenon of climate change.
A range of possible opportunities will be tackled as well along with a review of the Millenium Development Goals as agreed upon by the member countries. The three-day event also seeks to address key factors in water resource management, which include food and energy production, biodiversity, as well as the role of livelihood in the alleviation of poverty in the region.
Preceding the 1st Mekong River Summit would be a two-day conference with the theme, “Transboundary Water Resources Management in a Changing World”, which serves as preliminary discussion with key resource persons along with regional partners as participants.
The Mekong River Basin encompasses all the bodies of water flowing into the Mekong River, including parts of China, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was established in 1995 through an agreement between Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam as well as the governments situated by the Lower Mekong Basin.
Global Tiger Initiative Launched in Hua Hin
Global concern is raised towards creating a strategy to prevent the extinction of tigers. Through the Global Tiger Initiative, a campaign spearheaded by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, a well-known tiger lover, and supported by the World Bank along with more than 30 non-government organizations. This campaign seeks to increase the numbers of the wild tiger, aiming to double their population by 2022, the next year of the Tiger.
According to Mike Baltzer, who is heading this initiative for the World Wildlife Fund, the main problem threatening the tiger population is the poaching epidemic‚ which has led to a 95 percent decrease in their numbers in the past century. Apart from this, rapid industrialization has also led to the loss of the tigers natural habitat. Most probably we won't lose the last tiger in the world, but it's highly possible that we will come to the point where tigers won't be able to survive in the wilderness anymore, Baltzer stated.
Tigers are venerated throughout Asia. Their pelts as given as good luck gifts while their fat is used as medicine by some apothecaries. Drinking wine mixed with tiger bones is widely believed to be a potion for strength. Most conservationists are interested to gain support from China, where there is much demand for products, especially medicine made from tigers. Today, a total of 50 wild tigers remain throughout China, per the latest report from Xinhua News Agency.
Thailand and India has led the region with upholding commitments towards tiger preservation. In cooperation with the World Bank, the global initiative plans to increase funding for anti-poaching squads and training for conservation officers. Thailand will also be stricter with enforcing port-of-entry measures to avoid the smuggling of wildlife.
The Hua Hin conference for the Global Tiger Initiative serves as the warm-up for a bigger pact-making meeting slated in September in Vladivostok, Russia.
Hua Hin Thailand's Arts Hub.
The group's founder, Patravadi Mejudhon, leads her team of artists in establishing their new home in the Royal Resort City. We chose Hua Hin as our newest venue as we believe our audience would appreciate our performances better without having to beat the city's heavy traffic jam, Patravadi enthuses. The theatre and dance diva has transformed the 5-heactare piece of land she had inherited from her mother into a venue designed to both entertain the audience and educate both local and international artists.
The Patravadi Theatre celebrates the launch of this year’s Fringe Festival with the inauguration of the Vic Hua Hin Art Complex. As a creative hub, the venue is composed of several art spaces, namely, the Vic Hua Hin Theatre (an indoor auditorium); Dome Dokmai (a floral-themed, onion-shaped dome); Art Camp (a group of igloo-like accommodations); and the Promenade (the venue’s official open-air theatre). Vic Hua Hin is unique in the sense that it is the only theatre in the world with a lot of holes, for the purpose of letting the seaside breeze into the venue, Patravadi reveals.
Among the other projects of the Pataravadi Theatre in the area include the Patravadi High School and Art Camp, which seeks to nurture gifted young talent in synergy with the country’s rich cultural heritage with its first semester starting in May this year. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Fringe Festival 2010 features performances from a wide array of Thai and foreign performance artists, along with a special inauguration performance from Khun Patravadi herself.
Among the special guests for this year’s festival include renowned Thai conductor Bundit Ungrangsee, piano duo Artas and Indhuorn Srikranond, along with ODC/Dance from the United States, and Israeli actress Yael Rasooly. Some of the performances one should watch out for include a show showcasing Taiwanese puppeteers, a show from Singapore's Maya Dance Theatre, and a celebration of Thai folk songs, among others. Our group hopes to give an opportunity for all artists to showcase their talents in a venue that totally supports them,” Pataravadi adds. She further reveals that Hua Hin's expat and hotel community has given the annual festival much support by offering discounts at select establishments in conjunction with the festival.
The Fringe Festival 2010 runs every weekend (Friday-Saturday) from January 22 to February 20 at the Vic Hua Hin complex on Petchakasem Road, a five-minute drive from the Hua Hin Market.
Hua Hin Tennis Face-off
Maria Sharapova, the current IT girl of today’s tennis world, is set to kick off 2010 with an exhibition match in Hua Hin pitting her against Venus Williams.
The highly-anticipated match, which is set on January 2, also marks Hua Hin’s 100th anniversary as Thailand’s Royal City Beach Resort.
In a recent interview, Sharapova has expressed her eagerness to return to the court after her break from the 2009 season due to a shoulder injury. “If I can snag a few more Wimbledons, then that will be great,” the tennis star stated.
Currently at number 14 in world tennis rankings, Sharapova will once again clash with another tennis heavyweight, Venus Williams, whom she beat in an exhibition game in Chiang Mai around five years ago.
“I have been training really hard and I’m really excited to come to Thailand—I can’t wait to eat Thai food!” an excited Sharapova adds.
Hua Hin Train Accident
A passenger train has derailed in the Royal Resort City of Hua Hin, killing around seven passengers and injuring around one hundred more.
The accident occurred at around 4:45 am as the train bound for Bangkok from Trang Province passed through the Khao Tao station in Hua Hin amidst heavy rain.
Per initial investigation, the fatalities of the accident were trapped beneath the twisted carriages. Police Col Krisna Jamsaweng, Chief of Hua Hin's police station, confirmed that the said victims were all Thais.
He also talked about the emergency measures implemented immediately on the site of the accident. "Rescue workers including policemen and soldiers were sent to the area to help remove the wreckage," he added.
The injured passengers were all rushed to the nearby hospitals for treatment.
According to Thai State Railway authorities, this accident is a first for the province and will temporarily halt train operations between Southern Thailand and Bangkok pending the clearing of the wreckage.
Hua Hin to Host ASEAN
Thailand is all set to serve as the host of the 15th ASEAN Summit, to be held from October 23-25 in the Royal Resort Cities of Hua Hin and Cha-Am.
After much delay and several changes in schedule and venues, the details for the 15th ASEAN Summit had been finalized. “The Secretaries for Foreign Affairs of the ASEAN member countries will have a meeting on October 6-8 to prepare for the actual event”, according to Thailand’s permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Virasak Futrakul.
Originally, this year’s ASEAN Summit was to be held last mid-April in Thailand’s party resort town Pattaya, but had to be called off due to a threatening rally initiated by anti-government protestors. The conference was then scheduled to be held in the country’s premiere vacation destination, Phuket, but once again had to be moved due to the annual vegetarian festival in the region.
Thailand, which is the host for this year’s Summit, is ready to welcome 10 member countries who have confirmed their participation, along with six countries—China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India, who will be exchanging a series of dialogue during the three-day conference.
Hua Hin: This Season's Golf Hotspot
Prepare to tee off your best shot as golf enthusiasts all head over to the Royal Resort City of Hua Hin and Cha-Am to welcome the kickoff of the highly-anticipated 8th Hua Hin/ Cha-Am Golf Festival.
The event, which is sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand Phetchaburi Office, together with the Phetchaburi- Prachuap Khiri Khan Golf Course Association, organizes a series of exciting events throughout August and September 2009 for golf lovers.
The Golf Festival offers the lowest green fees of the year—only 800 THB—at all major courses in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan from August 1 to September 30, exclusive of fees for caddies or golf buggies. The discounted rate is also not applicable at courses where organized events are being held.
Organized tournaments will be held every Sunday for a joining fee of only 1,200 THB per person. The fees include caddies and dinner, along with the chance to win a load of prizes, with a car serving as the grand prize on the last day of the festival. Prizes are also up for grab for longest drive contests, held all throughout the Golf Festival.
Golf aficionados will also get to enjoy a wide array of discounts at 10% to 30% off on selected Pro Shop products available at all courses. The Golf Festival also offers great deals on accommodation for the whole family, as hotels in Hua Hin and Cha-Am give the best value for your money so that you may play and stay in Thailand’s golf hot spot.
For more information on the 8th Hua Hin/ Cha-Am Golf Festival, you may contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand Phetchaburi Office at 032-513882 or get in touch with any of the golf courses joining this much-awaited festival.
The 8th Hua Hin/ Cha-Am Golf Festival
Schedule of Events
Banyan Golf Club Sunday
2 August 2009 10.00 am
The official opening of Golf Festival 2009.
The Imperial Lake View Hotel & Golf Club
Sunday, 9 August 2009 11.30 am
The Majestic Creek Golf & Resort
Sunday, 16 August 2009 11.30 am
Sawang Resort & Golf Club
Sunday, 23 August 200911.30 am
Royal Hua Hin Golf Course
Sunday, 30 August 2009 11.30 am
Palm Hills Golf Resort & Country Club
Sunday, 6 September 2009 11.30 am
Kaeng Krachan Country Club and Resort
Sunday, 13 September 2009 11.30 am
Springfield Village Golf & Spa
Sunday, 13 September 2009 11.30am
06.30 p.m. Announcement of the results and presentation of the trophies to the winners
07.00 p.m. Official closing ceremony of the Golf Festival 2009
Hua Hin News Goes Live
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