As Songkran festivities end in most parts of the country, Chon Buri is continuing Thai New Year celebrations with the Wan Lai Festival -- which began on Tuesday and runs until Sunday -- on the mainland and islands.
In tambon Bang Phra, local villagers from the Kho Khao Bang Phra community have crafted a huge sculpture of the occult deity Baphomet out of bamboo, rice straw and paper to maintain their traditions. When a pandemic hit this region more than 100 years ago, people worshipped Baphomet for protection.
The sculpture will be released into the sea after a parade through the streets and an eye-opening ceremony scheduled for Friday. There will also be the water pouring ritual, a variety of cultural performances, a chess competition and concerts.
In parallel, Koh Si Chang is celebrating Songkran on Thursday and people can sprinkle water onto Buddha statues and build sand pagodas. Tourists can also take part in the tradition of carrying girls into the sea or watching water muay Thai.
In Sri Racha district, Sri Racha Park will be turned into a major entertainment venue for celebrations from tomorrow until Sunday. The festival will begin with a parade of beautifully decorated floats and a ceremonial worship to the Earth and heaven.
To pay homage to spirits, a variety of food and sweets are stacked high during the Kong Khao ceremony while cultural performances evoke a vibrant festive ambience.
(Photo: Emirates)
Emirates named for best inflight entertainment
Due to top-notch content available on its flights, Emirates Airline recently won the Best Inflight Entertainment Award at the Airline Ratings 2024 Airline Excellence Awards.
Each month, the airline constantly adds new movies, TV shows, podcasts and music to its extensive entertainment library with exclusive partnerships with the best content providers.
The list features more than 2,000 highly regarded Hollywood and international movies, including many 2024 Academy Award winners. Additionally, hundreds of TV shows and box sets are offered, including the newest shows from leading streaming platforms and media brands such as HBO Max, Discovery+, BBC, Bloomberg Originals and Shahid.
More alternatives for viewers include over 200 documentaries and TV docu-series, more than 150 Arabic films and TV shows, global cinema in over 50 languages, and more than 600 international movies from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In addition, there is a music library with at least 3,500 songs and well curated playlists and 250 family-friendly channels featuring several preschool-level programmes. Emirates Skywards members can also enjoy complimentary connectivity to Wi-Fi onboard.
Customers can customise their experience before takeoff by selecting their favourite movies or TV shows on the Emirates app which maximises the travel experience.
Club Wyndham Chikumakan Nagano
Club Wyndham South Pacific adds new property
Club Wyndham Chikumakan Nagano has become the newest addition to one of Asia Pacific's largest vacation clubs. Approximately 60,000 members of Club Wyndham South Pacific will get a chance to indulge in the authentic holiday experience.
This classic Ryokan resort offers a meticulously prepared breakfast and dinner, both Western and Japanese bedding styles, tatami flooring, cultivated gardens and both indoor and outdoor onsen with natural spring water.
With a flexible, points-based form of ownership in holiday properties, members can select the dates, location, size and standard of accommodation. After an ownership purchase, points return year after year for the life of the club, and can be used, saved or borrowed.
Club Wyndham South Pacific boasts 53 properties across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Hawaii and Europe. Through additional benefits programmes, members can utilise thousands of timeshare properties, the Wyndham Rewards loyalty programme and other exchange methods to explore the world.
