As the Royal Thai Navy gears up for the Royal Kathin (robe offering) ceremony, scheduled for Oct 27, people can watch rehearsals of the Royal Barge procession from now until October.
A display of royal barges is on view at the Navy's Thonburi Naval Dockyard where visitors can observe rhythmic barge-rowing song training for oarsmen until tomorrow and again from July 23-26 from 2pm to 3.30pm.
Three of the 52 royal barges --Suphannahong, Narai Song Suban and Anantanakkharat -- will be on display at Ratchaworadit Pier from July 27-29 to coincide with an exhibition honouring His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua. There will be two daily barge-rowing performances on July 27 and July 28, at 3pm and 7pm, and July 29 at 5pm and 8pm.
Until July 30, visitors can also observe oarsmen practising bare rowing under Rama VIII Bridge from 9am to 3pm (except on weekends and public holidays).
Visit the Royal Barges National Museum and the Royal Thai Navy pages on Facebook.
TAT hosts another Vijitr event to boost tourism
From July to September, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is organising the second Vijitr 5 Regions event to showcase Thailand's rich history and charming cultural heritage in efforts to boost tourism during the green season.
In the northeastern region, Ubon Ratchathani's seven tourist sites will be illuminated with colourful projection mapping presentations and lighting displays until Sunday. From 6pm to midnight, visitors can enjoy a night tour and see 15 spectacular light and sound shows at Thung Si Muang Park, City Pillar Shrine, Ubon Ratchathani National Museum, Wat Supattanaram Worawihan, Wat Thung Si Muang, Wat Burapharam and Wat Maha Wanaram, all of which celebrate and honour Buddhist beliefs.
In the eastern region, the touring light and sound festival is slated to land in Chon Buri from Saturday until July 28. From 6pm to midnight, Koh Loy in Si Racha district will be turned into an imaginative playground, complete with a number of light shows and interactive art installations that invite visitors to explore the aquatic world. Street cuisine and a concert by well-known artists will also feature.
Visit facebook.com/vijitrthailand.
Bangkok-Vientiane train service begins tomorrow
Travellers will have a new option to arrange trips between Thailand and Laos, with the launch of the Bangkok-Vientiane (Khamsavath) train service tomorrow. Passengers can make reservations using the D-Ticket mobile app, the D-Ticket website (dticket.railway.co.th) and ticket booths at SRT stations up to 180 days in advance.
The train is scheduled to depart Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station (Bangkok Central) at 9.25pm on Friday and arrive at Vientiane's Khamsavath station at 9.05am on Saturday. The Khamsavath train station is 7km from downtown Vientiane. From there, passengers can take public transportation to several tourist destinations like That Luang, Patuxai Victory Monument, Vat Sisaket and Hor Phra Keo.
The Murray, Hong Kong offers special rewards
To celebrate Global Hotel Alliances' 20th anniversary, The Murray, Hong Kong, a Niccolo Hotel, is offering GHA Discovery members bonus Discovery Dollars -- D$1,000,000 (worth US$1,000,000 or 35.9 million baht) from now until Sept 30.
A stay at The Murray and other GHA member hotel brands can earn additional prizes, ranging from D$300 to D$1,000. With a minimum spend of $600 per stay required, a GHA member who stays at the most brands will receive a grand prize of D$200,000, with second and third runner-up rewards of D$20,000.
Visit niccolohotels.com.
