To celebrate its 34th anniversary as a Unesco World Heritage Site, the old capital of Thailand will come to life during the Ayutthaya World Heritage Fair that runs from tomorrow until Dec 22.
Wat Maha That will be the main entertainment venue, featuring a spectacular light and sound show that highlights the rich history and significance of the Ayutthaya kingdom, and a nostalgic retro market offering a wide range of local delicacies and Thai desserts.
Wat Phra Ram will feature a "cultural plaza" with a programme of interesting folk performances, fountain shows, a Red Cross raffle and an exhibition on Ayutthaya's history. There will also be scenic tram and boat tours.
Visit facebook.com/Ayutthaya World Heritage.
Christmas Star Parade Festival
Ban Ta Rae hosts Catholic Christmas light parade
From Dec 20-26, Ban Ta Rae in Sakon Nakhon will be illuminated by a traditional Christmas parade to honour Jesus Christ's starry natal night.
Catholics will gather at Tha Rae pier and showcase their artistic talents with a float parade that takes visitors back to 1884, when a French missionary and Vietnamese families settled on the banks of Nong Han Lake.
Recognised as the largest Roman Catholic community in Thailand, more than 20 floats decked with shining stars will travel from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tha Rae to Nong-Saeng (St Joseph Sakon Nakhon School) on Dec 25. Visitors can explore the walking street and enjoy live music at St Michael's Cathedral Tha Rae.
Visit facebook.com/Tatnakhonphanomfanpage.
Emirates
Emirates teams with Spotify for inflight entertainment
Emirates has collaborated with Spotify to offer a wide array of podcasts and playlists in the sky so that passengers can enjoy their personal inflight entertainment.
The curated content from Spotify will include a range of popular music playlists as well as top podcasts in English, Portuguese, Tagalog and German, with more languages including Spanish and Hindi to be added in 2025. New podcasts and music will be added regularly to complement Emirates' existing library of more than 3,500 hours of global music and thought-provoking conversations.
Customers can now explore Spotify's diverse podcast library with over 140 episodes of business, sports, entertainment and true crime, featuring voices of renowned personalities such as What Now? With Trevor Noah as the comedian has candid conversations with celebrities and thought leaders; The Bill Simmons Podcast -- sports and pop culture discussions with notable guests like Tom Hanks, Adam Sandler and Larry David; Case 63 -- an acclaimed scripted podcast known for its immersive storytelling; and The Journal -- a dedicated podcast about money, business and power from Spotify and The Wall Street Journal.
The most popular playlists are curated by Spotify's editorial experts, like the RapCaviar Mixtape featuring the latest hip-hop; the vibrant Viva Latino Mixtape; the throwback All Out 90s Mixtape; and the popular Arabic Classics Mixtape and Jazz Classics Mixtape.
Palace Hotel Tokyo
Palace Hotel Tokyo offers an Xmassy touch
For those seeking a luxury holiday getaway, Palace Hotel Tokyo offers the Tokyo Christmas Stay package for booking stays between Dec 20-25, with rates starting at ¥183,000 (40,750 baht).
Guests can choose to stay overnight in a Deluxe with Balcony or Grand Deluxe room, which is decorated with an in-room Christmas tree, and enjoy breakfast in-room or at the Grand Kitchen, as well as an assortment of home-made Christmas cookies in a limited-edition tin.
Additional festive touches include Champagne or a beautiful Christmas bouquet in-room as well as a Gâteau aux Fraises made with strawberries grown at a farm in Ibaraki prefecture.
Visit palacehoteltokyo.com.
