Fun Facts About Thailand

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thailand is bigger than the United Kingdom, Iceland, Belgium and Austria combined.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Bangkok is the capital city of Thailand. Bangkok is one of the most beautiful places in Asia, a city where East meets West.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Her Majesty the Queen Sirikit was one of the most beautiful women in the 20th century.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Different from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam,Thailand is not among the Asia´s poorest countries.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thailand is famous for its hospitality, and the average visitor will have no difficulty in adapting to local customs.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Pornthip "Bui" Nakhirunkanok became the second Thai to win the Miss Universe title after Apasra Hongsakula in 1965. The year was 1988.The place was exotic Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thailand has hosted the Asian Games four times in the past century: 1966, 1970, 1978 and 1998.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Miss Universe 1992 Pageant was held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand. Miss Namibia, Michelle McLean, was crowned Miss Universe 1992.The judges were: Khunying Sasima Srivikorn (businesswoman), Luis Enrique (singer), Miriam Makeba (singer and anti-AIDS activist), Ron Duguay (sportsman), Vijay Amritraj (sportsman), Kim Alexis (supermodel), Robin Leach (actor), Estelle Getty (actress)...

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

UNESCO has declared Historic City of Ayutthaya (1991), Historic Town of Sukhotahi and Associated Historic Towns (1991), Thungyai-Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Santuaries (1991), Ban Chiang Archaeological Site (1992), and Pong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex (1995) World Heritage Sites. Certainly, Thailand is a country of ancient culture, history and beautiful landscapes.It is a world in a country.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

In 1984, Pope John Paul visited Thailand.

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Between 1970 and 1996, Thailand´s economy was one of the most dynamic in the world.

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Thailand has great athletes:Paradorn Srichaphon (tennis), Kamsing Somluck (boxing), Wijan Ponlid (boxing), Manus Boonjumnong (boxing), Udomporn Polsak (weightlifting), and Pawina Thongsuk (weightlifting).

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thai cuisine is famous all over world.There are many Thai restaurants in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Tokyo, Rome and London.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Thai boxing is the national sport in Thailand.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer.Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry. He´ve studied political science and journalism.He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, Olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso".He is an expert on foreign affairs. Furthermore, Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latina America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). His favorite film is "Gorillas in the Mist".Some of his favorite books are “The Return of Eva Peron and the Killings in Trinidad” (by V.S.Naipaul), "Las Mujeres de los Dictadores" (by Juan Gasparini) and “Murder of a Gentle Land” (by John Barron and Anthony Paul).His personal motto is "The future is for those people who believe in the beauty o f their dreams" by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Downstream With Fury - Northern Thailand's Best Whitewater Adventures

Lavish rains have made the Thailand's Northern rivers perfect for pushing your way through world class rapids. After heavy rains in Northern Thailand, conditions for whitewater rafting are now probably the best in decades. Pumping rivers run wild through the jungles, sending showers of spray as waves of white water crash against the rocks, and devil-may-care rafters bob and weave through the rough waters, in rubber rafts. When a river changes mood to a soft-flowing stream, the guide can drop their paddles for awhile, rest their arms and watch the jungle drift slowly past. Shafts of sunlight rain down through the trees and, as the sound of rushing water fades into the distance, the calls of birds and monkeys can be heard above the rustle of the breeze.

Whitewater rafting was relatively new to Thailand, arriving just about 10 years ago. But it soon established itself in the North, where challenges range in difficulty on a scale of one to five. The Mae Taeng River is one of the best-known and popular rafting routes, with rapids that vary among the first four grades. Located in the Mae Taeng valley 75 kilometres north of Chiang Mai city, it winds down from high in the mountains near the Burmese border, through valleys and canyons, past lonely hilltribe villages.

And South of the Chiang Mai, the Mae Chaem River runs an exciting course through Doi Inthanon and Ob Luang national parks. The mountains get dense further west towards Mae Hong Son. The Pai River smashes an angry path towards Burma from Ban Nam Kong, 65 kilometers from Pai town, this fierce waterway thrusts downstream through pristine jungle, past stunning waterfalls with about 15 sets of rapids that test all five levels of expertise.

Go northeast and you find the Nam Wa River in Nan province. From its source in the Doi Nun mountains, it flows down through pristine forest to remote valleys and dramatic gorges. And, of course, the waters are challenging!

Most can do it.

Most people can turn into whitewater rafters, but it isn't a sport you can do on your own. It's best to seek out a reputable whitewater operators with a Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) license, experienced guides, itineraries, insurance and all the necessary safety equipment such as life-jackets and helmets. Experience is not usually necessary(depending on the run and water level), as all participants are well briefed on safety and protection before setting out. However, it stands to reason that a decent level of fitness is required - and the ability to swim.

Age is fairly immaterial, and youngsters have been known to shoot the rapids even at the tender age of 10. At the other end of the scale, I guess you're as young as you feel. Sixty-two year old Robert Musibvoy from the United States remarked - after his first Thai experience of whitewater rafting - "Good trip, good guides, good food and good fun. Best whitewater I've been on." So he certainly enjoyed himself. Thailand's rainy season starts in May, but it's probably best to wait until July before rafting - when the waters are high. Dry, cool weather takes over in mid-October, and fast currents continue to flow until February.

The experts: A Professional teams of fully trained river guides are employed by the top rafting companies operating from in Northern Thailand.

For more information on whitewater and other adventure trip in Northern Thailand please visit me @ http://www.siamrivers.com

Thailand's World Class Whitewater Attracts Top Pros

During The monsoon season (July to October) Thailand's lush jungles becomes a white water adventurers dream, with heeps of small creeks and drainage's pumping from the seasonal rains.

Thailand and S.E.Asia have not been know for its whitewater .. only until a few years ago has Thailand's White water started attracting both novice and experienced whitewater paddlers from around the world.

S.E. Asia's white water was "discovered" back in the 1990's when A white water outfit in Malaysia organized a multi-country white water comp. That was held in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. The competition attracted some of the the World's best pro paddlers such as Eric Southwick, Sam Drevo, & Nate Nash. The compitetion seemed to get off to a great start however when they reached Indonesia the government wouldn't pay up the prize money and all hell broke loose!

In Thailand there are literally hundreds if not thousands of runnable creeks and rivers. It seems that most of the "better runs" are situated in the North of Thailand around Chiang Mai, Chaing Rai, and Nan Provinces but there are some around Bangkok and the South of Thailand.

Recently there have been "crews" of paddlers coming over to paddle the world class white water. In 2006
some of the world's top white water pro's such as Steve Fischer, Ben Brown, and Thailand Local Eric Southwick where here to film an episode of "Focused" which was shot by Scott Lindgren & Nate Nash of SLP Productions.

The program "Focused" is reality based adventure series that concentrates on extreme sports and them in the action of making of paddling the rivers, getting there and getting away safely.. In the Thailand episode New Zealand's Ben Brown ends up braking his back on his first drop of the trip. Not too worry, Steve Fischer & Eric Southwick continue there Journey Through the jungle's of Thailand for some more serious whitewater adventures.

Last Year another set of paddlers came out, this time a younger group from the UK and NZ. Paddlers Josh Neilson, Will Clark and Sam Ward. These guys got about 10+ first descents on some incredible whitewater and waterfalls in and around Chiang Mai and Chaing Rai as well as in Nan.

To sum this all up, Thailand offers a wide range of Whitewater for novices and advanced paddlers alike, not to mention, great food, great people, cheap accommodation & Travel and a wonderful Culture.

See you on the water!

Jason Younkin is 32 yr old American who has been living in Asia for over 10 years now. He is an avid whitewater paddler and enjoys most other extreme sports. Jason is a Certified Rescue 3 instructor, as well as Private Pilot . He owns and Operates Siam River Adventures in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Why Do You Have to Pay Sinsod in Thailand?

Sinsod - The amount of money you have to pay to your Thai girl's parents in order to get their permission to marry their daughter. Why is that? Why do the parents need the money when their daughters find someone they love and choose to spend the rest of their lives with? Their daughters are supposed to have good life and her husband will take care of her, why do the parents still need more money from the husbands? Of course those questions come to your head when you think about sinsod but what to do.

If you have Thai girlfriend, please realize that sinsod is something you have to deal with especially when your relationship gets serious. I suggest that you should talk about it with your girl that you agree with her on it or not. In that case, your girlfriend will know in advance and she might be able to talk about it with her parents first.

But most of Thai families still hold this tradition and sinsod is something to prove to the society that their daughters are going to have good lives with their husbands. In case you can't avoid sinsod tradition with your Thai girl's family, what you can do is negotiate. You don't want to go broke because of getting married.

Most of westerners who married Thai girls seemed to agree with sinsod agreement and they can both agree to what they want both parents and the groom. You don't have to frustrated about this situation, just learn how to make it end well with her parents. But if you are not agree with this tradition at all, I wish you know about this first before getting into serious relationship with your Thai girlfriend.

Kanokkarn (Goy) Yoshihira is one of Thailand youngest professional and she has been featured in both in radio shows and on many expats blogs. She is runs two Thai florists Bangkok Flower Shop and Thailand Flowers Delivery.

Getting the Best Holiday Deals in 2009

New Year is about to begin, and now is the best time to decide for the best holiday destinations. Spain, Thailand, Vietnam, Beijing, and places like Greek island are going to be the popular destination for the year 2009.

Because of the tremendous popularity of Olympics being held in Beijing, it is presumed that a lot of tourists will head towards Beijing for an exciting holiday season. However, the only hindrance and drawback of visiting China is the communication problem.

The best holiday deals are offered by many countries all over the world for the year 2009. However, some of the most desired destinations to visit in 2009 with best possible holiday deals include places like South America, Hungary, Morocco, Thailand, New Zealand, Jordan etc.

South America is one of the most exciting places among all the European cities in the world, and is an important place to consider for a holiday venture in the year 2009. The holiday deal is relatively cheap, and the place offers great charm and beautiful scenes and sights to its visitors.

The best holidays deal is the one that suits you in terms of the budget, and is worth spending money for. The capital of Hungary, Budapest is a great place to visit. The Castle Hill is the most attractive district, and the paprika-accented food of this place is more than just luring. This place has a lot to offer with its historical background, and its architecture being the biggest temptation for art lovers. Apart from this, the place is most suited for low budget visitors, and the holidays deal for the year 2009 are relatively cheaper than other Eastern European countries.

Morocco is another exciting place to visit in the holiday season of 2009. Cities like Rabat, Fes, and Marrakech are more inclined to portray the cultural and historical background of this Muslim country. However, Casablanca which is also the capital of Morocco is relatively a busy place with a lot of hassle and chaos. The Atlas mountain range is worth visiting. All in all, Morocco offers a great holiday package especially to the cultural and historical lovers.

Keeping aside of all you have heard about Ethiopia before, set out to plan a holiday to this place in the year 2009. The place has a lot to offer, and is quite adventurous from exploratory point of view. A lot of tourists are now visiting this place, and are overwhelmed by its history and culture. The Omo Valley in Ethiopia offers a look at the tribal life of Africa. The holiday package for the year 2009 is relatively cheap, yet lavishing.

Other important places to visit in the year 2009 include Queenstown in New Zealand, Jordan, and Kathmandu in Nepal. The best holiday deals are the ones which include cheap flights, cheap rents and accommodation, and yet offers great fun to spend your best time in. The places just mentioned above fulfill the criteria of being the best holiday destination for the year 2009 in every possible manner.

Visit this website for cheap holidays to loads of destinations.

The Five Best PC Simulation Games Ever

PC simulation games are great because they allow gamers to simulate real life in a safe and consequence free environment. Simulation games mimic all aspects of life, from the extreme to the banal. The following is a list of some of the five best PC simulation games ever created.

Second Life is one of the many PC simulation games where the game play is exactly what the title suggests. Second Life offers gamers a second life. This is one of the first PC simulation games to offer a social networking aspect. Gamers travel around in a virtual second world, interacting with other characters owned and operated by other very real people. Second Life takes life simulation PC games to a new level, and Second Life inhabitants often engage in activity that they would never attempt in their first lives. Although not quite the Matrix, Second Life is about as close as you can get.

Need For Speed is the absolutely classic GT PC racing game. This is the king of PC racing simulation games. Not only are the games fun and realistic, but also the franchise is so prolific it seems there is an unlimited amount of Need For Speed titles to choose from. Besides, not only does Need For Speed let the driver evade the police, it lets the driver be the police.

Roller Coaster Tycoon falls under the "God" category of simulation PC games, but roller coaster tycoon doesn't exactly let gamers play God. Instead, it merely lets gamers assume the role of an uber-rich tycoon hell-bent on creating the world's wildest amusement park, which is almost as cool as playing God. Roller Coaster Tycoon lets everyone live out his or her childhood dream of building a roller coaster in the back yard.

The Microsoft Flight Simulator is without doubt the best flight simulator franchise in the market today. MSF is one of the longest running PC simulation franchises around. The newest incarnation, Microsoft Flight Simulator X is the king of PC flight simulation games. MSFX is the most realistic flight simulator available to consumers. How realistic can a video game possibly be? Well, if the film Snakes On A Plane has any important lessons, and it does, it is that flight simulators provide civilians with ample training to successfully land a 737. Conversely, if Hollywood movies aren't convincing, the US military has repeatedly stated that recruits familiar with flight simulation video game software are significantly more prepared for military flight school than those recruits who had never played such a game. How's that for a good excuse to play PC simulation games?

Finally, of course, there is the Sims. The Sims isn't just one of the top simulation PC games of all time, it's the top selling PC game franchise ever. It seems that everyone wants to have fun playing God and bossing around tiny humanoids. Well actually, that does sound like fun. Playing house got a whole lot cooler in the 21st century, and the Sims led the way.

Clearly, PC simulation games offer some of the most fun video games on the market today. The only regret people often have with these games is that they are too much fun and that they spend too much time playing them. Try one out today, but be careful, they might be addicting.

If you are interested in finding out more about PC simulation games, and where you can perhaps buy some for yourself, check out my other site entirely dedicated to PC simulation games.

FACTS ABOUT OLYMPIC GAMES

DID YOU KNOW THAT...
For unknown reasons, El Salvador did not compete at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Canada.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

The 1988 Olympic Games were boycotted by seven socialist nations, including Cuba, Seychelles, Nicaragua, North Korea, Ethiopia, Albania , and Madagascar. The 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul, South Korea.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

The United Kingdom competed at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, USSR (currently Russia,Ukraine,Estonia...)

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee(IOC), Jamaican Olympic Committee is the sole sports organization with exclusive powers to organize delegations from Jamaica at the Pan American Games, the Central and Caribbean Games, the Commonwealth Games, the Olympic Games...

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Bangladesh competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics for the first time ever.

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For political reasons, Taiwan did not compete at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal Canada.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

Since 1984, Taiwan has competed at the Olympic Games under the banner of "Chinese Taipei".

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

The 1980 Summer Olympics were boycotted by 66 nations and territories, including the United States, Albania, Argentina, Bermuda, Belize, Bolivia,Canada, Chile, Egypt, El Salvador, West Germany (currently Germany), Haiti, Hong Kong, Iran, Israel, Japan, Liechtenstein, South Korea, Norway, New Zealand, Paraguay, Thailand, Uruguay and the People´s Republic of China.The American-led boycott affected competition in most sports: track and field, soccer, archery, field hockey, judo, basketball and volleyball.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

The 1976 Olympic Games were boycotted by 34 Third World countries, including Iraq, Guyana, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire.Under the leadership of Julyus Nyerere (former dictator of Tanzania), 34 African countries boycotted the Games to protest New Zealand´s violation of the international sports ban on South Africa. The International Committee Olympic ousted South Africa in 1961 for its apartheid policies.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

London will host the 2012 Olympic Games. In 2005, London defeated Paris to 2012 Games. Tony Blair, who is prime minister of the United Kingdom, said, "It´s more than half a century since Britain last hosted the Games. Olympic historians will know how important the 1908 and 1948 London Games were in ensuring the Olympic Movement was equipped and strengthened to continue its vital role. Staging the Games again in London, the city which most excites young people the world over, can only help to strengthen the bond between the Olympic Movement and the younger generation..."

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

The USSR competed at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul,South Korea.

DID YOU KNOW THAT...

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics were boycotted by 18 nations, including Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bulgaria, Ethiopia, East Germany (currently Germany), Hungary, Iran, Laos, Lybia, Mongolia, Poland, North Korea, Czechoslovakia (currently Czech Republic), Burkina Faso, South Yemen,Cuba, and Vietnam.

Alejandro Guevara Onofre: He is a freelance writer.Alejandro is of Italian, African and Peruvian ancestry.He´ve studied political science and journalism.He has published more than seventy-five research paper in English, and more than twenty in Spanish, concerning the world issues, olympic sports, countries, and tourism. His next essay is called "The Dictator and Alicia Alonso".He is an expert on foreign affairs. Futhermore, Alejandro is the first author who has published a world-book encyclopedia in Latina America.

He admires Frida Kahlo (Mexican painter), Hillary Clinton (ex-First Lady of the USA), and Jimmy Carter (former President of the USA). His favorite film is "Gorillas in the Mist". Some of his favorite books are “The Return of Eva Peron and the Killings in Trinidad” (by V.S.Naipaul), "Las Mujeres de los Dictadores" (by Juan Gasparini) and “Murder of a Gentle Land” (by John Barron and Anthony Paul).His personal motto is "The future is for those people who believe in the beauty o f their dreams" by Eleanor Roosevelt.