Many companies and organisations are calling for donations for the victims of the floods in the South as well as earthquakes and tsunami in Japan. Here are some of them.

Help the South

TBank and SCIB

Thanachart Bank and Siam City Bank extend car hire-purchase loan installment period for 90 days with extendable period upto 12 months. Interest on credit card and personal loans clients are cut.

Mortgage clients are offered maximum 12-month moratorium on principal repayment. They can also obtain additional loans worth upto Bt1 million, but the outstanding loans must not exceed 100 per cent of collateral value. Contact 1770 for more information.

BKK Airways

Bangkok Airways is turning its headoffice on Vibhavadi Road to a donation centre, where Thais can donate necessity items like food. They are urged to pack the items for distribution to affected families and the items would be transported by the airline’s flights to the South. Contact 02-265-5898-9.

KTC

From now until end-April, Krung Thai Card urges 2 million credit cardholders to redeem KTC Forever Rewards to help victims in the South of Thailand as well as in Japan. They can donate Bt50 for every 500 points redeemed. Contact KTC Phone 0-2665-5000 or KTC service centers.

CENTRAL

Under “Friends for Friends in Need” campaign, all units under Central Group are calling for donations to donation boxes at all 200 outlets from now until April 18. Only cash donations are welcomed, for the convient transfer.

RS

RS Plc urges Thais to donate cash to “RS Prasarnjai Chuay Phai Tai” account at Bangkok Bank No. 128-4-15839-9 until April 11. With the money, it will buy relief bags for the victims.

Help Japan

Sony

Sony Group of Companies in Thailand donated Bt1.1 million and mobilised Bt380,000 from its business partners for the victims of Japan’s earthquake and tsunami.

IFPMA

Global research-based pharmaceutical industry represented by International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations or IFPMA whose members are research-based pharmaceutical associations located around the world including Thailand, under the name Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers Association (PReMA), is providing funds to relief organisations. The total cash value of assistance provided so far by IFPMA member companies in total amounted to US$37 million or equivalent to approximately Bt1 billion. This has not included further donations from several companies in the form of medicines and other medical supplies. In the first stages, the majority of the donations by the research-based pharmaceutical companies have been in the form of cash, as this form of aid is the most helpful according to NGO partners specialised in disaster relief.

Companies and their related philanthropic foundations which have reportedly made donations so far include: Abbott, Amgen, Astellas, AstraZeneca, Bayer Group, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Daiichi Sankyo, Eisai, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly, Merck & Co., Inc., Novartis, Pfizer, Roche Group, sanofi-aventis and Takeda.

To ensure that the assistance provided is appropriate and coordinated, companies are using long established partnerships with expert medical and disaster relief organizations. These include the Red Cross (via various national Red Cross Associations, in particular the Japanese Red Cross) and Save the Children, as well as, AmeriCares, Direct Relief International, and the International Medical Corps.

BASF

Germany’s BASF, through BASF Social Foundation initially contributed 500,000 euro to the Central Community Chest of Japan as immediate aid to victims of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Additionally, the company will start a global donation campaign among its employees and will fully match each euro contributed by the employees one-to-one.

With 1,700 employees, BASF has 35 operations sites (including 27 production sites and 8 R&D and technical centers) and 49 sales offices in Japan.

Incoming search terms:

• makha
• etihad airways and airbangkok transit at bangkok airport
• oan to go airways thai
• oriental thai airline hong kong web
• thai airline a floor plan
• thanachart bank mortgage loan count

Among the many festivals Thai kingdom, the Songkran Festival or Thai New Year with the most important festivals in Thailand. Through seemingly endless traditional practice by all Thai people, the government recognized the importance of this festival and has consistently promoted the communication of Songkran Festival, a three-day period. as a national holiday. and if the Family Day. So that the people of Thailand to be reunited with their families and are able to perform “value” in their respective temples. In addition, people from different parts of the kingdom motivated to retum home to celebrate this festival in ritual ceremonies with their families.

Meaning and History

Derived from Sanskrit, the word “Songkran” means that if the changeover. In this context, the term means that passing and movement of the sun, moon and other planets of the zodiac job. And the Grand Songkran Festival falls on the Aries indicates the new era of Thai New Year. Because of the ancient Indian belief, the Grand Songkran Festival is most appropriate for the Thai New Year due to timing of the period best known as the spring of India which comes right after the cold winter months. There are other aspects supporting this belief such as the blooming of flowers, the fresh air of nature and the survival of all living beings. With the great influence of the Indians, the Songkran Festival portrays the typical lifestyle of Thai agricultural holding. Free from their normal routine, the Thai citizens will find time for the annual ceremonies with respect to their ancestors to perform. The highlight of the festival will also be smaller Thais with full respect for their elders by pouring scented water on their hands. And to welcome the new year, we celebrate the colorful local entertainment that is actually sufficient joining the relationships between family members, society, nature and the environment. Therefore, this Songkran Festival has proved the most important and most beautiful holiday of the year. In addition, neighboring countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos also organized this kind of festival. From early times during the period of Sukhothai, the Songkran Festival brought both the royal court and among ordinary citizens. However, the scope of the celebration is not as sophisticated as today. Back in those days, civil servants and other public officials would be a tribute to the king, and the oath of allegiance to the king or the government is to drink, while the king would provide annual salary to all employees. Later, during the Ayutthaya, the festival was extended by including the bathing of Buddha images. Events include wquld formation sand pagodas and entertaining events. During the Rattanakosin, the rituals performed in a pattem similar to those during the Ayutthaya.

The legend of Grand Angels Songkran Songkran Festival

During the Songkran festival, there is usually a name of the angel for the festival this year, the car, eating preferences, etc. And the prosperity of those expectations year, deserves to know the rainfall and the number of Naga responsible for water supply. According to legend, the story concerned Kabilaprom king and prince Thammaban. Born into a wealthy family, Prince Thammaban was very intelligent, he was only seven years old. Kabilaprom King asked three questions about the conditions that, if his answers were correct, Kabilaprom king was willing to sacrifice his head, but if it was a mistake, the prince must do the same. And the questions focus on the good signs of an individual at any time of day moming noon till night.

To the surprise of the king, the prince answered the questions correctly. A good sign of a person moming the face, chest, noon, and at the foot of the evening. The king then had his head cut off, as promised. However, the head of the king was so strong that the whole world on fire if their head hit the ground, which would represent a severe drought and all that water will dry up the oceans should be thrown in the air or down the ocean, respectively. Therefore, the king assigned seven daughters to take Tums angel carrying the right to the head of Phra Sumeru Mountain. And as Songkran Day (13 April) fall on any day of the year to celebrate the Songkran Angel.

Sunday: «Tungsatevee, red dress, preferably wild discus in his right hand, left arm of Shell, as a vehicle Garuda.

Monday: «Korakatevee, yellow dress, pearl jewelry, they prefer butteroil dagger in his right hand, walking stick in his left hand, tiger as a vehicle.

Tuesday: «Ragsotevee, bright red dress with agate ornament, preferably the blood, trident in his right hand arrow to the left, pork as a vehicle.

Wednesday: «Montatevee, emerald green dress with CAL for ornament, preferably milk and butter, sharp iron in his right hand and cane in his left hand like a donkey car.

Thursday: «Kirineetevee, with emerald-green dress omament, preferably, nuts and sesame seeds, elephant hook on his right hand, pistol in his left hand, as a vehicle elephant.

Friday: «Kimitatevee, white dress with omament topaz, preferably banana dagger in his right hand to the left of the Indian vina, buffalo as a vehicle.

Saturday: «Mahotorntevee, black dress with onyx omament, preferably hog deer, discus in his right hand, trident in his left hand and peacock as a vehicle. The forecast for next year will be accordiflg certain days of the Songkran Angel. For example, if the preferred food of the Songkran Angel nuts and sesame seeds, provided that the year would be productive, prosperous and healthy. And if bJood preferred food, the provision would go for years with bloody fights. And if the Songkran Angel prefers to carry a weapon, provided that the weather will be full of rain, etc. Also, the place where the Grand Songkran Festival takes place, a procession of the selected represented the festival Songkran Angel essential for people to appreciate.

Merit for Songkran Day

With the advent of Songkran Day, it is worth making ceremonies are also held in every part of the kingdom. First, in the morning to offer food to monks, later the same day is the time to swim over the statue of Buddha and the release of birds and fish. In the process, there will be great fun festivities. In the evening, young people will make a great respect for their elders by pouring water into the hands of parents and grandparents. The elders in return bless the young people for good luck and prosperity. The festival includes a total of three days. The first day is April 13 or the Great Songkran day, the day marking the end of years old. The second day is April 14 or WAN Nao, the middle day of fun and entertainment. And the last day is April 15 or WAN Thaloeng Sok, the beginning of the year.

Before the actual Songkran Day, the markets of the relevant data would be the benefit to contest the next day. In addition, various desserts, such as red rice and glutinuous sticky sweets made for the same purpose to make value for distribution to all neighbors. The Grand Songkran Day, prepared foods and desserts will be offered to the monks, according to tradition.

Even the most revered Buddha image “Phra Phutthasihing” will be the National Museum and placed on a throne. After forming part of the procession around this area, «Phra Phutthasihing” will be at Sanam Luang, opposite the Grand Palace, where people on one occasion purgatorial the water spraying over the image.

In addition, another ritual is a respected monks prayed and add flavored water in the hands of respected elders. For the deceased, there will be a religious ceremony to offer value to the ancestors. In aftemoon, people will enjoy the sand are pagodes the temple complex, releasing birds and fish, splashing each other and take part in live local entertainment.

The Royal Ceremony Songkran

Back in the old days, the Royal Palace of the Grand Songkran ceremony for all the bad events in the country, lead the last day of the old year. The main activities will result in a chant of Buddhist sermons for three nights and hair ceremony for the royal children. Then will begin the new year with many affluent events, such as offering food to monks, meditating ceremony worthy of the ashes of the late kings and royal personalities. In the evening there will be a royal dinner hosted by the royal family.

At present there is only the royal festival of Songkran ot a Buddhist ceremony. In moming, King will offer alms to monks invited to the Grand Palace, the bathroom’s main image of Buddha was built Suralaipiman Phrasiamthevatirat worship, bathing the royal shaft and the axis of the highly revered Buddhist monks reciting sacred prayers and offer food to monks. At night, the king prayed, too, the Emerald Buddha, and other items worthy of worship in the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and perform other rituals associated with the end of the ceremony.

Great Songkran Festival

Chiang Mai Songkran Festival
Known as the most favorable festivals in the country, Chiang Mai, this festival was organized by the event in three days by naming April 13 as the day marking the end of the old year. The activities for this day to clean the same as the house and tools, including bathing the Buddha images at home and at church.

April 14 is called Wan Nao, which means that the first New Year’s Day, preparations for dishes and desserts are made on merit to challenge the next day. In the evening there will be a tradition for the transport of sand in the temple and later the formation of sand pagoda will be completed.

On April 15, Wan Thaloeng Sok, or the day that marks the new era in the new year begins with the early church to make merit, offering a bowl of rice, flags and poles and devotion in the soul of ancestors who in turn will offer blessings and mercy for those rituals. In the afternoon, a very traditional ceremony of bathing for seniors to run.

Furthermore, Chiang Mai local authorities to organize a procession of Phra Phutthasihing a revered image of Buddha and Nang Songkran. Other interesting events of the festival complete! skills and to bathe the Buddha image at Wat Phra Singha, a local craft fair at Tha Phae Gate, King Mahaprom worship, formation of sand pagodas at Wat Chedi Luang, a typical local views on religious sites and splashing water at each agency throughout the city especially at the edge of the river Ping.

Phra Pradaeng Festival Songkran (the province of Samut Prakan)
One of the most popular festivals in Thailand’s community-Man, Phra Pradaeng Songkran Festival usually takes place Saturday and Sunday after normal Songkran Festival. Apart from the normal rituals of the value F! 1aking, bathing the Buddha image, and release of birds and fish, float the Nang Songkran procession is one of the most spectacular events of the festival. Guests will also have the opportunity to experience a very unique local game “Saba”, the participants, men and women, dressed in costumes Thai-Mon The location of this game is preferably on the ground floor of each house in the area. And for those looking for the fun of splashing water, this festival is a must because it is widespread actMty almost every corner of the Phra Pradaeng.

Wisut Kasat Festival Songkran Road (Bangkok)
Account for more than sixty consecutive years, Wisut Kasat Road Songkran Festival is organized by the community Wisut Kasat Road. The celebration of the festival will be held for only two days which are April 12 and April 13. Starting April 12 frbm a respected Buddha image is kept by Trithotsathep What festival procession to the site where people can bathe in the image of prosperity. The evening entertainment shows will be organized to commemorate the anniversary. On April 13 monks from various temples will be invited to take offenngs food. Also, the climax of the festival, matches beautifully dressed women in the value of making ceremonies and Nang Songkran.

Khao San Road Festival Songkran (Bangkok)
Recently, organized by the community of Khao San Road, the Jolly festival attracted huge amounts of intemational tourists stay mostly in and around the street Khao San Road. The main activities of the festival to make merit, offering food to monks, bathing the Buddha image, local entertainment, folk shows and the most attractive splash traditionally exercised freely here on this site.

Songkran Festival, Eastern Region
The difference between the festivai other is during this festival which falls in the month of April 1916 or Aprit 17-19, and is known as Lai Wan. One of the most popular festivals Wan Lai Welt known in the eastern region, held in Pattaya, Chon Buri Province and Isnormalty held on 19 April each year. The main activities will include the traditional ceremony of pouring scented water over the hands of older people, the Wan Lai procession, and the most entertaining of ALT, water sprayed from Thais, tourists, and focus. In addition, another very close to Bang Saen, Chon Buri. There is a long tradition of sand pagodas are mounting on the Wan Lai, a tradition of community Saen Suk foltowed regular ritual of inviting monks from each temple at Saen Suk in various religious ceremonies such as merit-making, bathing Buddha images and then focal enjoy entertainment.

Phra That Chae Haeng worshiping tradition
Date: March 13 – 19, 2011
Location: Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, Phu Piang sub-district, Nan province

Activities
- Krua Tarn carnivals and giving an alms to monks
- Practicing the dharma Tu Dong Ka Wat and story of the last great incarnation of the Buddha homily
- antique lantern competition
- Ael drum competition

For more information:
Cultural council Tel. +66 5471 1651, +66 5471 0341
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phrae office Tel. +66 5452 1118, +66 5452 1127

Audemars Piguet and Anantara Trumpet the 2009 King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament

Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has announced the 2009 dates for the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament. The highly popular event will take place from March 23 to March 29 in the northernmost region of Thailand known as the Golden Triangle. This year’s event is once again sponsored by Audemars Piguet – one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious watchmakers – and will see 12 teams go trunk to trunk to win the coveted King’s Cup trophy.

An opening parade and blessing ceremony will be held in Chiang Saen town on March 23 to showcase the culture of the Golden Triangle region with northern traditional-style dancers, hill-tribe villagers in traditional costume, elephant spirit men (Khru Ba Yai), and colourfully decorated pachyderms. The parade will mark the kick-off of the weeklong competition held on the banks of the Ruak River which divides Thailand from Burma.

During the first five years of the tournament, the event took place in the royal seaside town of Hua Hin before moving to the native home of elephants in 2006 – the Golden Triangle. The tournament was introduced to Thailand in 2001 by Anantara Resorts and is a charitable event that raises money for the country’s National Elephant Institute in Lampang, northern Thailand.

In just seven years the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament has gone from a small two-day event with six teams into a week-long extravaganza, which in 2008 featured 12 teams from four continents, encompassing 40 players from at least 15 countries.

Through its own Elephant Camp located within the grounds of the Anantara Resort Golden Triangle, the property’s focus on the future of Thailand’s pachyderm population forms an integral part of the resort’s operations. On an on-going basis, resident Elephant Camp Director, John Roberts, works closely with the Thai government’s Elephant Conservation Centre in Lampang to develop Anantara’s camp as an elephant sanctuary.

To date the tournament has raised over US$200,000 for the National Elephant Institute, which provides medical care, sustenance, employment, and mahout training to Thailand’s elephant population. In 2008 the funds were used to run the custom-build ambulance that was donated at the opening ceremony of the most recent tournament. It is estimated that Thailand has around 2,500 domesticated elephants and 1,500 wild elephants. This is down from an elephant population of around 50,000 in 1950 and 100,000 in 1900.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) fully endorses the King’s Cup Elephant Polo tournament, having identified it as one of the country’s prime annual special events. It will take place in the grounds of Anantara Resort Golden Triangle, and spectator entrance is free.

The Story behind the Game
What have started out as a whimsical conversation between two quirky sport lovers, evolved itself to be known as the 6th largest annual event in the Thai tourism calendar. The event in question of being polo with an adventurous twist thus was the birth of polo played on the back of elephants.

The World Elephant Polo Association established the governing rules for Elephant Polo in 1982; the association has its headquarters at the Tiger Tops Jungle Lodge in the Royal Chitwan Park in Nepal, which is where the World Elephant Polo Tournament played every year on a grassy airfield in Megauly. This tournament is played within a relatively small circuit, including the countries Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

In Thailand, the King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament was first launched in Hua Hin by Anantara Resort in 2001. In 2006, the tournament moved to Golden Triangle and was hosted by Anantara Resort Golden Triangle. Elephants are a key symbol of Thailand’s history, and nothing but utmost respect is given to the pachyderms and all proceeds of the tournament are used to ensuring their welfare, sustenance, employment, mahout training and medical treatment provision.

Thai Elephant Polo Association

• Due to the size of these great mammals, each team is comprised of three players and their four legged accomplice on a marked pitch of 100 metres by 60 metres using a standard size polo ball.
• The game is divided into two 7-minute “chukkas”, or halves, of playing time with an interval of 15 minutes. The whistle blown by the referee stops and starts the play. Both elephants and playing pitch ends are changed after the first chukka.
• The pitch is marked with a centre line; a circle with a radius of 10 metres in the centre of the field, and a semi-circle, in front of the goals, with a radius of 20 metres, measured from the centre of the goal line at either end of the pitch which is referred to as the D.
• The scoring system awards two points to a winning team and one point apiece to teams which draw.

Rules of Play
The rules are similar to those of horse polo. However, there are some key differences which should be noted. All elephants carry a player and a mahout, ladies are allowed to use both hands and mallets of around two metres in length are used. Some players train in swimming pools by swinging a golf club one-headedly through the water to strengthen their wrists.

Additionally there are some elephant specific rules:

• Any team with 3 elephants in one half of the pitch is judged to have committed a foul.
• No more than 2 elephants may be in the D at one time – one from the attacking team and one from the defending team.
• There are no restrictions as to the height, weight or sex of the elephants.

Technicalities of the Game

• No elephants may lie down in front of the goal mouth. To do so will constitute a foul. A free hit is awarded to the opposing side from the semi-circle in front of the goal.
• An elephant may not pick up the ball in its trunk during play. To do so constitutes a foul and a free hit is awarded to the opposing team from the spot where the ball was picked up. The defending players must be 15 metres from the spot.
• Teams are made up from the pool of elephants and balanced out as fairly as possible bearing in mind size and speed of the elephant. Once the pool of elephants has been selected, each elephant is categorized and marked as A,B,C,D, E and F.
• Sugar cane or rice balls packed with vitamins (molasses and rock salt) shall be given to the elephants at the end of each match and a cold beer, or soft drink, to the elephant drivers and not vice versa.

The health and welfare of the elephants used in the T.E.P.A. Tournament is of prime concern. Abuse of the elephant is considered to be the most serious offence.

Handicapping
Handicaps are assigned by the T.E.P.A. Handicapping Committee and handicapped players may come under one of two categories.

1. Professional horse polo players
The handicap awarded to any registered professional horse polo player shall total half of their horse polo handicap.

2. Professional and seasoned elephant polo players
A half goal handicap will be assigned to any player who has played in three or more World Series (WEPA, TEPA or CEPA) elephant polo championships anywhere in the world and does not have a horse polo handicap. Players’ handicaps are decided before the tournament commences. Player handicaps may not be changed during the tournament. Should a team’s total handicap when summed result in a half goal, the handicap will be rounded down.

Fun Facts

• Elephants in this tournament only respond to Thai commands from their mahouts.
• The first elephant polo games were played with a soccer ball. These were quickly changed to standard polo balls after it was realized the elephants liked to stamp and pop the soccer balls.
• Some playresttrain by sitting on top of a slow-moving jeep and swinging at ball using the actual Elephant Polo stick.

For more information on King’s Cup Elephant Polo, please visit www.anantaraelephantpolo.com

Anantara Resort Golden Triangle is located 60km north of Chiang Rai’s international airport. For enquiries and reservations
Tel: + 66 (0) 5378 4084 or + 66 (0) 2477
0760 E-mail: infogt@anantara.com

For more information please visit www.anantara.com

Incoming search terms:

• www thailairline com