The China Girl 2003 will be chosen at Kad
Suan Kaew Shopping Complex February 1-2 this year, coinciding with the
Chinese New Year celebrations. Teenage girls, aged 14-19, will take part in
this contest. The contest will be held at the front stage of the shopping
mall starting from 3 p.m. on February 1 and the organizers are looking for a
girl who is representative of the “new generation”. Prime requisites
include good personality, self-confidence, and smart. With 50,000 baht up
for grabs, many of our local beauties should be perfecting their grooming.
It is also hoped that this contest will support teenagers to show their
natural abilities and spend their leisure times without drugs. As a small
bonus, Chinese New Year presents will be given away to visitors and
customers who come shopping at Kad Suan Kaew that day.
Lamphun’s textiles and “good things” Festival 2003
will be held January 30 - February 3 with the theme, “Visit Kua Mung, wear
textiles, and see Lamphun’s good things” at a Kua Mung Bridge in front
of Wat Prathart Haribhunchai Temple, Lamphun. Experience the local
handicrafts, especially the beautiful art of Pa Yok Dok, unique Lamphun
style weaving that has succeeded for many generations. Also, Lanna art and
culture, light and sound stage performance of the Kua Mung (the ancient
bridge with its rooftop) history, Haribhunchai history, Yong people’s
livelihood, and 4 basins civilization.
The Art of Chiang Mai Vocational Exhibition 2002,
aiming to show the work of students from the Division of Fine Arts, Division
of Design, Division of Ceramics and Division of Photography, Chiang Mai
Vocational College. Most exhibits (300 items) are from the amateur art
students in Vocational Certificate and High Vocational Certificate courses,
and their professional lecturers will exhibit another 50 items. There will
also be an art exhibition and a painting contest. The opening ceremony will
be held on Monday, January 27 this year at Chiang Mai Vocational College.
The Deputy of Permanent Secretary of Minister of Education, Sawittree
Suwansatit, will preside over the festivities.
It is still strawberry time, so don’t miss the Berry
Fair in Samoeng District in the beginning of February. Samoeng is
not even 50 km away from Chiang Mai and a beautiful excursion for a Sunday
afternoon with the kids.
The 3rd EXPOMAP will be held February 3-7 at the Lotus
Pang Suan Kaew Hotel, organized by the International Council for
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (ICMAP) in cooperation with Chiang Mai
University. Medicinal and aromatic plants experts from all over the world
gather for a conference, academic meeting and exhibition. Exhibitions of
medicinal and aromatic plants, many coming from shops in Chiang Mai. In
addition, cosmetics, supplement foods, and useful plants will be shown at
the fair. The Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University revealed that this
fair has been well promoted all over the world, stirring up interest from
nearby countries and people from Bangkok. The Medicinal Herbs Tour from
Bangkok will be coming straight to our Chiang Mai fair.
Chiang Mai will hold its 27th Flower Festival
February 7-9. Flower float parade, flower displays, Miss Bupphachart (Miss
Floral Beauty) contest, and many other interesting activities, including 9
activities at the Naowarat Bridge, flower exhibitions at Suan Buak Had, Kad
Mua at the provincial governor’s residence, Miss International Bupphachart
Contest, flower picture contest, international food fair, music concert, and
entries from the One Village - One Product campaign. The flower parade, the
highlight of the festival, will be start at the Naowarat Bridge 8 a.m. on
February 8 and then move to Suan Buak Had Public Park. The flower floats
will be parked at Suan Buak Had to let tourists get close to these decorated
vehicles.
Mass Lanna Wedding Ceremony, Valentine’s Day - Khum
Khantoke, through Watchara Tantranon, has announced plans to marry 50
willing couples in their “Lanna Valentine’s Wedding” to promote Lanna
wedding dress styles and to introduce the Lanna style wedding ceremony. Khum
Khantoke will provide a free wedding celebration for one couple from each
district. The bridal couples can invite 10 guests and pay only 300 baht each
for additional guests. The other 30 brides and grooms can join the ceremony
by paying 30,000 baht for 50 guests or 50,000 baht for 100 guests. All the
couples will be provided with the costumes and all the paraphernalia
necessary. Brides and grooms’ customary wedding parade will start from in
front of Carrefour Department Store at 7 a.m., led by two elephants, and
followed by 48 tricycles, leading to the Singha grounds where the guests
will be waiting. The ceremony will proceed according to the Lanna ritual
until late at night.
February 16 is Makha Bucha Day, a religious
holiday throughout Thailand to celebrate the occasion of Buddha’s first
sermon to 250 disciples. Everybody is welcome to come to the temples when
the sun goes down on that day to join the ‘Wien Thien’ procession under
the full moon. The processions go three times around the temple chedis with
lighted candles, joss sticks and small flower bouquets.
Looking for a wheelchair? Hopefully not! But many poor
disabled children in Chiangmai are. So why not donate one for only 7000 baht?
Visit the Freedom Wheelchair Workshop across from the Chiangmai Disabled
Center, 133/1 Rajapakinai Road, Chiangmai (near Thapae Gate).
Laundry and Internet service, traditional Thai massage,
Thai language courses. You find it all at the Chiangmai Disabled Center,
133/1 Rajapakinai Road, Chiangmai (near Thapae Gate).
Tune-in to the English language radio program
‘Helping Hand’, broadcasted daily from 7.30-9.00 pm. The program
can be heard on Radio Thailand Chiang Mai FM 93.25 MHZ, and provides
useful information to both Thai nationals and foreigners alike.
For the kids
A Toys Library has been opened for Chiang Mai children at
the Northern Child Development Center behind the Nakhon Ping
Hospital. It is supported by the Japanese Government and the Japan Small
Scale-Grant Assistance (SSGA). This library is designed to encourage
childhood development and be a learning source which can provide equipment
to support that aim. Activities at the Toys Library include lending and
return service, instruction and demonstration of equipment and skill
testing. The Toys Library also helps parents by selling the products made by
those participating in the center’s vocational project to increase local
families’ incomes. The Toys Library now has 63 members. Anyone can become
a subscriber by paying a 100 baht annual fee. The equipment provided
includes local natural product toys made from clay, bamboo, and coconut
shell as well as plastic and metal toys. The library is open daily from 9
a.m. - 4.30 p.m. except weekends. Interested people who want to subscribe
for this training or become a member can contact 0-5389-0238-44 ext. 3210.
The Northern Child Development Center Chiang Mai is located at 196 Moo 4
Tambon Donkaew, Mae Rim district.
