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Singha Taste of Thailand Challenge 2006 arrives in Chiang Mai Nov 24
Can Farang ever be Thai?
 Thailand’s
funniest cross-cultural game show, the Singha Taste of Thailand Challenge,
hits the road again this November and December in pursuit of the answer to
the question: Can farang (that’s western folk) ever truly behave like
Thais? Whether they can or not, the efforts are hilarious as tourists and
travellers (and the occasional foolhardy expat) compete against each other
to win the hearts and minds of the Thais in the audience and win
travel-related incentives, by making fools of themselves.
This funky, tourism-promotion event opens its northern leg at Chiang Mai’s
Riverside on Friday 24 November then heads to Pai for a show at BeBop on
Sunday 26 November. Both events will feature live music from Thai reggae
allstars T Bone and local rockers Tonic Rays, with Joe Cummings of Lonely
Planet infamy on guitar.
 The
entire nationwide tour will be filmed and broadcast internationally on Star
World TV, UBC and cable channel’s nationwide. In addition the event is
supported in print by Bangkok Post, Untamed Travel and locally
by Chiangmai Mail, City Life and Pai Post.
“We’ve got a great show this year,” said the event emcee Worathep na
Banglampu. “We had such fun last year and got a huge response from mates
around the region who saw us on the telly that we’ve decided to tighten
things up a little bit. We’ve added a few surprises to the game show and
our guests artists are two of the best live bands in Thailand. The Singha
Challenge is like an alternative to the pub - down the pub,” added
Worathep.
Fame or shame?
If you will be around for the event, seeking that ‘fifteen
minutes of fame’ and quite frankly, could do with a few of the freebies,
simply answer the following questions about the Land of Smiles and you could
end up onstage in front of hundreds at the Singha Taste of Thailand
Challenge.
Anyway, that’s all the info. The rest, as they say in Thailand, is up to
you.
Thai Test
1. What is the name of the Thai currency? Bath Baht
2. The Thai national airline is called… THAI Finnair
3. How do Thais say hello? Sawasdee G’Day mate
4. Finish this sentence: My Thai dream is …
Send:
Your answers
Name
Nationality
Picture
To: info@singhachallenge.com
See you in the North!
Singha Taste of Thailand
Challenge 2006
Thurs Nov 16: Buddy Lodge, Khaosan, BKK
Featuring: T Bone, Daytripper
Fri Nov 24: Riverside, Chiang Mai
Featuring: T Bone, Tonic Rays
Sun Nov 25: Be Bop, Pai
Featuring: T Bone, Tonic Rays
Thurs Nov 30: The Deck, Samui
Featuring: Futon, Roaring Boys
Sun Dec 3: Hard Rock, Pattaya
Featuring: Futon, Cannonball
Box Like
Thai
Dance
Like Thai
Angel tree project provides Christmas gifts to needy children
The Christmas season is traditionally a time of
gift-giving. The Angel Tree Project is an initiative of Operation Blessing
Foundation Thai, to provide the local Chiang Mai community with the
opportunity to give Christmas gifts to needy children who would otherwise
receive nothing.
A
smiley angel receives her present, supplied by a generous donor.
By the November 7, Christmas trees or “Angel Trees”, will be placed in
Chiang Mai at Carrefour, Central Airport Plaza, Chiang Mai International
School, Grace Academy, Thammaprateep Church, and at the First Church in
Lampang. Each of these Angel Trees will be decorated with paper angels. The
angels will have a photo and profile of one of the 700 sponsor children from
Om Koi District in Chiang Mai and Vieng Sa District in Nan Province, who
will receive a Christmas gift this December, possibly for the first time in
their life.
The Angel Tree Project has been running for five years
and has provided more than 3,000 needy children with a little slice of joy
at Christmas. This is largely due to the generosity and kind donations of so
many in the local community.
Sakchai Puangjakta, Manager of Operation Blessing, explains the project:
“Many people around the world celebrate Christmas by giving and receiving
gifts. The reason we started The Angel Tree Project was to provide poor
children in Thailand with this same joyful experience. Operation Blessing is
here to connect the local community with these underprivileged children, and
give them the opportunity to share some of what they have with others. When
I see the smile on each child’s face as they receive their sponsor’s
gift, it reminds me that we are not just giving a present, but we are also
giving joy and happiness to a precious life.”
If you would like to be a part of the Angel Tree Project this year, please
visit one of the above locations and choose a child to bless this Christmas.
Once you have chosen, simply purchase a gift from a list of suggested items,
wrap it up and place it back under the Angel Tree with the child’s card
attached.
Hello
Kitty brings joy to a sponsor child in last year’s Angel Tree Project.
If you would like to give but don’t have the time to shop, you can place a
200 baht donation with the child’s card, in the donation box near the
Angel Tree. Operation Blessing will then purchase a gift on your behalf. All
donations and gifts must be received by December 2.
On the December 9 in Hvey Na Ngew Village, Nan Province, and on the 15th of
December in Chi Bae Village, Chiang Mai Province, Operation Blessing staff
will put on Christmas parties for all of the sponsor children. It will be a
fun-filled day with games, food and lot of presents from all of the
sponsors, to help make this Christmas season a joyful one they will never
forget.
Operation Blessing Foundation (Thai) is a non-profit Christian organisation
with a mission to provide through humanitarian services to economically
disadvantaged people and communities, and to victims of disasters. Operation
Blessing’s charitable activities include medical missions, food
distribution programs, fresh water wells, community assistance projects, and
disaster relief operations.
For further information contact: Karen Thomson, director, tel: 053-262940 /
08 18832341 or Tim Daniell, research and reporting, tel: 053-262940 / 08
62243220.
A young
Karen child from Mae Sariang receives her first Christmas present.
Gifts
for sponsor children during OB’s 2005 Angel Tree Project.
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