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Raming Tea celebrates 70th anniversary
Raming Tea Co. Ltd celebrates its 70th
anniversary with a country chic theme. Chairman Nit Wongwiwat is seen here,
4th from left with Raming Tea and Loxley Trading Co. management.
By Phitsanu Thepthong and Jittarporn Charasrum
Raming Tea Co. was founded 70 years ago by Prasit Pumchusri, inspired by
books that celebrated the Lanna Kingdom’s long history of tea planting.
Started as the Mountain Tea, the name was changed in 1967 to Raming Tea Co.
Ltd. The company started out with 3,000 rai of land for cultivation in the
highlands of Mae Taeng.
Tea planting and cultivation was promoted among the Lahu hilltribes as well
as local Thais of the area with more than 2,000 families taking part during
the intial stages. Raming Tea is famous for its high quality black tea and
was awarded for its good business organization in the North by the Ministry
of Culture.
Raming has redesigned their packaging for 2011 and is managed by Chairman
Nit Wangwiwat, Penphan Wangwiwat, Vice Chairperson and Chakrin Wangwiwat,
Managing Director.
Raming Tea held a country chic themed party a the One 0-Nine resort
restaurant to celebrate its 70th anniversary and to introduce Loxley Trading
Co. Ltd which distributes Raming Tea.
Managing Director Chakrin noted that the Raming Tea Company noted that the
company had persuaded hill tribe farmers to plant Assam tea in the highlands
and added that Raming is the only tea company left producing black tea of
Chiang Mai for the country markets.
At present, there are millions of tea trees grown in Doi Saket and Mae Taeng
districts of Chiang Mai, he added.
Kosume Sinpermsuksakul, the Managing Director of Loxley Trading Co., Ltd,
which is the sales agent, dealer and distributor for Raming tea, said that
tea production in Thailand was organic and that Loxley Trading Co, Ltd has
helped plan marketing strategies for Raming tea in the domestic and
international markets.
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Opening ceremony for Chiang Mai’s New Year day
Traditional music performances sparked the start
of the traditional Thai New Year
Tussanai Buranupakorn, Chiang Mai Mayor presided over the Opening ceremony
of the traditional Thai New Year in Chiang Mai this year on April 10 at Wat
Ched Lin. The opening ceremony, which was held at the start of Songkran
week, featured traditional Lanna performances, merit making and alms giving.
Songkran day is held on April 13 and the holiday’s extended through to April
15 but the start of the traditional ceremonies began in earnest on the 10th.
The 12th of April saw the founding of Chiang Mai 715 years ago celebrated
and more merit making activities were held during the week.
Chiang Mai Mayor Tussanai Buranupakorn makes
merit by offering alms to the abbot of Wat Ched Lin on April 10.
Chiang Mai Night Safari holds traditional Songkran ceremony
Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai Naruemol Plawat
offers her respects to for Dr. Chao Duangduen na Chiengmai in the Rod Nam
Dam Hua ceremony.
The Chiang Mai Night Safari hosted a Rod Nam Dam Hua ceremony for Dr. Chao
Duangduen na Chiengmai on Saturday, April 16 with fashion shows on “Lanna
Phusa Vichitre”.
The Night Safari hosted the traditional ceremony of forgivingness with
beautifully decorated dressed models in a fashion show. Also, attending the
ceremony were Naruemol Plawat, Chiang Mai Deputy Governor, Chalermsak
Suranant, Director of TAT’s Chiang Mai office, Dr. Sarawuth Sirsakhun, CEO
of Chiang Mai Night Safari, Dr. Chumpol Musikanont, Deputy CEO, and other
guests of honor.
Models Jitsurang Srisakhun, and Chatima Pingpayorm wore unique local
costumes. The Rod Nam Dam Hua ceremony saw water bathing to pay resepcts,
merit making and alms giving, as well as local Lanna performances. (PR)
Models wore unique Northern Lanna costumes in
the fashion show.
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Chiang Mai turns out to celebrate Songkran
Children love Songkran, what more to ask for?
Play in the street and splash water on people.
Songkran started in earnest on April 13 even though the day was rather cold
and grey, crowds of shivering people still took to the streets to throw
water on passersby. Stages were set up in front of Central Kad Suan Kaew for
the Redioactive show and across the street in front of the Discovery disco.
Foreign and Thai visitors alike joined together in the fun and festivities.
Parades were held in the evening and Miss Songkran was crowned. The Chiang
Mai tourist police went viral with an online video of them dancing to Korean
pop band Super Junior’s huge hit “Sorry Sorry”.
The traditional Songkran ceremonies of merit making and water pouring still
take place in the temples early morning but the moat quickly turns into a
barely moving mass of vehicles and water.
The unseasonal cool weather didn’t persist and the next two days of Songkran
saw temperatures warm enough to make the water throwing fun. And while the
streets seemed quieter than in past years, many visitors raved about the fun
and vowed to come again next year. (Photos courtesy of Thomas Skyum)
Thai visitors enjoy dancing in the streets in
front of Central Kad Suan Kaew.
The 100 Pipers Stage was a popular spot as water
shot out of the pipes on the top over the crowd dancing in the street below.
Foreign visitors join in the water splashing
fun.
Even the trucks decorated with traditional items
joined in the water throwing.
All that dancing and water throwing is a tiring
business at the end of the Songkran holidays.
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Lampang celebrates a traditional Songkran
Lampang Governor Athikhom Suphanapong joins
in the traditional ceremony to make merit and bring luck.
Thaweerat Pensalaphan
Visitors to Lampang took part in a traditional local merit making ceremony
on April 12 at the start of Songkran when a Bussabok carriage containing the
Phra Chao Kaew Dontao Buddha image from the famous Lampang temple Wat
Phrathat Lampang Luang in Korkha District was paraded through town.
Athikhom Suphanapong, Governor of Lampang accompanied by government office
heads, the Lampang Municipality mayor and officials took part in the water
sprinking ceremony.
Along both sides of the road along which the carriage passed, Lampang
residents and tourists sprinkled water on the Phra Chao Kaew Dontao Buddha
image, before it was housed at Kuang Nakhon Hayaek. The Buddha image was
brought so that Lampang people and tourists alike could join in this
traditional new year celebration, to sprinkle water onto the most revered
and respected image to bring good luck, fortune, prosperity and happiness to
them and their families.
People lined up to throw water on the image to
bring good luck for the new year.
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Mae Hong Son celebrates Songkran
Residents make merit by offering food to
Buddhist monks during the morning alms round on Songkran.
Khajohn Boonpath
The people of Mae Hong Son made merit on Songkran days joining Mayor Suthep
Nuchsuang accompanied by Col. Boonyuen Inkwang , Deputy Commander of the
Special Task Force of the 7th Infantry Regiment in making merit and offering
alms to 84 Buddhist monks at Wat Chongkham on April15.
Mae Hong Son is home to a sizeable Tai Yai population but this doesn’t slow
the celebrations down as residents and tourists take to the streets to
splash water.
The Miss Songkran parade features old women also dressed as beauty queens,
as this holiday, originally to pay respects to their elders offers the
elderly a chance to join.
Mae Hong Son residents splash water
enthusiastically in the streets.
The parade features both the young and the old.
Mae Hong Son kids join in the fun, throwing
water on a passing truck.
Lampang goes back in time to horse drawn carriages
The grand procession of horse drawn carriages
wound its way through Lampang.
Jittarporn Charasrum
Lampang commemorated the bygone era’ of horse drawn carriages and its
historic railway with a festival held on the fairgrounds in front of the
Railway Station on April 1-5.
Organized by Lampang Provincial Authority, Lampang Municipality, State
Railway of Thailand, Tourism Authority of Thailand, The Lampang Horse
Carriage Association, and Lampang Tourism Business Association, this was the
12 year for the festival.
The Lampang Governor, Deputy Governors, heads of government offices, Mayor,
President of the Lampang Tourist Business Association, the Lampang Horse
Carriage Association, the Lampang Railway Station Authorities, and others
attended the Opening ceremony which begain with a merit making and alms
giving ceremony. Art and cultural performances were held as well as
exhibitions on the history of the State Railway and the Lampang horse drawn
carriages.
Travellers on the Express Train Number 13 were greeted upon their arrival in
Lampang where they then participated in the merit making ceremony which
featured 55 monks in front of the Railway Station to launch the 5 day event.
The Hangchart Group performed for the crowd in the evening and a grand
procession of horse drawn carriages travelled along the Chatchai road to the
Prasarn Maitre road and on to the Fairgrounds.
Most guests and participants dressed in traditional outfits from the era of
King Rama VI while others wore beautiful Lanna costumes.
April 1, 1916 was regarded as the first northbound train arrived in Lampang
during the reign of King Rama VI and was also the day chosen to introduce
the first horse drawn carriages to the North. It was regarded as the New
Year day of Siam (Thailand) at that time as well. The railways and carriage
services were important vehicles for transportation that helped promote
Lampang’s economy. At that time, Lampang Province was governed by Chao
Boonyawat Wongmani.
Both the train and horse drawn carriage services remain a charming aspect of
life in Lampang.
Visitors and local dignitaries alike enjoyed the old
style carriages.
The Lampang Governor was joined by local
officials to mark the opening of the festival.
A model train was one of the exhibits on display at the Fairgrounds.
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Ratchaphruek Royal Park saw more than 20,000 visitors for Songkran
Privy Councillor Air Chief Marshal, Kamthon
Sinthawanontand (left) joins Chiang Mai Governor ML Panadda Diskul in merit
making for the Songkran festival at the Ratchaphruek Royal Park
A young man pours water over the shoulder
of an elderly man in the traditional New Year’s blessing.
More than 20,000 tourists visited the Ratchaphruek Royal Park to celebrate
traditional Thai New Year under the theme of beautiful dok euarng orchid and
flowers.
The 6-day Songkran Festival had the theme of the Romantic Touch of Orchids
ended on April 17. Mrs. Tassanee Srimongkol, the Director of Ratchaphurek
Royal Park added that it had started on April 12, noting the beauty of the
many flowers on display, from dok dao ruang, dok ban mairoo roy, mali
(jasmine) and others which are grown in the park, as well as local orchid
nurseries offering the euarng kham and euarng luang orchids which are rarely
found strains.
The Opening ceremony for Songrkan festival was graciously presided over by
Privy Councillor Air Chief Marshal Kamthon Sinthawanontand then was followed
by 27 floats in a parade representing 25 districts and Chiang Mai
Municipality. (PR).
Families enjoyed the many activities on offer at
the Park for Songkran.
Traditionally dressed girls offered water in the
traditional Songkran style.
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