Tum Taxi and Tours

15/10/2017

Celebrating Halloween in Thailand
When: 31st October annually
Where: Throughout the more touristy areas of Thailand
While many more western countries are celebrating the yearly (and now almost wholly commercialized) event that is Halloween, here in Thailand outside of the more touristy areas, it is pretty much little understood and therefore pretty much ignored.
The reason Thai’s in general ignore Halloween, is in part due to the fact that we hold our own unique festivals in September and October, to celebrate the dead returning to this world, listed here are details on the biggest across the Kingdom including; where, when and what they entail.
Reverence for the dead is common practice in Asia and the multitude of peoples that make up the rich tapestry of Thailand also have their own unique festivals to celebrate family returning to this realm once a year, to see more click here http://asia-backpackers.com/halloween-thailand/

05/10/2017

Phuket Vegetarian Festival
Where the act of blood-letting is accompanied by the deafening noise of exploding gun powder
When: 20th - 29th October 2017
Where: In and around Phuket Town. Phuket. Southern Thailand
Vegetarian festivals have a long tradition in Thailand and are believed to be based on the Chinese ‘Nine Emperor Gods Festival’. This year’s festival starts and finishes as always with the same ritual when in the late afternoon of the first day "go teng lantern poles" are raised at the participating Chinese shrines.

The nine Chinese gods are said to descend down the poles into the shrines, the same gods are then able to ascend the same poles before they are removed on the last night of the festival.
The activities in most parts of the Kingdom are not on the scale of Phuket where the festivities encompasses more unusual rituals. In this event religious devotees will perform ritualized mutilation upon themselves and one another, while under a trance-like state, including but not limited to: impaling through cheeks, arms, face, legs, back etc. With everything from small needles to long swords and other objects such as fire arms and umbrella’s, in fact the size of the item is only restricted to the ability of the pieced person to carry the object.

For more on the festival click here http://asia-backpackers.com/phuket-vegetarian-festival/

04/10/2017

Top Music events across Thailand in 2018

print For Thailand’s booming tourism industry, music festivals are quickly joining an impressive list of attractions. Several events boasting famous…

03/10/2017

Rafting in Pai River
When: 1 July – 31 December 2017
Where: Pai River Mae Hong Son Northern Thailand
Thailand has a number of provinces which can offer the thrill seeker the chance to take what would seem to most as a hair raising fall into the unknown. Rapids on the river vary from class I to class V on the International Scale of River Difficulty and everything in between, along distance of 50 kilometers. The Pai River offers a scenic view of mountain forest and many choose to camp along the quiet river banks.

02/10/2017

Pattaya Vegetarian Festival
While not on the scale and without the blood-letting of the better known Phuket festival this is still a colourful fun filled time for the local people and all those that want to join in
When: 20 - 28th October 2017
Where: Sawang Boriboon Foundation, Nakula, Chonburi. Central Thailand

Vegetarian festivals have a long tradition in Thailand and are believed to be based on the Chinese ‘Emperor Gods Festival’. Those that ‘spiritually’ celebrate the day will leave their daily businesses aside, (it is not a public holiday in the Kingdom) and visit temples dressed all in white, carrying candles and flowers to make merit. The festival is seen as a chance to cleanse the body and to refrain from any acts that would lead to the taking of lives.
For more on the festival the route of the parades etc click here http://asia-backpackers.com/pattaya-vegetarian-festival/

01/10/2017

Long-tailed Boat Competition in Nakhon Sawan
When: Annually around 5th October 2017 (Dates TBA)
Where: Chao Phraya River, Nakhon Sawan. Central Thailand
The province of Nakhon Sawan is 2 h 59 min (244.0 km) north of Bangkok, the name of the province literally means city heaven or heavenly city and has been around for roughly 14 centuries.
While this particular event has not been in existence for this whole time, long boat racing has an ancient history with the province. This particular event is also known as ‘Boat Races for His Majesty’s Trophy’ (ประเพณีการแข่งเรือยาวชิงถ้วยพระราชทาน), which are held annually at the end of the Buddhist Lent (5th October 2017) on the Chao Phraya River in front of the Provincial Hall. There are also races at temples along the river such as Wat Ko Hong and Wat Takhian Luan.
Contact Details : Tourism and Sports Department of Nakornsawan Tel. (66) 5622 8735, (66) 5622 8552

30/09/2017

Thailand’s Walking Dead – Festival of Offerings to the Dead (Sart Thai) วันสาทรไทย
When: Annualy around the 1st waning-moon night to the 15th waning-moon night in the 10th Lunar month (19th Oct 2017)
Where: Across the Kingdom
Offering food to the dead is a common practice in Asia, while not widely known out-side of Thailand and at times confused with the more famous Chinese ‘Hungry Ghost Festival’, (known to Thai’s as the Por Tor Festival), this purely Thai occasion is celebrated across the Kingdom, but is known by different names in the differing provinces.
Sart Thai also known as Sat Thai
For centuries this time of year is when the crops are at their most bountiful, it is also when families come together, to celebrate the return of the deceased to this world, so they can feast with their living relatives. These wondering spirits are only allowed to visit their relatives once each year and only for a short while, having to return to from where they came, before sunrise of the 15th day.
To feed their dead relatives and other spirits that they are not related to, Thai people will visit their local temple to make Merit and will invite these spirits to dine with them in their homes.
The Thai people have a strong belief in ghosts and the spirit world, especially in ‘Preta’ also known as Praet, Peta or a “Hungry ghost”, who are one of the six modes of existence in the Buddhist ‘Wheel of Life’. Hungry ghosts or ‘Preta’ – ‘departed ones’ in Hindu language of Sanskrit, are pitiable creatures with huge, empty stomachs and pinhole mouths; their necks are so thin they cannot swallow, so they remain hungry. It is believed that people are reborn as hungry ghosts because of their greed, envy and jealousy in their prior life.

For more on this festival, what food is given and why, plus other names and details on the the festival, as it is known across the Kingdom, click here http://asia-backpackers.com/walking-dead-sart-thai/

30/09/2017

Festivals through-out Thailand in October 2017
October is undoubtedly the festive month in the Thai calendar with heaps of events marking possibly the most important day; the end Of Buddhist lent on the 5th October. The day is known as Wan Ok Phansa and is celebrated right across the Kingdom, with a mass of different festivals and events known by a multitude of names.
Combine these with the many other events that take place this month and you soon realize why this is the Nation’s busiest month for festivals. Listed here are the Kingdom's top 40 plus events
http://asia-backpackers.com/october-events-across-thailand/

29/09/2017

Sat Thai - Kluai Khai Fair

When the people of this little known province celebrate the return of the dead with the humble banana
When: 16 – 25th October 2016 (5th - 14th Oct 2017 TBC)
Where: Kamphaeng Phet North Central Thailand
This is possibly one of the Kingdoms least known provinces, sitting as it does in upper Central Thailand, its name literally means the "diamond wall" and refers to the city's ancient defenses. Apart from its past defense of the Sukhothai Kingdom, the province is famous for a small, round, sweet and aromatic banana variety called "egg bananas" (Thai: kluai khai or mini banana).
This annual event is a celebration of this locally grown fruit, the end of Buddhist Lent and the nationwide celebration of Sat Thai, it features a number of banana contests and competitions on the making of Krayasat. The desert (Thai: กระยาสารท; food for the Sat Rite), is normally prepared for Buddhist religious events and is most commonly served during the Festival of Offerings to the Dead, or Sat Rite.
For more on the festival click here http://asia-backpackers.com/sat-thai-kluai-khai-fair/

28/09/2017

Wan Ok Phansa Festival
The end of Buddhist Lent when the people of this magical Kingdom both pray and play
When: 5th October 2017
Where: Across the Kingdom of Thailand
This day heralds the Thai Buddhist festival of Wan Ok Phansa (Thai: วันออกพรรษา; literally “the Final Day of the Vassa“) which marks the end of ‘Buddhist Lent’ known as Wan Khao Phansa. The day falls annually on the full moon of the eleventh lunar month and is the Kingdoms most important Buddhist event.
The day is full of joyful celebration and merit-making, for many families it is also the day they welcome back a son into the home and for them to celebrate his successful completion of a term in the temple.
For more on this eagerly awaited time of year click here http://asia-backpackers.com/wan-ok-phansa-festival-2/

27/09/2017

Ayutthaya-Venice of the East in celebration of King Chulalongkorn Day
A nostalgic steam train ride from the present capital to an ancient former capital
When: 23rd October each year
Where: Hua Lamphong railway station, Bangkok to Ayutthaya
Why not take a nostalgic steam train journey from Bangkok to Ayutthaya, sedately winding gently through many old towns and villages of rural Thailand.
These somewhat pensionable steam trains only make 4 trips per year, in March to celebrate the anniversary of the State Railway of Thailand, then on 12th August (Queen’s Birthday), 23rd October (Chulalongkorn Day) and 5th December (Late King’s Birthday).
The new city of Ayutthaya is approx. 40 miles (64 km) north of Bangkok and the normal journey time is approx. 1 hour and 20 mins at a cost of 15 baht per person while the express train is a whole 20 baht per person, by taking the steam train the journey time is slightly longer by approx 30 minutes and the fare is 222 baht return.
For more on this event click here.
http://asia-backpackers.com/steam-train-trips-thailand/

27/09/2017

Chumphon Traditional Boat Races
When: 17 – 21 October 2016 (2017 TBC)
Where: Mae Nam Lang Suan (Lang Suan River), about 60km south of Chumphon. Southern Thailand
The Chumphon traditional boat race is an annual event held at the end of the Buddhist Lent (23rd October 2016) and is unlike most other of the events in the Kingdom. While the winners of other traditional Thai long-boat races are decided by the teams that cross the finishing line first, here the contestants face an additional challenge, to be declared the winner of the Chumphon boat race, a member of the crew also has to climb up the bow and grasp their own marker flag.
Activities include the presentation of merit-making offerings, contests that draw attention to the various aspects of the hand-crafted traditional long-boats and cheerleading contests.
Contact Details: Tourism Authority of Thailand Chumphon Office Tel: +66 (0) 7755 6190-1 E-mail: [email protected]