Koh Samui event

Queen's Cup Preview - August 13-16 This golf tournament is presented by Sports Authority of Thailand and Bangkok Airways, and it is held in honor of her Majesty Queen Sirikit. Many world top players will attend. The tournament will be held at the Santiburi Samui Country Club, August 13-16.

		Events from Step Up Dance Studio polynesian FIRE night @ KANDABURI RESORT&SPA CHAWENG BEACH ROAD EVERY MONDAY AND NIKKI BEACH EUROPAIN PARTY 8 AUGUST WITH BEAUTIFUL DANCER BY STEP UP DANCE STUDIO

		BBQ Every Saturday at The Outback Sports Bar & Restaurant - Lamai Beach Enjoy an Excellent BBQ (thai and western) and eat all you can for 100 Baht. The feast starts every saturday at 5 pm. until food is gone...! For directions: outbackbar-samui.com

		The Ibis Koh Samui Trophy 2009 Adventure Race and Fun Run Racing for a greener Koh Samui Saturday September 19, 2009 - Bophut, Koh Samui Island Organized with the support of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and part of the Amazing Thailand Adventure Race Series, the race is scheduled on September 19, 2009. The Koh Samui Trophy will offer 4 disciplines: Running, Cycling, Kayaking and Swimming. The competitors will hike and run through unspoiled jungle, paddle and swim on the turquoise waters of the gulf of Thailand and cycle over the hills with spectacular views on the ocean. The Race offers 2 divisions:  Adventure (Short course for newcomers and W.E. warriors)  Extreme (Long course for confirmed athletes and experienced Racers) The winners of the extreme division are expected to complete the course in approximately 4:30. The fastest team in the Adventure division is planned to finish in around 3:30h. Disciplines: Running, Kayaking, Biking, Swimming and other mystery tests Teams of 2 racers Categories will be: Men, Women, Mixed, Masters Men (over 80 years combined) and Seniors Men (over 100 years combined) As AMA strives to promote the sports for youngsters in Thailand, we have decided to offer a mini race for children in parallel to the main event. Schools and sports clubs will actively be involved in the project. In order to make it a festive event and to involve the Samui residents, a 10k fun run will be organized prior to the Adventure Race. This run will raise participant's numbers and create a festive and friendly atmosphere throughout the day. "The Koh Samui Trophy 2009" consists of 3 days of activities including: . An expo for sponsors to promote their products/services . Parties and VIP hospitality . A spectacular Sprint Adventure Race . A 10k fun run through coconut plantations and Bophut village . A kids mini adventure race on the beach . Trophy presentation . Children corner and games For more information and registration: www.kohsamuitrophy.com or info@active-asia.com

		Thai Boxing at PETCH BUNCHA STADIUM Every Monday-Wednesday & Saturday, 8-10 fight's, exciting Muay Thai bout’s with champion boxer’s from Thailand and all around the world. Organized by professional promoters in Samui. Starting 09.00 PM. More Info

		Escape House Party & Black Moon Party The Black Moon Party at Chaweng Lake View - Several parties held every month.

		Live @ Babylon Every sunday The fun center comes alive every Sunday from 2pm to 9 p.m. with family activities, bouncy Castle, Thai and western food, a full bar, and great music. Samui Island residents said Babylon was a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon. Babylon is open everyday and can be seen from the Ring Road before going up the hill towards the Four Seasons Resort on the way to Nathon.

		Event calender for Tropical Murphys in Chaweng Monday: Pub Quiz at 8pm followed by Live music @ 10pm with Climax.Both upstairs. Tuesday: Live music @ 10 with Rocket. Wednesday: Live music @ 10 with Climax. Thursday: Live Music with Ovada 2@ 10. Friday: Live music at 10 with Climax. Saturday: Live music with Ovada. Sunday: live music (downstairs 1-4) with Irish Joe. Sunday roast 395. Live music upstairs @ 10 with Rocket. All bands upstairs unless stated.

		Beach Party Every Saturday Monkey Bar Beach Bar is arranging a Beach party every Saturday starting 2pm. until Late. The Style is Chill Out Music, Chill House Music, House Music and Prograssive House. The Music is provided by DJ Tony (full Moon) - DJ AON (full moon) and DJ FUSION CLUB (fusion club) plus visiting DJ's. The Monkey Bay Beach Bar is located on Chaweng Beach Road next to Silver Sand Beach Resort (on the beach).

		Weekly Events at Dr. Frogs 'Wicked Wednesdays' - Live and Direct at Dr Frogs @ 8pm 'Groovalicious Sundays' - Eclectic Excursions at Dr Frogs @ 6pm] 'Thank Frogs its Friday' - DJ Steve Bray mixing it up with soul, funk & house - Happy Hour - 6 - 9pm - 50% off drinks!!! Free Food!!

Samui crash kills pilot

Aviation officials have rushed to Koh Samui to begin investigating the crash of the Bangkok Airways plane which killed the pilot and injured 12 people, four of them seriously.

Those injured include the co-pilot, the two crew members and nine passengers.

The accident yesterday forced the closure of the one-runway airport and it will remain out of action until the Civil Aviation Department officials order the debris to be cleared.

Witnesses to the accident, including airport staff, have suggested a heavy rainstorm at the time was likely to have disrupted the landing of PG 226 from Krabi which had 68 passengers, two pilots and two crew members on board, the CAD said.

The accident occurred at 2.30pm. The French-manufactured 70-seat ATR 72-500 aircraft skidded off the runway as it was touching down in heavy rains and strong winds.

It crashed into an old air traffic control tower. Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-osoth said the pilot apparently died on impact.

Mr Puttipong and CAD director-general Kannika Khemawuthanont said civil aviation officials were dispatched to the resort island to investigate the accident along with Bangkok Airways staff.

As the airport was closed, the officials had to take a flight to Surat Thani and continue to the resort island by ferry.

Deputy chief of the department Wutthichai Singmanee said the investigators needed to examine the flight recorder first.

The front part of the plane hit the old air traffic control tower which had been transformed into a fire station. The front section was severely damaged.

Mr Puttipong said chief pilot Chartchai Pansuwan, 58, who died in the crash, was an experienced operator and had piloted ATR72-500 aircraft for 14 years. The aircraft was commissioned in 2001 and had flown more than 19,000 flights.

The aircraft, including accident coverage, was insured for US$250 million (8.5 billion baht) with Bangkok Insurance Co.

The four passengers seriously injured were two Britons, one Swiss and one Italian. Most of the injured suffered broken legs or leg wounds.

Mr Puttipong said most of the passengers were foreign tourists including nationals of Germany, the Netherlands, Israel, Spain and France.

Somchai Baimuang of the Meteorological Department yesterday said strong winds reaching 30 knots were recorded at the time of the crash.

An official at the airport who asked not to be named said there were heavy rains and strong winds before the landing. "During the landing there was a strong wind. What happened is similar to the crash of the One-Two-Go plane in Phuket," he said.

On Sept 16, 2007, a One-Two-Go plane crashed while landing in bad weather in Phuket, killing 88 people.

Health officials said nine people remained hospitalised including the co-pilot who was among the last to be evacuated from the aircraft.

Following the crash, calls for donations of blood Type B were made through television and radio stations.

The airport closure forced Thai Airways International to cancel two flights, TG 288 and TG 287, between Bangkok and Samui.

According to THAI, the cancellation affected 292 passengers and accommodation would be arranged for them.

Bangkok Airways has set up an emergency call centre number - 02 265 8777.

Samui airport currently handles 16 flights a day. That figures increases to 24 during the high season.

Bhundhari Spa Resort & Villas Samui

Bhundhari Spa Resort & Villas Samui, A Centara Resort (formerly Bhundhari, Koh Samui): A sloping elevation leading down to the famous beaches of Chaweng is the idyllic setting for Bhundhari Spa Resort & Villas Samui, the latest Centara resort on the tropical island of Samui.

The Southern Thai house style design of the resort lends itself to a comfortable and natural resort feel, the contemporary interior to sheer indulgence.

The majority of the guest accommodations afford spectacular views of the ocean and whether lazing around your own sparkling pool or availing yourself of the myriad of facilities and services, Bhundhari Spa Resort & Villas Samui is sure to become a holiday spot worthy of return year after year.

Bhundhari Spa Resort and Villas
111/1-2 Moo 5, Chaweng Beach
Koh Samui, Surathani 84320

Centara Hotels & Resorts
999/99 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan
Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Tel: +66 (0) 2 769 1234
Fax: +66 (0) 2 769 1235
Email: centara@chr.co.th
Bhundhari Spa ort

Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Samui Gives Away Free Accommodations

The Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Samui Fair proposes a special package that will offer free accommodation, in hopes of stimulating tourism during the low season.


Head of the Thai Hotels Association in the Southeastern Seaboard in Surathani Province, Ruengnam Jaikwang, recently disclosed that the association has collaborated with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Samui's tourism business board to organise the first 'Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Samui Fair', in order to stimulate tourism during the low season.

The project is also intended to alleviate problems stemming from the decline in the world economy and the spread of 2009 influenza which has caused the nation to face a loss of 80 percent of the regular tourism revenue.

This project will be held for three months, from June 1st to the end of September, 2009.

Participating merchants will offer discounts for accommodations and food, a 10 to 70 percent discount for plane tickets, and 10,000 free rooms, to attract tourists.

They believe this year's low season will be more bustling than last year because the discounted flights from Bangkok to Samui now cost only 2,250 baht. Further details will be available through the Tourism Authority of Thailand branch in Surathani and the Tourism Coordination Centre in Samui.

Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2009
Date : 1 June to 31 August 2009
Venue : Department stores, hotels, restaurants, and tourist attraction nationwide

Thailand’s annual “Amazing Thailand Grand Sale” got underway this month and continues to offer visitors great bargains right through to 31 August.
This year, as fuel prices escalate, both visitors and residents are looking for more value and bigger discounts when they are shopping. Thailand never disappoints.
Most mega stores and shopping malls are offering discounts of between 10 to 70%, so there are bargains galore for the shopper prepared to browse around the stores.
Fortunately, most of Bangkok’s major shopping malls and stores are located close to the city’s skytrain or metro transport systems, making it very convenient to hop from one store to the next.




Both the Skytrain and the Metro, offer day use stored-value cards for visitors to make it even more convenient to use the two systems.
Bangkok’s main shopping districts and streets are to be found along Ploenchit and Sukhumvit roads.
Many of the department stores have direct bridge linking them to Skytrain stations. Just a short walk from the Skytrain stations and visitors discover some pretty impressive department stores and shopping plazas namely Siam Discovery Centre, Siam Centre, Central World Plaza, Erawan Bangkok, Amarin Plaza, Gaysorn, Central Chidlom, Home Pro Plus, Robinson Department Store, The Emporium and The Mall Department Store.
Discounts are also available in King Power duty free shops, both at Suvarnabhumi Airport and downtown locations. There are even discount deals on luxury treatments at spas, a round of golf at a selection of courses at all major tourist destinations, travel packages and even medical check-ups at world-class hospitals.
The three-month campaign also embraces a variety of destinations beyond Bangkok such as Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Hua Hin, Cha-am, Pattaya, Nakhon Ratchasima, Udorn Thani, Phuket, Krabi, Hat Yai and Samui Island.
Grand Sale prizes are offered in conjunction with the campaign sponsor, Visa Card, and include bargain holiday packages to premier destinations such as Phuket and Samui.
Contact : Tourism Investment Department, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel : 66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 2951

8th Koh Samui Regatta The Tropical Island Regatta

Now in its seventh year, the Koh Samui Regatta is set to maintain its strong reputation as one of the highlights of the Asian sailing circuit.

The week long sailing extravaganza, now officially recognised by the International Sailing Federation, brings together many of the world’s top sailors guaranteeing a week of fun filled racing action and passionate partying.

The Regatta is organised under the auspices of the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand. Racing takes place over five days comprising of a mixture of coastal passages and around the cans.

The event culminates in a VIP gala dinner and awards ceremony at the Central Samui Beach Resort. Evening cocktail parties are held at various locations throughout the Regatta.

RACING
The Koh Samui Regatta includes five days of racing over a mixture of coastal passages and around the cans courses just off the East and North coast of one of Thailand's most beautiful islands. Most of the action will take place within site of the Eastern and Northern Coasts of Koh Samui.

There are five Race Classes:
Racing; Cruising; Sports Boats; Multihulls; Beach Cats

The Koh Samui Regatta, widely regarded as one of the best in the region, offers a truly international event with participants from Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, The United States, the United Kingdom, Italy and France. In past years, the event has attracted between 30 to 40 boat entries with an even mixture of keelboats and multihulls.

Koh Samui
At 247 square kilometres, Koh Samui is Thailand's third largest island. During the last decade the island has become one of South East Asia’s top five most visited tourist destinations.

The neighbouring islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and the breathtaking Ang Thong National Marine Park offer visitors a wide range of activities such as sailing, scuba diving, snorkelling and adventure excursions.

Along with the island’s established infrastructure including international educational and medical facilities, a wide choice of high street shopping brands, exquisite dining venues, and beautiful white sandy beaches, Koh Samui stands out as one of the jewels in Thailand’s illustrious crown.

Contact
Thailand representative and event organizer
MobyElite
E-mail: ksr@mobyelite.com
Web site: www.mobyelite.com

Samui Airport

Welcome to Samui Airport. There are many airports in picturesque exotic locations around the world, but Samui airport holds the crown as the most beautiful and the best designed in tune with its gorgeous natural surroundings.
Samui Airport is privately owned and operated by Bangkok Airways. Most flights from the island are operated by Bangkok Airways. Thai Airways international began flights to Samui in February 2008.
Samui Airport, located at the northern part of the island near Bo Phut Beach, began construction 1982 and was officially opened in April 1989.
Thai Airways International (THAI) launched twice-daily flights between Bangkok and Samui Island, targeting European tourists making stopovers in the capital. The daily flights began on February 14th, 2008 using Boeing 737-400 airplanes with a capacity of 149 passengers.

Bangkok Airways, the country's largest privately owned carrier, plans to turn Samui Airport into a second international air hub after Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport in the next one or two years.

The airline would launch more direct international flights for medium-haul routes through the small resort airport. The plan falls under Bangkok Airways' growth plan and the mandate of the Samui Property Fund. Also in the pipeline are plans to offer direct flights from Samui to Dubai, Shanghai, Bali, and Kuala Lumpur. The airline already has scheduled flights to Hong Kong and Singapore.

Travel in samui island Thailand

If you are looking for long, white sand beaches, majestic green coconut palms everywhere, warm, azure blue crystal clear water - in short, a place that matches everybody`s concept of a tropical paradise, then Koh Samui is ideal for you. The beautiful little island in the gulf of Thailand

until some years ago an insider spot - is becoming more and more popular among travellers, and big tour operators and large hotel chains have established themselves there, but even mass tourism has not managed to spoil the island`s idyllic charm. The pace of life here is still very calm and relaxed.
The beautiful island is located in the deep south of Thailand, about 100 kilometers north of Koh Phuket, but on the other side of the Isthmus of Kra, the narrow mountainous strip of land that connects Thailand and Malaysia. Koh Samui ("Koh" means "island") is only the most well known of a veritable archipelago of 80 islands in the south of the Gulf of Thailand (or Gulf of Siam, as it is still sometimes called). Among the other inhabitated island of the archipelago are Koh Phangan, which has approximately the same size as Samui and is located north of it (you can see it from Maenem Beach) and Koh Tao, also north of Samui island.

Most of the visitors to Samui Island come for swimming, sunbathing, or just doing nothing. The coral reefs around the island are, however, very good for snorkeling and scuba diving, and boating and fishing are also available (Samui is less suitable for wind surfing; the only two good beaches for it are Chaweng and Lamai). If you are not into marine sports then a little sightseeing may be interesting; Samui Island does not offer spectacular architecture or immortal monuments of art, but there are mountains, waterfalls, charming half-forgotten forest Wats (buddhist monasteries), and lovely little islands and islets around Koh Samui.
Hotels and Accomodation

It does not matter whether you are mainly interested in budget accomodation or looking for an international luxury hotel with all the frills - you can find both on the island. All over the island, in every little cove and on every little beach you can still find simple, very inexpensive bungalows. Most of the international hotels are located either on Chaweng Beach (a very long, extremely beautiful beach with powdery white sand and clean, crystal-clear water) or on Maenam Beach (yellow sand, but also nice, hotels: e.g. the Paradise Beach). For instance, in Chaweng you find the Imperial and the Central Samui (both of them are first-class, the Central is the newest and has a very large landscaped hotel garden). Also noteworthy is the Princess Village on Chaweng which consists of twelve beautiful ancient Thai teakwood houses that were transported from Ayutthaya (the old capital of Thailand) to Samui and rebuilt here. (Inside, the bungalows are modern and offer all the necessary amenities like bathroom, air condition, etc.)
The best (and also most expensive) hotel on the island is the Meridien Royal Palm on the west coast. It has been built on cliff and offers spectacular views of the blue sea and the rocky little islets of the Ang Thong Marine Park.

Life on the island is still very quiet, much more so than for instance on Phuket. There are schools on Samui but the more well-to-do families prefer to send their children to the colleges and universities on the Thai mainland.
The main produce of the island are coconuts (which are processed for copra production), tropical fruit, and bamboo. Fishing is of course also a major source of income and recently the tourism industry (most of the accomodation offered on Samui is still owned by locals, not by large hotel chains) has become more and more popular.

Songkran festival in Samui island

The best place to celebrate new years is nowhere but Samui island. This is because Samui island is a place which offers no less than three opportunities to ring in the new year. Locals of Samui island harbor in new year with their European friends on January 1st, with their Chinese friends on early February and on April 13th, they harbor in the first day of their traditional Thai solar calendar.
Songkran of Samui is celebrated on the first day of the Thai calendar

This celebration of the first day of the Thai solar calendar is called Songkran, which is a joyous occasion in Samui island. The word Songkran stems from the Sanskrit word 'New Year', which shows that major aspects of Indian culture was imported to Thailand over 2,500 years ago.

Songkran is a holiday for the family in Samui Island; this is why on this day, you find less of staff in restaurants and hotels as practically everyone vies to spend time with their families on this festival. On this day, all the houses in Samui Island are cleaned, sacred alters and images washed and huge meals prepared at home. It is on Songkran that family members scattered here and there come together to renew bonds and exchange gossip.
Visit Samui to experience the beauty of Songkran

The most interesting rite of Songkran is Wai Khon Gaa ceremony where people from all neighborhoods gather together to pour water on the two oldest members of the community and exchange blessings for the New Year. Another popular event of Songkran in Samui Island is the practice of Sat Nam where people gather large quantities of water that is chilled below freezing temperature to drench innocent passing pedestrians.
Teenagers of Samui love Songkran
On Songkran, teenagers across Samui Island arm themselves with dippers, barrels, buckets, water guns, hoses and delivery vehicles to launch their icy-cold liquid missiles. During Songkran, policemen in Samui Island are immune to any attack; however everyone else has to take this with good humor. Don't be surprised to be met with people wearing sopping clothes wherever you go in Samui Island during Songkran.

Koh Phangan Island

From Bangkok
By bus or rail to Suratthani province, and a ferry from one of the piers (Donsak: Seatran and Raja ferry lines) You can buy a joint ticket in Bangkok, for example on Khao San Road. You can also get here with the Lomprayah catamaran from Chumphon via Koh Tao. Lomprayah also has comfortable buses from Bangkok to Chumphon. (more information is found in the Samui information) If you are going from Samui you have a lot of alternatives; Catch a express boat, catamaran or a small ferry from Nathon, Maenam, Big Buddha, Bangrak or Bo Phut. Or, if your in a hurry, a speed boat from Maenam or Bo Phut is perfect. Please check with any travel agency or just go to the piers and buy the ticket there.

Koh Phangan is located in the Gulf of Siam a little North of Koh Samui. About 75 % of the island is mountains covered by tropical jungle. The coconuts are still produced and exported here and an important income, together with the growing tourist industry and fishing. There are several coconut fields here. In the south end of Ban Tai there is a big coconut storage.

Koh Phangan was for about twenty years somehow a hideaway for backpackers in Asia. Today you will find all kind of "farangs" or tourists from all over the world on this tropical island; Party peoples (going to the Fullmoon Party), young (and old) "love birds", globetrotters, families, divers or just people looking for a place where they can enjoy total relaxation . But Koh Phangan is still "less exploited" than its larger sister island Koh Samui and the and some beaches are almost "empty" in low season. This is still a place where you can find a peaceful holiday with a book in a hammock in a very easy going bamboo resort.

The Full Moon Party

This party is one of the most famous and visited beach parties in the world. It is held monthly at Haad Rin Beach in Southern Phangan.

Had Rin Nok and Had Rin Nai
The most popular beach on Pha Ngan. Here you will find the famous Full Moon Party. Had Rin is actually two beaches (Had Rin Nok and Had Rin Nai) and the East side is often considered as the most beautiful beach, but also the more crowded one.

Ban Khai, Ban Tai and Ao Nai Wok
These beaches are located in the South East of the island, East of Thongsala. You will find cheap accommodation and some beach bars here. Stunning sunsets can be seen over Koh Samui.

Had Yuan, Had Thien and (Eastern) Had Yao
These three beaches are located North of Had Rin Nok. Relaxed places only accessible by foot or by a taxi boat etc.


Other beaches in the South are: Had Yang, Had Khontee and Had Leela.