ffalo on the run
You'll be surprised - and terrified - at the beasts' terrific speed but poor sense of direction.
Buffalo on the run
The Thai water buffaloes might not be as aggressive as Spanish bulls but they can certainly give the bulls a good run for their money and they're a lot more fun. Chon Buri province, about an hour's drive east of Bangkok, is hosting Buffalo Racing on October 11 in front of the provincial hall. Beefy buffaloes, skinny buffaloes and white buffaloes will race against each other over a 100-metre-long grassy strip, leaving a huge cloud of dust in the air. You'll be surprised - and terrified - at the beasts' terrific speed but poor sense of direction.
Making merit with lotuses
Bang Phli in Samut Prakan, will host the annual Lotus Giving Festival on October 11. This little known but fun event marks the end of the Buddhist Lent and is feted around Wat Bang Phli Yai (also known as Wat Luang Phorto) and the floating market. The merit-making takes place at daybreak, when thousands of devotees, lotus flowers in their hands, line both sides of the canal as they wait for the huge Buddha image to arrive by boat. The festival carries on throughout the day with entertainment, contests and lots of gastronomic treats until long after night has fallen way.
Transition to womanhood
Lamphun province will celebrate the "Salak Yom" merit-making ceremony from September 11 to 12 in Yong-speaking communities around Wat Phrathatharipunchai. Handed down for centuries this annual ceremony obliges young Yong woman to make offerings to the monks at the temple. A young woman will decorate a three-metre-high "tree of salak" with multi-colour ribbons, flowers, bank notes and gold string. The rite marks a young woman's passage of life, as she can get married after performing the ceremony. The highlight is watching the graceful procession as the people heading out from their homes to the temple plus the showcases of folk arts and music.
Vietnamese victuals from Highway 4
From September 22 to 30, Chef Pham Duc Toan, from Highway4 Restaurant in Hanoi, will be cooking up a storm at Thien Duong, the Vietnamese restaurant at the Dusit Thani Bangkok. Highway4 Restaurant is famous for its specially crafted menu, which takes Vietnamese flavours and ingredients and adapts them to modern cooking styles. Pham will also showcase his creativity and careful attention to matching finest Vietnamese cuisine with Thai wine. Thien Duong is open daily for lunch and dinner.
