Samui International Jazz Music Festival 2011

Samui International Jazz Music Festival 2011

Is going to happen between 18th and 25th September. For all jazz lovers, for one week in September 2011 the air and beaches of Koh Samui will be once again filled with Jazz Music.
Koh Samui has gained it's spot as international leisure and travel destination.

The festival has it’s origin in the successful Samui Jazz Series, which first took place in 2009 and this evolved than to a once per month occasion on various locations on the island.

The next step was to put Koh Samui’s name on the international jazz roster – the Samui Jazz Festival was called into life for a week long Jazz event.

The first Samui International Jazz Music Festival in 2010 attracted music lovers and Jazz performers to come to Koh Samui and this year sees a follow up to the first event. Hopes are that the festival will grow, giving Samui the opportunity to become a meeting point for other Thai and International artists to perform together, to share their love for Jazz and to let everybody be part of it.

The concerts will take place at various locations around the island and have free admission.

An exact schedule with times and locations will be released later but the line up of artists is already known, please follow this link for more information, names include Irene Atman, Aswin Quartet, Izaline Calister and plenty more.

Free jazz under a nice and warm Samui sky, what else can you ask for, mark the dates and visit our island for the occasion.

Camille

Queen's Cup, Samui Golf Tournament, 16th-19th June, 2011

Queen's Cup, Samui Golf Tournament, 16th-19th June, 2011

Later this week, for the second conseuctive year in a row, the Queen's Cup Golf tournament will visit Koh Samui between 16th and 19th June at the Santiburi Samui Country Club, part of the Santiburi hotel.

Due to Bangkok Airways’ success in organizing Bangkok Airways Open – Asian Tour for 4 years consecutively, The Sports Authority of Thailand decided to cooperate with Bangkok Airways to organize Queen’s Cup Samui Golf Tournament- Asian Tour for the first time on Koh Samui in August 2009.

Continuing from last year’s successful debut, Queen’s Cup Samui Golf Tournament – Asian Tour makes it return for a second consecutive year in June 16-19 , 2011 at the Santiburi Samui Country Club. The total prize is valued at $300,000 USD.

The Asian Tour offers 30 tournaments with total prize money worth over $37 million USD. As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognized pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status.

Bangkok Airways in cooperation with the Sport Authority to Thailand invites you to witness your favourite golf pros swing out on Samui at the;

QUEEN'S CUP BANGKOK AIRWAYS-SAT SAMUI GOLF TOURNAMENT 2011 for a prize of US$300,000.

If golf is your thing, you might to make your way over to the Maenam hills this week.

Camille

Thai police start Murder investigation after drowning on Samui has been ruled out

Thai police start Murder investigation after drowning on Samui has been ruled out

The Thai police have finally started a murder investigation into the death of a British national Kevin Attew, 57, living here on Koh Samui since various years.

After a post mortem conducted in Surat Thani the Surat Thani police requested the Samui police to re-open the case of Kevin Attew, who according to the Samui police had committed suicide and drowned in Chaweng lake after his Thai girl friend told the police that he was planning to do so. Attew's body was found last Tuesday.

Kevin Attew

Considering that Chaweng Lake at certain places is just about 30 centimeters deep and also taking into account that the Gulf of Thailand starts straight off Chaweng Beach, within a mile of where Attew's body was found, a shallow lake is not a very great place to commit suicide if an ocean is just around the corner.

Yesterday the case was re-opened as a murder investigation after the victim's best friend went to visit the local morgue and took pictures that clearly showed that Kevin, who was a motor cycle enthusiast had been beaten to death first and bruises could easily be identified on his body.

Londoner Crispin Paton-Smith, publisher of a real estate magazine on the island and Mr. Attew's best friend, said: “I was appalled to hear the verdict of drowning. It was a no brainer. Kevin was beaten to death and his body was left on dry land for quite a while before being put in the lake.

Paton-Smith a former gunner in the Royal Artillery said: “I have spoken to his girlfriend and she continues to insist he committed suicide. He did not unless he beat himself to death. He would have had to dig a hole to drown himself.

“Kevin ran a very successful bar and was the sweetest man in the world. He had no enemies".

"He was also a biker and he raised a lot of money doing charity rides for the Red Cross and other deserving causes."

Kevin Attew left and Crispin Paton-Smith right, with his girlfriend

It seems that the Koh Samui is trying to play down crime on the island out of fear of upsetting its lucrative tourism industry.

A spokesman for the Regional Police in Surat Thani on the mainland in southern Thailand said: “We are treating this as murder and have asked for the body to be sent here for a full autopsy.”

Mr. Attew, who produced rock and advertising videos in Britain, owned the ‘Honey Bar’ in Chaweng a meeting placed for bikers. He was founder of the ‘Koh Samui Pirates’ motorcycle club, which consists mainly of middle aged men who like touring on motorbikes and like to wear their ‘colours’ but who do not involve themselves in some of the extreme practices with which these groups are often associated.

Thai police have at least once mistaken such motorcyclists for members of Scandinavian and American motorcycle gangs with a reputation for crime.
They arrested and jailed several law-abiding bikers four years ago, including Mr Paton-Smith, a member of the Koh Samui Bandidos motorcycle club, who was eventually released without charge.

A British Embassy spokesman said relatives of Mr Attew had been informed of his death.

Let's hope that this case will get the attention it deserves and that for once justice will be served and this case won't be swept under a carpet. You can show your support by attending the 'virtual funeral' on Facebook.

BBC

Daily Mirror

Daily Mail

Daily Telegraph

Camille

Samui Regatta Samui 2011; May 30th - June 4th

Samui Regatta 2011; May 30th - June 4th

It's that time of the year again and the Samui Regatta is about to kick off for the 10th edition on Koh Samui!

One of Asia's biggest regatta's and the final of the Asian Yachting Grand Prix, this event has grown to attract the best yachts in Asia and a large spectator following who come for great sailing, great parties and many other events that occur during one incredible week each year.

The regatta was founded in 2001. Starting with just 11 boats the event grew every year with an extensive number of beach cats making up much of the fleet.

By the 3rd year the regatta had achieved International status and was beginning to attract a number of boats from overseas including Hong Kong, Singapore and even Australia.

The regatta continued to grow and cemented its importance to the Asian yachting scene by being
the last regatta in the Asian Yachting Grand Prix series.
After 8 races in 5 countries this means that the overall grand prix results often come down to how well yachts perform in Samui.

The regatta was purchased in late 2007 and management of the regatta was outsourced to
professional Bangkok based event organizers MobyElite, ensuring a bright future and the ensuing growth of the regatta.

This future was further cemented when island based business Web Sawadee came on as a principle partner for 3 years allowing us to further raise the profile of the event.

Numbers:

- In 2008 there were over 300 participants from over 20 countries.
- The event generated over 13 million bahts worth of media coverage.
- It generated nearly 100 million baht for the Thai economy

- In 2009 there were 350 participants
- Then event generated over 30 million bahts worth of media coverage.
- It generated approximately 250 million baht for the Thai economy.

Objectives

The Regatta has 3 key objectives;

1. Increase tourists to the island of Koh Samui.
2. Increase awareness and participation in Sailing in Asia.
3. Support youth education and sporting activities on the island.

It aims to do this through actively increasing the value we offer to all key stakeholders. Participants, Spectators, Media, Sponsors and the Community.

Enjoy!

Camille

Koh Samui Taekwondo championships

Koh Samui Taekwondo championships

Today the 2nd Koh Samui Taekwondo championships are being held in Nathon, opposite the Seatran pier. As posted on 24th February, our son has taken up this sport and after gaining his yellow band a week or two ago, today was going to see his first fight.

In almost three months time he learned a lot but it looks like he still doesn't really understand the concept of fighting, which may not be a bad thing at all.

The color codes of Taekwondo rankings

Dennis warming up before his fight

His fight didn't go that well, during the first round he received two hits near the head and the coach wisely called the fight. His opponent had a green band, which means he has better skills and more training than our son and this clearly showed during the fight.

There were some disappointment tears but nothing that a visit to the local 7-11 couldn't heal quickly and right now the motivation for a next tournament and fight is rather low, no real surprise there.

It was a very busy event, with Taekwondo clubs from all over Samui but also schools from Patthalung, Hat Yai, Phuket and various other locations participated.

The Governor of Surat Thani, Khun Damri Bunching, Samui's Mayor and a few other political hot shots attended. A good event and I hope our son starts to enjoy his current fave sport again, soon!

Camille

Samui bike week 6-7 May, 2011

Samui bike week 6-7 May, 2011

For all big bike lovers, the Samui bike week 3 will be held on 6 and 7 May this year.

After having visited a couple of Thai Red Cross charity motorcycle rides, it's time again for another version of the Bike week.

AT CHAWENG LAKE, KOH SAMUI, THAILAND

"Samui - The Green Island and The Blue Ocean"

Samui Rider Club welcomes all bikers who love riding to come to International Samui Bike Week 2011 festival. In this festival, there are many bikers' clubs, all big bike brand and including The Haley-Davidson coming to the show. We would like to invite both Thais and Foreigners who are interested in the two wheels.

There were more than a thousand riders participated last year. For this year, we try harder to provide for more participants enjoying their time during the week. There are varieties of concert bands, many shops, selected famous local food stands and a cowboy's show. On top of these, you will be able to join bikers 'activities and amaze with various fabulous motorbikes' brand presenting.

Moreover, this festival is a part of social responsible project, which is "The Riding for Peace and Environment". The aim is to gathering loving riders to show their power, spirit and unity. This is for riding together peacefully among different people and different nation. Then after the festival, we will donate some parts of the income to The Green Island Project for sustainable conveniences and promoting the greening our Koh Samui, greening our world.

Last but not least, Samui Riders' Club would like to thank our sponsors and supporters including Koh Samui Municipality, Tourism Association of Koh Samui, and Koh Samui - Tourism Authority of Thailand very much for all.

It's going to be a fun and noisy weekend!

Camille

Samui International Body Painting Competition

Samui International Body Painting Competition

This event will be organized in the weekend from 26th and 27th March at the Buddy Resort in Lamai from 17.00 to 23.00 each day with free entrance.

You can check their own official website here and there's also a Facebook group.

Hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Koh Samui municipality, the one-of-a-kind showcase is set to put one of Thailand's best paradise islands on the map as the venue for top international body painting competitions like the "International Body Painting Festival" in Germany, "World Body Painting Festival" in Austria, and the "Canadian Body Painting Festival".

Blend into the back ground

The theme of this years Samui International Body Painting Competition is “preserve the Paradise” and everyone will be able to take part in the event and have a lot of fun. Aside from artists and models competing for the top awards there will also be nail painting, henna painting, doll painting, and painting on recycled goods. You can also be a model if you like or just have a few drinks and paint on yourself.

In contrast to the paint job above, nudity is not allowed during this competition and bikini's will be used by models.

Hope you will have time to visit this event, I will be off to Koh Lanta again to conduct once more an IDC outside of Samui. Enjoy the competition nonetheless on my behalf!

With thanks to Talen and his Thailand Land of Smiles blog, who pointed me in this direction!

Camille

My wife's youngest sister wedding; the event

My wife's youngest sister wedding; the event

Today was the big day for my wife's youngest sister, it was her wedding.

The big price aka sister in law

The wedding started early, by 6.30am guests started to arrive already and the stage was all set up and ready to accommodate them. Around 800 guests were expected between 6.30am and 11am.

It was a busy coming and going of local and island people, all dressed up in their Sunday's or wedding best.

One of the guests was the former Puu Yai Baan or Village head, Khun Whitaya, who later on participated in the actual wedding.

If you have been following this blog, you know by now that food is very important in Thai culture and the Southern Thai weddings take their food serious. Some guests can be seen enjoying the fish, the salad, the curry, the soup and sweet pork. I can attest that the home made food was excellent.

The sin sot or Bride Price, a traditional part of Thai weddings. The money is presented to Bride's parents, the gold to the bride

Before the official ceremony could start, the almost wed locked pair had to feed each other in the bride's sleeping room under the eyes and prompts of some elderly know it all women.

The official ceremony started

For good and for bad

An family group picture including a freshly added new brother in law!

The whole wedding was great fun but also hard work since all close friends and relatives served food and drinks to the tables all laid out on heavy trays and also cleaned the tables afterwards.

A great day though and I wish the newly weds good luck!

Camille

My wife's youngest sisters wedding, the preparation

My wife's youngest sisters wedding, the preparation

Tomorrow is the big day although I'm not too sure how big today actually is!

Today sees all the preparation for tomorrow, the cooking, the logistics and what else you can think of. Relatives and friends come from all over Plai Laem, the rest of Samui and even from Koh Phangan to help out. This is truly a family event.

This is a small wedding, so only 800 people are expected tomorrow! Tons of food are stacking up, ready to be cut, chopped and grounded. This is the women's department and hardly guys are caught hanging out in or around the kitchen. Thais social affairs are pretty well divided in two groups, the male and female group.

Today's cooking is merely to feed all the people that help out today. Later during the day the food and more precisely cooking preparations for tomorrow will start. It will be an early start tomorrow anyway, around 6am the fires will be lighted again.

Plates, cutlery and drinking glasses for 800 people needs to be cleaned.

Here's where the guys come in, setting up the tents that will protect the wedding visitors from either the sun or the rain, tomorrow should be sunny by the way! After the tents are erected, tables and 8 chairs per table are set up on the family land.

Around 11pm, just before I showed up after my 10km Four Seasons Care for Cancer run in Nathon earlier today, the guys do what they do best, relax!

This is what keeps the guys spirits high!

I squeezed out to relax a bit at home, I'm tired and will go back over later today and see if I can make myself useful.

More to come!

Camille

Four Seasons Care for cancer run 13th March 2011 Nathon pier

4 Seasons Care for cancer run 13th March 2011 Nathon pier

The yearly Four Seasons Care for Cancer run is going to be held 13th March 2011 at Nathon pier. Registration starts at 6am and the runs start at 7am or you can call 077 243 000 and sign up.

The Care for Cancer Run 2011 Polo shirt

For 250,-THB you will receive a T-shirt and for 400,-THB registration fee you will receive a polo shirt as pictured above, these prices also include a breakfast box and the chance to win exciting prizes.

Distance that can be run are 10KM for male and female, 5 km for male and female and for boys and girls for 15 years and under there are 5 km runs.

The event hopes to raise funds for cancer research.

This year Four Seasons Samui will hold the event with sister properties Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai and Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok in association with the Thai Red Cross Society.

Proceeds from the charity run will be donated to the Genetic Cancer Research Centre at the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

The fun run, according to Brent Martin, general manager of Four Seasons Samui, has raised more than Bt22 million over the years.

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts around the world hold annual charity fun runs to support cancer research. It was inspired by the Terry Fox Run, which marks its 30th anniversary this year.

Hope to see you there, the 5km and 10km routes are perfect for either running, jogging or walking!

Camille

Ekachai Srivichai show in Plai Laem

Ekachai Srivichai show in Plai Laem

Ekachai Srivichai is a well known Luk Thung artist from Southern Thailand, he's actually from Nakhon Si Thammarat.

His show in Plai Laem is part of the temple fair, organized around the Royally sponsored cremation ceremony of Prakru Suntinonthakhun at Wat Plai Laem earlier this week.

Early in the evening there were already plenty of people who wanted to make sure they got good seats and the entrance was already bustling with activity before the night broke.

Part of the early crowd may be that Ekachai is also part of the 'Meh Yok' tribe, which basically means that he's the sugar boy of older ladies who happily spend lots of cash and expensive gifts on him and similar artists like him. I strongly suspect however that Ekachai is gay so I wonder how that all fits in the picture? Than again, what do I know as Western outsider ;-)

Tickets aren't going to break an arm and a leg and with 150,-THB you're going to have a night of sanuk! I didn't stay on for the show, since a 4 hour show including support acts and the comedy guys is a bit too much for me.

A fellow blogger called the Cyber Captain describes how the live show is is in his blog.

Having worked in the music industry myself for a good amount of years, especially being on the road a few years, I must say that the stage was very big and looked very professional! Plenty of space for show troupes to dance!

A glimpse backstage with my good old universal back stage pass from my touring days was almost like a trip down memory lane, although none of the bands I worked with had such elaborate dance troupes and costumes.

The dancers in the troupe are almost all gay and when wondering around with my 5 year old son in his Thai school uniform we attracted a lot more attention from the male dancers and not nearly enough attention from the female dancers!

Some of the female troupe practicing their moves. It most certainly looked like a well orginsed and professional show. According to the feedback my wife received from the locals the show was very well received.

Here's one of his early songs, Maa Kud, his breakthrough in the Thai Luk Thung scene. Strangely enough a song I know since a fairly long time and always liked a lot but never knew it was his;

Camille

Wat Plai Laem temple fair

Wat Plai Laem temple fair

As always, if there's a ceremony at a temple in Thailand, you can almost bet on it that there will be a temple fair as well.

So is also the case with the Royally sponsored cremation ceremony of Prakru Suntinonthakhun at Wat Plai Laem.

Thai junk food

As always, food is around in copious amounts and various forms, although most of it is a Thai variation of junk food. This can be delicious as well, mind you!

Besides food, clothing accessories are also very popular, they tend be to be cheap on these fairs although the quality is not always the best. T-shirts, second hand shoes and you name it, it's all available. The picture above is a shop that sells all kind of items for women and girls.

Always a favorite, where ever you are in the Land of Smiles, deep fried critters like bugs, grasshoppers, scorpions etc. A specialty from the Isaan country side, nowadays spread throughout the Kingdom.

Drink are also taken care of and shops like these sell soda's, beers and liquor plus the obvious like M-150 and Red Bull.

Games are also very popular, bingo and gamble games alike are available and one that is popular with young and old is this darts game. 7 darts for 20BHT, if you hit a balloon with each dart you win a big fluffy thing.

Although the temple fairs are all looking alike at some stage, it is fun to visit them once in a while!

Camille

IBIS 5 km Fun Run on Koh Samui

IBIS 5 km Fun Run on Koh Samui

This morning at 7am I was running a 5 km run as part of the Samui Trophy which was held afterwards.

It was fun and especially the fact that you were running on the road between Bophud/Fisherman's Village (great feeling running in the old part of the Village) and Bang Rak, a road I travel almost daily.

Yesterday afternoon I signed up at the the Ibis hotel and there were a few merchants selling running and biking gear.

The bikes of the Adventure run participants. In a team you somehow need to overcome a 500 meter swim, a 10 km run, a 30 km bicycle ride and a 5 km kayak! They figure you can do this within 3.30 hrs! Ouch!

Allrighty, my second participants medal within two weeks! After the quarter marathon about two weeks ago now a new one! They're racking up rather quickly.

The next run being talked about is a Four Seasons run in November and January! Hope I'll be here and can participate.

Camille

The Ibis Koh Samui Trophy 2010

The Ibis Koh Samui Trophy 2010

This is an adventure run where you get to run 10km, complete 30km on a bike, swim 500 meters and kayak for 5km. That is, if you participate in the Adventure Race, add a bit for the extreme race and you're looking at biking 45km, running 15km, kayaking 10km and swimming 1000 meters. Tired already from just looking at those figures?

There's a also a 5km fun run and that's where I'll be participating on this coming Sunday 2nd October. If you would like to participate and register on line for this run, you can do that here.

Start and finish will be in Bophud's Fisherman's Village. Entrance fee is 150,-THB and besides online registration you can also registration and collect your race number at Ibis Hotel Bophut on Friday October 1 from 1pm until 7pm
Registration on Race day October 2 from 6am until 7am at venue (Bophut beach road)
Online and telegraphic transfer
For more information: Active Management Asia 02 718 95 81-2

It's looking like it's going to be a great event and I hope to see some of my readers there!

Camille

Thaa Yai 2010 in Wat Plai Laem

Thaa Yai 2010 in Wat Plai Laem

Back to a home game for this years Thaa Yai. Last year saw us celebrate and participate in Wat Chaweng but this year it was back to the roots so to speak.

Busy preparations

It seems like I have lost track on how many Thaa Yai's I've attended but it must a quite a few by now. The last four years, since I'm blogging I've always attended.

Home made food selection for the monks

It's always an early day though, my wife gets up at 3 or 4am to start preparing the food, but she's already gathering ingredients, talking about it and getting all excited about it a couple of days in advance.

One of the food baskets with a lovely heart!

One of the nice tings about this event is that you get to see many relatives and friends that all gather once a year for this event. Each year I see more and more familiar faces.

The food baskets as pictured here, are part of the tradition of welcoming the deceased back again amongst for a few weeks each year. This particular basket has a nice food made garment layer over the rest of the food.

Some of the baskets are a real treat to the eye and later also to the stomach!

A display of various food baskets with candles burning. Always an amazing view.

If you have the opportunity, try to visit one of these local events, they're interesting to experience.

Camille