| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 05/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 51 |
| Copyright: Other |
Taking a roll call in Thailand – I wouldn’t Miss it for the World
Of course, I’m used to getting a lot of press attention but I was quite overwhelmed for one moment when I arrived at a hotel in Thailand
Snapping up beautyOn the next leg of my visit to Thailand, I arrived at my hotel in Chiangmai, The Imperial Mai Ping, amidst a flurry of activity and excitement. For a moment my vanity overtook me and I was on the verge of thanking the general manager Vorapong Muchaotai for his welcome, when I realised that the guest arousing all this interest was actually Miss Thailand!
I watched as a beautiful, doll-like lady appeared to a barrage of flashing cameras. Along with the men of the press and other professionals, several elderly English male tourists resident in the hotel were also snapping away. I did not have the heart to point out to one of them that he’d left his lens cap on in his excitement.
That evening I was invited to the general manager’s cocktail party in honour of the celebrated guest Miss Thailand and the two runners up, an event which was covered by Thai television. I managed to talk to Miss Thailand, aka Panudda Wong Poodee, nicknamed Boom which I’m told means beautiful. The competition must have been pretty tough as it seemed to me that all Thai women are attractive and that every waitress or receptionist could have been a contender.
The Miss Thailand competition seems to have a different emphasis from the Miss UK event back home. Here the contestant’s brain is as important as her beauty; it’s not enough for her to like kittens and want to save the whale as she will not only represent the nation at beauty pageants but will also act as an ambassador for her country.
Panudda Wong Poodee is more than adequately equipped for this role, having graduated from an Australian university with a Masters degree in business administration.
It was nice to meet up with some fellow industry members who were also present at the event. Mark Roberts of China Airlines and Ms Aumbhitaya, assistant director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand were in attendance, as were representatives of Travel 2, Globepost Travel, Travelbag, Travelscope, Joe Walsh Tours, James Travel, Bakers Dolphin, Travelpack, Bridge the World and Destination Group. All in all, I felt very much at home!
A journey not to be forgotten
The next morning we were up early to be transported by Pacific World’s tour guide Sam to elephant country.
En route we stopped at a local village market where we were overwhelmed by sounds, sights and smells. There was a surreal feel to things; coloured beads turned out to be grilled ants and fried silk worms – local delicacies which I’m afraid I passed on.
And so it was that we found ourselves aboard an elephant to trek through the hills.
My (female) elephant proved to be rather willful, stopping whenever she felt like it and flicking her ears back violently. Trust me to get the one with the personality.
After an hour we arrived at the village of the Lise hill tribe whose inhabitants had come out in force to greet us, bearing assorted home-made gifts for sale. I contemplated buying an elephant bell but couldn’t imagine a use for it back in Dorset, so settled instead for a sort of ukelele which might prove entertaining on dark winter’s evenings.
On the trek back we were feeling comfortable enough to sing. The music faded fast however when the elephants made their way along a fast-flowing river – fear silenced the party!
Lapping up the atmosphere
Safely back at the elephant camp we enjoyed a meal of local hill tribe food. Be warned – if you don’t like it hot, take a packed lunch.
All in all, it had been a moving experience, seeing so many elephants working in close harmony with their ‘mahouts’ (handlers) who use voice and gesture with their heels astride the elephants’ necks to control these powerful but noble animals.
After lunch we boarded bamboo rafts for a cruise downstream. As we slipped gently along with the green of the jungle on both sides we could hear nothing but the sounds of the water lapping at the rafts; away from the hustle of city life this was hypnotically calming.
On a spiritual footing
The following day saw us on a trek of a different kind, visiting the Buddhist temples. Sam explained their fascinating histories which took my mind off my sore feet!
After the tours and some shopping, we went supper hopping in a communal taxi, known as a two row because they literally have two rows of seats facing one another. In case you need to know, they are colour-coded to distinguish between the town and village varieties!
We soon found ourselves in Baan Suan Sei Chiang Mai, an authentic Thai restaurant out of town. It was an imposing setting, adding an extra dimension to our meal. We staggered away from our table to find our communal taxi had waited for us – we were most grateful!
A morning visit to a silk factory and to the silver and umbrella makers the following day was rounded off by lunch at the Chiangmai Sports Club Inn, where we were the guests of general manager Amaradist Smuthkochorn.
I have to admit, I hadn’t done my homework and hadn’t realised how one could sell this destination as an activity holiday. Here at the Sports Club, residents could enjoy various activities including tennis, squash, weight training, trekking, horse riding as well as swimming in the Olympic-size pool which is used by the Thai national team. The club is also ideally placed for exploring the borders of Burma and Vietnam. An added bonus for the health conscious is the fact that the hotel serves only its own organically grown vegetables.
The heat was becoming intense as we said goodbye to Aramadist and boarded the air-conditioned bus to take us back to our hotel. Next on our itinerary was a visit to the Regent Hotel which I had heard a lot about but nothing could have prepared me for the reality. More about that next week!