Amazing Thailand Entertainment - The best of Thailand nightlife and entertainment Guide

Entertainment

ENTERTAINMENT

Thais are a convivial race. After work or during weekends or on public holidays, They love going to places for re-creation or participating in leisure activities. The capital has a wealth of entertainment places: boxing stadiums, race and golf courses, tennis and squash courts, billiard halls, nightclubs, gourmet restaurants, discotheques, concert halls, teahouses, cocktail lounges, amusement parks, bars, museums, theatres, art galleries, traditional Thai massage centres, zoological gardens and cinemas lure pleasure seekers throughout the year.

THAI DANCE

Thai classical dance is considered one of the most graceful forms of artistic expression. Dancers wear beautiful, brightly-coloured costumes fully decorated with jewels. They do not speak but use eye contact and body movements, particularly hands and fingers, to convey messages, and to indicate subtle changes of mood and feeling. Themes of the dance drama are based on the ancient Hindu Ramayana epic (widely known as Ramakien in Thailand) which depicts the fight between King Rama (a reincarnation of Vishnu) and Demon King Ravana.

The dance is accompanied by percussion instruments and Pi Phat, a type of woodwind. Two of the most popular classical dances are the Khon, performed by men wearing ferocious masks, and the Lakhon, performed by women who play both male and female roles. Originally, dance performances could last for days. In modern times, only a few selected scenes are presented at dinner shows (Khan Toke). There are also other styles of Thai dance, ranging from simple, regional folk dances to elegant palace dances. These are usually performed in revue during Khan Toke dinners with several small pieces from each style. Many hotels and restaurants in Bangkok offer a classical dance show with dinner. The traditional dance performances are also regularly held at the National Theatre (near Sanam Luang ) on weekends.

THEATRE
Theatrical events in Bangkok include Thai dance, concerts, music performance and puppet performances, English and Thai-language dramas, concerts by visiting international artists, musical performances and, occasionally, imported mimes and plays. Visitors are advised to consult the English-language newspapers, particularly the weekly of daily calendar of events, to ascertain the times and dates of current performances.

Major theatrical venues include:
Thailand's National Theatre, adjacent to the National Museum at Bangkok's Sanam Luang. The theatre is the venue for concerts and Thai classical drama performances. Weekend performances of Thai dance dramas are periodically staged.

Other venues that stage theatrical and musical performances include the Thailand cultural Centre on Ratchadaphisek Road, The Alliance Francaise Auditorium on south Sathon Road, the AUA Language Centre Auditorium on Ratchadamri Road, the British council Centre in Siam Square and the Goethe Institute on Soi Attakarnprasit, off south Sathon Road.

The Siam Intercontinental Hotel periodically stages British plays, mostly comedies, from London's West end, featuring accomplished British actors.

TRADITIONAL THAI MASSAGE
Courses are taught principally at Bangkok's Wat Pho, home of traditional Thai massage and where most of the city's masseurs are trained, Thai massage is also offered in Wat Mahathat and Wat parinayok, both in Bangkok. There are many tradition Thai massage centres in and around Bangkok that offer various forms of traditional massage, including oil, foot and scalp massage.

SPAS AND BEAUTY TREATMENTS
Some of the finest spas in the world are found in Thailand. Thailand's spas offer visitors exquisite surroundings, magnificent gardens and holistic philosophy. Treatments range from ancient eastern healing and relaxation techniques to European rejuvenation therapies. Several leading hotels in Thailand offer such services. City spas offer basic treatments while spas in Hua Hin, on Ko Samui, Phuket and other southern islands offer full programmes. Beauty treatments including facials and skin treatments are becoming more and more popular, and there are many places in Bangkok where visitors can have a facial treatment at a very affordable rate.

PARKS AND GARDENS
Bangkok's parks and gardens offer a welcome respite from the heat and noise of the city. They include:
Lumphini Park at the northern end of Silom Road, and bordered by Wireless and Ratchadamri Roads. Lumphini Park is popular with offers, keep-fit enthusiasts, families and sports people, particularly during the early morning and late afternoon. It is also a nice place for an afternoon picnic in the cool season when concerts are performed in the park.

Chatuchak Park near the Phahonyothin and Viphavadi Rangsit Highway junction at lad Phroa, on the way to Bangkok International Airport, is also the site of a famous weekend market that sells almost everything made and grown in Thailand.

Khao din Zoological Garden is an artfully landscaped enclave with an artificial lake. The zoo neighbours Ratchadamnoen Avenue's Poyal Plaza and the National Assembly Building, and contains a fine collection of African and Asian mammals, reptiles and birds.

King Rama IX Park (Suan Luang Garden) is an extensive park with botanical gardens and located deep inside Sukhumvit Soi 103 in Bangkok's eastern public donations in 1987 to celebrate H.M. King Bhumibol 's auspicious 60th birthday.

Sanam Luang
This huge public ground is in front of font of the Grand Palace. Special activities or events such as the Royal Ploughing Ceremony in May, King's Birthday celebration in December and the New Year Festival ordinarily take place here.

At he northern end of Sanam Luang, Opposite the Royal Hotel is a small statue of house of the Goddess of the Earth, built during the reign of King Chulalongkorn (1868-1910) to provide public drinking water.

Pasteur Institute (Snake Farm)
This interesting spot is located on the corner of Henri Dunant Road and Rama IV road west of Chulalongkorn Hospital. It is a section of the Thai Red Cross Society, where one can have an inoculation against cholera, small pox, typhoid as well as rabies. The institute has become a popular tourist attraction because of its large collection of live poisonous snakes.

The Snake Farm is open to the public everyday between 8.30 am. And 4.30 p.m. on weekdays and 8.30 am.-12.00 noon on public holidays. The extraction of venom from the snakes is demonstrated daily at 10.30 am and 2.00 p.m. on weekdays and at 10.30 am on public holidays. An admission fee of 70 Baht is required.

AMUSEMENT AND THEME PARKS
Siam Water Park
Siam Water Park, in merely a 30-minute drive from the Lat Phrao flyover, is located in Munburi. District The park features an extensive man-made sea with artificial surf, whirlpools, fountains and towering water slides amid carefully landscaped gardens. Satellite attractions includechildrens playgrounds, aviaries, open zoo and botanical gardens.

The complex is open daily from 10:0 to 18:00 hours (weekdays) and 09'00 to 19'00 hours (weekends). Admission fee is 200 baht for adults and 100 baht for children.

Safari World
The adjacent Safari World feature's collection of African and Asian mammals, including lions, tigers, giraffes, zebras and bears that live in natural surroundings. The sprawling complex also contains Asia's largest aviary with over 4,000 birds.

Situated on wasteland at 99 Thanon Ram Inthra 1, at kilometre 9, Safari World is divided into two parts. The first part is Safari Park, an open zoo with wild animals like zebra, deer, giraffe, tiger lion, bear, bird and so forth. Tourists may take a drive in this area, using private cars or taking guided tours, which can be arranged upon request, to observe the animals living in a natural environment. The second part is the Marine Park and water garden where there is a wide variety of marine animals and other rare animals, including shows of trained dolphin, bird, seal and monkey. In addition there are many restaurants and game stalls for throwing darts, loops, shooting, etc. There is a tram to take tourists on a tour around the Marine Park.

Dream World
{add dreamworld.jpg} Located at kilometre 7 on Rangsit- Ongkharak Road, Thanyaburi District of Pathumthani Province, Dream World has within its compound a Fantasy land and a wide variety of amusement machines and games. It is open during weekday from 09:30 to 17:00 hours and 09:30 and 19:00 during weekends and official holidays.

Admission fees plus fee for stage entertainment for adults and children are 95 Baht and 80 Baht respectively.

NIGHT LIFE
{add nightlife2.jpg} Thailand's English-language newspapers carry daily listings of concerts, exhibitions, displays and cinematic offerings. Complimentary weekly tourist publications such as This Week, Explore Pattaya, etc., contain additional information with emphasis on dining and nightlife attractions. Beer bars, cocktail lounges and pubs are mostly concentrated in the Sukhumvit, New Phetchaburi and Silom Road areas. Metro magazine, available in most bookstores and hotel kiosks, also offers a great many listings for visitors and locals, highlighting popular restaurants, movies, bars and nightclubs and more.

Phat Phong & Sukhumvit
Probable the most popular night - life spot in the city, located between Thanon Silom and Thanon Surawong, the Phat Phong area is full of a-go-go bars and beers bars. There are also exciting Thai boxing (Muay Thai) bouts in the three short street comprising Phat Phong.

In Sukhumvit area, there are another two popular night - life spots: Nana Entertainment Plaza (or N.E.P.) in Sukhumvit Soi 4 and Soi Cowboy which is Located between Sukhumvit Soi 21 and 23.

Pubs and Jazz Clubs
If you like to sip a drink while listening to music, there are plenty of places for such activities, such as Renoir at Sukhumvit Soi 33 or Brown Sugar and Round Midnight in Soi Sarasin, Soi lang Suan area. For dancing, you can visit Royal City Avenue which is known as RCA among the teenagers who frequent visit the area. This is there you find Thai yuppies listening to non-stop CD music. More jazz can be found at Saxophone at The Voctory Mounument; Bobby's Arms in Phat Phong; Witch's Tavern in Sukhumvit 55 and Blue Moon at Gaysorn Plaza. Other places for good music are the many first- class hotels in Bangkok.

Discotheques
For those who are crazy about the beat and not content to just listen or look there is Peppermint Bistro in Patpong I, and Rome Club at Patpong III and some discotheques around Rachadaphisek Road such as in Capital City. For disco dancing there is Bubbles at the Dusit Thani Hotel, The Party House at Rama IX and Taurus at Sukhumvit Soi 22, all open from 22:00 to 02:00 hours.

Entertainment Information from Tourism Authority of Thailand