2008

27 July, 2008

The Thai Festival 2008 was organized by the Thai-UK Trust which was founded in 2004 and registered in 2006. The Thai-UK Trust is a non-profit, not sectarian and non-government trust, set up to relieve the hardship of the sick, poor and needy and to ease the suffering among victims of natural or other kinds of disaster in both Thailand and the UK. The head of the trust is Khun Pantipa Tirrell (Paleewong) the Co-Founder of Entbe Ltd, Singha Beer UK.

Khun Pantipa with her team of volunteers was the Event Organiser responsible for The Thai Festival 2004 at Battersea Park which had a record breaking attendance and donated over £13,000 to charity through the Thai Embassy. In 2006 Khun Pantipa also organized the Celebration Dinner and Charity Auction for The 60th Anniversary Celebration of His Majesty's Accession to the Throne which was held at The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London. This single event raised over £40,000 for charity.

After missing out in 2007… this year The Thai Festival lived up to their promise of delivering a bigger and even better come back! The Thai Festival 2008 was a celebration of Thai Culture and lifestyle organised by some key personnel from the 2004 team, together with some support from the Thai government bodies to promote all things Thai'. The aim was to highlight different the aspects of Thai life and to bring together the people of Thailand and the United Kingdom.

The Thai Festival was held between 10.00 - 19.00 hours on Sunday 27th July 2008 in Battersea Park's Genius Site, London SW11 4NJ, the entry fee for adults was a modest £3 and free for children. A free prize draw for ticket purchases meant two attendees won individual return tickets to Thailand, courtesy of Thai Airways International!

This one day festival provided another exciting opportunity for everyone to learn more about Thailand, Thai people and their culture. Thai restaurants were able to show traditional Thai dishes, prepared on the spot by Thai chefs. In addition to trying and buying' thus tasting a vast range of delectable Thai dishes from aromatic spicy Thai salads to a variety of curries and from authentic chili dips to mouth watering stir fries. For the sweeter palate, tempting delicate desserts and exotic fruits were available with on site supermarket stalls supplying all the ingredients needed to prepare a Thai feast at home. To accompany these mouth watering delights, freshly prepared exotic fruit juices and smoothies were provided along with authentic Thai beer and Thai wines to enjoy.

There were Thai handicraft and fruit carving demonstrations that never fail to impress, as well as lucky dips from charity stalls, glittering performances of Thai national dances, classical music and martial arts displays staged throughout the afternoon that created an authentic Thai atmosphere right in the heart of London. Without a doubt, each year a visit to The Thai Festival is a brilliant day out, providing entertainment for all the family. In 2008, it was the perfect opportunity to experience a taste of Thailand.

10 April, 2008

To celebrate the Songkran Festival, The Anglo-Thai Society and Asia House presented: A Talk and Thai Classical Dance and Music

This event was held on Thursday 10th April 2008, 6.45pm - 8.30pm at Asia House, 63 New Cavendish Street, W1G 7LP (Tel: 020 7307 5454). The event was a great success and it is hoped that a similar event can be organised next year too!
The 13th of April marks the beginning of the Thai New Year, and the celebration of the Songkran Festival. While many people associate Songkran with the splashing and throwing of water at each other, few know of the true meaning of this celebration.
Narisa Chakrabhongse, former Vice-Chair of the Anglo-Thai Society, Editor of River Books, and a regular speaker at the Asia House, gave an informal talk on the history of the Songkran Festival, its influence on Thai culture, and the way of life of its people, young & old.

This event was an opportunity to invite members and friends to join us in celebration of this year's Songkran Festivities and find out the real social and cultural roots of this great celebration. After the talk, there was a short demonstration of Thai musical instruments, followed by a performance of Thai Classical Dance, by The Thai Dance Academy. Guests were able to join in the traditional ceremony of Song Nam Pra.