“Nice, new hotel” reviewed by our guest from United Kingdom

A new affordable hotel, handy for shopping close by and nightlife only minutes away. I had a studio with kitchenette, loads of space, big balcony with sun bed overlooking the pool. Lots of extras including 32 inch TV, DVD/CD, microwave, toaster, kettle and large fridge. No problems at check in/out, service staff all very nice. Will stay there again for sure.

Room Tip: Walk 100 meters to 2nd road, turn left towards Central Festival shopping mall 10 minutes away.

mottmanUk left us their review on Tripadvisor.com

“Good hotel with a kitchen"

Laisir from Hong Kong found At Mind Serviced Residence Pattaya to be “Good hotel with a kitchen”. They have left us their review on Tripadvisor.com dated Oct 1, 2011 after their enjoyable stay with us. They further quote –

“It is value for your baht. I like the new, model design and the rooms with a big balcony and the small kitchen inside. The hotel is in north Pattaya and inside a Soi with two minutes walking distance to shopping street…
This is what they found appealing about us. We would love you to share your review about your experience @ At Mind Serviced Residence too! Enjoy your luxurious stay! http://www.atmindgroup.com/

The Tiffany’s Transvestite Cabaret Show, Pattaya, Thailand – a must see!

Any visit to Pattaya is incomplete without admiring the enchanting ‘Lady Boys’. So amazingly glamorous that would put a lady’s beauty to shame!

TIFFANY’S SHOW is the First ever truly transvestite cabaret show in South East Asia. With over 28 years of stage experiences, the fame of TIFFANY’S SHOW is undeniable and become a recommended tourist destination of the successful growth of Thailand’s most popular resort city , Pattaya City.

Wat Yanasangwararam Woramahawihan

Situated approximately 15 kilometers south of Pattaya City, the temple, which covers a total area of 146 acres, can be reached by turning left from Sukhumvit Road at Km.160 marker. The temple was built in 1976 to pay respect Somdet Phra Yanasangwon, the present Supreme Patriarch and was later graciously admitted to be under the patronage of His Majesty the King. The temple grounds is comprised of: a mondop (pavilion with four gables) enshrining a replica of the Buddha’s footprints, a large stupa where the relics of the Lord Buddha and his disciples are enshrined, Phra Yanaret Vihan and an international pavilion representing the architecture of several countries.

Thailand’s Tourism on the recoup after the Flooding

The tourism situation in Thailand is likely to recover quickly after the flooding, which has eased significantly in many areas of the country, especially Bangkok.

At the Flood Relief Operations Center, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Suraphon Svetasreni, said that the period between October and November is considered the high season for Thailand’s tourism. Although the flooding was at its peak during this period, tourism growth for the whole year is expected to be positive.

Mr. Suraphon said that the Tourism Authority of Thailand in early 2011 had predicted that tourist arrivals this year would be 15-16 million. Later, in the middle of this year, it set a target for tourist arrivals at 19 million. Public relations campaigns were launched in all media channels to restore confidence in the country’s tourism after several countries had issued travel warnings to their people about visiting Thailand due to the flooding situation. Today, those countries are starting to ease the travel warnings, as life in many flooded areas in Thailand is returning to normal.


Although a number of provinces are still suffering from floods, tourism arrivals in such major destinations as Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Krabi continue as usual. According to statistics compiled by the Department of Tourism at the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, from January to October 2011, Thailand welcomed almost 15.8 million international visitors, an increase of 25 percent over the same period last year.

A report from the Emergency Operation Center for Flood, Storms, and Landslide indicated that 17 provinces in Thailand are still suffering from floods, and 602 people have died. This flood has affected more than five million people.

Senior Executive Vice President of Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited and Acting General Manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Somchai Sawasdeepon, said that flight frequency at Suvarnabhumi Airport during this period was not on the decline, when compared with the same period last year. He explained the flood preventive system in place at Suvarnabhumi Airport, which includes 3.5-meter-high dykes capable of dealing with floods. A special team has also been formed to work with related agencies in monitoring the situation. Suvarnabhumi and other airports are operating normally.

Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, Professor Tongthong Chandransu, in his capacity as the Spokesperson for the Flood Relief Operations Center, said that images of aircraft stranded in deep floodwater at Don Mueang Airport had caused the misconception among travelers wishing to visit Thailand that the country was facing a problem with air traffic. Authorities concerned had clarified this issue to dispel the misconception. The aircraft had, in fact, been decommissioned prior to the flooding.

Photos like this one and from foreign agencies below show a Thai Airways International plane in a flood – but not a currently used Airbus, and not at the main Bangkok airport, which is dry and operating normally.

source: http://thailand.prd.go.th/view_inside.php?id=6000
http://bangkokscoop.com/2011/11/22/thailand%E2%80%99s-tourism-on-the-recoup-after-the-flooding/

Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden, Pattaya

While your stay At Mind, don’t forget to visit Pattaya’s Tropical Paradise, the most beautiful BOTANICAL GARDENS in SE Asia! See the elephants playing football, basketball, bowling, dancing and even playing with tourists at Nong Nooch Tropical Botanical Garden – rated amongst the Top 10 Attractions in Pattaya,
Thailand.

If you are looking for things to do in Pattaya, Nong Nooch Garden is a renowned adventure park. A Tropical Paradise! Nong Nooch garden is also dedicated to education, preservation and research as well as the conservation of the world’s LARGEST palm collection, the largest variety of Orchids in Thailand and other tropical flora and fauna.

About the Thai Festival ‘Loy Krathong’

Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.

Loi literally means ‘to float,’ while krathong refers to the lotus-shaped receptacle which can float on the water. Originally, the krathong was made of banana leaves or the layers of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. A krathong contains food, betel nuts, flowers, joss sticks, candle and coins. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate in a few a days and be eaten by fish and other animals. The traditional banana stalk krathongs are also biodegradable, but styrofoam krathongs are frowned on, since they are polluting and may take years to disappear. Regardless of the composition, a krathong will be decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense sticks. A low value coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. During the night of the full moon, Thais will float their krathong on a river, canal or a pond lake. The festival is believed to originate in an ancient practice of paying respect to the spirit of the waters. Today it is simply a time to have fun.



Governmental offices, corporations and other organizations usually create big decorated rafts. There are also local and officially organised raft competitions, regarding its beauty and craftsmanship. In addition, there are also fireworks and beauty contests during the celebration of the festival.



The origins of Loi Krathong are stated to be in Sukhothai, but recently scholars have argued that it is in fact an invention from the Bangkok period. According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV in 1863, the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddhartha Guatama. Apart from venerating the Buddha with light (the candle on the raft), the act of floating away the candle raft is symbolic of letting go of all one’s grudges, anger and defilements, so that one can start life afresh on a better foot. People will also cut their fingernails and hair and add them to the raft as a symbol of letting go of the bad parts of oneself. Many Thai believe that floating a raft will bring good luck, and they do it to honor and thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha (Thai: พระแม่คงคา).



The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as “Nopphamat Queen Contests”. According to legend, Nang Nopphamat (Thai: นางนพมาศ; alternatively spelled as “Noppamas” or “Nopamas”) was a consort of the Sukothai king Loethai (14th century) and she had been the first to float a decorated raft. However, this is a new story which was invented during the first part of the 19th century. There is no evidence that a Nang Nopphamat ever existed. Instead it is a matter of fact that a woman of this name was instead the leading character of a novel released during the end of the reign of King Rama III – around 1850. Her character was written as guidance for all women who wished to become civil servants.

Kelantan in Malaysia also celebrates the same celebration, especially in the Tumpat area. The ministry in charge of tourism in Malaysia recognises it as an attraction for tourists. Many people visit the celebration each year.

Yi Peng
Loi Krathong coincides with the Lanna (northern Thai) festival known as “Yi Peng” (Thai: ยี่เป็ง). Due to a difference between the old Lanna calendar and the Thai calendar, Yi Peng is held on a full moon of the 2nd month of the Lanna calendar (“Yi” meaning “2nd” and “Peng” meaning “month” in the Lanna language). A multitude of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom loi (Thai: โคมลอย), literally: “floating lanterns”) are launched into the air where they resemble large flocks of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating by through the sky. The festival is meant as a time for tham bun (Thai: ทำบุญ), to make merit. People usually make khom loi from a thin fabric, such as rice paper, to which a candle or fuel cell is attached. When the fuel cell is lit, the resulting hot air which is trapped inside the lantern creates enough lift for the khom loi to float up in to the sky. In addition, people will also decorate their houses, gardens and temples with khom fai (Thai: โคมไฟ): intricately shaped paper lanterns which take on different forms. Khom thue (Thai: โคมถือ) are lanterns which are carried around hanging from a stick, khom khwaen (Thai: โคมแขวน) are the hanging lanterns, and khom pariwat (Thai: โคมปริวรรต) which are placed at temples and which revolve due to the heat of the candle inside. The most elaborate Yi Peng celebrations can be seen in Chiang Mai,[2] the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom, where now both Loi Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated at the same time resulting in lights floating on the waters, lights hanging from trees/buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating by in the sky. The tradition of Yi Peng was also adopted by certain parts of Laos during the 16th century.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loi_Krathong