Thailand Travel Guide

On the full moon day of the eighth lunar month, Buddha Gautama gave his first sermon and one of his followers became the first Buddhist monk. The followers of the Buddha are together called the Sangha, and that is why Asaha Puja is also known as Sangha Day.

During the sermon, Buddha Gautama spoke of the middle way, which in Theravada Buddhism is the path of moderation away from the extremes of self indulgence and toward the practise of wisdom, morality and mental enhancement. In Mahayana, the middle way refers to transcendental approaches to deciphering reality.

He also revealed The Noble Eight-fold Path, as a guide for living;

1. Right view
2. Right intention
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

When laypeople go to the temples on Asaha Puja Day, they resolve to try living according to the Noble Eightfold Path.

Khao Phansa Day (or Wan Khao Punsa) is the beginning of the Buddhist Lent.

During this time monks stay within the confines of the Wat grounds, a practise that goes back to ancient times that was intended to keep monks from trampling crops as they travelled about the country

Khao Phansa Day comes one day after Asanha Bucha Day. The season of Buddhist Lent will last three lunar months, concluding on Awk Pansa Day

In similarity to the Christian Lent, and Muslim Ramadan, many Buddhist practitioners treat this as a time of austerity and spiritual reawakening.

Muang Thong Thani ( เมืองทองธานี) is a satellite city of Bangkok located in Pak Krat district in southern Nonthaburi province. It consists almost entirely of a large housing estate owned by Bangkok Land PLC. Muang Thong Thani is best known for the location of Impact, a convention complex frequently used as the venue for expositions and entertainment events. Muang Thong Thani is bordered by Chaeng Wattana, Pracha Chuen and Tiwanon Roads, and is directly connected to the Bangkok Expressway.

Muang Thong Thani at Midnight

Muang Thong Thani is also the location of Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University was established as a state university in order to provide the people with increased educational opportunities at university level. It is an open university, which uses a distance teaching system.

The 24th SEA Games will be held from 6th to 15th December 2007. The main venue of the 24th SEA Games will be at Korat, in the north-eastern part of Thailand. However, a number of sports and/or events, which has no facilities in Korat, will be held in Bangkok and Chonburi (Pattaya). The sports to be held in Chonburi (Pattaya) are Sailing and Wind-Surfing, Rowing, Canoeing, Traditional Boat Race, Triathlon and Duathlon and Equestrian. Sports to be held in Bangkok are Baseball, Handball, Hockey, Lawn Bowls, Polo, Skeet & Trap events of Shooting. (SEA Games Executive Committee)

The city of Nakhon Ratchasima, or Korat will be the main venue for the 24th SEA Games from 6th to 15th December 2007. The sports and events which will take place in Korat include:

* Athletics
* Aquatics
* Archery
* Badminton
* Basketball
* Billiards/Snooker
* Boxing
* Cycling
* Dance Sport
* Fencing
* Football
* Futsal
* Golf
* Gymnastics
* Judo
* Karate
* Mauy
* Pencak Silat
* Pentanque
* Rugby
* Sepaktakraw
* Shooting
* Softball
* Table Tennis
* Taekwondo
* Tennis
* Tenpin Bowling
* Volleyball
* Water Polo
* Weightlifting
* Wushu

The city of Bangkok in Thailand will host the following sports and events during the 24th SEA Games from 6th to 15th December 2007:

* Baseball
* Handball
* Hockey
* Lawn Bowls
* Polo
* Skeet & Trap events of Shooting

Chonburi / Pattaya will host water sports and a few other events during the 24th SEA Games from 6th to 15th December 2007:

* Sailing
* Wind-Surfing
* Rowing
* Canoeing
* Traditional Boat Race
* Triathlon
* Duathlon
* Equestrian

Korat Hotels
Bangkok Hotels
Pattaya Hotels

Sukhumvit Road is the longest street in Thailand, stretching from central Bangkok to the Cambodian border. It is the home of the Farang Ghetto (Sukhumvit Soi 1 and Sukhumvit Soi 63) where thousands of expats live, work, and play in the heart of Bangkok.

In Bangkok, Sukhumvit Road serves as one of the main arteries, and is often congested, often from dawn to way past nightfall. The Chalerm Mahanakhon Expressway has an exit at Soi 1. Thanon Ratchadaphisek crosses Sukhumvit at the Asok intersection. The Sukhumvit area of Bangkok is easily accessible on the Skytrain Sukhumvit Line, which runs from Mo Chit through the Silom Line interchange at Siam Square up to On Nut on Soi 81. The Bangkok Metro’s Sukhumvit Station interchanges with the Skytrain at Asok.

The areas of Soi Cowboy (between Soi 21 Asok and Soi 23) and Nana Entertainment Plaza (Soi 4) are notorious red light districts. Restaurants of all different levels of luxury and decor along the road, as well as hotels, shopping malls and the eastern bus station at Soi 63 Ekkamai.