1 | P a g e SMILE OF THAILAND 14D / 13N (guaranteed weekly departure with min. 2 travellers – current travel itinerary in 2012) (tour begins in Bangkok – tour ends in Bangkok) 2 | P a g e ITINERARY OUTLINE DAY 01: BANGKOK DAY 02: BANGKOK / NAKHON RATCHASIMA (KHORAT) / PHANOM RUNG DAY 03: NAKHON RATCHASIMA / PHIMAI / PHITSANULOK DAY 04: PHITSANULOK / LAMPANG / LAMPHUN / CHIANG MAI DAY 05: CHIANG MAI DAY 06: CHIANG MAI / PAI / MAE HONG SON DAY 07: MAE HONG SON / KHUN YUAM / MAE LA NOI / MAE SOT DAY 08: MAE SOT / UMPHANG DAY 09: UMPHANG / MAE SOT / SUKHOTHAI DAY 10: SUKHOTHAI / N. SAWAN / SUPHANBURI / KANCHANABURI DAY 11: KANCHANABURI / RATCHABURI / HUA HIN DAY 12: HUA HIN DAY 13: HUA HIN / BANGKOK DAY 14: BANGKOK 3 | P a g e ITINERARY DETAIL Day 1 : Monday 00.00.2012 – BANGKOK (D) TVIG: Meet and Greet your PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL TOURLEADER at the international airport Suvarnabhumi, in Bangkok - http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/index_en.php TVIG: Services of a PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL TOURLEADER (English-speaking/available from 08:00am until 18:00pm) TRIO: Transfer In – private airco vehicle – (Bangkok Airport) to (Bangkok Hotel) – 30Km / 19Mi – 00 Hrs 35’ INFO: Bangkok (Thai:’Krung Thep’) is the capital, largest urban area and primary city of Thailand. Known in Thai as “Krung Thep Maha Nakhon”, meaning "city of angels" for short, it was a small trading post at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya Kingdom. It came to the forefront of Siam when it was given the status as the capital city in 1768 after the burning of Ayutthaya. However, the current Rattanakosin Kingdom did not begin until 1782 when the capital was moved across the river by Rama I after the death of King Taksin. The Rattanakosin capital is now more formally called "Phra Nakhon", pertaining to the ancient boundaries in the metropolis' core and the name Bangkok now incorporates the urban build-up since the 18th century which has its own public administration and governor. Since its inception as the capital of Siam, it was a target of European colonial plans, but due to its strategic location in Indochina, it acted as a buffer-zone and brokered power between the European forces. Through this, it gained notoriety in the world as an independent, dynamic and influential city. And in the span of over two hundred years, Bangkok has grown to become the political, social and economic center of Thailand, Indochina and one of Southeast Asia. As a direct result of the 1980s and 1990s Asian investment boom, numerous multinational corporations base their regional headquarters in Bangkok and the city has become a regional force in finance and business. Its increasing influence on global politics, culture, fashion and entertainment underlines its status as an Alpha global city. In 2009, it was the second most expensive city in South-East Asia behind Singapore. The city's wealth of cultural landmarks and attractions in addition to its notorious entertainment venues has made it synonymous with exoticism. Its historic wealth coincides with its rapid modernization, reflected in the cityscape and the urban society. The Grand Palace, Vimanmek Palace Complex, its thousands of temples, and the city's notorious red-light districts combine draw in 11 million international visitors each year, trailing just Paris and London. Bangkok has a registered population of 9,100,000 residents while the greater Bangkok area has a population of 11,971,000 (January 2008). The capital is part of the heavily urbanized triangle of central and eastern Thailand which stretches from Nakhon Ratchasima along Bangkok to the heavily Industrialized Eastern Seaboard. Bangkok borders five other provinces: Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani, Samut Prakan, Samut Sakhon and Nakhon Pathom, and all five provinces are joined in the conurbation of the Bangkok Metropolitan Area. It is served by two international airports, Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport, four rapid transit lines operated by the BTS, MRT, and the SRT, with plans to add additional lines by 2020. The town of Bangkok began as a small trading center and port community on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River before the establishment of the Ayut- thaya Kingdom, the precursor of modern Thailand, which existed from 1350 to 1767. The etymology of the town's name is unclear. “Bang” is the Central Thai name for a town situated on the bank of a river. It is believed that "Bangkok" derived from either Bangkok,”kok” being the Thai name for the Java plum (ma-kok, one of several trees bearing olive- like fruits); or Bang Koh, koh meaning "island," a reference to the area's landscape which was carved by rivers and canals. After the fall of Ayutthaya to the Burmese Kingdom in 1767, the newly declared King Taksin established a new capital in the area of the then Bangkok, which became known as Thonburi. When Taksin's reign ended in 1782, King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke reconstructed the capital on the east bank of the river and gave the city a ceremonial name which became shortened to its current official name, Krung Thep Maha Nakhon. The new city, however, also inherited the name Bangkok, which continued to be used by foreigners to refer to the entire city and became its official English name, while in Thai the name still refers only to the old district on the west bank of the river. The city has since vastly modernized and undergone numerous changes, including the introduction of transportation and utility infrastructure in the reigns of King Mongkut and King Chulalongkorn, and quickly developed into the economic center of Thailand. OPTI: lunch at local restaurant Wan Fah, near the borders of the Chao Phraya river, in Bangkok. TRAC: Transfer Intra Regio – (Bangkok) – private chartered airco vehicle – (available from 12:00pm until 18:00pm) BOAT: short boat tour with a public shuttle ferry; we are able to observe life along the Chao Phraya River and will pass by the imposing Khmer style tower Wat Arun. INFO: Bangkok – Wat Arun: Wat Arun Rajwararam ("Temple of the Dawn") is a Buddhist temple (wat) in the Bangkok Yai district of Bangkok, Thailand on the Thonburi west bank of the Chao Phraya River. Named after Aruna, the Indian God of Dawn, the Wat Arun is considered one of the most well known of Thailand's many landmarks. Drawn on a novel by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima (The Temple of Dawn-The Sea of Fertility). The outstanding feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (Khmer-style tower). Begun in 1809, it may have been named "Temple of the Dawn" because the first light of morning reflects off the surface of the temple with a pearly iridescence. Steep steps lead up to two terraces. The height is reported by different sources as between 66.8 m (219 ft) and 86 m (282 ft). The corners are surrounded by four smaller satellite prangs. The prangs are decorated by seashells and bits of porcelain which had previously been used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China. The presiding Buddha image, cast in the reign of Rama II, is said to have been moulded by His Majesty himself. The ashes of King Rama II are buried in the base of the image. The central prang is topped with a seven-pronged trident, referred to by many sources as the "Trident of Shiva". Around the base of the prangs are various figures of ancient Chinese soldiers and animals. Over the second terrace are four statues of the Hindu god Indra riding on Erawan. At the riverside are six pavilions (sala) in Chinese style. The pavilions are made of green granite and contain landing bridges. Next to the prangs is the Ordination Hall with a Niramitr Buddha image supposedly designed by King Rama II. The front entrance of the Ordination Hall has a roof with a central spire, decorated in coloured ceramic and stuccowork sheated in coloured china. There are two demons, or temple guardian figures, in front. The monastery has existed for many years since the days when Ayutthaya was capital of Thailand. At the time named Wat Mokok, situated in a place called Tumbol Bangmakok. The word Bangmakok, meaning " Village of Olive", has since been shortened to "Makok". The central prang symbolizes Mount Meru of the Indian cosmology. The satellite prangs are devoted to the wind god Phra Phai. Construction of the tall prang and four smaller ones was started by King Rama II 1809-1824 and completed by King Rama III (1824-1851). The towers are supported by rows of demons and monkeys. Very steep and narrow steps lead to a balcony high on the central tower. The circumference of the base of the structure is 234 meters, and the central prang is 250 foot high. The demons (yaksha) at the entranceway to the ubosot are from the Ramakien. The white figure is named Sahassa Deja and the green one is known as Thotsakan, the Demon Rāvana from Ramayana. 4 | P a g e TOUR: Bangkok – The Grand Palace & Emerald Buddha: the Grand Palace is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok. The Palace has been constantly expanded and many additional structures were added over time. The present King of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, however, resides at the Chitralada Palace. When King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) decided to move the capital of Siam from Thonburi on the west to Bangkok on the east of the Chao Phraya River he decided to build a magnificent new palace as a place of residence as well as a centre of government.