Bob Travel

There’s a chill in the air and on the misty hill slopes in Northern Thailand the roses are encouraged to grow. Some blooms are larger than apples and come in colors from red and orange to crimson and white. They are harvested daily and brought to all the flower markets in Bangkok. I learned this on one of my many business trips. Staying at one of Thailand Luxury Hotels, I would arrange to meet these growers of flowers and see how they cultivated their flowers.

I learned from a manager of a floral project, which was initiated by the Royal family of Thailand, that right now, it’s peak production season for roses. They bloom best between February and July. The elevation and the environment are extremely conducive for the roses. But, the manager did tell me that there are signs that the business’s which grow the roses and the carnations in Fang located in Chiang Mai, not too far above sea level, might soon dwindle because of the competitor growers in China’s southern Yunnan province.

Right now, apparently, there is a surplus of flowers in the market due to the flowers coming from Kunming, the capital of Yunnan. Plus, the flowers coming from this region are less expensive and the quality seems to be better. More and more flower shops in Bangkok are carrying only flowers from China. I can’t blame them really, they are cheaper and look better. I asked one shop owner about why she choose China’s flowers over her own countries flowers and she said she’s been in the flower business for over 25 years and she says that the flowers from China are delivered within 2 days of order. Plus, they stay fresher, longer.  I can see that Thailand’s flower business will be hurt and may even collapse if they can’t produce and deliver the same as China.

Bangkok is a city that is extremely proud of its heritage and has many monuments and cultural icons to demonstrate this. In addition the city has approximately 184 museums that are dedicated to Thai history and culture as much as they are to great works of art. Many of the museums are palace oriented and reflect the great royal history and its prominent characters. The Suan Pakked Palace Museum is an excellent example of this. It is the former home of Prince Chumbhot and his wife  Rajawongse Pantip. Tourists visiting Thailand and staying in 5 star hotel Bangkok have a difficult time navigating through all the wonders and many museums of the city, though these royal palaces are by far one of the most popular places to start.

Under the management of the Chumbhot Pantip Foundation the palace was converted into a museum in 1952. Originally, this consisted of 8 traditional Thai houses that were dismantled to be moved to its present location. The houses are joined by corridors, which makes it seem like it is one large building. The newest addition was added in 1996 and was constructed specifically to house the enormous Bang Chiang collection. The collection contains numerous artifacts and relics dating back to 3,600 BC. This ancient civilization is known for its cultivation of rice before the development of bronze tools and ceramics. It is considered to be one of the most important prehistoric sites in Southeast Asia.

Each of the 8 houses of the palace contain specific themes and collections. House one displays artwork from the Ayutthaya period as well as ancient swords, spears and muskets. House two shows traditional hand fans and mother of pearl trays. Banjarong Porcelain in its five principle colors is displayed in house three. House four shows a formal dining area and has a fine collection of Buddha statues. House five displays Udon Thani pottery and jewelry. House six contains carved figurines representing characters from traditional Thai Khon dance. House seven holds a rare sample of Sukotai ceramics. And house eight contains the formal dinnerware of Prince Chumbhot.

One of the most prominent aspects of a vacation for many tourists is the opportunity experience local culture and in particular local food. Bangkok offers much in these respects and has plenty of traditional restaurants. A common greeting in Thailand is “gin khao ru yang?” which translates into English as “have you eaten?” It only stands to reason that Thai cuisine is one of the reasons people visit the country. Bangkok is a primary example of this and tourists who are staying in the best Bangkok hotel don’t have to look far to find local favorites. The city has food cart vendors on nearly every street. For Western tourists who are accustomed to hot dog stands on street corners, the mini street cafés are a remarkable discovery.

Thai people are well known for their hospitality and generosity. Food is inextricably incorporated into the culture and lifestyle and locals enjoy sharing their culinary expertise. Thai cuisine includes a great deal more than the standard red, yellow and green curries most Westerners associate with it. Restaurants usually have a diverse selection to choose from and a lot of dinner options might look rather strange to a tourist from Omaha, Nebraska, who is probably used to corn, potatoes and beef. Most of the food has a great deal of spice and some of the dishes can get extremely hot, so be prepared. Some of the standard spices they use are ginger, lemongrass, sweet basil, garlic and chili. They have a remarkable ability to blend herbs and spices to create unexpected taste sensations.

The food cart vendors in Bangkok are skilled chefs, and it can be appetizing simply watching them delicately cut up fruit for garnishes. The vendors offer everything from meals at portable tables and chairs to snack type food for people on the go. This is part of the reason that people from Thailand are known to snack often between meals and throughout the day. With a population of more than ten million people, the market for street vendors is enormous. This creates an almost overwhelming aromatic element to the city where food smells are almost omni-present.

Business travel from India to Thailand got a boost last week when Cathay Pacific airlines began non-stop flights to New Delhi from Bangkok. This will be a boon for Indian business travelers as well as for hotels in Bangkok Thailand and other Thai businesses that cater to tourists.

The airline, based in Hong Kong, began flights on the new route on March 28, 2009. They are offering numerous promotional discounts to encourage travelers to take advantage of the new route. Currently three other airlines offer similiar flights, but they have a smaller load factor than the 85 percent that Cathay Pacific is showing on forward bookings.

New Delhi is the prime air hub in India and is one of the country’s most frequented destinations. Thailand has become a premiere destination for Indian business as well as for leisure travels. Thailand is also growing as a wedding destination for Indian brides and the airline hopes to capitalize on that market as well.