Amari Pulse

Are you fortunate enough to be visiting Thailand during Songkran? Be sure to make the most of it as this is one of the most colourful and festive times of the year. To mark the occasion, there are an array of events to enjoy, from traditional merit making ceremonies and beauty pageants, to parades brimming with life and entertainment.

The highlight of this festival though has to be the fun-filled water fights - where thousands of residents and tourists take to the streets to drench each other in water, whether for cleansing and good luck, or just to enjoy a good time! And whilst this may seem a little off from your run-of-the-mill holiday, the Thai Lunar New Year celebrations is an experience you will not soon forget.

To ensure you are well prepared, we bring you our top 8 Songkran survival tips:

• Arm yourself - Head to your nearest shopping centre, supermarket, or convenience store and buy yourself a water gun. They come in all shapes and sizes, but we recommend getting something that can shoot long distances, and has a sizeable water reservoir.
• Invest in a disposable waterproof camera - Capture all your favourite moments - snapshots full with colour, so you can take them back home to show friends and family.
• Leave valuables at home - Leave your jewellery, cameras, and anything easily lost or damaged behind before participating in the festivities (more on that below).
• Carry zip lock bags - For those items which you need take with you, don't leave your room without a ziplock bag. Use to store necessities such as enough local currency to get you through the day, and of course essential travel documents. 
• Dress accordingly - Dress down, wear an old T-shirt and pair of shorts. If you don’t have these types of clothing, swing by a street vendor where you can pick some up for relatively cheap. Avoid white clothing as they tend to become see through when wet.
• Wear sunblock, lots of it! - And make sure its waterproof! We recommend at least SPF 50 to be safe.
• Use waterproof makeup - Should you decide wear makeup, use the waterproof kind to ensure you are looking your best throughout the celebrations.
• Avoid roads - Be careful and try to stay clear of the roads when possible. People often tend to enjoy themselves a little too much then take to the roads intoxicated, especially motorcyclists!

So there you have it, everything you could possibly need for the Songkran festivities. Get prepared and most importantly, have fun and enjoy yourself!

Sawasdee Pee Mai!

Arts for The Planet was first launched in 2010 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. This year, we are delighted to be holding The Third Annual Arts for The Planet Competition.

The event aims to inspire critical thinking about environmental responsibility by engaging Thai youths through art.

Students from primary school, junior high school, high school and equivalent learning institutions in Bangkok, Central and Southern Thailand have been invited to take part in this year’s contest with winners enjoying scholarships and a variety of valuable prizes.

Peter Henley, President and Chief Executive Officer of ONYX Hospitality Group said of the competition:

“ONYX is extremely proud to take this project into its third year as part of our CSR initiatives, to demonstrate our dedication to the environment and the education of Thai children. The event also aims to help with development of Thai youth by providing them a platform for their creativity and artistic skills. We are very excited to see how they respond to this year’s theme; ‘Colouring the Future.’”

180 paintings will be available for sale at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre from 14 - 23 September 2012. All proceeds will go to the ONYX Hospitality Group Foundation in support of “Baht for a Better Life”, an education program for underprivileged children in Thailand.

Our partner this year is Sakura Products (Thailand) Co., LTD. this year ensures the continuous process of the project.

*Paintings in this post were created by the winners and runner-ups of The Second Annual Arts for The Plantet Competition 2011

We asked the Executive Chef of Joe’s Restaurant in London to write about her recent experience at Amari Orchid Pattaya’s 2nd annual Gourmet Festival at Mantra Restaurant and Bar.

My name’s Maria Elia and I am a chef from the UK. Here’s a little bit about me…

I’m totally in love with cooking and have been since I was four years old (quite a few years ago!!). I used to finish nursery school and visit my parent’s restaurant where I’d sit and watch my dad cook. My love affair with cooking has blossomed ever since.

Last March, I travelled to Thailand to take part in the second Pattaya Gourmet Festival. I’d first been there fifteen years ago where I spent eight weeks travelling around the country. It was my first introduction to Asian food and I have been fascinated by their culinary offerings ever since.

This year’s event was a fantastic week-long celebration of great food and wines. It was such a great experience to meet the other chefs: Steven Snow from Australia, Chan Kam Yuen from Hong Kong and the very handsome Yannick Ollivier Cayrol from France! We shared a prep kitchen and got along famously.

Throughout the week, we each created dishes and canapes for various wine tasting dinners. I served seared scallops with soutzouki (a spiced Greek sausage) and watermelon with an oregano raisin dressing as a third course. It matched the Sauvignon Blanc beautifully.

The Grand Finale dinner was a great success. All four guest chefs along with Kai the Amari Orchid Pattaya’s Executive Chef cooking a course. I prepared the sixth course: Rabbit three ways with a Greek twist!

It was a perfect way to end a spectacular week and all of us were sad to say goodbye to our wonderful Thai chef assistants- who couldn’t have helped us more.

The service at the Amari Orchid Pattaya is second to none, we were so well looked after. My room was luxurious, modern and spacious- overlooking the beautiful garden and pools. One of most favourite thing about the hotel- the scent of fresh Jasmine flowers everywhere!

I had the most amazing adventure and was thrilled to be part of the festival. I learnt a lot and my taste buds were totally inspired!

Thank you Amari for being the most perfect hosts

Find out more about Mari Elia at www.thisismariaelia.com or follower her on Twitter at @thisismariaelia.com