The 16-member national team (eight men and eight women) will also include the world No 4 mixed doubles pair of Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai and has been placed in a group which also features Japan and Russia. A total of 31 teams will take part in the biennial competition, 12 in Group 1 (1A, 1B, 1C, 1D) and 19 in Groups 2-4. Group 1B comprises Indonesia, Denmark and England while Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong are placed in Group 1C. Ten-time champions China are in “group of death” 1D alongside India and Malaysia. In the round-robin stage each tie will be the best of five and will consist of men’s and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles and mixed doubles. Top two finishers in each group will move into the quarter-finals which will then revert to a knock-out format. Thailand finished fourth in the last two editions: 2013 in Kuala Lumpur and 2017 on Australia’s Gold Coast. Ratchanok decided to skip … [Read more...] about Thailand escape ‘group of death’ at mixed team event
Thailand
Before raid, ‘seasteaders’ planned floating resort off Thailand
BANGKOK: The 6-metre wide floating cabin that was home to an American bitcoin trader and his Thai girlfriend was supposed to launch a village of buoy-based homes in international waters.That was until the Thai navy came along.Chad Elwartowski and Supranee Thepdet lived for about two months in the cabin hailed as the "first seastead" by the group Ocean Builders. They envisioned a community that would include an underwater resort and restaurant off the coast of Thailand.Advocates say floating communities in international waters offer a way to explore alternative societies and governments beyond the borders of countries.It's a concept that has been around for more than a decade, but the couple were the first to actually live on one."I just want to make seasteading happen for real. I want to make it happen here in Thailand," Supranee said in a YouTube video to mark the launch of the cabin attached to a floating, weighted spar anchored to the sea bed to reduce the effect of waves.On Apr 13, … [Read more...] about Before raid, ‘seasteaders’ planned floating resort off Thailand
Thailand’s boutique hotel brand to welcome guests in Bali
Thailand's luxury boutique hotel specialist Akaryn Hotel Group is set to open its first property in Indonesia in the coming months. An hour's drive from Ubud, Aleenta Retreat Bali will offer "a spiritual sanctuary" amid the island's lush hills. A spa village and yoga resort, the establishment boasts 50 rooms, Ayurah Wellness center equipped with Balinese massages and natural therapies, an outdoor yoga area and a fitness center. Restaurants including the Pool Bar serve organic ingredients and the Galleria boutique selling local handicrafts will be available also. Read also: What makes Bali hotels so popular among luxury travelers? “Aleenta was our first brand and our pioneering resorts in Phuket and Hua Hin have become hugely popular among guests. Every Aleenta property is designed to reflect the timeless charm and character of its destination, featuring large living spaces and world-class facilities while also operating in harmony with the environment," said Akaryn Hotel Group … [Read more...] about Thailand’s boutique hotel brand to welcome guests in Bali
Thailand rehearses elaborate $43 million coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn
BANGKOK (REUTERS) - Forty roads were closed in Bangkok as a band and officers on horseback marched past the Grand Palace on Sunday (April 28) in a dress rehearsal for the next weekend's coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, Thailand's first in nearly seven decades. King Vajiralongkorn, 66, also known by the title King Rama X, became constitutional monarch after the death of his revered father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in October 2016 after 70 years on the throne. His coronation follows a mourning period for Bhumibol, whose grand funeral was held a year after his death. The military-run government has set aside 1 billion baht (S$43 million) for coronation ceremonies on May 4-6, about one-third of the cost of the funeral. The official coronation will be a mix of Buddhist religious ceremonies and Hindu Brahmin rituals. The king will be crowned on May 4, and the procession follows the next day. On May 6, declared a national holiday, he will meet Thai and foreign dignitaries. Thailand has … [Read more...] about Thailand rehearses elaborate $43 million coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn
To clarify, this is why I’m leaving Thailand at 90 years of age
It is simply amazing the verbal diarrhoea that spewed forth from some of the replies in online forums to my letter. Many adult minds have been sympathetic to my leaving, others childish and downright juvenile in their opining, many unnecessarily nasty and even threatening. One man said I would not live to see my 91st birthday. Some said I was lying. Some said I had cheated in the past. Others said, “Good riddance.” Why do these, supposedly grown men, get such personal delight in carrying on like a gaggle of teenage schoolgirls? Let me once again set the record straight and also add a few final thoughts: Donald Graber is not a pseudonym. I don’t hide behind a fictitious name so I can sling dirt at others from the comfort and ambiguity of my easy chair. I am not living on the street on garbage; I have Bt800,000 – and more. I am moving to an affluent place with a climate far better than Thailand’s: mild and pleasant, plenty of sunshine, not … [Read more...] about To clarify, this is why I’m leaving Thailand at 90 years of age