The Kop Comes to Asia
22 July 2009: Kick-off 8.00 pm at Rajamangala National Stadium
(Hua Mak Indoor Stadium), Hua Mak, Bangkok

Billed as the most successful team in the history of English football, Liverpool Football Club team members will play the Thai national team on Wednesday 22 July at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium in Hua Mak.
Tickets costing 600, 1,350, 1,750, 2,500 and 3,000 baht are available from the following outlets:

* All Adidas outlets
* Central Department Stores (Bangna, Rama 3, Rattanathibet, Phuket, Pattaya)
* The Esplanade
* Major Ratchayothin
* Seacon Square
* Factory Outlets
(Piyarom Place, Petchkasem, Chaengwattana and Sukhaphiban 3)

Football fans willing to pay 1,350 baht per ticket will be seated in the stadium’s west wing where a special ‘Kop Zone’ modelled after Spion Kop, the famous banked stand at Anfield, has been recreated. A limited number of Liverpool FC scarves will also be handed out to fans.

The match can also be seen live on Thai TV Channel 3.

Liverpool enjoys a large and loyal fan base in Thailand, where the English Premier League is closely followed.

“Both Thai football and Liverpool fans will be thrilled to see the return of their favourite team and welcome the opportunity to see their heroes play live in the Thai capital again,” said Mr Worawi Makudi, President of the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) under Patronage of His Majesty the King.

The team’s last visit to Bangkok was in 2003 and they first came in 2001. Gérard Houllier was club manager during that period.

The latest visit is part of the Liverpool FC tour of Asia. Speaking on behalf of the club, Steve McMahon, the former England midfielder who is now Commercial Director of The Profitable Group, said that Liverpool players are extremely excited about their Asian tour. The match in Bangkok is expected to be a lot of fun to watch, and Thai fans are unlikely to be disappointed.

Liverpool Football Club Schedule for Bangkok

20 July:
Team arrives in Bangkok and takes up residence at the Grand Hyatt Erawan.
12.00 noon: Practice session at Rajamangala National Stadium.

21 July:
Practice sessions in the morning and evening with a press conference in the afternoon.

22 July
Practice sessions in the morning, followed by a press conference in the afternoon. Kick-off at 8.00 pm at Rajamangala National Stadium.

After appearing in Bangkok, Liverpool heads off to Singapore.

Liverpool FC History
Liverpool FC is based in England’s famous northwesten port city of Liverpool. The club was founded in 1892, and quickly became a strong force in English football.

The club plays in the English Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other club there. The club has won a joint-record eighteen league titles, seven FA Cups, seven League Cups, and the European Cup five times — a record for an English club.

As the most successful team in the history of English football, Liverpool is often featured when football is depicted in British culture and has appeared in a number of media "firsts."

Liverpool FC has played at Anfield since its formation, but plans to move to a new stadium in Stanley Park. The capacity of the existing stadium is 45,362. On 30 July 2004, the Liverpool City Council granted the club planning permission to build a new 60,000-seat stadium just 300 yards (270 m) away from Anfield at Stanley Park.

The Kop at Anfield
Liverpool fans often refer to themselves as "Kopites" — a reference to supporters who once stood, but now sit, in the Kop section at Anfield.

In 1906, the banked stand at one end of the ground was formally renamed the Spion Kop after a hill in Natal. The hill was the site of the Battle of Spion Kop in the Second Boer War where over 300 men of the Lancashire Regiment died, many of whom were from Liverpool.

Many stadiums in England also had stands named after the Spion Kop, but Anfield's was the largest Kop in the country at the time. Indeed, it was able to hold more supporters than some entire football grounds.

The Liverpool Badge
The Liverpool badge is based around the city's liver bird, which is placed inside a shield. Above the shield is a representation of the Shankly Gates with the title of club's famous anthem, You'll Never Walk Alone. The twin flames at either side are symbolic of the Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield, where an eternal flame burns in memory of the football spectators who died in the disaster.

The Hillsborough Disaster occurred during an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989, and saw hundreds of Liverpool fans crushed in a crowd surge. Ninety-four fans died at the scene, and a 95th victim four days later in hospital. A 96th person died nearly four years later without regaining consciousness.

You'll Never Walk Alone — The Club's Anthem
The song You'll Never Walk Alone originally comes from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. It was later recorded by Liverpool musicians Gerry & The Pacemakers and became the club's anthem. It has been sung by the Anfield crowd since the early 1960s and become popular with fans of other clubs all around the world.

IMPORTANT
Event dates and programme details may be subject to change.
Many of the festivals and events listed on Thailand's official calendar of annual events are traditional Buddhist or folk festivals, the date of which is either determined by the Buddhist lunar calendar and waxing and waning moon. These are not staged events. The festivals reflect the rhythm of life in rural Thai villages and local traditions as observed in times past. To ensure you have the most updated information, please reconfirm details prior to travel.

Contact:
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Email: info@tat.or.th
Website: www.tat.or.th
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 (120 automatic lines)
Fax: +66 (0) 2250 5511 (two automatic lines)

FOR EVENT INFORMATION,
please call 1672.

Address:
1600 Petchaburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee
Bangkok 10400
Thailand

Continuing its efforts to expedite the revival of the Thai travel and tourism industry, the Royal Thai Government has agreed to extend the exemption of the visa fee for tourist visa applications until 4 March 2010.

The exemption will apply to all applicants for visa on arrival at all international airports in Thailand as well as those applying at Thai embassies and consulates abroad for stays longer than the period for which they are normally eligible.

Thailand presently gives a Visa on Arrival for citizens of 20 countries for a stay not exceeding 15 days. Citizens of another 42 countries are allowed a visa-free stay in Thailand not over 30 days.

Those who wish to stay longer than those periods have to apply for visas at the Thai embassies or diplomatic missions abroad before their arrival in Thailand.

The extension is one of several measures taken by the Thai tourism industry to revive itself in the wake of a number of global and local events that have led to a temporary decline in visitor arrivals.

According to TAT Chairman, Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, “As a result of the global economic downturn, the worldwide travel and tourism sector has declined as people have become more cautious about spending on leisure and business travel. Hence, the government has implemented many measures to enhance Thailand’s competitive advantage and strengthen our country’s unique qualities.”
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Patong Beach (Phuket): This busy beachside strip is not sophisticated by any means, but for many young, first-timers in Asia looking to party, it is seen as the place for shopping, dining, and naughty nightlife. If you want to avoid the sordid stuff, the most upmarket area is the new JungCeylon mall, with great late-night dining and famous fast food and coffee outlets. Beyond this, there's a shantytown of small bars and concrete bunker clubs, where it's a lot seedier but where the younger frat-crowd will get their kicks.

Chaweng Beach (Koh Samui): If you like the beach, and love to be social, Chaweng has all the action you want. With countless dining and nightlife choices, plus endless vendors and beach boutiques, you'll never walk alone here.


Had Rin (Koh Phangan): The now infamous Full Moon Parties on Koh Phangan's Had Rin have been attracting crowds of raving revelers for years, but they are not the hippy-trippy events of yore, since parties are taking on a more "packaged" experience. Drug busts are on the rise and, despite the warnings, plenty of over-chilled partygoers continue to come undone with serious consequences.
Pattaya (Pattaya, Eastern Seaboard): The once infamous red-light capital of Thailand, promiscuous Pattaya invites adulation as much as disdain with the dubious flavor of some of its late-night shenanigans. However, it's cleaning up slowly, and outwardly obscene "attractions" are making way for cleverer, cleaner entertainment. The clubs and bars attract a range of motley characters, giving it an air of a human zoo. Go to watch, and to be watched.
Article Source : http://www.frommers.com

Ling, the Monkey

Thailand's love of the monkey is probably best illustrated by the epic tale of the Ramakien. The Ramakien is a myth of genuinely historic proportions, but the main story concerns Prince Rama and his search for his beloved wife, Princess Sita, who has been kidnapped by an evil ten-headed demon called Ravana. Throughout the story our hero is aided by monkeys and most notably the magical white-faced monkey-general Hanuman and his army. With Hanuman's help Prince Rama successfully defeats Ravana and rescues Princess Sita.

The Ramakien portrays the monkey as being helpful, clever and brave and this may explain why their image adorns temples, paintings, carvings, ceremonial barges and even helps to support traffic signals.

Hanuman's living relatives can also be found all over Thailand. They live freely in the jungles and on beaches, but they can also be found in towns, temples and parks. Lopburi in central Thailand is famous for having many more monkey residents than it does human.

The wilder monkeys found in the forests aren't used to people and so can be aggressive if approached, but those found in temples and parks will not be scared and will cheekily grab food from you (if you let them!)

Chang, the Elephant

The elephant has been held in high regard by the Thais ever since the eve of the Buddha's birth, when his mother dreamed that a white elephant gave her a lotus blossom (the symbol of purity and wisdom). Even today, a white elephant is seen as a symbol of good luck, and for a Thai king, it is believed that owning a white elephant will bless the Kingdom with peace and prosperity. However, if you are not a Thai king, receiving a gift of a white elephant could be a blessing and a curse: a blessing because the animal is an honored gift, and a curse because being unable to put it to work, it would be a pretty expensive animal to keep.

Traditionally, the greyer cousins of the white elephant were employed as beasts of burden; hauling logs and clearing forests, but they were also extensively used as machines of war. At one time, Thailand boasted a 20,000-strong army of war elephants, and ancient records detail great battles fought from the back of these mighty beasts.

Today, with less work in the forests the elephants are now mainly employed in 'Jumbo tourism', giving tourists rides, posing for photos – and even painting pictures.

The elephant appears in many Thai proverbs and is used as an emblem on regalia such as flags, coins and royal insignias, but most importantly, the elephant is the national symbol of the Kingdom of Thailand.

About the Author
Article by Christine Oatley, copyright 2008 Asia Products LLC. All Rights Reserved. Christopher Snyder is the Founder and Managing Director of Asia Products LLC and currently is living in Bangkok, Thailand. He manages an e-commerce store buying products to sell on www.asiaproductsllc.com. He is documenting some of his more interesting travels in his Asia Travel Ideas website : www.apllc-connect.com.