intheTRAVEL
intheTRAVEL
Christmas in Bangkok, like everywhere else,
means big business. This is the time of the year
when the city’s hotels enjoy maximum occupancy, and when shopping malls dazzle and delight
visitors with decorations, displays, events and
promotions that are designed to make consumer goods fly off the shelves. Shopping, in fact,
along with eating and partying the night away,
takes high prominence on everyone’s agendas.
Shop-till-you-drop at Siam Paragon
The real showstopper, however, is the Christmas lights. Buildings, trees, bridges, lamp poles
and sometimes even tuk-tuks and pavement
food stalls are adorned with colourful, twinkling
lights. Huge Christmas trees and garlands that
make the city sparkle turn Bangkok into an enchanting wonderland. In Bangkok you can ride
down any main road and see many buildings lit
up with strings of Christmas lights, shining like a
beacon to attract travellers.
Outside Central World Plaza
One of the best places to enjoy Christmas displays is Siam Paragon Shopping Mall, otherwise
known as the ‘Pride of Bangkok’. Next to the main
sky train station in Bangkok, this mall always lives
up to its nickname, with it being magnificently
decorated throughout. Outside the mall is a majestic tree that lights up the night and is a wonder to behold from the sky train. Inside the mall,
there are animated displays of Christmas decorations, plus traveling groups of carolers and actors
to entertain.
Celebrating Christmas in
Thailand
Christmas window display
Around the city, the competition is fierce as to
who has the tallest, most beautiful or glitziest
Christmas tree. Central World is always a big
contender for the prize as their Christmas tree
is truly a spectacle to behold every year. Other
shopping malls near the Chitlom sky train station open special beer gardens with Christmas
decorations, live bands and entertainment stages. Boat tours along the Chao Praya River take
sightseers to enjoy gaily decorated businesses,
private homes and the light show of boats along
the river.
Thailand might not be the first place that would pop into your mind at the mention
of Christmas. That is because Thailand is hardly the place to celebrate Christmas – or
at least that’s what you probably think. Surprisingly, however, even though Thailand
is a Buddhist country, it is a magnificent sight during the festive season and the Thais
endeavour to make it feel like Christmas. Christmas trees abound, decorations festoon
shopping malls, movie theatres and restaurants alike, and Christmas music fills the air.
Christmas isn’t a traditional holiday in Thailand because it is primarily a Buddhist country
and though there is a small minority of Christians, most of the holiday revelry is purely
secular. But the season is getting more and more popular over the years, especially in
Bangkok. Bangkok is probably the best place in Thailand to celebrate Christmas. Streets
and malls are decorated for the King’s Birthday celebration on December 5. This marks
the beginning of the festive season when Christmas displays and decorations are
brought out and added to