Britain's Princess Eugenie, daughter of the Duke & Duchess of York and granddaughter of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was the latest in a line-up of high profile guests visiting Thailand's premier 'luxury lifestyle resort community' the Royal Phuket Marina over the recent Easter holiday weekend.

Pictured (second from left), the young princess was accompanied by four friends for lunch and a boat trip around Phuket's famous Phang Nga Bay which is renowned for its iconic James Bond Island which featured in the 'Man with the Golden Gun' with Roger Moore, as well as Phi Phi Island which appeared in the film The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Princess Eugenie and her friends were guests of marina developer Gulu Lalvani, a close friend of the British royal family. The tycoon founder of Binatone, the world's second largest manufacturer of digital cordless phones, is partly based in London and features regularly on the Financial Times' annual Rich List.

Princess Eugenie, 19, is the second daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York. She is on a gap year before university, having completed her A-levels at Britain's prestigious Marlborough College.

Royal Phuket Marina is becoming a magnet for the world's celebrities and socialites looking to escape the limelight and enjoy the idyllic lifestyle of Phuket. Gulu Lalvani recently welcomed tennis star Martin Navratilova while his Christmas guest list included Hong Kong entrepreneur and Shanghai Tang founder Sir David Tang, model Kate Moss, British heiress and fashion icon Daphne Guinness, London property tycoon Nick Candy, Louis Vuitton CEO Yves Carcelle and Japanese designer Kenzo.

Located on Phuket's eastern seaboard overlooking scenic Phang Na Bay, Royal Phuket Marina is Thailand's first world-class luxury lifestyle community rivaling top marina resort communities in Europe and the Caribbean.

It was developed by tycoon Gulu Lalvani, founder of Binatone, the world's second largest manufacturer of digital cordless phones, whose vision is to promote Phuket as a world class yachting hub in one of the world's most scenic and assessable locations.

Royal Phuket Marina has become a popular entertainment and lifestyle hub with open air restaurants and bars overlooking mega yachts moored in the Mediterranean-style marina.

Following the successful completion and sale of Phase I with its luxury condominiums and penthouses, Royal Phuket Marina has just completed its unique 'Aquaminium' penthouse apartments which come complete with their own integral boat berth as well as a series of ultra luxury private villas, also with private berths, which complete Phase II of the complex.

More than half of the Royal Phuket Marina development is devoted to leisure, shopping, recreation, and dining set amidst landscaped gardens overlooking the 350-berth marina.

For more information about Royal Phuket Marina, visit http://www.royalphuketmarina.com

Source: http://www.luxurytravelmagazine.com

The Hottest Discount for the Hottest Season at ThailandBestSpas.com

ThailandBestSpas.com together with Mulberry Spa has launched a special promotion for web visitors of ThailandBestSpas.com. Visitors can enjoy 50% discount on the listed price, when they print out the Mulberry Spa page from http://www.thailandbestspas.com and present it upon arrival. The campaign is from now until 31 May 2009. Please go to the website to check the
listed price.

For more information, contact Khun Manida at 66-2237-9800 ext 212

THE BARAI PICKS UP TWO AWARDS
AT ASIA SPA & WELLNESS FESTIVAL 2009

Hua Hin, Thailand, April 2009 … THE BARAI recently received another achievement at the Asia Spa & Wellness Festival 2009, winning two Gold Awards in the categories of “Best Resort Spa”, which emphasises guests’ experiences, and “Best Spa Ambience”, which recognises THE BARAI’s unique interior design, where the art of architecture affects guests’ feelings while they embark on a THE BARAI Journey. THE BARAI is the latest residential spa in the Hyatt Pure Spa family and a pioneer in the spa industry in terms of design concept, being the first of its kind.

The Asia Spa & Wellness Festival 2009’s Awards are dubbed the most prestigious recognition of spas and wellness centres in Asia.
The Festival is organised by AIC Exhibitions Sdn Bhd, the Thai Spa Association and the Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness Promotion Council, with the support of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau.

THE BARAI was selected from a pool of 212 nominees that were judged by a panel of independent judges comprising spa personalities, travel writers and tour planners. In deciding the winners, the judges took into consideration both the “hardware” component of the spa, namely its ambience, design and equipment, and the “software” component - therapist skills and qualifications, treatment menus and service quality.

These latest awards will increase recognition of THE BARAI as a very special destination spa, not only helping it to gain a strong foothold in Thailand’s competitive spa industry, but also promoting Hua Hin in the international market as a true luxury pampering destination and emphasising Thailand’s status as the spa capital of Asia.
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts was a big winner at the Festival overall, taking a total of five awards, including “Best Spa Group” for Hyatt Pure Spa.

“These awards are considered particularly valuable for THE BARAI as they enhance our reputation, bring even greater recognition and help increase awareness of the unique properties of this destination spa. They also strengthen THE BARAI’s positioning throughout Asia and emphasise how uniquely different and special THE BARAI is when compared with other spas in Asia. In addition, the achievement of Hyatt Pure Spa being name ‘Best Spa Group’ guarantees that our clients, especially spa goers, enjoy a high level of standards that always exceeds guests’ satisfaction and delivers great spa experiences,” said Mr. Mikael Svensson, the hotel’s general manager, about the recent achievements.

THE BARAI provides eight exclusive residential spa suites and 18 exotic treatment rooms located on more than 4.5 acres (18,500 sq m) of serene beachfront land adjacent to Hyatt Regency Hua Hin.

For Suites reservations and more about our spa offerings, please contact THE BARAI at +66 3251 1234 or call your local Hyatt hotel, Hyatt Worldwide Reservations Centre, or log on to www.thebarai.com.

Pimalai Resort And Spa recently welcomed A Hollywood star actor Mr. Dominic Monaghan played Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck, a major character in “The Lord of The Rings” famous trilogy who also leave an impressive compliment to Thai hospitality

“In an unforgettable holiday, this tops the list! Amazing service, stunning location, case of every little detail, phenomenal staff; I will recommend this place for the rest of my life. Thank you”

Pimalai Pool Villa 903- April 6 – 8, 2009

JOURNEY OF THE SECRET:
Thai Ponies as a world heritage

From : http://www.tourismthailand.org/news/content-1935.html

RENOWNED MONGOLIAN PAINTER TO EXHIBIT A SELECTION OF HIS LATEST WORK IN BANGKOK IN SUPPORT OF THE LAMPANG PONY WELFARE FOUNDATION (LPWF)

Contact: Dr. Siraya Chunekamrai Mobile: +66-(0)89-169-9840
Khun Sitala Watthanakasetr Mobile: +66-(0)81-825-2520
Rattana Gordon Mobile: +66-(0)81-402-7474
Email: info@lampangponywelfare.com
Websites: http://www.lampangponywelfare.com
http://www.teonamfahgallery.com

Bangkok -- Monkhor Erdenebayar (who goes by the name of “BAYAR”), a famous painter in Mongolia, will hold a special exhibition at the Ariyasom Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 1, Bangkok, Thailand, May 23rd – 30th, 2009, in support of the Lampang Pony Welfare Foundation. BAYAR, aged 41, is well-known in his home country and across Asia for his semi-abstract paintings of horses and is a treasure of cultural knowledge about Mongolia. His works adorn the walls of leading companies in Mongolia, as well as the national museum; and they appear in the national calendar. BAYAR has held highly successful solo exhibitions in Bangkok, Singapore, Mumbai and Phnom Penh. He plans to show in Tokyo, Japan later in 2009.

The Foundation: The Lampang Pony Welfare Foundation was established to improve the health and welfare of ponies and horses in Thailand and to preserve this special breed. Preliminary DNA studies of Lampang ponies have discovered a link to the legendary Mongolian horses. LPWF was founded in 2004 by Dr. Siraya Chunekamrai, Dr. Nanna Luthersson and Dr. Carla Carleton, with the support of the World Society for Protection of Animals (“WSPA”). The Foundation focuses on:

• Education on husbandry, nutrition, farriery, health care and preventative medicine;
• Provision of veterinary services in clinic and through the mobile unit;
• Provision of farrier tools, horseshoes/nails, low cost calcium/feed supplements, medicine, and halters; and
• Emergency veterinary response.

A charitable fundraising event will be held on Saturday May 23rd, 2009 and Saturday May 30th, 2009 at 18.00 - 20.00 pm. Tickets are available at a cost of 1,500.-Baht for each night and will include the auction of several of BAYAR's latest paintings. A gallery exhibition of this artist's paintings will be shown and open to the public from May 23rd to May 30th, 2009. To purchase tickets, make a donation to LPWF or for more information, please contact Khun Sitala Watthanakasetr: info@lampangponywelfare.com.
Funds raised will be used:

• To continue the on-ground work in Improving ponies' welfare In Thailand
• To complete our DNA research on local pony breed, an opportunity to recognize our ponies as a world heritage
• To foster animal welfare and create awareness of Its Impact on human's livelihood

The Venue: Ariyasom Villa is an intimate boutique hotel, designed around an authentic 1940's Bangkok House. Ariyasom Villa has all the charm of Bangkok in the 1940s and 1950s - but with today's modern facilities. The Hotel emphasizes on comfort, privacy and service. Lush tropical gardens, healthy food restaurant and impeccable service - the perfect oasis in the bustling city of Bangkok.