Vivid red poinsettias are used to decorate Thai homes and gardens at Christmas and the fact they are still in bloom is a timely reminder that the festive season has only just passed. Nong Buak Haad Park is on the inner side of the southwest corner of the city moat and is the place to head for to see the best displays. Vendors set up stalls here and sell flowers, plants, seeds, snacks and children’s toys.

The park is also the end point of the Flower Festival highlight, a parade with floats garlanded with blossoms and local beauty queens. The parade sets off from outside Chiang Mai Railway Station at around 08:00 on Saturday. The floats then make their way up Charoen Muang Road, over Narawat Bridge and up Thapae Road to Thapae Gate, before following the road round to Nong Buak Haad.

Anywhere along the procession route is a good vantage point. The parade does not move much faster than a snail and there is ample time to take photographs and accept roses from traditionally dressed locals and hilltribe people. Once the parade reaches the park, it is time for refreshments and snacks. In the afternoon a bevy of beauties line up for the Flower Festival Queen pageant.

In 1960, the city held the very first Elephant Round Up in honour of the beasts. Since its inception the event has drawn ever larger audiences and is now internationally recognised with visitors often travelling halfway across the world for a repeat attendance. There are two main parts of the event. The first is a parade of up to 200 elephants through the main city thoroughfares and an elephant fruit banquet.

The parade is followed by three-hour-long performances by the elephants and their mahouts at the city’s Srinarong Stadium, which demonstrate the versatility and power of the king of animals. The entertainment includes historic elephant battle re-enactments, games of elephant football, elephant dances and elephant tug-of-war. After the performances are over, the pachyderms do not rest on their laurels. Visitors are then given the opportunity of riding one of the adult elephants and viewing the world while perched atop its lofty howdah.

In Chiang Mai the festival is also referred to as Yi Peng. People here prepare for the auspicious occasion by igniting fireworks. I usually head for a small town south of the city where I have friends. The grounds of the village temple here are brilliantly lit up by massive home-made rockets and Roman candles.

In Chiang Mai itself, residents and tourists head down to the River Ping to launch the boats. In Thai to launch is loy and krathong is a small craft, usually made from a small piece of a banana tree trunk. As well as lit candles and possibly a sparkler, people usually place a small coin on the krathong to apologise to the river gods for using their waters.

People in Chiang Mai also launch balloons made from thin Chinese paper into the sky. There are sometimes so many of them in the sky that evening flight schedules to the city’s international airport are severely disrupted. Tudongkhasathan Lanna in the northern capital’s Sansai District is a great venue to take in a mass balloon launching. This year there is a special programme on the evening of 9 November.

The traditional races celebrate the important role that the Asian beast of burden used to play in farming. The contestants are dressed up by their owners prior to heading for a pre-race buffalo fashion show outside Chonburi’s town hall. The best-dressed buffalo is awarded a prize by independent judges. The buffaloes are doused with water and sometimes fed eggs and beer to ensure they do their best in the races.

A buffalo-wagon parade through the town takes place before racing starts in earnest. The buffalo-riders ride their mounts bareback. Early heats weed the less speedy competitors out, until the final race of the days sees four beasts compete for the winner’s garland. This fun-filled day at the races also features a Miss Farm Maiden beauty contest and vendors selling liquid refreshments and tasty Thai delicacies.

-       The Boat house Thai cooking school with a Gourmet executive chef Tummanoon Punchun teaching the basics of Thai cooking on weekend workshops from 10.00am to 2.00pm in a one or two day course at 182 Koktanode road, Kata, 83100. Tel: + 66(0) 7633  0015

-       Pum Thai Restaurant and cooking school has two locations in Patong, Phi Phi Island and two in France lay testimony to the popularity of learning to cook Thai food. In Phuket you can find them at  204/32, Rajuthit 200 Pi Road, Patong 83150, Tel: +66(0) 7634 6261

-       Blue Elephant Governor Mansion Phuket Cooking School, offers course of culinary of different satisfaction which are more than a century old and elegant at 93 1/3 Krabi road, Phuket City, 83000 Tel: +66(0) 7635 4355-7

-       There is also the Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket which offers three afternoons a week Thai cooking classes where you learn the intricacies of the ingredients in Thai cuisine at 390 Srisootorn Road, Cherngtalay, 83110. Tel: +66(0) 7632 4324

One important thing to know about eating in Thailand is the idea of “snacking”. Thais love to snack. You will often wonder how people ever manage to feel full when you look at a plate of food that is served as a main meal for lunch and dinner. The size is never very big, but yet it always seems to be just enough. I believe the answer lies in the fact that Thais will snack before and after meals, and pretty much at any other time of the day. With so much great street food so readily available, why wouldn’t you snack all day? There is no need in Thailand to go in search of a huge meal when you can just pick up some fruit or barbecued meat without any fuss off the street.

This idea of snacking is also something that fits into the easy-going nature of the Thai lifestyle. Snacking is always a fun and enjoyable thing to do, and can be done with friends at any time and any place. For this reason, it is something that Thais like to do. Enjoying a snack or two is therefore a great way to immerse yourself in Thai culture as you will get to try the various snack foods of Thailand, as well as enjoy the Thai style of living.

However, this is a really worrying situation, because the court dismissed the charges on a matter of procedure. The court said that the Electoral Commission did not follow the proper legal procedures in place to bring the case to court. This is the second case that the court has thrown out against the Democrats for alleged political misconduct.

The ruling of course has angered the red shirt opposition, who claim that the court is just supporting the mostly elite ruling party. The result of this case will also surely have to raise questions about the kind of problems that might flow on from this decision. Especially with an election not that far away, one really has to wonder just what chance there will be of achieving some form of stable government that is really going to be respected and enjoy the support of the majority of the population.

One important thing to know about eating in Thailand is the idea of “snacking”. Thais love to snack. You will often wonder how people ever manage to feel full when you look at a plate of food that is served as a main meal for lunch and dinner. The size is never very big, but yet it always seems to be just enough. I believe the answer lies in the fact that Thais will snack before and after meals, and pretty much at any other time of the day. With so much great street food so readily available, why wouldn’t you snack all day? There is no need in Thailand to go in search of a huge meal when you can just pick up some fruit or barbecued meat without any fuss off the street.

This idea of snacking is also something that fits into the easy-going nature of the Thai lifestyle. Snacking is always a fun and enjoyable thing to do, and can be done with friends at any time and any place. For this reason, it is something that Thais like to do. Enjoying a snack or two is therefore a great way to immerse yourself in Thai culture as you will get to try the various snack foods of Thailand, as well as enjoy the Thai style of living.

Thai dramas follow a set plot with the same types of characters every time. The story will almost certainly involve a group of wealthy men and women, some of which are bad, and some of which are good. The leading man will be chased by the evil female, whilst the innocent leading lady is left to survive the torment from her evil female counterpart whilst developing her beautiful relationship with the leading man. Comic relief is found in the form of a crazy old maid, and perhaps even a katheoy (ladyboy). Towards the end, the evil characters’ bad karma will bring about their downfall, whilst our leading couple will find true happiness together, and this will happen every time, because those are the rules of lakorns.

I must admit, the world of lakorns is an interesting insight into Thai popular culture, and in many ways, offers a look into some of the workings of Thai society, particularly gender images in today’s society. At the very least, this is light entertainment at its best, and is a great way for a laugh and a bit of relaxation at the end of a tiring day.

Another particularly famous, yet interesting form of Thai coffee is that from the Chiang Rai area, also in Northern Thailand. This coffee is some of the rarest and most expensive coffee in the world. Made from the dung of Civets, this coffee may not be to everyone’s liking, but the reality is that coffee lovers are willing to fork out as much as fifty dollars a cup to sample this coffee which has become a real delicacy in gourmet circles throughout the world. This is very similar to the civet coffee of Indonesia. This coffee is also rare within Thailand, but can be found if you visit the Doi Chaang coffee plantation at Chang Rai. It certainly is a unique experience that every coffee lover should try.