Tourists in Thailand during this period will have the time of their lives and the traditional April waterfight will be indelibly etched in their memories for years to come. In Bangkok, the Songkran Grand Celebration is being held around “Old Bangkok” or the around the Rattanakosin Island district from April 10 to 15 April.

The capital’s main celebrations focus on the bathing rites of revered Buddha image replicas coming from the different provinces in the north, east and south of the country. Phra Chetupon Wimol Manklaram (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) will host the important opening celebration next week and then the party will spread to the four corners of the city.

Ayutthaya is having a massive festival in the Old City while Chon Buri, Suphan Buri and Chiang Mai all have massive events planned including food, drink, music and of course plenty of water being hurled around. Phuket and Koh Samui are also great places to get into the swing of things with plenty of tourist-orientated events being planned.

According to the Energy Ministry, solar farms to be built on the elevated plateau of Isaan in the northeast of the country, as this flat, rice-growing land receives the majority of Thailand’s sunshine.

Both coastlines and mountainous areas tend to bring with them a higher chance of cloud coverage and Thailand is apparently leading the South-East Asian pack when it comes to the use of solar energy.

Most of the South-East Asian countries have a couple of things in common. The first is that they have very minimal budgets when it comes to promoting green technologies, and the second is that they are blessed with more than their fair share of sunshine.

And while I am certainly not one for breaking age-old traditions and modernising the few authentic parts of Thai life that remain, this one strikes me as a fool proof idea, as sometimes things have to change in order for them to stay the same.

Various Asian nations, including Thailand, have this week promised to make a special effort to paws for thought and pander to the needs of our stripy friends.

 And no, this doesn’t been more of the likes of the sleepy cats at Chiang Mai’s Tiger Sanctuary, we’re talking real wild animals here.

 By prohibiting the building of bridges, roads and infrastructure that could put their noses out of joint, these nations are hoping to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.

 As one who greatly appreciates the King of the Jungle and all his big cat cousins, this is great news to me, and having never seen a tiger in the wild, perhaps now one day I will.

 What seems rather backwards, however, is that the declaration is not accompanied by any money to help finance the vital conservation efforts that need to go hand-in-hand with a project like this.

 I just hope that this current quest to save our feline friends is more than just a tiger token.

Firstly, I’m of course going to enjoy seeing my friend again after so long out of the country. It’s always appreciated when people make the effort to include me in their holiday plans.

Secondly, I’ve very much looking forward to using him as an excuse to indulge in all the touristy activities that I do secretly want to do but can’t bring myself to as a dedicated expat. From cuddling tigers to elephant trekking, temple touring to white water rafting, I’ve promised him it all. It’s been so long since I did any of this stuff that I’m going to enjoy remembering why people flock to this country in the first place.

 Thirdly, and most importantly, however, I’m really anticipating what goodies he will bring me from the UK. Last time I was there I remember buying sun cream out of season for £1 (50 baht) a bottle. This is first on my list, and yes, I do still need it for a delicate English skin.

A big block of cheddar cheese is next on my wish list, along with as much wine as he can carry. As while Thailand has almost everything you could possibly desire, it’s the little things you miss the most.

Found directly between Phuket and Thailand’s Krabi coast, Koh Yao is actually two islands, Koh Yao Yai and Kok Yao Noi. The latter is where most of the local people and traveller accommodation is, despite being smaller.

Costs are much lower that the surrounding area, even in high season when most guesthouses are still booked up to the hilt. And there are many lovely beaches and restaurants to explore in the vicinity without the crowds of tourists and hawkers that characterise Phuket and the mainland resorts.

Basic but charming bungalows facing the beach are still on offer for around 300baht a night over the peak Christmas season. And, although nightlife is not exactly pumping, there are a few bars with live music, cable television plus decent grub.

If you fancy indulging yourself, then the Six Senses Hideaway resort is the place to be. This six star spa and hotel has its own delicatessen, spring water, helipad and two restaurants serving innovative takes on classic dishes such as massaman curried wagu beef cheek.

It is also possible to take a trip to some of the stunning limestone cliffs and beaches off the coast, with private boat charters starting at around 1,500baht including snorkels and snacks. The lagoon at Hong Island is a breathtaking natural wonder plus there are unique communities of sea gypsies still living in cliff faces high above the water as they have done for thousands of years.

Certainly Koh Yao Noi is a great place to visit for a cheap and relaxing break, although judging by the speed in which new resorts and developments are springing up, it may not be staying that way for too much longer.

The devout Christian settlement, of people originally descending from Vietnam, celebrate the day vehemently. An estimated 50,000 Catholics will parade through the village for the Stars of David festivities with nativity scenes put on in a genuine context rather than a tourist attraction.

Carol singers and line-up of star performers then descend for an evening concert that adds to the unique Christmas atmosphere with stalls and booths in the street-sides and open-air dining. Villagers all decorate their houses with stars to symbolise the reason behind the festival, and these stay up for the entire season.

Home to a Catholic Seminary, where priests are trained and ordained, the village is filled with Vietnamese Diaspora who settling here after a hurried migration west away from troubled times and persecution. St Michael the Archangel Cathedral is the focal point for religious leaders who guide a flock which extends past Sakhon Nakhon to neighbouring Mukdahan, Kalasin and Nakhon Phanom provinces.

Many people will visit Tha Rae to witness the Star of David festivities. Tha Rae, on the northern shore of Nong Han lake, is just off highway 22 and a popular spot for fishing.

Unlike Spanish bullfighting, the Ko Samui variety is fairly harmless with buffalos beautifully decorated with gold-painted leaves and ribbons.

The contest features bouts of head-wrestling where two male water buffaloes face off at selected stadiums at Ban Makham, Ban Saket and outside Nathon town around the island.

It lasts only two rounds with the competitors being sprayed with water by local monks. But competition is fierce with the owner of the winning animal typically taking millions of baht home in prize money.

The buffaloes lock horns with the boisterous crowd cheering them along. Eventually the weaker one will submit, with the first buffalo to turn and run away is deemed the loser.

The next Buffalo Fighting Festival should be held on the island on January 1 so look around town for details on posters.

The northeastern Thai town of Udon Thani is the main transport hub for those wanting to get into Laos, and is a 12-hour coach from Chiang Mai or eight hours from Bangkok by bus or train. Alternatively there is an airport here with Nokair connections to many destinations including Pattaya.

Undon Thani is around 50km from the Thai border town of Nong Khai and taxis cost around 600 baht, so you may want to buddy up with some fellow passengers and share the cost. Alternatively mini-buses wait to collect you at the bus station and will carry you direct to Thai immigration for around 200 baht per person.

Once you’ve stamped out of Thailand (don’t forget your exit card folks!) you pay the 20 baht toll across the Friendship Bridge and cross over to the Laos side. There (if you are clever and arranged your visa beforehand) you get stamped straight in at the ‘arrivals’ window.

However, if you haven’t anything pre-organised you go to the ‘visa on arrival’ window on the left hand side and had over your passport, one photograph and your visa fee (35$US for most nationalities). You can pay 1,500 baht if that’s all you’ve got but obviously it is more economical to arrange dollars beforehand.

Once over the border minibuses wait and offer to take you to the Thai consulate (providing its still early enough – we got through at about 9.30am), wait for you to hand in your visa forms and then take you to the hotel of your choice. All this costs 150 baht but, in my experience, is well worth is for the saved headache and to be sure that you get your application in straight away.

The Thai consulate has lots of people hanging around outside trying to persuade you to let them fill out your form for you for a 40 baht fee. The form is in English, however, and so you’re better off heading straight in, collecting a ticket from the machine on the right hand side of the windows and doing it yourself.

There are pens and tables there plus little pots of glue for pasting your two passport-sized photographs to the form. Once you’ve handed in your completed paperwork (there is no fee until March , 2010, for tourist visas) then your driver will take you to your hotel.

We were in town last week which corresponded with the start of the 25^th Sea Games so the whole place was packed with Thai coach tours and there were few bargains to be found. Nevertheless, we managed to get a nice ‘VIP suit’ with TrueVisions cable TV, air conditioning, bathroom and minibar for 1,200 baht per night.

After that a pleasant evening was spent wandering the French colonial promenades and feasting on baguettes and apple croissants plus gallons of dark, delicious Beer Lao. The next afternoon our driver picked us up from the hotel for the reverse of the journey of the previous morning.

The embassy opens its doors at 1.15pm (already with a huge queue by then) but people moved fairly quickly through as various nationalities picked up their passports complete with double-entry tourist visas. I did enquire about the possibility of a triple-entry but my request was politely declined.

Then it was back across the border and to Udon Thani for the bus home. Generally Vientiane is a lovely, if sleepy, town well worth staying around for a couple of nights next time you need to nip over a border. The food was delicious and the booze certainly superior to Chang or Leo. And at the end of the day what more matters.

The temperature in the hilly climbs was considerably colder than I’ve been used to and made a refreshing change to the scorching heat of the northern capital. The first day was spent touring a medley of gorgeous pagodas which were set high on the side of rocky outcrops. The thin air made it particularly difficult to breath but thankfully there were Hyundi-produced escalators lifting visitors through the cloud to the various chedis at the top.

Then in the afternoon we finally set ourselves up in a quiet little campsite near a stream and two large waterfalls. Facilities were excellent, with clean Western toilets, tents and equipment available for hire, and even small basic bungalows for those who don’t fancy roughing it.

It wasn’t long before the music started and an eclectic mix of traditional Burmese songs, Beatles hits and modern classics filled the chilly night air. And enormous BBQ heaving with turmeric-marinaded squid, succulent chicken wings, pork ribs, fish and steak kept burning until late on. Everything was delicious including a bubbling caldron of steaming tom yam soup.

The next day brought Sangsom-inspired hangovers and a trip to Doi Inthanon Royal Project. This is one of many re-education schemes which aim to teach native hilltribe people new agricultural techniques. There was a massive variety of exotic fruit and veg as well as many species  of cacti and locally produced coffee which perked the party up no end.

After touring the various sections a sumptuous feast was served comprising of all organic produce grown at the park. There was steamed rainbow trout, deep-fried pork, crisp garden salads with mustard-rich mayonnaise, minced pork salad and – of course – lashings of tom yam soup.

After this a quick trip to the awe-inspiring Wachirathan Waterfall had us reaching for a mandatory snap and then back to town. Certainly Doi Inthanon is a great place to go, with fantastic cultural sites, superb great-value food and breathtaking scenery. But going there with a great group of friends certainly puts the icing on the cake.

Started by a local businessman, this bizarre bash happens every year in the historic town of Lopburi, around 150km from Bangkok.

The event’s organiser was originally worried about the health of the town population of pagoda-dwelling monkeys, and also wanted a gimmick to bring in tourists. He felt as it once played a prominent role in the country’s politics during the 17th century, there is no reason the town shouldn’t be popular again today.

So now the monkeys get a chance to wander the town’s old centre and feast on a vast buffet of the finest Chinese cuisine available in the vicinity. Whether anyone has thought to offer them a Tikka Masala is not currently know. The millennia-old city was once Thailand’s second capital.

In 1666, the same year as the Great Fire of London, King Narai the Great constructed a summer palace here and spent around eight months every year in the town.

And if watching primates throw chow mien at each other isn’t incentive enough, those in attendance also get the pleasure of seeing a scoop of baffled international journalists vying for the best shot of the silliest story of the year. The event is hosted by Lopburi Inn Group.

Call Lopburi Inn Hotel at 036 412 300 or Email: monkey@lopburiinnresort.com and monkeypartys@yahoo.com.