Day 1 – Travel to Thailand
You’ll arrive at Suvarnabhumi International
Airport and meet your Program Manager. You’ll transfer via private transportation
to your hotel in Bankok. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Overnight in Bangkok
Day 2 – Bangkok
Today
you’ll have a full day of sightseeing in Bangkok. You’ll take a canal tour in a
speedboat and visit Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn, which is one of the best
known landmarks on the Chao Phraya River. You’ll see the Reclining Buddha in
Wat Phra Chetuphon in the Wat Po complex.
You’ll have a welcome lunch together at the Naval Club. After lunch, you’ll visit the Grand
Palace, the 19th century home of the King of Siam and the seat of
government through 1925. The complex includes various temples and museums and
houses the Emerald Buddha.
Overnight in Bangkok
Day 3 – Bankok
You’ll
visit the Kam Thieng House Museum, a traditional wooden Thai house on stilts
which depicts traditional Thai living with an assortment of artifacts, tools
and furniture. You’ll head to the Suan
Pakkad Palace Museum. The palace is situated in a beautiful small garden and
houses one of the best private collections of art work in Thailand. You’ll then
head to the Jim Thompson House. The American expat was credited with reviving the
traditional silk industry in Thailand in the 60’s by exporting the craft around
the world. His restored traditional home is now an important cultural landmark.
You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant.
After lunch you’ll visit the shopping district of Bangkok and visit the main
malls, Siam Center and Siam Paragon. You’ll visit the
Materials Connexion at the Thai Creative & Design Center. The TCDC is a
research center and reference library for architecture, interiors, product
design and industrial design.
STUDIO TIME: 3
HOURS
Overnight in Bangkok
Day 4 – Bangkok to Nakorn Ratchasima
You’ll
depart in the morning for Ayutthaya, the 2nd capital of Thailand,
during 1350-1767. At the height of its
reign, the city was one of the richest and most magnificent in Asia.
During the 15th century it extended its power over most of
central Thailand and into Laos, Cambodia and the Malay Peninsula. You’ll visit
some principal sites in Ayuthaya Historical Park such as Wat Mahathat, Wat
Mongkol Bophit and Wat Chaiwatanaram. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. You’ll
board your bus and proceed to northeastern
part of Thailand to Phimai District, Nakorn Ratchasima province. You’ll visit Phimai National Historical Park which is home to an important
former city of the Khmer Empire. The complex and temples are comparable to
Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Originally built
in the late 10th century, this is a magnificent example of early
temple architecture. You’ll head to your hotel and have dinner at a local
restaurant.
Overnight in Nakorn Ratchasima
Day 5 – Nakorn Ratchasima to Phanomrung Puri
You’ll continue
on your private bus to visit the Dan
Kwian District, a local pottery making district. You will have a chance to see
and learn about Thai pottery making and specifically the rust colored pottery from the Dan Kwian region. You’ll have lunch at a
local restaurant. After lunch, you’ll continue to Buriram Province to visit an
impressive Khmer temple, the Phanom Rung Temple. This is one of the most
outstanding Khmer monuments in Thailand, built between the 10th and
13th centuries.
STUDIO TIME: 3 HOURS
Overnight Phanomrung Puri
Day 6 – Phanomrung Puri to Ban Napho
You’ll depart
for Ban Napho to visit the Handicraft Weaving Center. You will spend a night
in the village and take a weaving and dye workshop. You’ll have lunch and
dinner in the village and then stay overnight with local families.
STUDIO TIME: 6 HOURS
Overnight in Ban Napho
Day 7 – Ban Napho
You’ll depart
for
Ban Ta Klang Elephant Village. Most of the local villagers are "Guay"
people who previously had skillful occupation in capturing elephants, training
them for work and as household animals. At present, the villagers train
the elephants for Elephant Round-up of the province. They feed and care
for the elephants, treating them as their friends and children of the
family. Surin Province has built an Elephant Museum or Elephant
Educational Center in the village where historical background, information and
capturing instruments are featured. You’ll visit the Educational Center
and participate in daily training with the Guay people or elephant trainers.
You’ll have lunch and dinner in the village and stay overnight.
Overnight Ban Napho
Day 8 – Ban Napho to Khong Jiam
You’ll depart to visit Ban Tha Sawang silk weaving village
before heading to Ubol Ratchathani. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. You’ll
stop to do some sightseeing in Ubol Ratchathani
and continue to Khong Jiam District, located by the Mekong River bordering
Laos. You’ll check into your hotel Tohasend Kho Jiam and have dinner at the
hotel.
Overnight Khong Jiam
Day 9 – Khong Jiam
You’ll visit the Khong Jiam fresh market in the morning and then
proceed to the pre-historic rock paintings at Pha Taem Historical Park. The
plateau and hills dominate the park’s landscape and on the cliffs’ surface,
there are prehistoric paintings dating back 3000-4000 years. The paintings
reflect the ancient way of life of people who once lived in the area and
included figures of people, animals, rice farming and geometric designs. You’ll
have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch, you’ll visit Kaeng Tana, the
biggest cataract in the middle of the Mun River. The cataract itself is a big
stone platform lying across the Mun River, creating beautiful waterfalls.
Overnight in Khong Jiam
Day 10 – Khong Jiam to Khon Kaen
You’ll depart on your private bus to visit the Papyrus Mat Weaving
Village in Mahasarakham Province and the Lacal Thai Phuan silk weaving village
at Baan Pone, Kalasin Province. You’ll have lunch at a local restaurant. After lunch you’ll continue to Khon Kaen and visit
the Chonnabot District, well known for its locally produced Mudmee silk and
cotton. Mudmee is the process of tie-dyeing the threads before weaving it into
fabric. You’ll visit the King Cobra village, where the villagers live with
their proteges, training them and putting on fascinating shows. You’ll check
into the Centara Hotel and have dinner in a local restruant.
STUDIO TIME: 3 HOURS AT
Mudmee Silk Village
Overnight in Khon Kaen
Day 11 – Khon Kaen to Bangkok
You’ll transfer to the Udol Thani airport for your
return flight to Bangkok. You’ll arrive in Bangkok and have lunch at a local
restaurant. After lunch
you’ll continue on to the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles for a behind the
scenes tour. You’ll check in to your hotel after the workshop and have dinner
on your own.
STUDIO TIME: 5 HOURS
Overnight in Bangkok
Day 12 – Departure
You’ll continue your tour and research at the Queen Sirikit Museum
in the morning.
In the afternoon, you’ll take your private bus
to the airport for your return flight home.
STUDIO TIME: 3 HOURS