This year’s popular Hua Hin Vintage Car Parade and Art Festival, organized by Hua Hin Hotelier’s Club led by Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin, Vintage Car Club of Thailand, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Hua Hin Municipality and Hua Hin Market Village, will be held from 1st - 16th December 2007.

The aim of this year event is to assist in creating destination awareness, product and brand loyalty to communities over Thailand and abroad, display the charming vintage cars and various kinds of the valued arts. Furthermore, the occasion will mark His Majesty the King's 80th birthday anniversary on December 5th 2007. All proceeds will go to the Chaipattana Foundation.

There will be a lot of activities happening during the 16-day event mostly take place at the Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin and the Hua Hin Market Village. The highlights include, for example:

80 vintage cars, with total valued at more than Baht 200 million, will join the parade this year setting off on Friday 14th December 2007 at 8.00 a.m. from the Sofitel Centara Grand Bangkok. They will drive pass Dusit Palace in Bangkok before heading off on a 225-kilometre journey to Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin, the eight-hour journey with stops at several attractions along the way.

After arrived to the hotel, the parade will further move to the Seaside Court of Hua Hin Market Village. All participants will conduct a blessing ceremony to His Majesty the King in front of the big portrait, followed by joining a welcome dinner at the longest buffet; the 80 metre-long buffet set up featuring a variety of delicious Thai dishes cooked by talented chefs from the five-star member hotels of the Hua Hin Hotelier’s Club. The buffet dinner will also open to the public at only Baht 80 net per person including live music performance and a variety of stage shows until 9.30 p.m.

On Saturday 15th December, the vintage car parade will be moved around Hua Hin city, starting from the Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin. On the same day, the public can experience the rarely seen Vintage cars riding for charity at a very special prize of Baht 180 and Baht 280 per trip (maximum 2-3 persons per car). This activity will take place at the Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin and the Hua Hin Market Village from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Furthermore, an exclusive gala dinner for charity will be organized in the evening featuring an array of sumptuous international cuisines, auctions, period costume competition, lucky draws to win a number of special room packages in the luxurious Centara Hotels & Resorts and ACCOR’s properties, live classical music performance and a variety of stage shows. The dinner will be organized around the Colonial pool of the Sofitel Centara Grand Resort & Villas Hua Hin. The tickets are available for the public as well at Baht 2,480 per person, including a pre-dinner cocktail reception.

Apart from the above mentioned highlights, the public can discover and enjoy a lot more interesting activities take place during 1st – 16th December 2007 including ;

80 leading artists from Hua Hin and Prachuab- Khirikhan province will jointly create an artwork by taking 80 hours to draw a 5 metre x 10 metre portrait of His Majesty the King. The artists will start drawing the portrait after the event’s official opening ceremony on Friday 1st December 2007 at the Hua Hin Market Village, and the finished artwork will be displayed there until the end of the event. The live chorus singing of the Musical Compositions by a famous chorus singing band, classical dances with the Musical Compositions to His Majesty the King and drawing demonstration along with the live chorus singing. The Candle lighting ceremony to pay respect to His Majesty the King on the occasion of his birthday which will be held on 5th December at the Seaside Court of the Hua Hin Market Village, followed by traditional Thai blessing dance and live Concert by the Hua Hin’s famous Jazz Band. Vintage Cars exhibition and other activities concerning the Vintage car; Exclusive Art exhibition by Hua Hin Artist Group; Art Market by the professional artists and students from the art school; display booth and selling counter of postal stamps and the Exclusive collection on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s 80th birthday anniversary; Live music performance at the Music Gallery, featuring Jazz, Reggae, Classic, Thai contemporary music; Mime; Souvenir booths for sales and much more activities.

source: www.e-travelblackboardasia.com

Isn't Hua Hin big bike weekend Nov 30th- Dec 2nd? Its going to be crowded downtown between the bikes and cars. Fun, though.