Wherever I am, the world comes after me.
It offers me its busyness. It does not believe that I do not want it.
Now I understand why the old poets of China went so far
and high into the mountains, then crept into the pale mist.
"The Old Poets of China" by Mary Oliver

Sawasdee! The Second Thai Cultural Fair @ UP Asian Center

Details

Have fun and discover Thai culture at Sawasdee! The Second Thai Cultural Fair on 25 May 2017, 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm, Auditorium, UP Asian Center, Quezon City. The fair is free and open to the public; participants are encouraged to sign up.

SIGN UP: ONLINE REGISTRATION

ABOUT THE FAIR

Audiences can walk around the venue, interact with the guests, and visit the booths that showcase the various facets of Thai culture, including the Thai New Year Festival (Songkran Festival), Thai arts and crafts, and popular Thai cuisine. 

The booths and exhibits will be manned by the trainees taking “Intensive Language Course” (ILC) at the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand. They will be showcasing three performances as well: contemporary Thai boxing (Muay Thai); the Rice Harvest Dance; and traditional Thai costume dance.

VIEW POSTER

ABOUT THE SONGKRAN FESTIVAL

A Buddhist festival and a celebration of the Thai New Year, Songkran is held sometime in April, and signifies the start of the country’s rainy season. During this arguably Thailand’s most important holiday, Thais pray at Buddhist temples and cleanse the statues, shrines, icons, or altars therein to augur luck and prosperity for the coming year (Telegraph).The highlight of the festival is a joyful splashing event where people try to get each other wet.

TENTATIVE PROGRAM

  • 2:10 pm - 2:45 pm: Thai Cultural Fair “Songkran Festival”
  • 3:00 pm - 3:50 pm: Cultural performances
  • 3:50 pm - 4:30 pm: Closing remarks

THE ORGANIZERS

This cultural fair is organized by the UP Asian Center and the Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Thailand. 

VENUE And VICINITY MAP

Vehicles entering the UP Asian Center (GT-Toyota Asian Cultural Center) grounds can only do so via the gate on Magsaysay Avenue that is near a UP guardhouse, a few meters away from Katipunan Avenue, and across Maynilad. A small gate for pedestrians on Guerrero St. lies across the College of Law parking lot and a few meters away from a waiting shed, where the Ikot jeepney, and jeepneys from Philcoa and SM North pass by. VIEW VICINITY MAP and GOOGLE STREET VIEW

INQUIRIES And ATTENDANCE

If you are planning to come with/as a big group (a class or delegation), please let us know the number of participants at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. It would also be best if their names could be registered online or if you could send us a list of their names.

The UP Asian Center offers M.A. programs in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. The Center offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. Get an overview of these programs. The Asian Center also houses a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia. It has published several books and monographs, and hosts or organizes various lectures and conferences.