Phuket Orchid Garden and Thai village is on the Eastern side of Phuket
town situated on a 200 rai site, which was formerly a tin mine which is
now a well-established holiday attraction. There is a restaurant next
to a tranquil fresh water lake , a commercial orchid garden open to the
public, and numberous exclusive handicraft shops, together with live demonstrations
of artists at work.
The
main event is a fast moving show displaying some essential elements of
Thai culture, includeing folk dances from all around Thailand, traditional
forms of self-defense using clubs, swords and hand-to-hand combat , Muay
Thai or Thai boxing, and to round off the afternoon’s or morning’s entertainment,
an elephant show. What more could you pack into a single, half-day out
for the family?
The 500-seater auditorium is built against a Thai House of bamboo and
thatch from where the Performers emerge.
To
the accompaniment of Thai music. The show starts with dancers descending
the stairs of the tiered arena to the thundering sound of Paree, or huge
shoulder drums with a trumpet-like base. Exotically clad male and female
artisans
demonstrate a dance that used to be a central Thailand courtship ritual
between young people. The normal schedule follows with a shadow puppet
show, reminiscent of Indonesia. Elaborate, jointed figures, cut out of
buffalo skin, are moved behind a silk screen, back-lit by candlelight.
After
this, the theme switches to the South of Thailand, with a graceful Nora
dance performed by women wearing extremely long finger extensions and
fixed smiling expressions, much like an Indian dance.
Boisterous boys who then mock up a fight with amusing incidents put up
a Thai boxing ring in minutes, well rehearsed but none-the less entertaining.
The following club, spear, and sword fights, both starts with ritual movements
much like at the beginning of a Thai boxing bout. The actual combat is
a furious flurry of ferocious strokes that impresses the audience.
A penultimate set piece is the reenactment of a welcoming ceremony taken
from Thai literature. It is a procession with a royally dressed couple
pulled along on a colorfully decorated cart. Servant wave yellow banners
at the front followed by red Chinese tiered flags and maidens strewing
flower petals for the rest of the procession to walk over.
After
a Srivichai dance from the 13th century which takes in aspects of Indonesian
culture and a final Rumwong walking dance, in which the audience is invited
to participate, the whole assembly moves outside to the elephant corral.
The
bowing, dancing, log dragging, and football-kicking tricks may at first
sight appear degrading to these noble beasts. But you must remember that
Thais have worked elephants for more than 400 years. In a country with
nearly all-natural jungle now under the plough, and with traditional logging
work lost for good, these animals have nowhere to go. Along with their
mahouts, or handlers who are equally lost for work, they are happy to
earn a living by entertaining amazed visitors. At the end of the day everyone
goes home happy.
The
main event is a fast moving show displaying some essential elements of
Thai culture, includeing folk dances from all around Thailand, traditional
forms of self-defense using clubs, swords and hand-to-hand combat , Muay
Thai or Thai boxing, and to round off the afternoon’s or morning’s entertainment,
an elephant show. What more could you pack into a single, half-day out
for the family?
To
the accompaniment of Thai music. The show starts with dancers descending
the stairs of the tiered arena to the thundering sound of Paree, or huge
shoulder drums with a trumpet-like base. Exotically clad male and female
artisans
demonstrate a dance that used to be a central Thailand courtship ritual
between young people. The normal schedule follows with a shadow puppet
show, reminiscent of Indonesia. Elaborate, jointed figures, cut out of
buffalo skin, are moved behind a silk screen, back-lit by candlelight.
After
this, the theme switches to the South of Thailand, with a graceful Nora
dance performed by women wearing extremely long finger extensions and
fixed smiling expressions, much like an Indian dance.
After
a Srivichai dance from the 13th century which takes in aspects of Indonesian
culture and a final Rumwong walking dance, in which the audience is invited
to participate, the whole assembly moves outside to the elephant corral.
The
bowing, dancing, log dragging, and football-kicking tricks may at first
sight appear degrading to these noble beasts. But you must remember that
Thais have worked elephants for more than 400 years. In a country with
nearly all-natural jungle now under the plough, and with traditional logging
work lost for good, these animals have nowhere to go. Along with their
mahouts, or handlers who are equally lost for work, they are happy to
earn a living by entertaining amazed visitors. At the end of the day everyone
goes home happy.