5th December 2011 - Today, people from all around the country are coming together to celebrate the 84th birthday of H.M. The King. Many of them are wearing pink which is an auspicious colour believed to help make the King better. The Thai monarch has been in Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok for several years now. About 1,000 well-wishers gathered at the City Hall Plaza in Samut Prakan to give alms to 99 monks in honour of His Majesty.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to watch a moving documentary called “Living With The Tiger”. It is about about Thai kids growing up with the stigma of  being infected with HIV through no fault of their own. Often these kids are abandoned by their own family. For many of them, Baan Gerda became their new home. What this documentary aims to do is to show Thai society that these kids are not dangerous. That they have hopes and dreams just like the rest of us. Hopefully the documentary can get the exposure that it deserves and help, through showings at schools and universities, break down the stigma of HIV/AIDS.

Over the years I have seen some really great Thai festivals. This is a list of my Top 10 favourites in no particular order.

Thailand's devastating flood has made for countless memorable images. But some journalists appear to be staging their own scenes without disclosing that to viewers, undermining the purpose of journalism.

Nestled in the hills of Doi Tung in Chiang Rai Province, is a little slice of Switzerland. It can be found at Doi Tung Royal Villa which was the home of the late HRH Princess Mother whenever she visited Chiang Rai. The King’s mother lived in Switzerland while her children were completing their education. It was said to be a very happy period in her life. When she came to build a home on Doi Tung, she insisted on it being built in a style that combined the things that she liked about mountain homes in both Europe and Northern Thailand.

The highlight for the younger children is the Aqua Play Pool seen in this picture. The water here is not deep and so is therefore ideal for younger children. There are slides, water cannons and other water based toys. Nearby is the Lazy River where you can ride on tubes around the 335 meter long flowing river.