Phuket gears up for the 'ultimate beach party'
Phuket gears up for the 'ultimate beach party'
In Southern Thai, roy means fun, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hoping the more than 50 international DJs and musicians it has booked for Roy Fest will help the party live up to its name.
The TAT has invested more than 22 million baht to convert Karon Beach into the ultimate beach dance party and theyre expecting to draw thousands of party goers to have fun on the white sand.
Hua Hin and Rayong have their own music festivals so why not Phuket? Its my hometown and its known as the Pearl of the Andaman, said Norasate Mudkong, aka DJ Seed, the festivals music director.
Singapores Zouk Out is an incredibly successful beach dance festival and our beach is much more beautiful, he said.
With the current economic situation, its important that we promote tourism in Southern Thailand. Phuket is a great place to start, as its strikingly picturesque; and because its already well-known, its easier to attract tourists from all over the world, said Dom Chotivanich, CEO & partner of creative agency NetPublications.
Our role models are Singapore's Zouk Out and Englands Brighton Beach, both of which receive massive support from their respective municipal governments. That stimulates spending and helps money to circulate, added Dom, who has experienced the Zouk Out party on three occasions.
Roy Fest actually aims to raise awareness about Phuket, largely by word of mouth from the artists, as we approach the high season.
The two-day music festival features two groups of international artists, among them DJ Ken Ishii from Japan, DJ Adsorb from England, DJ Lord Warddd from America, and DJ Lapsap from Malaysia. It also includes local acts such as DJ Seed, DJ Dragon, T-Bone, Ta-Mone, Thaitanium, Southside, Doobadoo, Silly Fools and Smile Buffalo.
I've been really impressed with the Japanese DJs shows here, said Dom. DJ Adsorb, who played at Glastonbury, is BBC Radios rising star. Its not easy for a new organizer like us to book any big names or even a rising star, so weve been really lucky.
DJ Ken Ishii is a world-ranked techno DJ. He once mixed the sound of our kaen [Isaan reed mouth organ] with techno on an album he recorded here, said DJ Seed. If Roy Fest is even 60 or 70 percent successful, I think it can outdo Zouk Out.
"We would like everyone to have a good time and enjoy dancing on the beach under the stars and cooled by the sea breezes," said Dom.
And, in keeping with every good Thai fest, party goers will also find plenty of booths selling food, beverages and souvenirs.
Roy Fest takes place on Karon Beach this Friday and Saturday, from 6pm to 2am.
For more information, visit Roy Fest
thie weekend's drownings at Karon
Quote:
Originally Posted by
slackula
What's the over/under on how many people will drown?
the red flags will be out, so no one will swim. And there are signs too . . .
I'm with you on this one, high chance - can we start a 'dead pool' my bid is two on the first night, and as a bonus I'll predict they're both Euros.
Tough to blame the lifeguards for not being there at 3am.
or maybe a jetski will come to the rescue (for a price)?
Roy's the word at Phuket's beachside shindig
Roy's the word at Phuket's beachside shindig
KARON, PHUKET: Thousands of youngsters converged on Karon Beach last night for the first ever Roy Fest, the islands new music festival.
A hefty dose of Roy Southern Thai for 'fun' was in the air as a succession of bands and DJs did their thing from an enormous stage erected by the beach road.
The rain that had poured onto the island throughout the day stopped just as Roy Fest got going at 6pm. There was a brief downpour around midnight, but no-one seemed to care.
Highlights of the night included Thai indie band Smile Buffalo and legendary rockers Silly Fools playing together as a one-off combo dubbed Silly Buffalo.
Malaysias electro DJ duo Lapsap also proved a big hit.
Roy Fest continues tonight, when Englands DJ Absorb and Thai hip hop stars Thaitanium take to the stage.
Phuket Gazette
YouTube - Coyoty RoyFest Karon Beach 2009
