"AnnA_NyE"

Muay Thai is a form of hard martial art practiced in large parts of the world, including Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. The art is similar to others in Southeast Asia such as: pradal serey in Cambodia,lethwei in Myanmar, tomoi in Malaysia, and Lao boxing in Laos. Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand and is the country's national sport. Traditional Muay Thai practiced today varies significantly from the ancient art muay boran and uses kicks and punches in a ring with gloves similar to those used in Western boxing.

Muay Thai is referred to as "The Art of the Eight Limbs", as the hands, shins, elbows, and knees are all used extensively in this art. A practitioner of Muay Thai ("nak muay") thus has the ability to execute strikes using eight "points of contact," as opposed to "two points" (fists) in Western boxing and "four points" (fists, feet) used in the primarily sport-oriented forms of martial arts.

Various forms of kickboxing have long been practiced throughout Southeast Asia. As with the most countries in the region, Thai culture is highly influenced by ancient civilizations within Southeast Asia. Muay Thai's origin in Thailand can be traced back to its ancestor Muay Boran ("ancient boxing"), an unarmed combat used by Siamese soldiers in conjunction with Krabi Krabong, the weapon-based style. Eventually Muay Boran was divided to:

• Muay Korat (Northeast) emphasized strength. A technique like "Throwing Buffalo Punch" was used. It could supposedly defeat a buffalo in one blow.

• Muay Lopburi (Center region) emphasized movements. Its strong points were straight and counter punches.

• Muay Chaiya (South) emphasized posture and defense, as well as elbows and knees.

• Muay Pra Nakorn (North) emphasized speed, particularly in kicking. Because of its faster speed, it was called as well "Ling Lom" (windy monkey or Loris).

There is a phrase about Muay Boran that states, "Punch Korat, Wit Lopburi, Posture Chaiya, Faster Thasao. (หมัดหนักโคราช ฉลาดลพบุรี ท่าดีไชยา ไวกว่าท่าเสา)".

As well as continuing to function as a practical fighting technique for use in actual warfare, Muay Thai became a sport in which the opponents fought in front of spectators who went to watch for entertainment. This kind of muay contests gradually became an integral part of local festivals and celebrations, especially those held at temples. It was even used as entertainment to kings.

Eventually, the previously bare-fisted fighters started wearing lengths of rope wrapped around their hands and forearms. This type of match was called muay kaad chuek (มวยคาดเชือก).

[edit]Royal Muay

Muay gradually became a possible means of personal advancement as the nobility increasingly esteemed skillful practitioners of the art and invited selected fighters to come to live in the Royal palace to teach muay to the staff of the royal household, soldiers, princes or the king's personal guards.^{[citation needed]} This "royal muay" was called muay luang (มวยหลวง).

Some time during the Ayutthaya Period, a platoon of royal guards was established, whose duty was to protect king and the country. They were known as Grom Nak Muay (Muay Fighters' Regiment). This royal patronage of muay continued through the reigns of Rama V and VII.

[edit]Muay Renaissance

The ascension of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to the throne in 1868 ushered in a Golden Age not only for muay but for the whole country of Thailand. Muayprogressed greatly during the reign of Rama V as a direct result of the king's personal interest in the art. The country was at peace and muay functioned as a means of physical exercise, self-defense, recreation, and personal advancement.^{[citation needed]} Masters of the art such as former fighters or soldiers began teaching muay in training camps where students were provided with food and shelter. Trainees would be treated as one family and it was customary for students to adopt the camp's name as their own surname.

After the occurrence of a death in the ring, King Rama the VII pushed for codified rules for Muay Thai, and they were put into place. These included the rules that the fighters should wear modern gloves and cotton coverlets over the feet and ankles. It was also around this time in the 1920s that the term Muay Thai became commonly used while the older form of the style was referred to as Muay Boran.

[edit]Legendary heroes

At the time of the fall of the ancient Siam capital of Ayutthaya in 1763, the invading Burmese troops rounded up a group of Thai residents and took them as prisoners. Among them were a large number of Thai boxers, who were taken by the Burmese to the city of Ungwa.

In 1774, in the Burmese city of Rangoon, the king of the Burmese, Hsinbyushin decided to organize a seven-day, seven-night religious festival in honor ofBuddha's relics. The festivities included many forms of entertainment, such as the costume plays called likay, comedies and farces, and sword-fightingmatches. At one point, King Mangra wanted to see how Muay Boran would compare to the Burmese art Lethwei^{[citation needed]}. Nai Khanom Tom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. The boxing ring was set up in front of the throne and Nai Khanom Tom did a traditional Wai Kru pre-fight dance, to pay his respects to the Burmese king, as well as for all the spectators, dancing around his opponent, which amazed and perplexed all the Burmese people. When the fight began, he charged out, using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, pummeling his opponent until he collapsed.^[1]

The referee however stated that the Burmese opponent was too distracted by the Wai Kru, and the knockout was invalid. The King then asked if Nai Khanom Tom would fight nine other Burmese champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought them all, one after the other with no rest periods in between. His last opponent was a great boxing teacher from Ya Kai City. Nai Khanom Tom mangled him by his kicks and no one else dared to challenge him any further.

King Mangra was so impressed that he remarked, "Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom. Even with his bare hands, he can fell nine or ten opponents. But his Lord was incompetent and lost the country to the enemy. If he would have been any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen."^{[citation needed]}

King Mangra granted Nai Khanom Tom freedom along with either riches or two beautiful Burmese wives. Nai Khanom Tom chose the wives as he said that money was easier to find. He then departed with his wives for Siam. Other variations of this story had him also winning the release of his fellow Thai prisoners. His feat is celebrated every March 17 as "Boxer's Day" or"National Muay Thai Day" in his honor and that of Muay Thai's.

Today, some have wrongly attributed the legend of "Nai Khanom Tom" to King Naresuan, who was once taken by the Burmese. However, Nai Khanon Tom and King Naresuan were almost two centuries apart.

Thailand is the geographical heart of South-East Asia. The infamous golden triangle, located at the nation's northernmost point, is where Thailand's borders meet those of both Laos and Myanmar (Burma). The border with Myanmar continues to the west and then south as far as the Malay peninsula, much of which is occupied by Thailand. On the east, the border with Laos meanders southeast along the Mekong River until it reaches Cambodia, which is due east of Bangkok, the Thai Capital. In the south is the Gulf of Thailand. Roughly the size of France (200,000 sq. miles), Thailand is composed of four main regions. The northern mountainous region contains numerous ruins and temples, the ancient city of Chieng Mai, and Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthanon. This region is also home to the hill tribes of Thailand, distinct ethnic groups which settled in the area thousands of years ago after migrating from as far away as Tibet and central China. The north-east of Thailand occupies the semi-arid Korat plateau, the most desolate and least-visited part of the country. An interesting blend of Thai, Lao, and Khmer influences characterise the culture of the Korat. Central Thailand, which consists of the fertile plains surrounding the Chao Phraya River, is the country's most populous region and its rice basket. Thailand's alluring and congested capital city of Bangkok is located along the banks of the Chao Phraya, near the river's outlet into the Bight of Bangkok and the Gulf of Thailand. The southern region of Thailand, which stretches for hundreds of miles along the Malay peninsula, abounds with stunning beaches and scores of tropical islands.

Thailand can be an extremely hot and soggy place. Its tropical climate is divided into three seasons: cool in November to February, hot in March to May, and rainy in June to October. The seasons are more extreme in the northern regions, where the dry heat can grow quite intense in late spring and the cool can become cold in the mountains. The rainy season is no detriment to travel in Thailand, as the rains can be cool and refreshing.

History and People

The earliest people to appear in Thailand were most likely the Mons, who came into Southeast Asia from Central China two millennia ago. The Mons settled along various rivers in Burma and Thailand, building cities and rapidly developing a civilized culture. Within a few centuries they were confronted by other groups coming out of the north. As the region filled with people and villages, local kingdoms emerged and vied for supremacy over each other, giving rise to Thailand's earliest empires. The first of these were the Davaravati of Central Thailand and the Srivijaya, whose empire extended from Sumatra up the Malay peninsula to southern Thailand. Both kingdoms practiced Buddhism, which had spread from India during the time of the Mons. Eventually, the Davaravati fell to the westward expansion of the Khmers from Cambodia.

The next Thai kingdom to arise was Siam, which had its origins in the military expansion of the Mongols under Kublai Khan. As the Mongols pressed south through China, the peoples of the northwestern mountains and the Shan Plateau fled south and east. In 1220, the Thai lords founded their first capital at [link]Sukhothai[link], in the Nan River valley. Soon afterward, two other Thai kingdoms were established: Lanna Thai (million Thai rice fields) at Chiang Mai in the north, and Ayuthaya, upriver from present day Bangkok. In the mid-14th century, Ayuthaya had entered its golden age, dominating the other kingdoms and driving the Khmers out of the region entirely.

For the next few centuries the Thai kingdoms faced a stronger threat, not from the east or north, but from their neighbors to the west---the Burmese. In 1556 the Burmese captured Chiang Mai, and then Ayuthaya in 1569. The Thais rallied and recaptured both cities in the following decades, but the antagonism between the two peoples continued. The Burmese attacked Ayuthaya once more in 1767, this time practically erasing the city after a particularly bloody and protracted battle. Although the Thais managed to expel the Burmese shortly after, a new capital had to be constructed around what is now Bangkok. This chapter in Thai history marks the establishment of the Chakri Dynasty under Rama I, whose descendants have reigned in unbroken succession until the present day.

Unlike most of the other countries of Southeast Asia, Thailand (or Siam, as it was known at the time) never felt the yoke of direct European colonialism. As early as the 17th century, the Thai kings were set upon maintaining independence, having executed a French emissary to underscore their determination. As the French, British, and Dutch carved up the entire region over the next hundred years, the Kings of Siam shrewdly played the competing Europeans against each other, ensuring that no one power would gain a dominant presence. The strategy paid off handsomely, as Siam remained autonomous while reaping most of whatever benefits the colonial system had to offer.

After a peaceful coup in 1932, Siam's powerful monarchy became constitutional, and in 1939 the country officially adopted the name Thailand. Over the next several decades, Thailand was governed primarily by military dictatorships, which drew much of their support from collaboration with more powerful nations. They supported the Japanese occupation army in WW2 and later provided bases and men for the United States' efforts in Vietnam. Since that time, Thailand has weathered several coups, a number of border clashes with neighbouring communist regimes, and violent student demonstrations, finally emerging in the last decade as a remarkably stable and economically successful nation.

Today Thailand has a population of 54 million people, the vast majority of whom are of Thai ethnicity. Significant minorities of Chinese, Malay, Khmer, Mons, and various hill tribes also reside in Thailand, in addition to tens of thousands of refugees in border camps from the more troubled countries of South-East Asia.

Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand, although a variety of tribal religions continue to be practiced. Thailand's people regard their royal family with a respect bordering on awe. The main language in Thailand is Thai, although Lao, Chinese, Malay and English are also spoken by significant numbers of people.

Thailand Flag

SARAWAK  
the land of the hornbill

Sarawak has been described as Asia's " Best Kept Secret". Now the secret is out. Sarawak is the place for history, mystery, romance and exotic adventures. The land of the fabled White Rajahs, the hornbill and the orang utan, Sarawak is the largest State in Malaysia and by far the most exotic.

Sarawak is situated in the north-west of Borneo. East and borders Brunei, Sabah and Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is the largest state of Malaysia covering an area of 124,450 square kilometres (48,342 square miles) with a coastline 720 kilometres in length which accounts for about 37.5% of area of Malaysia. Its highest point is Gunung Mured, 2,438 metres, and has the longest river in Malaysia, Batang Rajang, which stretches over 640 kilometres. Sarawak, with an average rainfall of over 200 inches per year, is an expansive network of rivers, rainforests, mangroves, swamp forests, mountains and has the world`s oldest limestone caves.
Sarawak is a tropical country with an equatorial climate. It is hot and humid throughout the year with mean daily temperature ranging from 23° C during the early hours of the morning to 32° C during the day. It experiences two monsoonal changes.
The West Coast East Monsoon, which usually occurs between November to February, brings with it heavy rainfall.
The South West Monsoon is usually less wet. Except for monsoonal changes, the climate remains fairly stable throughout the year. Annual rainfall varies between 330 cm to 460 cm for the greater part of the country.

Introduction

Genting Highlands, just 54km north of Kuala Lumpur, is a fairly recent hill development. Its concept is very different from other hill resorts. Perched at 2000 meters above sea level along the Pahang/Selangor border on the Ulu Kali mountain range, Genting Highlands offers an exciting range of activities that are fun, fast-paced, and entertaining. Termed as the 'City of Entertainment', the resort is popular with day trippers and visitors seeking to indulge their senses in a realm of fantasy around the clock.

History
Genting Highlands was founded in 1965 by business tycoon, Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, who initially acquired the land for the development of the hotel and resort activities. Over the years as the resort became popular, a wide range of entertainment, leisure, recreational and sporting facilities as well as hotels, condominiums, apartment and camping facilities, were added. The resort comprises attraction at different elevations in the vicinity of Goh Tong Jaya, a township named after the founder. At the peak lies Genting Theme Park and Casino De Genting while lower down, at around 1000 meters above sea level, is the Awana Golf Course, Awana Horse Ranch and the Awana Eco Park, all of which offer a variety of pursuits for the visitor.

What To See and Do
Genting Theme Park
The Genting Theme Park is made up of indoor and outdoor attractions.

Attractions at the Indoor Theme Park:
" Skill games, computerized as well as coin-operated
" Space Odyssey 2020-not for the faint-hearted, this unnerving ride takes one on a voyage of discovery in space. There are health, height, age and other boarding restrictions.
" Motion Master Simulator enables you to experience action in films such as Smash Factory without leaving you seat.
" Fun House, Malaysia's first 3-D dome theatre
" Around the World Train Ride. Visitors get to see major landmarks of the world as well as animated figurines dressed in their national costumes.

The Outdoor Theme Park offers a range of exciting rides:
" The Corkscrew Roller Coaster
" The Cyclone, Roller Coaster
" Giant Mechanical Caterpillar. A slow ride through the outdoor theme park on an elevated track.
" The Flying Dragon, a family-oriented fun ride
" Genting Gold Mine, a ride on a runaway mine train
" Grand Prix. Racer's delight
" Cable Car Ride. A joy ride in a cable car offering a bird's eye view of the theme park attractions below
" Magic Carpet. A magical experience for thrill-seekers!

Skyway Cable Car Ride
An alternative to get to the summit of Genting Highlands apart from taking the bus or driving all the way up is to take the Skyway cable car at its station located a short distance before the Awana Golf and Country Resort. The 20-minutes, non-stop cable car ride, ascending from 914 metres to 1768 metres, provide sweeping views.

Abseiling
For abseilers, a series of 12 abseiling stations are positioned on the Awana Hill Park. Multiple abseiling such as tandem abseiling, triabs, and foursome can be held at each station.

Mountain Biking
Within the park are mountain biking trails which include a recreational trail, scenic hill trail, jungle trail and the golf course trail.

Golfing
Carved out of a ridge at 950 metres above sea level is an award-winning 18-hole golf course at the Awana Golf & Country Club. The 6155 meter par-71 golf course poses a variety of challenges to the golfer. Fifty-seven bunkers and several ponds and lakes dot the undulating grounds which puts one's fitness to the test. The most dramatic is the par-3, fourth hole which offers five different teeing positions, which are 18 meters apart. Green fees are RM10 on weekdays and RM80 on weekends. Caddy fees are RM15-RM10 per 18-holes.
There is also mini Golf and a driving Range in the vicinity.

Horse-riding
For equestrian fans, the Awana Horse Ranch is just 2 km away from the Awana Golf & Country Resort. Horse riding lessons or joy rides are available at the ranch.

Other Recreational Facilities
" Gymnasium
" Tennis/squash/badminton courts
" Table tennis
" Swimming pools
" Sauna
" -16-lane bowling alley

Sights
Located at 1460 meters above sea level is Chin Swee Temple, a Chinese cave temple. Panoramic views of surrounding hills can be seen from here.

Eating Out
The Genting Highlands Resort offers a choice of over 35 different restaurants, from its plush restaurant, Genting Palace, to cozy food courts. Local as well as international cuisine and fast food are all available here.

After Dusk
Evenings bring out the best in entertainment at Genting Highlands Resort with high energy performances, and international shows at Genting International Showroom. There are also video arcades, one-armed bandits, cinemas, karaoke lounges, discotheques and other entertainment centers.
Genting is also well-known for its casino, the Casino de Genting, which offers Blackjack, baccarat, roulette, keno, French bull and Tai Sai. Visitors must be properly attired. Entrance is prohibited to Muslim visitors.

Accommodation
A wide choice of accommodation is available in the Genting Highlands ranging from camping sites to apartments, condominiums and hotels. Within Goh Tong Jaya, at the lower level, is the Awana Eco Park, a quiet natural area where camping grounds are based. Further up is the Awana Golf & Country Resort which would suit the golf-cum-nature lover. At the summit lie the Highlands Hotel, Genting Hotel, Resort Hotel and Theme Park Hotel, as well as the Ria and Kayangan apartment complexes. Together they provide a total of 3000 hotel rooms and 300 apartments for holiday makers. There are also other hotels such as Hotel Seri Malaysia and Selesa Health Homes at various levels of the hill.

The island of Penang is a popular travel destination for visitors to Malaysia.  The main city on the island is Georgetown.  A long causeway connects Penang to the Malay peninsula. 

Penang is located north of Kuala Lumpur in the Strait of Malacca.

Map

The Federation of Malaysia comprises of two noncontiguous regions—Peninsular, or West, Malaysia and East Malaysia—separated by some 400 miles (650 km) of the South China Sea. Peninsular Malaysia (50,810 square miles [131,598 square km]) occupies the southern half of the Malay Peninsula; it is about 500 miles (800 km) long and 200 miles (325 km) wide and is bordered on the north by Thailand, on the south by Singapore.