Forget that earthquake: tourists told to party on

Thailand is not about to let a minor inconvenience like an earthquake interfere with a festival that is one of its major tourism drawcards.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has confirmed that Songkran celebrations nationwide will proceed as planned, assuring tourists that travel, transport, and hotels remain unaffected by last week's fatal quake.

TAT announced over the weekend that plans to hold grand Songkran (water festival) celebrations across the country would proceed as scheduled.

TAT said that after assessing the situation following Friday’s earthquake, it found that conditions in Bangkok and other parts of the country had returned to normal.

It noted that Don Mueang International Airport and Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok continued to operate as usual, with airlines providing normal services.

Additionally, public transportation - particularly the electric railway services operated by BTSC and MRT - remained fully functional. Hotels and entertainment venues in key tourist destinations were also unaffected.

TAT reported that tourists had not cancelled their bookings, and tour group operators had not withdrawn reservations either, newspaper The Nation reported. 

It also confirmed that highways across the country remained undamaged and fully accessible for travel.
To ensure tourist safety, the TAT stated that it would seek cooperation from the Engineering Institute of Thailand and the Public Works Department to inspect high-rise hotels.

The authority reassured the public that planned grand Songkran celebrations in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and other locations would not be impacted.

The Maha Songkran World Water Festival 2025 is a nationwide celebration of Thai New Year taking place from early to mid-April across every region of the country.

More than 100 events will take place across Bangkok, where at least 18 people died as a result of the quake, and throughout the country. 

Each Thai location has its own blend of tradition and celebration - from rituals and temple fairs to music festivals and lively water fights - which can be very annoying as young locals arm themselves with giant water guns. 

Festival Highlights Include:

Maha Songkran World Water Festival, Sanam Luang and Ratchadamnoen Klang, Bangkok (April 11-15)
Songkran Music Festival, Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok (April 12-14)
Chiang Mai Songkran traditions (April 7-16))
Grand Isan Songkran Festival, Khon Kaen (April 8-15)
Coastal celebrations in Phuket, Songkhla, and Surat Thani
Cultural parades in Phrae, Lamphun, and Ubon Ratchathani

Champagne exports dip in key markets

Is Champagne in crisis?

Exports to several major markets, including the UK and Australia, dipped dramatically in 2024.

Imports of Champagne to the UK fell by almost three million bottles in 2024 – taking the market back to its size in 1997.

The total amount of Champagne sent to the UK in 2024 was 22.3 millon bottles, down 12.7% on the year before.

And in Australia, the number of bottles arriving fell to 7.29 million, a drop of 17.6%.

The only years when UK shipments to the UK have been lower than in 2024 were in 2000 – when the country was overstocked from an excessive amount of Champagne imported in advance of Millennium celebrations – and 2020, when the first wave of Covid-related lockdowns took their toll, trade media outlet the drinks business reported.

But the market performance of 2024 means that the UK retained its position as second-biggest export market for Champagne behind the US, while Australia ranks No.7.

The Comité Champagne has said that the political and economic climate that has led to a reduction in sales.

Shipments in 2024 - as opposed to consumption - were also negatively impacted by an excess of stock in the market at the start of last year, as sales over the festive period in 2023 were not as high as expected.

In 2024, Champagne shipped a global total - including the domestic market - of 271.4 million bottles, which was down 9.2% compared to the previous year.

While 80% of Champagne is sold in eight countries, new markets such as Canada, South Africa and South Korea are showing growth, the Comité Champagne says.

The top 10 markets are: 1. US, 2.UK, 3. Japan, 4. Germany, 5. Italy, 6. Belgium, 7. Australia, 8. Switzerland, 9. Spain, 10. UAE.

Image: Andrii Omelnytskyi, Scop.io

Triple celebration for MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique this week marked significant milestones for three World Class ships in Saint-Nazaire, France.

The delivery of MSC World America (above), coincided with the coin ceremony - a traditional shipbuilding event - of MSC World Asia and the steel cutting for the newly named MSC World Atlantic.

The importance of the occasion meant attendees included Captain Gianluigi Aponte, founder and group chairman of MSC, and Chantiers de l’Atlantique GM Laurent Castaing.

MSC World America is the 23rd ship in the cruise line’s modern fleet and is set to be officially named on April 9 in the US at the company’s new MSC Miami Cruise Terminal, the largest in the world.

Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman, cruise division, MSC Group, said: “Today is a proud moment for all of us at MSC Cruises and Chantiers de l’Atlantique as we mark these major milestones in the development of our fleet.

"Our new flagship is a testament to our long-standing, innovative partnership spanning over 20 years, resulting in five ground-breaking prototypes and 19 ships.

"Together, we continue to push boundaries, combining cutting-edge design, the latest technologies, and a richness of experiences to set new standards in cruising and always striving to further improve the environmental performance of each ship. We look forward to raising the bar even higher with the upcoming MSC World Asia and MSC World Atlantic.”

A coin cermeony sees commemorative coins placed inside a ship as a sign of blessing during construction and to bring good fortune to the ship.

The third celebration was a steel cutting ceremony to officially start the construction of the line’s fourth World Class ship, MSC World Atlantic, due to enter service in 2027.

MSC World America's inaugural season from Miami starts on April 12.

She will sail alternating seven-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, San Juan, Puerto Rico and MSC Cruises private island Ocean Cay and seven-night Western Caribbean voyages to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico, Isla de Roatan, Honduras, and Ocean Cay.

Paddy's re-imagined: discover Sydney's new gourmet market

Sydney has a new gourmet destination with the launch of Hay St Market at Paddy’s - which opened this week.

The concept is described as "a celebration of food, culture and community, bringing together a dynamic collection of traders under one roof in the heart of Haymarket".

It has to be an improvement on some of the dire recent local offerings.

Spanning 3,000 square metres of Paddy’s Markets, Hay St Market is home to over 48 traders offering more than 25 different cuisines.

At its heart, it’s an open, bustling space that shifts from morning to an after-dark foodie destination. I'm told that "visitors can snack on the go, kick back with a bite, grab something for home or chill out at Cans & Crates or Traders Bar".

The multi-million dollar transformation is designed to revitalise the Haymarket precinct, increase tourism and create more than 300 jobs.

“We’ve left no stone unturned in creating Hay St Market at Paddy’s - an affordable destination that Sydney can be proud of, where visitors can eat, drink, and shop," says says Joseph Murray, group CEO and managing director of Doltone Hospitality Group.

"Inspired by some of the world’s best markets, we’ve built something extraordinary that harnesses Sydney’s cultural diversity, offers a twist on tradition, and taps into our collective love of food and beverage.”

Leading chefs including Luke Nguyen (above) and Mark Olive are involved

Also joining the market is Tim Casey, a specialist butcher with over 50 years of experience, including as former head butcher at Rockpool; cheesemonger Christina Murphy, and The Signorelli Bros greengrocer.

Specialty coffee will be roasted in-house with Genovese’s finest beans at Hay St Roasters.

“While our food offering is phenomenal, we are also excited to bring to life the speciality traders within Hay St Market at Paddy’s,” added Murray.

Image: Esteban La Tessa 

Meet Attunement: a new classic Australian red blend

A new-release from St Hugo is a serious discovery for lovers of aged, and age-worthy, Australian red wines.

It is a very impressive blend of Barossa shiraz and Coonawarra cabernet - a classic Australian blend.

"We’re delighted to welcome a brand new shiraz cabernet blend to the St Hugo portfolio: St Hugo Attunement Barossa Coonawarra Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2018," says St Hugo chief winemaker Peter Munro.

"We’ve made this classic blend driven by a singular ambition: to create a wine that promises complexity, elegance, power and refinement, resulting in a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

"As classic blends go I’d say this is more on the ‘robust end’ but as we know with all blends, it’s about the synergy and why we named this wine Attunement. Precision perfected."

The grapes for the blend, 64% shiraz and 36% cabernet sauvignon, were sourced from two vineyards in the Barossa for shiraz and one for cabernet and one for shiraz in the Coonawarra.

The split between the regions leans towards the Barossa at 52% and 48% Coonawarra.

I liked the immediate drinkability on offer here, the synthesis between the two grape varieties and regions, and the cellaring potential.

"Vintage 2018 was fantastic across South Australia, a little warmer than usual, resulting in pure fruit flavours from both regions," says Munro.

"The fruit was de-stemmed and crushed into static and open fermenters with pumping over regularly to achieve excellent extraction, flavour and tannin.

"The fruit was then drained and pressed followed by malo and ageing for 17 months in new French oak (76%). The team then sat down for the final blending; very much in true St Hugo style: all precision and attention to detail.

Attunement will cost you around $100 a bottle and will be available at selected Dan Murphy stores nationally.

Canberra's arts scene comes alive in April

Despite the presence of some boofheads elected to represent us in Parliament, the national capital of Canberra is also a city of art and culture.

 
Canberra is regarded as one of the nation's creative hubs - just don't tell Barnaby, Sussan and Angus.

 

The sprawling city boasts diverse arts scene, several national attractions and a thriving community of creatives.

This April brings four highly anticipated exhibitions to Canberra: the first solo exhibition for multidisciplinary contemporary Australian artist Thom Roberts at the National Portrait Gallery; a celebration of female artists at the National Gallery of Australia and a showcase of the works of glass maker Katie-Ann Houghton and industrial designer Tom Fereday at the Canberra Glassworks.

The Immersive World of Thom Roberts - National Portrait Gallery
https://www.portrait.gov.au/exhibitions/thom-roberts-2025 

From April 12 to July 20 with free admission 

Australian artist Thom Roberts (below), known for his bold portraits that morph people with trains and buildings, is bringing his first solo exhibition to the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition showcases more than 100 works including paintings, installations, animations and some of his newest works.

Know My Name: Global - National Gallery of Australia
https://nga.gov.au/exhibitions/know-my-name-global/
From April 2025 with free entry, this collection features works of inspiring female artists from around the world who have pushed the limits of artistic practice. Expect to see the works from creative trailblazers such as American feminist artist Judy Chicago, Order of Australia artist Vivienne Binns and American neo-conceptual artist Jenny Holzer.

Arum + Meander - Canberra Glassworks
https://canberraglassworks.com/2025-exhibition-2/

https://canberraglassworks.com/2025-exhibition-2-kah/
From April 3 to June 8 with free entry Sydney-based designer Tom Fereday's solo show Arum celebrates the transformation of raw material into glass and highlights his interest in the tension that lies between natural materials and contemporary design. Glassmaker Katie-Ann Houghton, meanwhile, explores her fascination with urban landscapes in her newest exhibition Meander.

For more information visit https://visitcanberra.com.au/