Today, Novotel Bangkok, Siam Square This downtown hotel offers a range of options for wedding ceremonies and receptions.

The fourth floor gallery is perfect for parties of up to 400 guests and there’s a poolside terrace for a romantic, under-the-stars setting. The hotel’s catering staff takes care of all your requirements from the sumptuous buffet and set menus, to flowers, corsages, stage backdrops, entry arches and wedding cakes. There is ample parking for guests as well as convenient access to the Skytrain. Plus there’s complimentary accommodation on your wedding day, two nights accommodation at Novotel Phuket as well as a Photo Studio voucher valued at Bt12,900.
 Call (02) 209 8888.

Mastering spa cuisine
The Mandara Academy of Spa Cuisine,
Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa
Learn how to prepare balanced menus with fresh natural products, cooked so they keep all the vitamins and minerals, and in a way that fuses the best of Asian and Western techniques. Master chefs will demonstrate the effect that certain ingredients have on the body and the senses. The course begins with a refreshing one-hour Bali floral oil massage.
 Call (02) 476 0022, extension 1416.

Meditation courses
The House of Dhamma Meditation and Healing Centre,
Lat Phrao Soi 15
Learn how to achieve inner peace through meditation exercises, which conform to practices taught at Wat Mahadhatu in Bangkok. The classes will be led by Helen Jadamit.

Loving Kindness Meditation Workshops,
December 5, 10am to 4pm
Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta) complements and balances Vipassana practice. It brings a great sense of well being to the meditator and can beneficially affect the energetic climate of the world. It forms the basis of synchronised global meditation link-ups for world peace.

Introductory courses in Insight Meditation (Vipassana),
December 8 to 9
These two-day introductory courses are highly recommended for those who genuinely wish to practise meditation. Participants will be given a theoretical background to Samatha (Concentration) meditation and shown how it differs from Vipassana (Insight) meditation.
Courses can also be arranged by appointment.
 Call (02) 511 0439 or visit www.houseofdhamma.com.

Family car rally
December 9 to 11, Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Advanced Info Service will hold the 14th AIS Family Car Rally “Sarn Rak Family Northern Adventure” from Bangkok to Chiang Mai from December 9 to 11. The fee is Bt9,000 for a family of four, including accommodation for four at the Sheraton Hotel in Chiang Mai plus meals. Apply at the AIS Public Relations department on the 26th floor of Shinawatra Tower I. The winner receives a trophy from HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Proceeds will go to the Sai Jai Thai Foundation under royal patronage.
 Call (02) 299 5831-2.