Panda Diary

Premier May 12
The movie: A production crew was allowed inside the cages of Ueno Zoo to shoot new-born baby pandas in their mother’s care. Some of you may think you’ve had enough of the black and white bears but the little pandas in this film will melt your hearts.
The location: This cuteness-overloaded documentary was filmed in Uneo Zoo, Tokyo.
Closer to home: Good ol’ Lin Ping is still at Chiang Mai Zoo (ticket B50 plus another B50 to see the pandas. www.chiangmaizoo.com) with her parents, although she’s pretty big now.

Puen Mai Kao (August Friends)

Premier May 26
The movie: To fulfill their vow, five high school friends, played by five members of August, are travelling from Bangkok to Lampang by bike, a trip that will be with them for the rest of their lives.
The location: This road trip movie takes us along the 625 km from Bangkok to Lampang while stopping at provinces like Ayutthaya, Nakhon Sawan and Kamphaeng Phet.
Closer to home: We’d love to think the movie will inspire a group of friends to get on their saddles and ride. But hey, your butts will be pretty sore before you even get to Ayutthaya. A lot closer is Ampawa, where Thai Teeb (082-777-5999, www.iamyoungdee.com/thaiteeb_ampawa) offers bikes for rent as well as map so you can explore the areas culture and landmarks. Rentals start from B60 per hour.

Iron Pussy: A Kimchi Affair

Premier TBA
The movie: Part of Camellia, a project by three directors from three different countries who each made a love film, Iron Pussy: A Kimchi Affair, by Wisit Sasanatieng, tells the love story between two guys, a spy who has to dress like a woman and a mysterious Korean man.
The location: The port city of Pusan, Korea.
Closer to home: Air tickets to South Korea are pretty cheap at the moment so we encourage you to escape to the cooler mists in Pusan. A roundtrip ticket from THAI Airways (www.thaiairways.com) starts from B18,000 while Korean Air (www.koreanair.com) is from B22,000.

Monte Carlo

Premier TBA
The movie: Three young girls are on their vacation in Paris when one of them, Grace (played by Selena Gomez), is mistaken for a British heiress, somehow causing the three friends to end up in Monte Carlo, turning their dream holiday into a sensational misadventure.
The location: You might think Selena Gomez is a terrible casting decision. Yeah, we agree. But at least,the movie takes us to several hotspots around Paris and Monte Carlo.
Closer to home: Try the Ocean Marina Yacht Club (038-237-310/-23, www.oceanmarinayacthclub.com) in Pattaya where a two-hour sunset cruise together with room, breakfast and dinner is for B18,192 for four people. Too pricey? You can always hit the casinos in Poi Pet.

One Day

Premier Jul 21
The movie: At their first meeting on their graduation day, two completely different people, Emma, an ambitious principled young woman and Dexter, a wealthy fun-loving guy, run into each other again twenty years later.
The location: This romantic drama was filmed around the famous landmarks of Edinburgh and London. Among others, we like the scene when the couple are at Arthur’s Seat Hill overlooking the entire city of Edinburgh.
Closer to home: China has wonderfully empty fake European cities, like Thames Town or Luodian New Town both in the outskirts of Shanghai. THAI Airways (www.thaiairways.com) flies to Shanghai from B22,225.

The Hangover Part II

Premier May 26
The movie: Phil, Alan and Stu are on another giddy misadventure as they travel to Krabi for Stu’s wedding only to find themselves waking up half conscious in the city of Bangkok.
The location: Though most of the story takes place in Bangkok’s popular landmarks like Yaowarat, the old town and the Chao Phraya, the trip begins at the high-end resort Phulay Bay the Ritz-Carlton Reserves in Krabi where Stu’s wedding is supposed to take place. The world’s first Ritz-Carlton Reserves promises a luxurious setting designed by Lek Bunnag hugged by lush gardens and peaceful beach and Andaman sea.
Closer to home: Rooms at Phulay Bay are expensive (from B19,550) so you might consider other options with the same view. Try The Elements Krabi (from B3,000, www.theelementsresort.com) or Tup kaek Sunset (from B2,100, www.tupkaeksunset.com).

FILM-MADE FAMES
Tourist hot-spots that got that way after being featured on the silver screen.

Nami Island, South Korea
When autumn arrives and all the leaves turn red, this small private island becomes the hottest romantic destination for K-Pop lovers as it’s the location of hit Asia series Winter Sonata. It was so featured in Hello Stranger (2010), too.

New Zealand
A pair of islands once ruled by sheep and kiwi birds has turned into a favorite among tourists looking for the picturesque scenery featured in the The Lord of The Rings Trilogy (2001-2003).

Zhang Jia Jie Forest Park, China
Pillar-like formations in this UNESCO Global GeoPark site are regarded as the inspiration for the Hallelujah Mountain in Avatar (2010). Among thousands, the 3,544-foot Southern Sky column has even been renamed as Avatar Hallelujah Mountain.