​Heritage Race goes to Bangkok Nov 29, come uncover local secrets

A travel industry-led event created to uncover local stories about places and to raise funds for good causes, the Bangkok Heritage Race is organised by local travel industry volunteers and Web In Travel (WIT), and sponsored by Accor Plus.

The inaugural Race will focus on uncovering heritage stories along the famous Chao Phya River. The trail is curated by Asian Oasis, owner and operator of unique experiences in Thailand, and Local Alike, an online marketplace for community tourism.

Local start-up Coin Back, which encourages travellers to donate loose change through a “smart” donation machine, will provide the link between the Race and the beneficiary of funds raised, Goodwill Group Foundation.

The first two Races in Singapore, organised jointly with Ramada-Days Inn Hotel at Zhongshan Park, raised a total of S$26,000 for the Lee Ah Mooi Old Aged Home.

“We are excited to bring this event to Bangkok, one of the great cities in Asia, and which has such a rich and deep heritage. As travellers, we all know the famous Chao Phya River but do we really know the history behind it and had a chance to discover and learn about the local places dotted along its path?” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder of WIT, a Singapore-based news and events platform focused on travel and technology.

“With this Race, curated by experts on the ground, we will uncover local secrets plus raise funds for a good cause and that’s what this event is all about – it will be a great team-building event for travel companies and a fun day out for travellers and locals in Bangkok.”

Said Chananya Phataraprasit, executive director of Asian Oasis, “The Bangkok Heritage Race will centre on historical places in the old quarter of Bangkok. Most of the people in this area have been living here for generations and continue their family businesses. During the race, you will be amazed to find out how an old and dangerous activity was held at not the Erawan shrine) and sample a variety of delicious local food.”

“Our staff had the opportunity to participate in the last Heritage Race and we are delighted to be a sponsor of the upcoming Bangkok event. The Heritage Race vision is well aligned with our brand values and positioning and we look forward to expanding our support of the Heritage Race going into 2016,” said Dino Mezzatesta, CEO Accor Plus, Asia Pacific.

The Race will kick off and finish at Saranrom Park and participants will be required to find up to 17 designated stops and complete challenges in order to qualify for the winners’ draw, with attractive cash prizes to be won.

The race will begin at 8am in Saranrom Park (Google Map link), where participants will convene and be briefed about the rules of the race. The key objective is to uncover the stops along the trail, complete the challenges and collect stamps along the way as proof of visitation.

The teams to complete the race and challenges will get to participate in the Winners’ Draw and stand to win cash prizes. The first prize will win US$1,000 cash, second S$700 and third prize US$400. Attractive travel prizes will also be offered.

The race is open to anyone – travel industry professionals, students, locals or tourists – interested in uncovering local heritage stories in Bangkok for a good cause. Registration is at US$20 per person and participants can form teams of 2 to 6 persons each.

Registrations for the Race will open November 1 at www.heritagerace.com and you can follow updates at https://www.facebook.com/heritagerace