Haruna Ai took home the crown at this year's Miss International Queen beauty contest, held in Pattaya. The contest has been going on since 2004, hosted by Miss Tiffany's, the world's largest transvestite/transgender cabaret.

The 37 year old singer (that's not her in the photo) and TV host from Osaka prefecture in Japan beat out 18 other contestants from contestants from Thailand, the United States, Nepal, the Philippines.

Miss International Queen is a spectacular show, with plenty of singing, dancing and feathers, but the objective is bigger than just entertainment. Thailand has a large transvestite/transgender population and one of the most open and accepting cultures when it comes to alternative sexuality (it's not uncommon to see a "ladyboy" serving you coffee at a café, ringing you up at a shop, etc.). This beauty contest strives to bring that acceptance to the rest of the world.

My favorite Thai festival is starting in Bangkok on Friday, October 31 and today in other parts of the country. Loy Krathong is a gorgeous, fun festival and if you are in Thailand when it's going on, don't miss out. This year, there are big celebrations all over the country. The Tourism Authority Schedule lists the biggest ones but there will be celebrations all over Thailand over the next few days.

Rainy season is almost over but it seems like we're getting the worst of it right now. Here in Bangkok we've had some long bouts of rain over the past week. Many other parts of the country, including Pattaya have also been hit. That city's been been suffering from some serious flooding for about a week. In Bangkok the flooding hasn't been so bad but the city has just released a flood warning starting on Sunday, when more rains and high tides are likely to put some parts of Bangkok under water. If you're here, grab some galoshes and an umbrella and be prepared to get wet! Traffic can be a nightmare when rains are heavy, so plan accordingly.

No surprise that one of Thailand's beaches made it to the Sunday Times' list of the best beaches in the world. The list of the world's best beaches, published on Sunday puts Kan Tiang on Koh Lanta in the number 9 spot. This little beach is home to the most expensive resort on Koh Lanta Pimalai, and not much else.

Take a look at their list to see which other beaches made it and share your thoughts on the Thailand Travel Forum.

You might have heard there was a terrible train accident on Monday morning in Thailand. A passenger train on route to Bangkok derailed near the resort town of Hua Hin in heavy rain conditions, killing at least seven people and injuring nearly 100 more. This is big news here since train travel is usually very safe and derailments don't happen often (although a similar accident occurred a couple of years ago). The investigation is ongoing but transport officials say they believe a switch error caused the derailment.

Train service was suspended yesterday but normal operations will resume today, according to the state railway.

Names of passengers on the train are available at www.huahinhospital.go.th.

Thailand and Cambodia have been battling over some land surrounding 11th century Preah Vihear, an amazing group of Khmer temple ruins located in Cambodia adjacent to Thailand’s Si Saket province.

Though there is no real dispute that the temple is in Cambodia (the countries are arguing over some land surrounding it), the best way to reach Preah Vihear was by traveling through Si Saket and getting a day pass into Cambodia to visit.

The dispute has been going on for decades and was even the subject of an International Court of Justice case in the 1960s, but this compromise worked for years and allowed visitors interested in seeing the ruins to do so without much hassle.

Last year, tensions between the two countries escalated, both countries amassed troops along their borders and there was even some violence. As a result, access to the temple was closed and has remained so for more than a year. Just recently it seemed like things were starting to settle down, but last week Thai protesters staged a rally at the border and, as a result, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen just announced that any trespassers coming in from Thailand would be shot. Yikes.

I can’t stress enough that this is a very localized dispute and won’t have any impact on anyone outside of the border area. Though they’re not quite like Preah Vihear, you can still see some impressive Khmer temple ruins in Thailand.

Bad news for tennis fans hoping to watch Rafael Nadal play in Bangkok next week. Rafa won’t be playing at the Thailand Open this year. The world #2 ranked player just announced that he’s withdrawing from the tournament due to injury. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who was last year’s champion, will be there, as will lots of other big names including Gilles Simon and Marat Safin. The event runs from September 26 to October 4 at Impact Arena in Bangkok. Visit the Thailand Open website for scheduling and ticket information.

There is a massive anti-government rally planned at Bangkok’s Sanam Luang tomorrow, September 19 and officials expect there may be as many as 30,000 people involved.

If you’re in Bangok and planning on doing some sightseeing in around the Grand Palace, Wat Po, or any of the other many tourist attractions in the area, you might want to arrange your plans so you can do something different tomorrow.

Here’s an excerpt from the US State Department alert (it specifically mentions US citizens but the alert applies to all foreigners):

In order to maintain peace during the rally, the Royal Thai Government plans to invoke the Internal Security Act (ISA) in Dusit District (to include the Dusit Palace, Government House, Sanam Luang, and the area near General Prem's residence) from Friday, September 18 to September 22. This may mean that armed troops will join police on the streets to maintain order. Media reports indicate that over 5,000 soldiers and police officers have already been deployed to the Dusit District in anticipation of the rally. We wish to remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are urged to avoid the area of Sanam Luang and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations. For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov, where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, and health-information resources can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the U.S. and Canada or, for callers in other areas by calling a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

If this is like other recent demonstrations (and there's no reason to expect it won't be), everything should be business as usual in the rest of the city.

The deals just don’t stop lately. Air Asia is also offering some amazing airfares for travel from Bangkok to other parts of Thailand and Southeast Asia, including flights to Surat Thani (just a ferry ride from Ko Samui) for 799 Baht! If you’re looking for a great deal from Bangkok, check out these amazing deals at Air Asia. Deals are valid through the end of November, check the website for more information and to book.

Thai Airways is running a great travel deal right now for domestic travel. Through November, book round trip tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi and other destinations inside Thailand for just 3,200 baht or less. That’s about the same as or less than you’ll typically pay if you fly budget carrier Air Asia. Though Air Asia is head and shoulders above budget carriers in other parts of the world (compared to Ryan Air it feels like a 5 star airline), Thai Airways is certainly better, especially if for the same price!