Kids young and old love playing Songkran.
Phasakorn Channgam
The “fun” lasted over a week, beginning in many places around Pattaya on April
12 and coming to a watery end on the 19th.
The “wan lai” water-throwing finales in Naklua, April 18, and Pattaya, April 19,
saw streets mobbed with soggy, powder-covered and often-drunk revelers with
street vendors offering up more weapons and drink, and police simply trying keep
traffic crawling.
In Naklua, Religious services began at Lan Po Park at 7 a.m. April 18, followed
by alms giving to 99 monks at 7:45 a.m. At 9 a.m., ceremonial water was
sprinkled on a Lord Buddha statue and the elderly. The annual Buddha parade
marched through the market and park communities.
The following day in Pattaya, Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome started the alms-giving
ceremony at 7:30 a.m. and sprinkled water on a Lord Buddha statue and the
elderly an hour later. The annual city parade slogged through the streets from
Chaimongkol Temple to Walking Street and back, offering the devout an
opportunity to cleanse their soles by splashing water on Buddha statues whilst
receiving blessings from the monks riding on the floats carrying the statues,
sprinkling holy water on the masses from their wisps.
A squirt in the face helps wash
the powder away.
Pattaya officials stationed fire trucks, portable toilets and
other facilities along Beach Road, which was closed to traffic from 8 a.m. to 8
p.m.
Adding to the waterplay were concerts along Beach Road, including the Spy stage
at the Hard Rock Café where models sprayed water on fans as they listened to
Slot Machine.
At Central Festival Pattaya Beach, partiers kept cool with a foam party, finally
putting down their water guns for a 7 p.m. concert from Paradoxm Joey Box and
Singh Nua Sua Tai.
Throughout the week, gentler activities were staged in many other areas
throughout Pattaya.
The Diana Group and Pattaya Press Association held their water-blessing ceremony
for the elderly on April 13 at the Diana Garden Resort. Hotel group Managing
Director Sopin Thappajug welcomed Chonyanmunee, abbot of Uthokkhepsimaram Temple
and three monks to the event to administer the pouring of water on a statue of
Lord Buddha and local senior citizens.
What did we get ourselves into!
Sopin said. “It is a custom that must be preserved as it
shows the gratitude, love and unity amongst individuals in society and
families.”
Attending the event was MP Poramet Ngampichet, Pattaya Deputy Mayor Ronakit
Ekasingh, and local business leaders.
Hotel guests and staff at the Dusit Thani Pattaya celebrated Songkran on April
13 with the traditional pouring of scented water over the hands of elders as a
gesture of respect. This also symbolizes a fresh start in the coming year. Prior
to the Buddhist ceremony performed by twenty-nine monks and novices, alms giving
was performed at the Napalai foyer where hotel guests also joined with their own
donations.
Chonburi City celebrated the start of another Thai New Year with its annual
Songkran festival beginning April 11. Gov. Khomsan Ekachai and Culture Minister
Sonthaya Kunplome kicked off the festivities in front of the Chonburi provincial
offices. The event ran through April 19.
It’s pure mayhem in Naklua.
The festival, which began in 1932, combines the ceremony
venerating Puttha Sihing with celebrations of Songkran and the Red Cross Fair
together into one. Activities included a procession for venerating Phra Puttha
Sihing Buddha image, water pouring for the elders, folk games, classical
masked-dances from the Department of Fine Arts, cultural performance,
exhibitions and stalls. Festivities also included arts exhibitions, a Songkran
parade, Miss Songkran pageant, sports competitions, sales of locally made
products, Chinese movies, and concerts every night. Concerts featured artists
Jintra Poonlap, Bangkaew, Ying Thittkarn, Kathleeya Marsree, Pol Pol, Carabao,
Super Valentine and Buaphan.
Meanwhile, in Chonburi, Anchisa Kerdsirikul won the Ms. Songkran pageant, taking
home 50,000 baht in cash and prizes. This year saw 25 women compete for over
100,000 baht in prizes. All had to wear Thai traditional dress and introduce
themselves to the audience. Fifteen made the final round.
Parichat Jiewphanit of Phanasnikhon won the Media Favorite award. Following
Anchisa, who was sponsored by Coco Hill, were runners-up Phattreeya Namcharoen,
sponsored by Chonburi’s legal department, and Parichat, sponsored by the city of
Phanasnikhon
Heading a bit southward, elephants at Nong Nooch Tropical
Garden put a twist on Pattaya’s Songkran celebration, using their built-in water
guns to hose down revelers. Sattahip District Chief Phawat Lertmukda, Pattaya
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, and Tourism Authority of Thailand Pattaya office
Director Athapol Vannakit opened the April 13 festival.
More than 40 elephants participated in the Songkran parade with nine of them
pouring water on a statue of Lord Buddha and others spraying tourists. The
tourists quickly found their tiny water pistols were no match for the
water-blowing power of a pachyderm’s trunk.
Celebrations in Sattahip kicked into full swing on April 17 and centered around
Soi Bonkai. Booming automobile stereos had teenage girls and somewhat older
women-of-the-second-category dancing the day away as youths splashed everyone
and everything that moved. There were reports of many arrests for drunk driving.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome pours water on Lord
Buddha during Naklua Wan Lai.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome leads council members in
dancing traditional dance whilst leading the parade around Naklua market.
The mayor and council members
pour water on elders in the Naklua community.
Mayor Itthiphol shows he can
dance.
Lord Buddha looks completely at peace during the
flower parade.
Revered monks sprinkle holy water
on the masses.
Citizens and tourists pour water on the Buddha
statues and receive blessings in return from the monks in the parade.
One of the Spy girls on the Hard
Rock Cafe stage blasts cooling water on revelers.
Spy girls spray water on people
from the Hard Rock Cafe stage.
It’s shoulder-to-shoulder at the
Central Pattaya Beach foam party.
Beach Road is absolutely packed with Songkran
revelers.
Even the top police officers are not immune from the fun.
Staff and guests at the Diana
Garden Resort pour lustral water on older guests and hotel group Managing
Director Sopin Thappajug (right).
The foyer outside the Dusit Thani
Pattaya’s Napalai Convention Hall is filled with hotel guests and staff who make
merit by giving donations to the twenty-nine monks, who will later distribute
the goods to among the community.
Anchisa Kerdsirikul won
Chonburi’s Ms. Songkran pageant, taking home 50,000 baht in cash and prizes.
The youngsters at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens
soon learn that their water guns are no match for the elephants trunks.
Youngsters in Sattahip have tons
of fun during their celebration.
Car stereos set to full blast
prompt the girls in Sattahip to shake their booties.
Police were out in force to try
and keep drunk drivers off the road and hopefully save lives.
