Beautiful fireworks during
last year’s event.
Phasakorn Channgam
Despite losing most of its participants last year, the
International Fireworks Competition will be back for a fourth year in
Pattaya Nov. 29-30.
City officials decided Sept. 6 to revive the event, which was backed in
2010-11 by the Ministry of Defense and floundered without government
support last year. No details, other than the date, have been announced,
however.
Originally designed as a two-year Ministry of Defense competition to
honor Their Majesties the King and Queen, the International Fireworks
Competition kicked off in Thongthani in December 2009. Pattaya held two
rounds of the event, in August 2010 and, after a month’s delay due to
the national flooding crisis, December 2011. Teams from Australia,
China, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Philippines, the United Arab
Emirates and the United States faced off against Thailand to see which
country could put on the most dynamic and colorful exhibition.
After losing the Defense Ministry’s sponsorship, the festival continued
last November, this time with only four teams and no participation from
Thailand, other than the country donating celebrity “honorary captains”
for teams from Canada, China, Singapore and the United States. The
festival also featured booths selling locally made products, a
carnival-style parade, shows and concerts.
