Chinese acrobats help
announce this year’s Pattaya Vegetarian Festival running from Oct. 4-14.
Warunya Thongrod
Pattaya and Sawang Boriboon Thammasathan Foundation officials
officially announced the Pattaya Vegetarian Festival, to be held Oct.
4-14 in Naklua.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, Sawang Boriboon Vice-President Prasit
Thongcharoen, and Chefs Association of Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard
President Surasak Pankluab unveiled details of the annual festival to
the public at Central Festival Pattaya Beach Sept. 27.
Those attending enjoyed a short performance from students at Sawang
Boriboon Wittaya School and a prize drawing sponsored by the Pattaya
Independent Artists group and Pattaya Cultural Council.
“I am delighted that our city is organizing the festival again as it is
well-known,” Itthiphol said. “The vegetarian festival is a big one due
to its importance to Thai-Chinese residents.” The mayor said he also
appreciated the festival’s effect on the local economy because vegetable
merchants hike prices during the event.
Surasak said he is working on menu items and will include healthy items
such as jasmine rice, shitake mushroom, gingko and cashew nuts, beans,
millet, chestnuts and corn.
A dual-pronged “Kiew Aung Huk Jow” and “Bodhisattva” parade kicks off at
12:19 p.m. Oct. 4 at Bali Hai Pier and runs up Walking Street. The
parade group then splits, with half following Beach Road to Central Road
and turning right. The second branch travels along Second Road, stopping
at Mike Shopping Mall for a dragon show, then meeting the first group at
Central Road.
Reunited, the groups move to Third Road and the local TOT Public Co.
office where marchers will board buses for Sawang Fah Pritaram Temple
where the parade will again set off past Naklua Market, Lan Po Park and
finish at the Sawang Boriboon vegetarian hall for ceremonies honoring
Chinese gods.
Beach Road will be closed to traffic from 12:30-3 p.m. and Second Road
will have one lane removed.
Services, as usual, will be followed by food, a communal meal for 5,000
attendees called “Khao Phad Thip Paed Sien Hongtae” fried up in a giant
pan. The dish contains specially ordered Kiam Le drops as well as ginkgo
and cashew nuts, bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, dried bean curd and
vegetarian seasoning. It will be served with 5,000 peaches.
This year, however, the Eastern Chefs Association will contribute top
cooks from 50 area hotels to prepare a menu of international dishes to
complement the traditional Chinese noodle dish.
