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Chonburi Water Buffalo Races are so much more than just races
Every year Chonburi Province hosts the unique spectacle
of water buffalo racing to celebrate the end of Buddhist Lent. This year
marked the 131st anniversary of the event, and although the festival is
centered around official “race day”, the festivities offer much, much
more.
Chonburi
MP Wittaya Khunpluem leads the parade on a buffalo drawn Buddhism cart.
Blindfolded
Muay Thai boxers mostly flail away at empty air.
An old
man walks in silver shoes as his katoey-wannabe flits through the crowd.
Race day activities include “Miss Buffalo” (a woman,
not a beast) and “Most Healthy Buffalo” contests, a parade and carnival,
transforming Chonburi into a large party.
This year the parade was highlighted by a procession of
water buffalo driven carts, marching bands, groups of long drums, students
in traditional dress carrying Chonburi banners, comical costumes and a bevy
of “Miss Ban Na” beauty pageant contestants on colorful floats.
This
team has a novel way of trying to win the greased pole climbing competition.
Buffalo
jockeys sometimes have trouble staying on their mounts during the featured
races.
Festival activities included oiled pole climbing
contests, tug-of-war, various eating contests, blindfolded Thai boxing,
takraw, and the ever-popular beauty contests.
Not forgetting that the festival celebrates the hard
working water buffalos, many of the area’s prized farm bovine beasts were
elaborately decorated with flowers, fruit and costumes, then judged on their
“beauty”.
Following the awards presentation for various categories
of size, a sacred ceremony was conducted to display gratitude to the spirits
at the end of the rainy season. These rituals are also performed at this
time, after the rice has been planted, to insure a successful harvest at the
end of the year.
Nothing
like putting on a little makeup for the big parade.
“Thoroughbreds”
await their moment of glory.
Provincial historians believe the races and festival were
first held when Chonburi was the center of trade for the eastern part of
Thailand. Farmers and merchants from the region would descend on
Chonburi’s Ban Beung District to trade their goods, bringing their produce
and wares by way of buffalo drawn carts.
What exactly transpired prompting the first race is
uncertain, but provincial historians suggest that it probably started at Wat
Luang, now called Wat Yai Intharam.
Be
careful of that nasty looking mosquito to the right.
Chonburi’s
most beautiful women in traditional costume were a highlight of the parade.
Merchants would park their carts near the market and the
water buffalo were tethered off to the side to rest, or taken to bathe
following the trip into town where lotus flowers were collected for
offerings at the temple.
Presumably, there were some fun-seeking individuals at
the annual gathering who, at the end of Buddhist Lent and before leaving
Chonburi, would gather and race their buffalo for a bit of fun and
camaraderie. Water buffalo races eventually became a common occurrence each
year.
Teams
battle for tug-o-war supremacy.
This is
a big day for Chonburi students, as they proudly parade in their school
uniforms.
Local
chefs cook up a big dish of hoi-tod.
During the reign of King Rama VI, His Majesty King Mongkut visited
Chonburi and proudly witnessed the event on December 7, 1912, which helped
commemorate the event. Other records indicate that Rama V also witnessed the
buffalo races in Chonburi, remarking that the enjoyable event should be
preserved as a national tradition. The festival has been gaining momentum
ever since.
Buddhists gather at temples for Taak Baat Tae Wo ceremony to mark the end of Buddhist Lent
October 21 was an important day for Buddhists, as it was
the full moon night of the eleventh month of the year, marking the end of
Buddhist Lent, or ‘Aok Pansaa’. It also marked the “official” end of
the rainy season, even though the weather might not agree.
Aok Pansaa is also the day monks return to their normal
routine of collecting morning alms.
Devout
Buddhists put food and sticky rice into the bowls carried by the monks.
Various temples in Pattaya and Naklua, including
Bodhisampan Temple, Sawang Fa Pruektaram Temple, and Chai Mongkol Temple
were packed with people who arrived early in the morning of October 22 with
alms to donate to monks, listen to sermons and receive blessings.
Many believe that doing good deeds during the months of
Buddhist Lent will maximize their own “boon” (good fortune) in their
current life, and this boon would be carried over to their birth in the next
life.
After
the end of Buddhist Lent, monks return to their normal routine of collecting
alms in the morning.
The Taak Baat Tae Wo ceremony is held annually on the
first day after the end of Buddhist Lent, known as “Raem 1 Kham” of the
eleventh month. Buddhist scripture tells us that when Buddha achieved
enlightenment, he traveled to Heaven and stayed there for one Pansaa, or
three months. When the holy months were over, he journeyed back to earth and
landed at Sangkassa Nakorn. His trip down to earth was then called Tae Wo
Rohana. Buddhists who knew of his arrival gathered to welcome him and give
him alms. It was regarded as a tradition from then on.
A Buddhist who participated in the celebration at
Bodhisaphan Temple last week said, “I come to the temple every year for
the occasion. My house is just a few blocks away.”
She also said, “This year the price of sticky rice wrapped in banana
leave was a little higher (than last year), but this didn’t discourage me
or my family from being part of the celebration.”
One last party
by Lesley Warner
I was recently invited to a Thai funeral in Kanchantaburi.
Unfortunately for me, my friend decided that he wanted to go the evening
before, but didn’t decide this until 8 p.m. He talked me into it, as
usual, by using family pressure and tradition and his need to be there. I
was to rue my gullibility as the night wore on, as the journey was
horrendous. Traveling in torrential rain, we didn’t arrive at our
destination until 12.30 a.m. I think that I can safely say that I have never
seen so much rain falling at any one time in my life, even in England. It
was impossible to see where we were going.
Family
members gather in front of the coffin for a final picture
As usual in all Thai religious ceremonies , one is
expected to donate, but it wasn’t too much this time. We arrived to see
many happy people sitting around eating and drinking the inevitable whiskey
and beer. There were also people of all shapes, sizes and ages asleep in
rows on the floor. At one end of the temple room there was a white coffin
decorated with neon flashing lights and flowers, next to it stood a framed
photo of the deceased.
The family thanked me for coming and asked me to go and
pay my respects, fortunately, as I had to do it alone, I had some idea of
what to do. I took a large incense stick from the pile and someone lit it
for me, I then clasped it between my hands as I knelt in front of the coffin
and did my wai. I placed the incense stick into the dish of sand with the
others and did my three wai’s placing my forehead on the floor three times
as I had seen done in the temples. All this took place in front of an
audience and as I turned round all eyes were on me. Fortunately they were
all smiling so I assumed I had paid my respects correctly as etiquette
demanded.
Feeling quite brave and pleased with myself I accepted a
glass of Thai whiskey and coke and sat on the floor with everyone. I noticed
that grandmama was missing. As she had taken this man in as a child I was
surprised, and I asked where she was. My friend said, “Grandmama not come.
She very mad. 1.5 million baht insurance money go to wife. Family don’t
like her. Grandmama said it should go to family in the village.” I
refrained from any comment.
Monk
for a day
The night turned into a long one as everyone just sat or
lay on the floor. By 3 a.m. I was feeling dizzy with tiredness but had no
pillow or cover and by this time it was quite chilly. Someone offered me the
use of their car so I climbed into the back and did my best to get some
sleep. I managed about 2 hours and then everyone was up and about and
thinking of food or whiskey.
I tentatively asked if I could take a photo, as I had
been pre-assured by my friend that this would be ok, but I wanted to check
because it seemed rather impolite at a funeral. Once the camera came out
they loved it, they even had a professional photographer there for the day,
like we do for a wedding.
The
coffin is carried around the temple three times to assist his journey into
the next life
As the morning wore on more and more people began to
arrive until there were about 150. I had managed to get a cup of coffee but
didn’t feel up to eating any part of the very large spread of food,
although they offered to prepare something for me. I knew that if I accepted
I would be obliged to eat it, and even though they were outside caterers I
didn’t want to cause any unnecessary extra work. So I made do with my
‘Jiffy Garage’ chicken pie. Being knowledgeable now at these events I
always have one in the car (I didn’t realize how long it would be before I
would get any food).
The deceased man was a sort of foster father to my friend
so he and 3 other family members were expected to sacrifice all their facial
and head hair; this also involved being a monk for the entire ceremony. At
10 a.m. they came to whisk him and the others away to the barbers and I
asked if I could go along to take photos. Being used to my unusual requests
to be with the males instead of the females they let me go. It didn’t take
long and they were all bald, this in itself I could handle, but when the
eyebrows came off it was pretty scary. They looked awful. I wondered how my
friend’s boss would take it. Needless to say I ended up providing the beer
for these ‘would be’ monks while we waited.
Burning
gold and silver paper symbolising transfer of money into the next life
When we got back to the temple my friend’s mother was
immediately on my case (it is forbidden for Buddhist monks to touch or be
touched by women). She cornered me away from him and the next time I saw him
he looked like a real monk in his robes. I was not allowed to talk to him
and his mother made sure of it for the rest of the day, watching me like a
hawk every time I moved. At one point she even came and asked me for
cigarettes and a lighter and then made a big show of putting them on the
table and backing off so he could pick them up. I am not totally without
sense and quite realized that I would be committing a cardinal sin to go
near him but this made my day very long. Many of these people hadn’t seen
me before so I heard my most hated word ‘Farang’ over and over again and
felt like an exhibit in a zoo.
Regardless of age or closeness to the deceased they all
seemed to enjoy themselves. My friend had told me previously that people are
not sad at a funeral. Death is a time of rejoicing in Southeast Asia because
it marks the entrance into the next plane of existence, not the end of
existence. Descendants of the deceased continue to pray for their soul for
years and the pictures of the deceased are always displayed prominently in
homes. So meeting death in a Buddhist culture is a whole lot less traumatic.
I often feel that the Thais take life very lightly but this must be why, and
probably answers a lot of questions about their general attitude; quite
enviable I think.
Leaving
the crematorium after lighting the pyre
At 1 p.m. the monks came into the temple; the family and
all their friends gave food and candles to the monks. Goodwill is created by
these gifts and it is believed that the goodwill helps the lingering spirit
of the dead person. When all the monks had arrived, including mine, they
chanted while the dead person was being prepared for the funeral pyre. The
monks continued to chant in order to help the dead one’s good energies to
be released from their fading personality.
An aunt led me into the temple and I found myself on my
knees as the monks started chanting. My immediate thought was, “Oh no, not
on my knee’s, I need to escape.” I watched several people burning the
ornate paper tiers that had been passed around in the temple; this was to
help the spirit of the deceased on his way. I saw the professional
photographer taking photos so held up my camera and excused myself. I took a
few shots and then kept out of the way until the funeral procession later.
Of course no one spoke any English (I wish there was a
magic formula to learn Thai) so I just wandered around for about two and a
half hours, it seemed interminable.
It was then time for the procession. The monks, including
the 4 temporary ones, were joined by string and led the procession, followed
by the coffin and the family holding flowers. They walked slowly around the
temple 3 times. One monk led the way, throwing pieces of paper with symbols
as he went. I never could quite establish why but presumably this was more
help for the deceased.
After the third time around the temple they climbed the
steps to the ornate crematorium. At this point it was difficult for me to
see, but I didn’t feel I could march up there with my camera even though
the professional photographer was there. As I craned my neck through the
crowds to look, I saw two men opening the coffin, a man with a huge meat
cleaver climbed up to bend over the body. I was horrified at this point, I
heard the blow and then the cracking of a broken scull and I felt sick
rooted to the spot, when suddenly a broken coconut was flung to the ground!
I later found out that a coconut was broken over the face of the deceased so
that the milk would cleanse his face before meeting his maker. Well, don’t
laugh, anything is possible!
The people then began to climb the steps to pay their
respects. A steady stream of them continued for about 30 minutes and then
the majority left. The coffin was placed inside the crematorium to be
burned; I had already been warned that the burning here in Thailand is not
quite as we know it. The bones remain after the burning and the family will
then rake over the ashes to take a bone in respect to the deceased; this
they keep at home. When I suggested to my friend that I couldn’t really go
along with this idea, and didn’t want to see or touch any bones and
certainly didn’t want any in my home, he seemed amused. He then explained
that this was much better than the old days, and only a couple of years back
in his village, before they had a burning machine they only used a bonfire.
I said, horror struck, “Oh, goodness what happened if it rained like
today?” His answer was as always to an idiot. “We have to go back and
finish when the rain stops.”
We were very fortunate, although the family were
disappointed that they couldn’t continue with the burning until much later
in the day as there were too many complaints about the smell from the nearby
residents (the modern world touches everywhere).
I waited only long enough for my monk to change his
clothes and made a hasty exit for the journey home.
Jenny’s Fate
by The Urban Peasant
It was raining cats and dogs. City people ran in all
directions for cover and shelter to keep from getting soaked. Outings and
elbow bending in bars were mostly canceled and people chose to stay home
with their loved ones, unplugging their modems.
In a quiet and secluded residential area in a soi off
Central Pattaya Road, thunder storm and lighting had sent a scared little
soul who was left alone at home to find some comfort in a neighbor’s home.
Jenny,
looking a little plumper than usual.
To his unexpected pleasant surprise, he met a dainty
little female snuggling up in her cozy little corner, romantically watching
the rain drops.
Struck by love at first sight, the lad, cold and lonely,
decided to, not so innocently, seek warmth and companionship from her.
Shocked and shy she hesitated at first, but his close encounter and
masculine charm weakened her heart.
A few days later we found out that Jenny was pregnant.
The house maid, Saeng, was hysterically in tears and
unfolded the story to me.
“How can that bastard do this to my girl. She is only a
child,” she cried.
I asked her how old Jenny was and she said only 3 years
old. I calmed her down and told her that for dogs, 3 years is multiplied by
7, which means she is 21, and of legal age in this country.
When asked what breed the neighbor’s dog was, Miss
Buriram said she didn’t know, but his owner is a farang. Guess that makes
him a foreign breed, somewhat.
“But Jenny was so innocent, and fragile and slender.
All the bitches in the soi envied her figure. She was a virgin, a reserved
hound of upper class. Now look at her, fat and pregnant. She didn’t want
that!” The maid pointed helplessly to the puppy eyed Dalmatian who came up
to me to show her product, resting her jaw on my knee. I rubbed her tummy
and said, “Oh well, just have to change from Young Wacoal to Nursing Bra -
Multiple Cups, that’s all. On the brighter side, you will have
grandchildren to play with.”
I didn’t know what to do to help Saeng understand that
poop happens. It happens all the time in Indian movies. Boy meets girl, they
sing across mountains, from Kashmir to Mussoorie, and swing around trees. By
the end of the song, the sky gets cloudy, rain pours, storm blasts, the
girl’s sari becomes transparent, they run and luckily find a cottage that
just happens to be there.
Next thing you know, the girl in transparent sari gets
pregnant and parents from all sides become hysterical as they must marry the
girl off somewhere.
“I’ll never allow that!” Confirms Saeng. “That
bastard will have to go over my dead body to ask for my Jenny’s paw. I
will take care of the little kids that will come out to see the world and
they will never know who the father is.”
Sigh ... I guess the “bastard” can forget the dowry too.
Montien Hotel Pattaya - 5th consecutive winner of annual Thailand Bartender Contest
‘Pink Passion’ arouses the judges
Pasith Limto from the Montien Hotel Pattaya mixed the
winning cocktail called ‘Pink Passion’ to take home the title of
‘Bartender of the Year’ in the Thai Hotel Association’s “Thailand
Bartenders Contest 2002 - Shake around the Clock” held at the Dusit Resort
Pattaya’s Napalai Ballroom last week. The evening’s events saw Sonthaya
Khunpluem, Minister of Tourism and Sports present prizes to the winner of
each category.
Sonthaya
Khunpluem, Minister of Tourism and Sports presented the top prize to
Rattasupa Kunhongklang from the Dusit Resort Pattaya for winning the Miss
Bartender contest.
Organized by the Thai Hotel association and the Food
& Beverage Association of Pattaya, the 18th Thailand Bartender Contest
drew a capacity crowd. Movers and shakers of the hotel industry shook their
way through a tough day of competition.
The contest was divided into two sessions with the
afternoon session beginning with the Eastern Region competition, which
included 19 hotels from the Eastern Seaboard. The second round began at 7
p.m. with 14 hotels from around the country competing for the national
title.
It was, however, Pasith Limto from Montien Hotel Pattaya
who won not only the Eastern Region competition but also the national
competition with his splendid cocktail named ‘Pink Passion’.
The
award-winning ‘Pink Passion’ cocktail.
Sanchai Prasit from Pinnacle Resort and Club earned 2nd
place and Steve Jowellanos from the Hard Rock Hotel came in 3rd for the
regional competition.
Another highlight of the day was the Miss Bartender
contest, where the ladies mixed, shook and stirred their way in to the
hearts of the judges with their imaginative creations. Miss Bartender winner
was Rattasupa Kunhongklang from the Dusit Resort Pattaya. Second place went
to Darunee Naewkham of the Montien and Miss Piyawan Jinarak from the Royal
Cliff Beach Resort finished in third place.
Pasith
Limto from Montien Hotel Pattaya shook it up to win the Eastern Region
competition and the national competition with his ‘Pink Passion’
cocktail.
Other categories included the canape competition with
first place going to Pimanee Timtieang of the Dusit Resort Pattaya. Runners
up were Monitar Petchaum of the Montien and Pranee Sarthet from the
Marriott.
Dusit Resort yet again took first place in the fruit
carving competition with Somchai Khampu carving his way to victory over
Anant Rodpai of the Montien and Paopak Sihawat from the Marriott.
The main event, however, was the national competition
with Pasith taking home the Prime Minister’s Trophy, 24,000 baht in prize
money, a return trip to Samui Island and other prizes totaling over 40,000
baht. Second place in the national event went to Anucha Jantranard from the
Holiday Inn Phuket while Sancahi Prasit from the Pinnacle Resort & Club
came in 3rd.
Rattasupa
Kunhongklang from the Dusit Resort Pattaya won the Miss Bartender contest.
Congratulations to all the participants and especially the Montien Hotel
for walking off with the title for the 5th consecutive year.
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