Thousands flock to Pattaya to ring in the New Year in what has been hailed as one of the biggest parties ever!

Ekachai Kamolsri

Internationally famous “party-town” Pattaya celebrated the New Year festival in style. Nearly 10,000 people flooded into South Pattaya’s Walking Street to ring in the New Year as the city hosted the ‘Pattaya New Year Countdown 2003’.

This lovely songstress mesmerized diners at the Marriott.

An evening of classical romance for the Siam Bayshore.

Dusit dancers cook up a storm for the audience in the Napalai Ballroom at the Dusit Resort Pattaya.

Meanwhile, the city’s hotels and restaurants arranged their own vibrant parties for guests.

The Dusit Resort Pattaya opened its Napalai Ballroom where partygoers were lavished with fine food and entertainment including dancing and singing throughout the night. Lucky winners of the many door prizes received lovely gifts.

The Thai Garden Resort had their very own ‘Night in Siam’ while crowds of guests mingled around the pool area, tucked into a fabulous feast and enjoyed the taste and culture of Thailand.

A cool evening at the Green Bottle complete with party hats, as this couple dances into the New Year.

Shenanigans was jam packed with eager party animals, ready and willing to bring on the new year!

Guests gathered around the pool at the Thai Garden Resort to watch these daredevils go through their paces in a unique display of fiery acrobatics

The Siam Bayview Hotel also packed in a large crowd keen to enjoy the festive atmosphere.

The lively pubs in Pattaya such as the Green Bottle and Shenanigans also had their fair share of eager party animals packing the dance floors and partaking in many liquid refreshments.

The Marriott Resort & Spa Pattaya, the Siam Bayshore and the Royal Cliff Beach Resort each displayed their own elegant brand of entertainment and fine dining.

Acharn Rungratree hosts one of the many games on stage on Walking Street.

Festive Seasons party girls in one of the numerous sois in Pattaya had lots of fun.

With the many shows and venues available in Pattaya, each offered something just a little bit different. When the clock stuck midnight all the hotels joined in harmony by setting off a huge fireworks displays that lit up the city’s skyline to bid farewell to 2002 and enthusiastically welcome 2003.

Monks bless Pattaya for a prosperous New Year

Suchada Tupchai

On the morning of New Year’s Day 2003, Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat presided over a religious ceremony for a prosperous New Year. Many Pattaya residents and tourists joined in the religious ceremonies near the pier in South Pattaya.

Mayor Pairat donates alms to Phra Thepkittipanyakhun after the revered abbot blessed Pattaya in the New Year.

Happy New Year 2003!

Phra Thepkittipanyakhun, the abbot of Jittaphawan Temple and clergy proceeded with the blessing ceremony by sprinkling holy water on the people.

After the monk’s blessing, Mayor Pairat blessed and thanked all the people in Pattaya for their cooperation and sacrifices, which have helped contribute to the success in much of the city’s work. Mayor Pairat also said that city hall would work harder and do their best for Pattaya City in the year ahead.

After the blessing from the mayor, 199 monks walked through the crowd with bowls to receive food from all those who were present.

Pattaya’s Walking Street New Year celebrations attract thousands

Suchada Tupchai

Almost 10,000 people flooded into Walking Street to ring in the New Year as the city hosted the ‘Pattaya New Year Countdown 2003’.

As the clock struck midnight, city administrators “blessed” the crowd with champagne. From left: Narit Petcharat, Lions Club governor (310 C), Soontorn Kungsirikul, president of Walking Street Committee, Mayor Pairat Sutthithamrongsawat, Sanit Boonmachai, Pattaya Council member, Thawit Chaisawangwong, President of Pattaya Council member and Manit Boonchim, director of TAT (Region 3).

Three cheers for the old, and three more for the new.

The festival began early as vendors set up booths selling a wide variety of international food and drinks for hungry residents and tourists alike.

On December 31, the hot spot to be was around the stage set up at the entrance to Walking Street. Throughout the evening shows featured live music from local bands, dancers and cheerleaders from schools and colleges on the Eastern Seaboard as well as fun and games for all.

Some of the revelers were having a devilish good time.

The marching band from Pattaya School #3 was a highlight of the festivities.

The stage was the place to be on Walking Street during the countdown to 2003.

As time drew near, Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat gave a speech in Thai and English wishing a very happy, healthy and prosperous new year to the many thousands of people awaiting the countdown.

With less than a minute to go the mayor was joined on stage by Tawit Chaisawangwong, council chairman, Manit Boonchim, director of the TAT office for Central Region 3, and Soontorn Kangsirkul, president of the Walking Street committee, each with a bottle of champagne.

Song and dance built the excitement as the time drew near.

Thousands of revelers joined the party on Walking Street.

At midnight they popped the corks and spayed everybody close to the stage. Then the crowd watched the city’s skyline light up with a magnificent burst of fireworks.

The party in South Pattaya continued into the wee hours of January 1, as did many parties around the city, bringing in the New Year in true Pattaya style - the mother of all parties.

Ready... Set... Guzzle!

Choke Dee for the New Year.

The beautiful mistress of ceremony Kantamanee Intharamnee (Petch) gets the kids involved.

Sweden’s king dons uniform and joins scouts at jamboree

By Alisa Tang
Associated Press Writer

The king of Sweden sported a bright blue scout’s uniform, sang songs and camped with Swedish scouts at the 20th World Scout Jamboree in Sattahip last weekend; an international event that he said could promote peace and child safety.

King Carl XVI Gustaf, 56, honorary chairman of the World Scout Foundation since 1977, arrived at the scout village Saturday, January 4th and spent the night and two days among more than 20,000 boy and girl scouts from 144 countries.

The participants have pitched tents in a field 180 kilometers (110 miles) southeast of Bangkok for the 20th World Scout Jamboree, international scouting’s biggest festival, from Dec. 28-Jan. 7.

The king said the workshops being held at the Jamboree’s “Global Development Village” were a powerful educational tool that the scouts could use to highlight issues such as refugees. “When they go back to their countries and their friends, they can tell them about what they’ve seen and what they’ve gone through in their past 10 days here,” the king told a news conference.

He said with 28 million scouts in the world who can spread the lessons they learn to their parents and friends, scouting could have a “tremendous impact.”

Jennifer Atchison, a 17-year-old scout from Texarkana, Texas, said the global workshops helped her understand problems from which she remains sheltered in the United States.

“We don’t have to deal with refugees,” said Atchison, who attended a workshop where she had to role play as a refugee. “It was never a reality. It was something on television. (At the workshop) it was made more real.” Atchison was one of five scouts who attended the news conference with the king.

Mark Sewankambo, 20, from Uganda, said that youth conferences could help promote world peace. “We’re from different religions and races, and we can all get along here and live in harmony,” Sewankambo said.

The World Scout Jamboree has been held every four years in a different country since the 1920s. King Carl XVI Gustaf has attended four Jamborees since 1975 and joined the organization at a very young age as a cub scout.

After shaking hands and meeting reporters at the news conference, the king switched to his left hand and ‘properly’ did the scout handshake with the young scouts who attended the meeting. Some were surprised and impressed at the scouting king’s casual demeanor and dress. “I didn’t even know it was him when he walked in,” said 17-year-old Sebastien Gruber of South Africa.

The Rotary Club
of Jomtien-Pattaya

Skal International

Pattaya Fun City
By The Sea

www.pattayarotary.org