Holy
mass is celebrated at St. Nikolaus Catholic Church by (from left) Father
Michael Picharn, Father Francis Xavier Kridsada Sukapat, Father Michael
Weera Phangrak, Father Corsie Legaspi and Father Gilderardo Amenegido.
Staff reporters
More than 100,000 tourists and residents joined in Loy
Krathong celebrations around Pattaya, the most romantic holiday on the Thai
calendar.
Luxury resorts including the Amari Orchid Resort & Tower,
Centara Grand Mirage, Pullman Aisawan and Sheraton Pattaya held activities
for the Nov. 10 water festival that carries on Thai tradition and introduces
it to new generations of locals and visitors.
A festive atmosphere filled all of Pattaya Beach with
tourists and Thais from various regions purchasing krathongs. People sat on
mats at beachside, partying in various restaurants, bars and other venues.
Hotels held activities to have guests use banana leaves and lotus flowers to
produce krathongs, which were judged in contests.
Royal Cliff Hotels Group
General Manager Joachim Grill presents Miss Liza from Russia with the award
for winning the Best Traditional Dressed Guest competition at the Royal
Cliff Beach Hotel.
Miss Noppamas contests were also held and with dancing
and singing shows presented by hotels throughout the entire night, capping
off festivities with fireworks.
At Chaimongkol Temple and its adjoining market in South
Pattaya, vendors sold goods attracting citizens to the temple for
merit-making, worshiping, and paying homage to religious deities.
A young Nang Noppamas
prepares to loy her krathong at Pullman Pattaya Aisawan Resort.
The temple arranged a Likae show, a local tradition that
drew a lot of attention from foreign tourists. Loy Krathong ceremonies were
held inside the temple, giving people a chance to change bad fortune and pay
respect to the water goddess.
Traffic on all roads leading to the beach were packed,
particularly along Beach Road which was filled with traffic for hours,
making for an enthusiastic city. There were male and female vendors,
teenagers, selling krathongs and generating income as there was a continuous
flow of tourists purchasing, boosting Pattaya’s economy.
The Pattaya Floating Market held its Loy Krathong
activities, offering various games for tourists throughout the day. Shows
ran into the night, with the highlight being a Nang Noppamas pageant, with
beautiful women all vying to become to the most beautiful of the evening’s
water goddesses.
A future Nang Noppamas
contestant prepares to loy her krathong at the Pattaya Floating Market.
At Jomtien Beach, vendor Rudee Polngam said this year’s
festival attracted more tourists than last year as many Bangkok residents
have evacuated to Pattaya.
But Patracha Sae-Imm, another vendor selling krathongs in
Jomtien Beach, said this year she couldn’t sell many krathongs to foreigners
as they prefer to release khomloys and purchase fireworks. Therefore, those
selling krathongs had to lower their prices in order to sell and generate
income.
Revelry continued in the wee hours of the next morning,
as Pattaya’s hotel and bar workers finished shifts after midnight and headed
to Bali Hai Pier and the beaches for more parties and fireworks.
Nang Noppamas loy their
krathongs at Sheraton Hotel.
A young woman from Russia
makes wish before setting her krathong afloat at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden.
Krathong sales are brisk at
Wat Chaimongkol.
Restaurants all over town were
filled with customers enjoying their holiday.
Feeling all romantic whilst
releasing a khomloy into the night sky.
Thai traditional dance adds to
the exotic evening at Centara Hotel.
Locals and visitors dressed
in Thai traditional clothes enjoy the festival in Jomtien Beach.
Beautiful Nang Noppamas flash
their winning smiles at Amari Hotel.
