Chaowalit Saeng-Uthai,
Banglamung district chief, presides over the offering of symbolic gifts in
Banglamung to His Majesty the King.
Phasakorn Channgam
Pink shirts, candles and song were the order of the day
as thousands of Eastern Seaboard residents turned out to celebrate the 84th
birthday of HM the King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great.
From Banglamung to Sattahip, celebrants marked Thailand’s
national Father’s Day Dec. 5 with 21-gun salutes, parades and Buddhist
offerings.
Festivities got underway early at the Banglamung District
Office where Chief Chawalit Saeng-Uthai led a grand merit-making ceremony,
offering rice and dried goods to 85 monks from area temples. Well-wishers
signed birthday notes for His Majesty before singing “Sansern Phra
Baramee” and “Sadudee Maharaja.”
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome
signs his name to the wish book for HM the King’s birthday.
Monks praying and soldiers firing a rifle salute closed
the ceremony.
Pattaya’s main celebration came to life late in the
afternoon as thousands of Thais and foreigners adorned in pink shirts joined
a festive parade from Royal Garden Plaza to Bali Hai Pier.
They carried offerings to the city’s waterfront
celebration opened by Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome, who praised HM the King
before leading a candle-lighting ceremony and the singing of an original
song penned by Issan music legend Ad Carabao.
The city filmed the pink-bedecked masses singing out the
lyrics to “His Majesty the King, the Humble Giver of Unbounded Benevolence”
to add footage to its in-progress music video for the song.
Monks perform religious rites
on the auspicious occasion of HM the King’s 84th, 7th cycle birthday.
The crowd didn’t mind that the process delayed the
evening’s schedule and cheered when fireworks finally filled the night sky
about an hour later than planned. The finale saw celebrants sing the royal
anthem together and lighting candles.
Similar, but smaller-scale, celebrations where held in
Sattahip where Vice Adm. Kanat Thongpool, commander of the First
Naval Area Command presided over the offerings, candle-lighting and singing
of royal anthems by about 1,000 people at Prince Chumphon Camp before 85
sets of fireworks were launched.
Raja Navy Commercial School
cadets proudly fly HM the King’s special birthday flag during the parade
down Pattaya Beach Road.
Police prepare to fire a 21
gun salute.
Foreign visitors participate
in the momentous occasion.
Pattaya city councilors march
in the parade.
Navy cadets from the Raja
Navy Commercial School carry a revered photo of HM the King in the annual
parade down Pattaya Beach Road.
Thousands of Pattaya citizens
wear pink in honor of HM the King’s birthday.
Dressed in traditional Thai
outfits, these 4 from Sophon Cable TV lead their pink clad friends in the
Pattaya Beach Road parade.
Ad Carabao sings “Pra-Phu-Pid
Thong Lang Phra,” or “His Majesty the King, the humble giver of unbounded
benevolence”, the song he penned in honor of HM the King.
All smiles on the faces of
students and faculty from the Father Ray Foundation.
Smartly dressed women from
Mitryont Pattaya march proudly in the Pattaya Beach Road parade.
Pattaya School # 11 marching
band keeps the beat for the marchers in the Beach Road parade.
Elfi Seitz (right) from
Pattaya Blatt and Kamolthep Malhotra (left), representing Pattaya Mail Media
Group, symbolically present Pumngern (silver) and Pumthong (gold) ornaments
to HM the King.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome
reads humble best wishes for HM the King’s Royal Birthday.
Pratheep ‘Peter’ Malhotra,
managing director of Pattaya Mail Media Group, emcees the English language
part of the evening.
Vice Adm. Kanat Thongpool,
commander of the First Naval Area Command, leads military and civilian
leaders in Sattahip in paying tribute to HM the King on His Royal Birthday.
HM the King’s loyal subjects
cheer on the magnificent fireworks display.
City officials join Ad Carabao
in sending off the fireworks display.
Thousands of people in
Sattahip take part in the candlelight ceremony.
