SURAT THANI, Thailand – Surat Thani has held its sixth Miniature Phanom Phra Boat Competition, with 22 teams showcasing craftsmanship rooted in the province’s Chak Phra tradition. Surat Thani City Municipality organized the September 13 event with Wat Phothawas and Surat Thani Municipal School 4 to preserve and promote the distinctive art and traditional construction of Phanom Phra boats. Surat Thani Mayor Prasert Boonprasop joined teachers, students, and members of the local merit-making network in a procession of miniature Phanom Phra boats from Wat Phothawas to Municipal School 4 before opening the competition. Phanom Phra boats are elaborately decorated ceremonial floats used to carry images of the Buddha during Chak Phra, one of Surat Thani’s important Buddhist traditions.
The competition featured 11 teams in the youth category and 11 in the open category. The Sin Sangsan team from Krabi province won the youth division, receiving 10,000 baht and a trophy, while a team of liberal arts students from the Faculty of Education at Surat Thani Rajabhat University won the open division, receiving 12,000 baht and a trophy. Judges assessed originality, craftsmanship, beauty, proportions, creativity, and the use of traditional Thai art and local wisdom. Entries were also evaluated on the balance between the boat and its busabok, or ornate central pavilion, and their adherence to traditional Thai architectural principles and the defining characteristics of Surat Thani’s Phanom Phra boats. (NNT)
