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Pattaya Festivals
& Events
 Pattaya
Festivals & Events
 Chon
Buri Buffalo Race
Note: Event dates and programme
details may be subject to change. To ensure you have the most updated
information, please reconfirm details prior to travel.
Chonburi Buffalo Race annually
takes place on a day before the full moon of the 11th lunar month
(October or November), concurrently with the end of the 3-month Buddhist
Lent.
In the festival, water buffaloes and the jockeys will be decorated
with colorful cloth bands, flower garlands and other ornaments before
vying to win the race. Along side with the buffalo race are the buffalo
fancy dressing contest, the healthy buffalo contest and Miss Farmer
Pageant. The festival really makes the visitors sense of the indigenous
culture of the region.
The origin of the festival was the farmers' idea to seek pleasure
during the buffalo trade in the past that took place in Chonburi,
the trade center of Thailand's East. Coming with the merchants were
the water buffalos used for pulling cargo-carts. The buffalo race
was then initiated for fun and friendship before the merchants departed
back to their hometowns.
Pattaya
Festival
Pattaya Festival
puts on its most festive face for this annual
event, held in April at the height of the summer season. The festival
involved an extensive calendar of sporting events and contests such
as a Grand Prix and go-kart racing, sailing regattas, windsurfing,
fishing and beauty competitions as well as stalls selling local food
and crafts, and a spectacular display of fireworks on
the beach.
Songkran Festival
(18-19 Apr 2007)
Songkran Festival
is a Thai traditional New Year, which starts on
April 13 every year and lasts for 3 days. Songkran festival on April
13 is Maha Songkran Day or the day to mark the end of the old
year, April 14 is Wan Nao, which is the day after and
April 15 is Wan Thaloeng Sok, which the New Year begins. At
this time, people from the rural areas who are working in
the city usually return home
to celebrate the festival. Thus, when
the time come, Bangkok temporarily turns into a deserted
city.
Songkran is a Thai word, which means
"move" or "change place", as it is the day when the sun
changes its position in the zodiac.
It is also known, as the "Water Festival" as people believe
that water will wash away bad luck.
The Songkran tradition
is recognized as a valuable custom for
the Thai community, society and religions. The value for family is
to provide the opportunity for family members to gather in order to
express their respects to the elders by pouring scented water onto
the hands of their parents and grandparents and to present them gifts
including making merits to dedicate the result
to their ancestors. The elders in return wish
the youngsters good luck and prosperity.
The values for community
is to provide the opportunity to create unity in the community such
as to jointly acquire merits, to meet each
other and to enjoy the entertaining events. And for the society
value is to create concern upon environment with cooperation such
as to clean houses, temples, public places
and official buildings. Thais value the religion
bye means of merit acquisition, offering
alms to monks, Dhamma Practice, listening to sermon
and monks-bathing.
In the afternoon, after
performing a bathing rite for Buddha images and the monks, the
celebrants both young and old, joyfully
splash water on each other. The most-talked
about celebration takes place in the northern
province of Chiang Mai where Songkran is celebrated from April
13 to 15. During this period, people from all parts of the country
flock there to enjoy the water festival,
to watch the Miss Songkran Contest and
the beautiful parades.
Loy Krathong
Festival
Loy Krathong Day
is one of the most popular festivals of Thailand celebrated annually
on the Full-Moon Day of the Twelfth Lunar Month. It takes place
at a time when the weather is fine as the rainy season is over and
there is a high water level all over the country.
"Loy" means"to float" and a"Krathong" is a lotus-shaped vessel made
of banana leaves. The Krathong usually contains a candle, three joss
sticks, some flowers and coins.
In fact, the festival is of Brahmin origin in whic people offer
thanks to the Goddess of the water. Thus, by moonlight, people light
the candles and joss sticks,
Make a wish and launch their Krathongs on canals, rivers or even small
ponds. It is believed that the Krathongs carry away sins and bad luck,
and the wishes that have been made for the New Year due to start.
Indeed, it is then time to be joyful and happy as the sufferings are
floated away.
The festival starts in the evening when there is a full moon in the
sky. People of all walks of life carry their Krathongs to the nearby
rivers. After lighting candles and joss sticks and making a wish,
they gently place the Krathongs on the water and let them drift away
till they go out of sight.
A Beauty Queen Contest is an important part of the festival and for
this occasion it is called "The Noppamas Queen Contest". Noppamas
is a legendary figure from the Sukhothai period. Old documents refer
to her as the chief royal consort of a Sukhothai Kng named "Lithai".
Noppamas was said to have made the first decorated Krathong to float
in the river on the occasion.
In Bangkok, major establishments such as leading hotels and amusement
parks organize their Loy Krathong Festival and the Krathong contest
as major annual function.
For visitors to Thailand, the Loy Krathong Festival is an occasion
not to be missed. The festival is listed in the tourist calendar.
Everyone is invited to take part and share the joy and happiness.
Koh
Pra Sai Wan Lai Festivals at Bangsaen
Is based on an ancient tradition practiced by
generations of Tambon Saensuk residents, formerly called the Wan Lai
Merit-Making Ceremony. Villagers from various places would gather
to make merit for the Thai New Year (Songkran). Monks from every temple
in Tambon Saensuk congregate to perform religious rites that start
with merit-making and food-offering
and the bathing of Buddha images. These are followed by other activities
such as building sand stupas, water-throwing, games and folk sports.
Kong
Khao or Rice Piling Ceremony
It is an old ceremony observed by the people of Chonburi
to offer oblations to deities who protect them throughout the year,
but at present it is practiced only in Si Racha where the ceremony
is held every year between April 19-21. The venue of this ceremony
is held in front of the Municipality Office of Si Racha Subdistrict
and at Ko Loy. The activities performed in this ceremony consist of
a parade by elderly people and officials from several government agencies
dressed in traditional Thai costumes, a rite of paying respect to
the spirits of deceased ancestors, a demonstration of the Kong
Khao or rice piling ceremony, folk entertainment, a demonstration
of preparing local desserts and food.As for Pattaya City, the Naklua
Rice Piling Ceremony is scheduled on April 20 of every year on the
grounds of Lan Pho (Naklua) whereas the Nong Yai Rice Piling Ceremony
is scheduled on April 20 of every year on the grounds of Wat Nong
Yai.
Chonburi
Province Annual Festival
It is a festival which has been annually organized
jointly by the people of Chonburi since 1932 by combining the festivals
of “the Worshipping of Phra Phutthasihing, Songkran Festival
and the Red Cross Fair” together. It is held around the middle
of April every year. The festival’s activities include a procession
for paying homage to Phra Phutthasihing, the pouring of water on the
hands of revered elderly people and ask for blessing, folk entertainment,
the performance of the khon masked dance drama by the Department of
Fine Arts and, cultural performances, exhibitions and a fair. The
festival aims to conserve and promote local customs as well as to
instill the value of arts and culture in successive generation.
Tradition
of “Chud Pa Phra Bard” (Chanthaburi)
This tradition is passed along to people of Chanthaburi
for more than 100 years ago. The event is part of Songkran festival.
People of Ban Tan Pon will move a decorated cart carry a piece of
cloth with image of Baddha’s footprint from Wat Ta Pon Yai to
the district office of Amphur Klung. Then people from 2 villages will
compete in a tug-of-war game. The winner is granted permission to
move the cart to their village for one night. Next morning, the cart
will be moved to next village where 2 new villagers will compete in
the same game and repeating the event to all villages. After finished
a tour to every village; the cart will be moved back to Wat Ta Pon
Yai, waiting for next year event.
Official
National Holidays
January 1 - New Year’s Day
February (full moon day) - Makka Bucha
April 6 - Chakri Dynasty Day
April 13 - Songkran, Thai Lunar New Year
May 1 - Labour Day
May 5 - Coronation Day
May 7 – Royal Ploughing Ceremony
May (full moon day) - Visakha Bucha
July (full moon day) - Asanha Bucha commemorates the first
sermon of Buddha
August 12 - Queen’s Birthday
October 23 - Chulalongkorn Day
December 5 - King’s Birthday
December 10 - Constitution Day
December 31 - New Year’s Eve
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