Festivals

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All you need to know about the land of silk and smiles

The Festivals of Thailand

If you are planning a quiet and peaceful holiday in Thailand avoid the festivals and holidays. These events are synonymous with an over abundance of food, fun and fireworks. And you could get drenched with water.
Thai holidays center on royal and religious occasions. Probably the most enjoyab le is Songkran, the Thai New Year, which takes place in mid-April. It is supposed to be a three day festival but in this nation - famed for its silk and smiles - it can carry on for days and weeks particularly in rural areas. For most Thais it is a celebration to welcome back the rainy season and reveling in water is the best part of the festival as everyone takes to the streets for fun water battles. The serious part of the festival takes place early in the day when homes get a special spring cleaning and then it’s time to honor and pay respect to older member of the family by sprinkling water over their hands. A similar blessing with water is performed on monks in their brightly adorned temples. The formalities over, Thais hit the streets with buckets, bags and hoses to insure that everyone gets a good soaking.
Be warned the drenching is not reserved for Thais. On the main tourist streets of Bangkok, or around the bars and girly bars of Patong, on Phuket Island, or Pattaya the action gets lively. Only way to stay dry is to stay inside your hotel. On one occasion, I was in Chiang Mai for the festival and it seemed to start days ahead of time and seemed to last for weeks. Of all the places, I have witnessed this festival, I think they have more fun and laughs in Chiang Mai.

The most moving and striking festival - Loy Krathong, or Festival of Lights - comes in mid November when the moon is full. Around the kingdom small floats, called krathongs, are decorated with flowers and candles and set adrift in the sea, rivers or canals. As the floats drift away prayers are offered that everything bad will float away too. The idea is to load the float with all your problems so they will vanish along with the float. The ceremony takes place wherever there is water, be it a small lake at the local temple, or from one of Thailand’s glorious beaches. The spectacle of hundreds of candlelit floats under a full moon is incredibly dramatic. With the floats launched, many visit a temple to give thanks for the waters of Thailand. In true Thai style, the areas where the launchings take place are crowded with food stalls offering an abundance of noodle and rice dishes. Despite the solemn ceremony it is a fun time with parties continuing into the early hours. I have enjoyed this festival in many cities but once again, it was in Chiang Mai that I had the best time. Again, the event lasted for days and trying to find a dinner reservation overlooking the Ping River was virtually impossible. The pictures here were taking at Wat Chalong in Phuket. Many used the small lake at the front of the temple to launch their krathongs because Phang Nga bay was very windy and many of the candles were blown out before the floats were launched.

Thailand is well known for its vegetarian festivals, which take place in October through out the country. Best known is the festival celebrated by Phuket's Chinese community , which lasts for 10 days. The events includes unpleasant body piercing, strange processions of people under trances with endless amounts of firecrackers exploding. The festival was started in the 19th century by immigrant miners from China who were lured to Phuket in search of tin. Phuket residents of Chinese ancestry and many Thais too, go on a vegetarian diet and attend ceremonies at local Chinese temples. Parades take place throughout the island although the center of the event is in Phuket City. Watch out for people who have pierced holes in cheeks and tongues as part of a cleansing ritual. One contestant told me that the holes soon heal – in plenty of time for next year’s event. A plus part for visitors is that a wonderful array of vegetarian food is on sale in the streets of Phuket City and many restaurants offer special dishes.

Other festivals: River of Kings Festival: A happy blend of old Thai cultural performances together with modern day pyrotechnics light up the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok for two weeks every February. The Bangkok Tourist Bureau, the Royal Household and the Tourism Authority of Thailand sponsor the festival. Usually there are two shows nightly at 7pm and 9pm.
Royal Ploughing Ceremony: This Bangkok festival is held in mid May and marks the start of the rice-growing season. This ancient Brahmin festival was reintroduced in 1960 by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and takes place at Sanam Luang, the large oval field in front of the Grand Palace. Both the king and queen attend so there are many colorful traditional costumes. The object of the ceremony is to make predictions about the year ahead.
Visakha Puja: This nationwide festival on May 17 marks the birth and death of Buddha and is considere d to be the holiest of days. Sermons are given at all temples and in the evening candlelit processions move around the places of worship.
The Queen's Birthday is a nation-wide celebration on August 12 to mark Queen Sirikit’s birthday. Thais everywhere decorate their homes but the decorations are particularly spectacular in Bangkok around the Grand Palace. The day is also Mother’s Day in Thailand.
The Thai Beer Festival takes place in Bangkok in October when Thai breweries organize an event to show how well their products go with Thai food. Tourists are expected to join in the eating and drinking and watch musical performances, which are staged all over the city. Most of the activity takes place at the World Trade Centre.
In December there is the Trooping Of The Color in The Royal Plaza, Bangkok. Plenty of pomp and pageantry as the royal guards swear allegiance to the king and march in full ceremonial dress.
The King’s Birthday: There are big celebrations throughout the land on December 5 when the king (pictured on the left) celebrates his birthday. In Bangkok, there is a spectacular firework display near the Grand Palace.
River of Kings festival: An event promoting the wonders of the Chao Phraya river sponsored by an alliance of the six luxury hotels with riverside locations - the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, the Shangri-La, the Millennium Hilton, the Peninsula Bangkok, the Oriental and the Bangkok Marriott Resort and Spa. The alliance points out this event will be different and a separate event from the annual River of Kings Light and Sound Show, which is put on by the Royal Household in February.