Chanthiman Srirphosasuk, President of the Issan
Association of Pattaya, shares thoughts with other members who attended a
planning meeting for this year’s Issan Festival.
Veechan Souksi
Seven mini parades will mark the start of the Pattaya Issan Festival,
running Friday through Sunday on Third Road.
Opening ceremonies will be held at Pattaya School No. 8 and the rest of the
event will take place at the empty lot on Pattaya Third Road between North and
Central roads. Registration begins at 1 p.m. at the South Pattaya School, with
the 100-meter-long parades highlighting a variety of traditional northeastern
dances, “pin” playing, “kaan” mouth-organ instrument playing and more, beginning
their march through the city at 4 p.m.
The route begins at Walking Street and will move up Beach Road, eventually
turning and moving to the festival site on Third Road by 6 p.m. Beach Road will
be closed for those two hours and traffic police coordinated route plans with
the Pattaya Issan Association at the March 3 preparation meeting.
The event also will feature performances from actor Nadej Kokimiya and country
music singer Ying Lee, general Issan music, and sales of northeastern products.
There also will be a “phi ta khon” scary-ghost dance competition with winners
receiving more than 100,000 baht in prizes.
The second day will feature a transvestite beauty show
featuring performers from Mimosa Pattaya and various “mo lam sing” concerts.
Rival transvestites from the Tiffany Show hit the stage on the third day before
winners of the scary-ghost contest are announced.
Plenty of northeast-made products will be up for sale and profits from the
entire event will be donated to Phrabatnam-pu Temple in Saraburi Province which
helps AIDS and HIV patients.
City hall and volunteer police will provide security and parking will be
available at School No. 8.
