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Tens of thousands of revelers once again let loose during annual Songkran Festival in Pattaya and Bang Saen
SARS no deterrent, but festivities cripple traffic as fun spills into the streets
Suchada Tupchai
Water
shortage? What water shortage? There certainly wasn’t one on Pattaya
streets April 19, as tens of thousands of happy revelers engaged in the
annual water wars known as Songkran. More pics on center pages this week.
Another Pattaya Songkran has come and gone, but this year
the festivities saw literally tens of thousands of revelers whooping it up
as they joyously celebrated the traditional Thai New Year. The annual ‘Wan
Lai’ attracted hordes of residents and tourists in spite of the SARS
warnings in South East Asia.
Since PVC pipes and monster water guns were banned again
this year the number of these dangerous contraptions was noticeably reduced.
The government campaign to discourage the use of the sticky white powder
paste also saw some positive results, although a few young zealots ignored
the message on both counts.
As usual, the Songkran activities produced maddening
traffic snarls as trucks full of people armed with buckets of water
participated in the annual water throwing festival.
Wild
fun on Ban Saen Road.
The
young is just a tad in front of the older in the sack race at Ban Saen
Beach.
Pattaya’s
“Amazing Parade”.
The
women line up to wish Deputy Mayor Wattana Janttanawaranont and happy
Songkran and pour water on him in the old traditional way.
Dancing
around the temple is all part of the fun on Songkran Day.
In more
traditional style, people bathed the Buddha statue at the temple.
Different days for different areas
For Thais, April 13 is regarded as an important day on
the calendar. It was designated as the traditional Thai New Year before
modern society converted to the international calendar and adopted January
1st. However, for many Thais, Songkran is still their New Year celebration.
According to tradition, Songkran is celebrated over a
3-day period from April 13 to 15. April 13th is officially the first day of
the New Year. However, many districts around the kingdom hold specific
activities in association with the Songkran festival. One of the most
popular is the “Wan Lai” or Water Throwing Day, which has become an
institution of its own on the Eastern Seaboard.
Each year in Bang Saen and surrounding suburbs, April
16-17 are the days that residents choose to celebrate their water throwing
festival and an array of activities are included in the celebrations. This
year the city went all out.
Saensuk municipal authorities joined with local
businesses in hosting competitions and races to entertain the masses, such
as sand racing, oyster races and tug-of-wars. The celebrations were enjoyed
by everyone and created a sense of belonging among the community. The fun
and games included masses of youngsters dancing and singing and throwing
water. Unfortunately traffic in the area was jammed up for hours.
A
direct hit on Ban Saen Beach.
Bowling
with children - literally. Not necessarily taking your children out bowling,
but actually letting them pretend to be a bowling ball.
The
always fun and titillating “sea boxing”.
Amazing
sand art.
Paying
respect to the elders in the traditional way.
Chonburi
House Representative Chansak Chaowalitnititham (left) and Mayor Pairat
Suttithamrongsawat took part in the blessing of the elderly ceremonies.
The day’s celebration ended with a concert by popular
band Carabao heading the lineup with many other artists entertaining the
large crowds. Police and crime prevention volunteers were on hand to
maintain law and order, fining anyone with PVC pipes or stepping over the
boundaries set down by the government.
On April 18 and 19, Naklua and Pattaya celebrated their
annual water festival. By soaking the streets and everyone on them they
washed away the blues triggered by the downturn in trade. Residents and
tourists alike took part in the madness. Perhaps there was even a method to
that madness, since the weather was blistering hot.
In Pattaya the day began with the tradition of paying
respect to community elders at 7.30 a.m. at the Chaimongkol Temple in South
Pattaya. Attendees also made merit by presenting donations to the temple.
The activity was well attended by families and city officials. Pattaya
City’s mayor, his deputies and local businessmen joined in the ceremonies
at the temple before the water wars started. The city had prepared for the
increase in water usage by making more water available for revelers.
At approximately 12:30 p.m. the annual Songkran parade
began from the Chaimongkol temple and slowly made its way along Pattaya
Second Road and back to South Pattaya via Beach Road. Parade followers
dressed in fancy style outfits and danced along the way. Spectators joined
in the pouring of water over the traditional Buddha image before engaging in
the water wars.
Despite the SARS health scare, Pattaya’s Songkran
festival attracted a huge number of tourists and locals who came to partake
in year’s fun. Every corner of the city took part in this year’s water
throwing activities right through from Friday April 18 till the evening of
Saturday April 19.
The traffic was chaotic on Sukhumvit Road from the
Kratinglai intersection all the way to Na Jomtien. The city’s arterial
roads and side streets were filled with revelers and groups of tourists
cavorting under the scorching sun.
This year’s Songkran festival was a great success and
brought in hundreds of millions baht in much needed revenue to Pattaya
businesses.
Royal Garden Plaza celebrates Songkran with
‘Aloha’ recycle dance contest
Ariyawat Noumsawat
Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat presided over the opening
of an Aloha dance contest at the fountain on the first floor at Royal Garden
Plaza, Pattaya. Contestants were required to wear costumes made from
recycled or used materials. The aim of the contest was to promote recycling,
making use of thrown away materials, and to encourage “kids” between 15
and 25 years to use their time wisely and creatively.
Mayor
Pairat Suthithamrongsawat officially opens the “ALOHA!” Dancing Contest.
Mayor
Pairat Suttithamrongsawat presents the trophy and cash prizes to the winning
team - “Tiger Shark”.
One of
the dancers from the second place “Twin” team dances the hula in her
recycled costume.
There were 5 teams in the contest, and each team had 3
members. The judging committee said they were looking for creativity of the
costumes and beauty and attractiveness in their dancing.
Tiffany Theater staged a glamorous show and received a
huge appreciation from the audience. The RGP also gave away free recipes for
‘Aloha’ cocktail lovers.
Winning teams were the Tiger Shark, Twin, and Angel Summer Dance. The
three teams received cash prizes of 10,000, 7,000, and 5,000 baht and gift
sets.
Hard Rock celebrates a rock ‘n roll Songkran
2-day party swings from morning till night
Suchada Tupchai
The Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya, well known for its fun
parties, celebrated yet another Songkran in high style. This two-day party
began on April 13 with a traditional religious ceremony.
Popular
TV Star Jennifer Su (left) and Wannapha Rakkeaw (right), Hard Rock Hotel
director of marketing communications enjoy the festivities.
How
long could you stay on? The Banana Boat competition was good for a lot of
laughs.
Trying
to get a grip - the always fun and exciting greased pole “boxing”
competition.
Then the fun kicked in with lots of activities organized
for guests including boat races which pitted family against family, an
inflated climbing wall, and water pistol shooting contests.
Throughout the two days, special guest Jennifer Su joined
in the activities before performing for the crowd at the Hard Rock.
The fun continued from morning until night and hungry
guests tucked into a lavish buffet at the Hard Rock Cafe. Then everyone
joined a mega foam party and limbo competitions.
Official opening of the Underwater Conservation Park Project postponed until beginning of May
Veerachai Somchart
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, Central Region 3
office announced that the Underwater Conservation Park Project in
commemoration of HRH Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn was earlier scheduled to
begin operating late April, but it met with some technical problems and the
official opening has been postponed to May 3 and 4.
Mayor Pairat Suttithamrongsawat said that the Underwater
Conservation Park Project was initiated to commemorate the 50th birthday of
HRH Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and promote natural preservative tourism in
Thailand. The naval ship H.T.M.S. Khram, the main attraction underwater,
once served the country during World War II and was sunk earlier this year.
The battleship will be a new underwater attraction for divers in Southeast
Asia.
The activities on May 3 and 4 on Pattaya Beach opposite
Soi 3 and Soi 4 will include a commemoration ceremony to HRH Crown Prince
Vajiralongkorn, the Underwater Conservation Park Project’s official
opening ceremony, preservative diving themes, exhibitions of HM the King’s
Royal Project and exhibits organized by the fishery department.
Booths will be set up from several dive shops and free
fundamental diving lessons will be provided at Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya.
Music shows will also feature in the special activities.
More details can be obtained at the Public Relations
Office, Pattaya City Hall or call 038 410 200, and Tourism Authority of
Thailand Central Region 3 or call 038 428 750 or 038 427 667.
Australian Winemaker’s Gala Good Friday Dinner
A “sparkling” evening
By Miss Terry Diner
The Winemaker’s Dinners at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort
have very quickly become “must attend” activities for the members of the
Royal Cliff Wine Club and their friends. Not without good reason either.
These dinners have introduced to the Pattaya scene some of the more
interesting of the world’s wines. The latest dinner, held on Good Friday,
was no exception.
Andrew
Wood GM (far left) and Ranjith Chandrasiri (2nd right) President of the
Royal Cliff Wine Club join Khun Panga Vathanakul (2nd left) MD of the Royal
Cliff Beach Resort, in the presentation of gifts of appreciation to Alison
Harvey (center) and Sithisak Chatamornwong CEO of Cititex Enterprises Co.Ltd
agent for Katnook wines in Thailand.
Hosted by the captain of the Royal Cliff Wine Club,
Ranjith Chandrasiri, the diners were introduced to Alison Harvey, the
manager for Asia of the Australian Wingara Wine Group. She in turn,
introduced to Pattaya their Deakin and Riddoch labels, and finally, the
flagship Katnook Estate wines.
With six of the more interesting wines to try, the Royal
Cliff executive chef Walter Thenisch, assisted by chef Stefan Beutler from
the Royal Wing and Spa, rose to the occasion, presenting a Good Friday
seafood menu which began with parrotfish wrapped in Tasmanian smoked salmon
served with a wonderful vinaigrette of clams.
This was followed by a superb fennel cream soup and then
a large grilled prawn served on a zucchini spaghetti with a tomato coulis. I
must admit that when I looked first at the plate I thought this was a tomato
sauce and mentally thought, “Walter! How could you?” And then I tasted
it. The coulis had everyone at my table talking about the complex spicy
flavour. Brilliant Walter! Simply brilliant.
By this stage the wine lovers had already been through a
Deakin Brut sparkly, a Riddoch Sauvignon Blanc 2000 and then the very
wooded, and very smooth, full bodied Katnook Estate Chardonnay 1998.
Enjoying
their wines at the pre-dinner reception are (from left) Peter Cummins,
Ranjith Chandrasiri, Rob Scarr, MD Image limousine, Andrew Khoo, GM Hard
Rock Hotel, Rosalind Khoo and Nick Bauer, RM Royal Wing and Spa,
But neither the chefs nor the winemaker were finished
yet. Walter and Stefan produced an oven baked snow fish with a Coonawarra
red wine reduction, while Alison produced a very special 1999 vintage
Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which brought an almost universal thumbs
up from the wine connoisseurs present. This latter wine comes from the
region considered to be the “Bordeaux” of Australia.
As the finale, after an assortment of Australian cheeses,
the Winemaker’s Dinner combined a mango mousse with rhubarb in a delicious
chocolate egg cup (really) with a unique Riddoch Shiraz Red Sparkling, a
wine that their winemaker made for himself and a few friends for Xmas, but a
small number of bottles were spirited up for us to sample.
It was once again a wonderful evening at the Royal Cliff Grand Ballroom.
I have said before that it would be difficult to top these dinners for
variety, excellent wines and value for money. You can get more information
on the Wine Club and its activities by email ranjith@ royalcliff.com
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