|
Kingdom celebrates Wan Chatramongkhol (Coronation Day) May 5
Wednesday, May 5
Pattaya Mail media joins with the Kingdom of Thailand in
joyously celebrating Wan Chatramongkhol, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
the Great’s Coronation Day on Wednesday, May 5. Long Live the King! The day
is celebrated as a national holiday, and as such all government offices and
commercial banks will close for the day. (Photo courtesy of the Bureau of
the Royal Household)
Wednesday, May 5 marks the 60th anniversary of the
Coronation of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great. The day is
celebrated as a national holiday, and as such all government offices and
commercial banks will close for the day.
Whist being crowned King of Thailand, His Majesty King
Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great took a sacred oath to rule with Righteousness,
for the Benefit and Happiness of the Thai people, which He has done
magnificently, garnering tremendous respect from His people. HM King
Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great is the longest reigning monarch in the world.
Long Live the King!
Each year on the 5th of May, the Kingdom of Thailand
commemorates the day when, in 1950, the Coronation Ceremony was held for His
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great, the 9th in the Chakri Dynasty
(Rama IX).
HM the King, after studying in Europe, returned to
Thailand and was crowned King during an elaborate and highly intricate
ceremony that out lavished all previous coronations in Thailand.
A week prior to His being crowned King, on April 28,
1950, H.M. King Bhumibol and Mom Rajawongse Sirikit Kitayakara were married.
Following the Coronation, HM the King returned to Switzerland to continue
studying.
The Coronation Ceremony reinforces the stature of the
Kings of Thailand. The first such elaborate ceremony was performed when Pho
Khun Phamuang succeeded Pho Khun Bangklangthao as the ruling King of Muang
Sukhothai. Phaya Lithai, a former leader in Sukhothai, left a historical
record in stone describing the coronation ceremony in Sukhothai at Wat
Srikhum.
(Photo courtesy of the Bureau of the Royal Household)
In the beginning of the Ratanakosin era, the first King
in the Chakri Dynasty (HM King Buddhayodfa the Great) took the title of Rama
I and moved the capital of Siam from Thonburi to the opposite bank of the
Chao Phraya River, and constructed Krung Ratanakosin (Bangkok). In the
process of building the Royal Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the
Emerald Buddha) the first King in the House of Chakri refined the coronation
ceremony, establishing important protocol that has lasted to this day. All
Kings to follow not undergoing the coronation ceremony would be unable to
assume the term “Phrabat” in front of the King’s title of “Somdej
Phrachaoyuhua”, and more significantly, the symbol of the nine-tiered
umbrella would also not be permissible or officially recognized.
The elaborate coronation ceremony of His Majesty King
Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great included all the ancient rituals required for
assuming the full title and the nine-tiered umbrella. HM King Bhumibol
Adulyadej then bestowed the honor posthumously on His brother HM King Ananda
Mahidol. HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s benevolent act raised HM King Ananda
Mahidol’s regal status from seven to a nine-tiered umbrella.
During the reign of HM King Mongkut (Rama IV), Buddhist
monks and Brahmin priests were incorporated into the coronation ceremony to
conduct rituals to sanctify the auspicious occasion. Previously the ceremony
was arranged and conducted by the Royal Palace staff and members of the
Royal Household.
The annual coronation ceremony is currently a three-day
affair, starting with a ritual “tham boon” ceremony on May 3 to honor the
King’s ancestors. Later on the first day, another ceremony is performed,
whereby flags of honor are issued to distinguish various military units.
(Photo courtesy of the Bureau of the Royal Household)
The following day, Buddhist ceremonies continue with
chanting rituals, prayers and Brahman priests announcing the auspicious
occasion forthcoming the next day (May 5).
On the 5th of May, His Majesty conducts a merit making
ceremony, presenting offerings to Buddhist monks, and leads a “Wien Thien”
ceremony, walking three times around sacred grounds at the Temple of the
Emerald Buddha.
In the evening the King conducts another sacred ceremony:
changing the yellow cloth on the Emerald Buddha, the guardian symbol
protecting the Thai people, which was transferred from Thonburi to Wat Phra
Kaew by Rama I.
Many rooms in the Royal Palace are opened for public
viewing on Coronation Day. Auspicious ceremonies are performed and displays
depicting Royal achievements are exhibited to reconfirm the King’s stature.
Pattaya-Naklua ‘no colors’ group urges swift, strong
end to red shirt conflict
The “no colors” group honor the Thai national flag
at 6
p.m. in front of Pattaya City Hall April 22.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
About 1,000 Pattaya and Naklua residents opposed to the
deadly and ongoing street riots in Bangkok are calling on Prime Minister
Abhisit Vejjajiva to swiftly and forcefully restore order to the capital.
The group - part of the growing “no-color” movement that
claim to support neither the red-shirted, anti-government United Front for
Democracy Against Dictatorship or the yellow-shirt elites of the People’s
Alliance for Democracy - assembled outside the Banglamung District Office
April 21 and Pattaya City Hall April 22 to ask local leaders to submit
letters to Abhisit that urge a swift end to the turmoil that is decimating
Pattaya’s tourism business.
The group, which is also described as “multi-colors”
since they wear shirts of all hues, said it deplored the red shirts’
behavior, which has already led to nearly 25 deaths, as well as the
lawlessness in the capital due to the police and army’s unwillingness or
inability to end the unrest. While the “no colors” mourned both soldiers and
red shirts who died in the April 10 crackdown, they also condemned the
protestors for their “terrorist” tactics.
“We do understand the government has been trying to
restore order peacefully. But if the government doesn’t strictly enforce the
law the problems will continue,” the letter read. “The Prime Minister, as
the leader of the government, must be responsible for solving the country’s
problems.”
The group’s petition also urged the premier not to
dissolve parliament, as the red shirts want, and not to resign. It also
advised the government to not show weakness and restore order, even if
damage or harm is caused. “The government must proceed before the problem
escalates further by using strict force to solve the problem immediately.”
The supposedly non-aligned group - at least in Bangkok -
is accused of actually being comprised of mostly yellow-shirt supporters.
Indeed, the letter from the Pattaya-area “multi-colors” echoes a central
theme from the pro-royalist PAD: that Abhisit should “strongly and firmly
protect the nation and the HM the King until his last breath.”
Many in the government, as well as the PAD, which helped
bring Abhisit to power, see the UDD’s symbolic leader, convicted and
self-exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as a threat to the
monarchy.
Banks and businesses to close on May 3
Saturday, May 1 is the traditional May Day, but since it
falls on a Saturday, Monday May 3 has been designated at the May Day public
holiday, and as such government businesses and banks will be closed. Many
bank branches in shopping malls may be open to cater to foreign exchange,
and most exchange booths throughout the city will also be open.
The Thai government declared May 1 as National Labor Day
in 1935. Employees are given a public holiday to celebrate the significance
of labor.
TAT fears Monkey Island macaques still starving
TAT is concerned the crab-loving macaques
on Koh Ped still
aren’t getting enough to eat.
Patcharapol Panrak
Six months after the Royal Thai Navy supposedly stepped
in to help monkeys on Koh Ped from starving, the Tourism Authority of
Thailand is still concerned the crab-loving macaques still aren’t getting
enough to eat.
TAT Eastern Region Director Chamnong Junapiya led a
delegation April 17 to Chumphon Navy School in Bang Saray where navy Cmdr.
Prapan Kamburi took them on a tour of “monkey island.”
Prapan said the island usually draws large numbers of
Chinese tourists who feed the simians. However, due to China’s ban on
Thailand holidays due to violent anti-government riots in Bangkok, the
remaining Russian and European tourists aren’t enough to keep the monkeys
fed.
With rainy season setting in soon, there are also worries
about the inability of groups to reach the island during bad weather.
The plight of the Koh Ped macaques came to light last
October when a Navy captain rounded up volunteers to rebuild some of the
island’s infrastructure and position it as a new tourist attraction. The
so-called “Crab-Eating Macaque Lovers Project” apparently bore only
short-lived results.
Chamnong said TAT received many inquires about visiting
monkey island after last year’s hoopla and she said the cute, friendly
animals are very marketable. She said the Navy has done a good job
preserving the island’s habitat and that work should be done to bring more
tourists to the island.
Chonburi residents join calls
to end to red-shirt protests
About 1,000 Chonburi
residents gather at city hall to urge Thai people to unite and bring an
end to violence.
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Echoing sentiments from Pattaya-area residents, about
1,000 Chonburi members of the growing “multi-colors” movement opposed to
both red- and yellow-shirted political adversaries are also urging the
government to end the unrest in Bangkok.
The “Chonburi Protection for the Nation, Religion and
the King’s Institutions” group converged on the King Rama V statue at
Chonburi Town Hall April 19 to present local leaders a letter to Prime
Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Deputy Gov. Suthorn Ratanawaraha accepted
the petition.
Similar to the Pattaya and Naklua “no colors”, the
Chonburi residents urged Abhisit not to dissolve parliament and not to
resign. They also advised the government to be firm in restoring order,
even if harm is caused.
This supposedly non-aligned group - believed to be
comprised largely of royalist yellow-shirt sympathizers - also descended
on the 14th Military Division to submit a letter asking the military to
carry out its duties to disperse the red-shirted anti-government
supporters of convicted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
With Songkran comes
sickness, doctors warn
Phasakorn Channgam
With a week of dawn-to-dusk water play Songkran every
year not only beings in a new Thai Year, but rampant exhaustion, fever and
pneumonia.
Dr. Supan Srithamma, spokesman for the Ministry of Public
Health, talks about how Songkran festival excesses cause many illnesses
every year.
Emergency rooms across Thailand reported large numbers of
patients in after the final days of the April 13-19 festival. On April 16
alone hospitals saw 1,195 emergency cases of high fevers, sickness,
pneumonia and heat exhaustion.
The Ministry of Public Health urged anyone suffering from
fever, joint stiffness and other ailments that linger after three days to
seek professional treatment.
Ministry spokesman Dr. Supan Srithamma said most patients
have been children with high fevers caused by long water play and being out
in the sun. Lack of rest and too much exertion can also lead to more serious
problems for the elderly or those with pre-existing health conditions, he
said.
Officials eye designated transit channels for Bali Hai Pier waters
Phasakorn Channgam
Pattaya officials plan to create entry and exit channels
at Bali Hai Pier in hopes of preventing future marine accidents.
Pattaya Marine Office 6 Director Wittaya Chayanukulwitti.
Pattaya Marine Office 6 Director Wittaya Chayanukulwitti
met with Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh April 22 to discuss efforts to step
up safety in Pattaya Bay, the site of three serious accidents since
December. In addition to marking off new transit channels with buoys, the
Marine Department is also increasing patrols and checking licenses more
thoroughly, Wittaya said.
Each of the two channels will run 200 meters into the
Bali Hai harbor area. Boats will be required to reduce speed and the buoys
will clearly show where boats, including floating restaurants can and cannot
anchor.
The captain of one of the speedboats involved in
December’s deadline collision said the accident was caused because he could
not see the oncoming boat due to an obstruction by one of the larger boats
moored in the area.
Rain washes out part
of Thappraya Road
Boonlua Chatree
Part of Thappraya Road was closed again after another
round of heavy rain led to cracks and holes in the roadway.
An omen of things to come? The brand new road running
between Pattaya and Jomtien is already falling apart.
A crack, approximately 3 meters long, appeared in the
traffic lanes, leading to a depression about the same size. No accidents
were caused by the hole, however, as the Pattaya Public Works Department
blocked off the area.
Construction control director Amnuoy Na-ek said rain
caused the collapse and the city planned to immediately repair the problem.
It’s the second year in a row the road has been damaged by rain.
This section of road has been causing headaches for
years, as the ongoing construction seems never-ending. One only hopes this
isn’t an omen of things to come.
Gawking at argument
gets taxi driver shot
Boonlua Chatree
A motorbike taxi driver who stared a bit too long at an
Asian couple having an argument got a bullet in the knee for his troubles.
Ram Tabchak lays on the ground in pain after being shot
in the leg by an unknown gunman.
Ram Tabchak, 38, suffered a 9 mm gunshot wound to the leg
around 4:30 a.m. April 17 at a 7-Eleven near the corner of Soi 6 and Second
Road. Bleeding profusely, he was rushed to Banglamung Hospital for
treatment.
Police interviewing Ram’s co-workers at the taxi stand
said the shooting occurred after three men - believed to be Korean or
Chinese - got out of a black Toyota Fortuner. One was arguing with a woman
driving a bronze Honda City, who had also stopped at the corner.
The arguing man approached Ram to ask for directions,
witnesses said. After that, the Asian man asked, “Are you happy seeing us
have an argument?” One of the other two men then shot the taxi driver.
All the suspects fled the scene and police are reviewing
security camera footage from the 7-Eleven in hopes of catching the gunman.
Japanese woman fights
off motorbike taxi attacker
Police and volunteers receive a statement from the victim
at the scene.
Boonlua Chatree
A Japanese woman fought off a motorbike taxi driver who
allegedly tried to rape her on Yinyorn Beach.
Makato Mori, 20, said she was returning from a
convenience store to the Hard Rock Hotel around 2 a.m. April 21 when she got
lost and hired a motorbike taxi to take her back. Instead the man took her
to a quiet beach where he assaulted her.
Mori told police she fought off her attacker, leaving him
injured and bleeding. She called police to the scene where they found the
tourist dirty and bloodied, her underwear and the 10-baht taxi fare on the
ground.
The officers examined the scene and brought the victim to
Pattaya Memorial Hospital for treatment. They will pursue the criminal for
prosecution.
Sattahip tattoo artist finds fans among superstitious teens
Foolish teens believe that after receiving one
of Thongbai
Mulasarn’s tattoos, they cannot be harmed.
Patcharapol Panrak
A Sattahip tattoo artist is getting more business from
superstitious teenagers who wrongly believe they cannot be hurt after
getting one of his ink talismans.
Kiatkanok Saensuk, 16, said he believed his tattoo done
by Thongbai Mulasarn, owner of the Por Kae Place tattoo parlor, saved him
from injury after he believes he was stabbed during Songkran.
Kiatkanok said he’d been water fighting and, after
getting powder rubbed in his eyes, felt a jab to the abdomen. When he got
home, he saw his shirt was torn, but his skin was only bruised. He believes
he was stabbed but the knife couldn’t puncture his skin due to the ink. So
he went back to the tattoo parlor and got another one to add even more
“protection.”
Thongbai said he’d had a number of customers who admitted
getting into fights or even stabbing and shooting others during rough
Songkran water play because they believed their tattoos and brass amulets
protected them, then returned for additional ink.
Stolen meters exacerbate water problems at Rawiporn Village
Residents in Rawiporn Village point to where
their missing
water meters used to be.
Boonlua Chatree
Two men dressed as security guards stole water meters
from 10 homes in Rawiporn Village, exacerbating water-related problems
residents have with management of the Soi Wat Bunsamoan development.
Thai and foreign residents contacted Nongprue
Municipality officials April 20 complaining about the theft of their meters.
They also used the opportunity to complain about the rates being charged at
Rawiporn, off of Soi Khao Noi, and the quality of the water being served up.
Village chief Prasobchok Tantimala, 43, told Nongprue
official Wanchai Saen-Ngarm that water coming out of taps in the village was
red, suspecting it was tainted with rust. In addition, the village also
charged a whopping 25 baht per metered unit of water, far above rates
assessed by the Provincial Waterworks Authority. Finally, Prasobchok
complained, the village management was trying to charge residents who lost
their meters 750 baht each for new meters and installation.
The village chief proposed splitting that cost with the
village office paying the 400 baht installation fee. Management refused. A
subsequent visit by the media to inquire about the red water found the
village office closed.
Wanchai urged residents to file a theft report at
Banglamung Police Station and said he’d check to see if Soi Wat Bunsamoan is
a private or public street. If public, the soi possibly could be added to
the municipality’s water-supply project, which would lower costs and improve
quality of the water, he said.
‘Possessed’ girl healthy again after 2 exorcisms … and modern medicine
Patcharapol Panrak
A once-disturbed Bang Saray girl whose parents claimed
she was possessed and called in an exorcist is again a smiling, healthy
teenager whose recovery arguably lies more with the modern medical treatment
than the witch doctor.
Yadpirun (right) pours scented water over the hands of
shaman Yadpirun (left).
Yadpirun Sornchanwong, 16, made headlines in February
when her impoverished parents turned to monks and mystics, instead of
doctors, to treat behavioral problems that neighbors believed resulted from
drug use or attention-deficit disorder.
Parents Pia and Bunchouy Sornchanwong, however,
maintained that their daughter had become possessed by ghosts after she was
found inside a supposed haunted house frequently used as a drug den by
locals. They claimed she alternated between being nearly catatonic and
raving, couldn’t sleep, wouldn’t eat and was quickly distracted. She often
spoke in a man’s voice or not at all, they said.
Finally, the parents said they were troubled that the
girl acted more like a boy and often tried to run away.
Claiming they had no money to pay for conventional
doctors, the parents pitched their supernatural tale to the media, claiming
their only choice was to turn to faith healers. They first had Yadpirun
baptized by a monk in hopes it would bring her peace.
When that failed both to cure the girl or raise cash, the
parents again called in reporters, this time to witness an “exorcism” by
Krisada “Mor Edward” Saenkhot, a supposedly well-known Indian-style shaman.
After the Feb. 24 ceremony - during which he laid the girl on a sofa and
used a twig to sprinkled her with “holy” water - he said Yadpirun had been
miraculously “cured,” woke up and asked to return to school.
What the media didn’t know then, however, was “Mor
Edward” had to be brought back five days later to do it again. And, thanks
to some insistent charity groups, the girl finally got some conventional
medical treatment.
As a result, Yadpirun enjoyed a happy, normal Songkran,
as well as a special visitor: She has put on 10 kg. since and, on April 19,
her parents helped her welcome the shaman back to their home.
Yadpirun greeted Krisada warmly, calling him by name.
That surprised the witch doctor, as he said he didn’t believe the girl was
conscious enough during his two exorcisms to remember him.
She also remembers all the reporters.
Krisada, of course, took full credit for the girl’s
recovery and said he was lucky to have been brought into the affair.
Koh Si Chang’s female baptism a stark contrast to modern Songkran
And they’re, off!
Theerarak Suthathiwong
For Songkran, men in Koh Si Chang don’t take water to the
women; they take women to the water.
Carrying on a tradition that dates back to the King Rama
V era, Si Chang Mayor Damrong Petra led the area’s traditional wan lai
festivities in which area women are carried politely into local waters.
This year some foreign women joined the fun.
The ceremony, along with a stage show, sports and games;
highlighted the April 18 Songkran celebration that generates laughs among
participants and the many foreign tourists watching or even joining in.
Koh Si Chang prides itself on its gentle Songkran
baptism, which stands in stark contrast to areas in Pattaya, where revelers
seem to pride themselves on drenching anyone within range of high-powered
PVC-pipe water guns as harshly as possible.
For Songkran, men in Koh Si Chang don’t take water to the women; they
take women to the water.
The tradition started at Koh Kan Yai with locals who were
returning home from working far away from the island for an annual New
Year’s celebration. Men choose ladies to carry into the sea and, as they
walk, they exchange blessings.
This year several foreign women joined the fun and were
also carried into the sea while friends and loved ones snapped photos.
Marine Corps makes
merit for Songkran
High ranking officers
sprinkle scented water on Buddha images as part of the Marine Corps Songkran
celebrations.
Patcharapol Panrak
Royal Thai Marine Corps personnel and their families have
held a special Songkran ceremony.
They offered blessings to Buddha, the Navy and the Marine
Corps commander in chief.
The April 11 ceremony at Prince Chumphon Camp saw
military personnel honor the dead by sprinkling water on an image of Buddha
and a new statue of Prince Apakorn Kiatwong Chumporn Khet Udomsak, the
father of the modern Thai navy.
Rear Adm. Ponsak Phureeroj, deputy commander in chief,
also led officers in sprinkling water on Vice Adm. Suwit Thararoop, the
commander in chief.
Suwit said Songkran was important for Thai military
personnel as it offered a chance to ask for blessings, show gratitude to
superiors and commanders and reciprocate loyalty. Personnel also get a
chance to go back to their hometowns to do likewise with family members.
Miss Tiffany Universe finale set for May 7
Contestants and organizers gather for a group photo to
announce this year’s Miss Tiffany’s Universe Pageant.
Phasakorn Channgam
Thailand’s most celebrated transvestites will compete
against women of the second category from around the world in the annual
Miss Tiffany Universe pageant May 7.
The field of 80 contestants was narrowed to 30 on April
24 at Central Festival Pattaya Beach. They will partake in preliminary
competition from May 3-6 at the Tiffany Theatre. The final round May 7 will
be telecast live from the theater at 11 p.m. on Channel 7.
Tiffany’s Deputy Managing Director Alisa Phanthusak said
at an April 20 press conference that the Miss Tiffany pageant continues to
expand its reach and this year, its 13th, comes as transgender participants
have gained even more acceptance in society.
Pageant Chairman Saree Wongmontha said this year’s theme
is: “I Am What I Am,” which not coincidently was the finale song in “La Cage
aux Folles,” the Tony-award winning Broadway musical about a French
transvestite cabaret. Saree said the theme is meant to stress the
contestants’ liberation from struggle and ability to realize their self
potential.
24-hour Songkran care given at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya
Bangkok Hospital
Pattaya’s team of physicians and nurses was ready to handle any emergency
during Songkran and Pattaya Wan Lai.
Phasakorn Channgam
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya was ready for anything during
Pattaya’s Songkran celebrations with their emergency-care center.
In addition to adding more doctors, nurses and ambulances
during Songkran, the hospital also gave away free “anti-sleeping bags” to
anyone who presented a driver’s license at the hospital until April 19. The
device is worn around the ear and emits a loud noise if the driver’s head
drops below a certain angle.
The goal was to reduce the number of accidents, which
currently claim more than 400 lives nationwide each year between April 12
and 19.
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya officials said last year the
facility looked after 41 road accident victims, but fortunately there were
no deaths. This year the hospital’s emergency care center was open 24 hours
and can still be reached by dialing 1719.
|
