Officials meet to discuss
plans
for this year’s Loy Krathong festival in Pattaya.
Phasakorn Channgam
Pattaya is gearing up for its official Loy Krathong
celebration, which will take place this year at Lanpho Public Park in Naklua
Nov. 21.
Jintana Mansurin of the Pattaya Education Department
assigned city workers various responsibilities for the celebration at an
October meeting. The centerpiece of the day will be a krathong design
competition, which will reward the floating platters of flowers, candles and
incense that are the most beautiful and creative.
Loy Krathong is held on the full moon of the 12th month
of the traditional Thai lunar calendar, which generally falls in November.
Traditionally, it’s a festival to pay homage to the goddess of water and a
chance to float away the sins or the past year on a hand-made krathong.
In recent years, the holiday has evolved into a Thai
version of Valentine’s Day, with couples making wishes for love and
prosperity and launching their krathong into the sea together.
The city, hoping to cut down on the incredible pollution
caused each year by plastic and foam krathongs, as well as plastic-bag
balloons created to lift them into the skies, are stressing that all
krathongs entered into the contest must be made of natural ingredients.
Those interested in entering the contest can contact the
Education Department until Nov. 12 at 038-253-100 ext. 3327.
