You don’t even have to be Irish…
Derek Franklin
In recent years there has been a growth in the number of
Irish bars opening, and with so many ex-pats from the Emerald Isle now
settled in Pattaya it is a wonder that the annual festivities to celebrate
St. Patrick’s Day have not reached our fair city in past years.
On Thursday March 17, Pattaya will see the first St.
Patrick’s Day Parade taking place along Beach Road.
The idea for the parade came from the management of the
Freedrop Bar, located opposite the Asia Hotel on Pratamnak Hill, and in
collaboration with City Hall and the Father Ray Foundation this first parade
will hopefully become an annual event.
The parade will start at 13.30 at Soi 4, and then travel
along Beach Road to Walking Street. From there it will turn left on South
Pattaya Road and again turn left on Second Road before ending at Alcazar
Theatre.
All Irish bars, non-Irish bars and all other businesses
in Pattaya are invited to decorate a float or pick-up truck and join the
parade. Registering each float will cost just 5000 baht, and whilst the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade promises to be another day of fun for the residents and
tourists of Pattaya there is also a serious side to the parade.
The money raised from sponsorship and float registration
will be donated to two local charities, the Fountain of Life and the Father
Ray Foundation. Both charities have strong Irish connections, with Sister
Joan of the Fountain of Life coming from the village of Dunmore in County
Galway, whilst the grandparents of Father Ray Brennan came from the counties
of Mayo and Kerry.
In the evening of the 17th March, and following the
parade, the annual charity auction will be held at the Freedrop Bar.
For more information about the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
and registering your float, or if you have any items you would like to
donate for the auction, call Derrick at the Freedrop Bar on 087 613 5797.
