The largest local celebrations on Mother’s
Day are on the streets where people turn out in huge numbers for parades
along Pattaya’s beachfront and in Najomtien. However, celebrations were
held throughout the Eastern Seaboard to humbly wish HM the Queen a most
happy birthday.
Phasakorn Channgam
Area residents prayed, made merit, paraded and lent
help to the needy in honor of HM Queen Sirikit as the Eastern Seaboard
marked her 79th birthday, national Mother’s Day.
Events began early in the Pattaya area with
Banglamung District Chief Chawalit Saeng-Uthai led bureaucrats and
merchants in a 7 a.m. merit-making ceremony. They gave dried food and
rice to 80 monks then laid the traditional Buddhist tray of flowers,
candles and incense in front her painting, signing their names to a
blessings card to offer their best well wishes and prayers to the queen.
Banglamung District Chief
Chawalit Saeng-Uthai makes an offering to Her Majesty the Queen in honor
of her birthday.
Events repeated themselves at 7 p.m. in Pattaya, with
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome this time leading thousands of city workers and
residents in a similar flower tray and prayer ceremony. The event was
capped with a festive fireworks display.
Echoing HM the Queen’s dedication to environmental
conservation, the mayor earlier in the day joined Chamlong Tabsywan,
head of the Meditation Association for Moral World Development, at
Jittapawan Wittayalai Temple for a ceremony to release 99 cows,
buffalos, birds and fish back into the wild.
The largest celebrations of Mother’s Day, however,
came on the streets where people turned out for parades along Pattaya’s
beachfront and in Najomtien.
Children from Pattaya’s 11 public schools,
businesses, clubs and other groups marched down Beach Road around 5:30
p.m., parading from Royal Garden Plaza to Bali Hai Pier where they
waited for the evening’s ceremony to begin.
Down the road at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Thais
and foreign tourists watched as 30 elephants marched and laid jasmine
garlands at the foot of a painting of HM the Queen. Eight-year-old
elephant Yok was made up for the occasion, with “Yok Loves Mom” painted
on its trunk.
In Chonburi, Gov. Wichit Chatpaisit was the one
leading merit-making donations of dried food to 79 monks at Chonburi
Town Hall. The rice and other items donated will be passed on to other
monks lying in hospitals in the province, as well as other elderly and
poor residents.
Adm. Narong Teswisan,
Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Fleet, presides over the candle
lighting ceremony in Sattahip to bless Her Majesty the Queen.
Later that day, Wichit led government workers,
merchants and residents in a Mother’s Day chant at the Honored Sala of
the Muang District. Here attendees also signed blessing cards for HM the
Queen and presented flower trays.
The governor then presented 3.06 million baht raised
through the National Mother’s Foundation to 127 village charity
representatives. Among the donations, 60,999 baht was directed toward
creation of a neighborhood learning center in Huakrok in Nongprue’s Moo
6. Another 108 villages received 21,400 baht in funding while a final 19
communities received 34,500 baht.
Birthday celebrations also played out in Sattahip,
where Adm. Narong Teswisan, commander of the Royal Thai Fleet, led 5,000
military personnel and area residents in a traditional prayer and
candle-lighting ceremony at Prince Chumporn Park. Participants sang the
royal anthem and set off fireworks to celebrate HM the Queen’s birthday.
Elsewhere, Sattahip District Chief Chaichan Iamcharoen presided over
a merit-making ceremony in which dried food was donated to 80 monks form
nine area temples at Sattahip District Office.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome,
on behalf of everyone in Pattaya’s government, makes an offering of
flowers to Her Majesty the Queen’s portrait at Bali Hai.
Kamolthep Malhotra, GM of
Pattaya Mail Publishing Co., Ltd., represents the entire staff in
presenting our best wishes to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.
Chonburi Governor Wichit
Chatpaisit leads people in Chonburi in making merit by offering dry food
to 80 monks.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome
helps people at Wat Jittapawan Wittayalai set free birds to show their
loyalty to the Royal Family.
Don’t cry young buffalo,
your life is being spared in honor of
Her Majesty the Queen.
Pattaya residents young
and old take part in the parade down Beach Road.
Approximately 30
elephants from Nong Nooch Garden, including this large pachyderm,
present flower gardens to a portrait of HM the Queen on National
Mother’s Day.
People sing happy birthday
and say prayers during a
candlelight ceremony at Bali Hai pier.
