Whether at the beach or temple, Pattaya residents and tourists found plenty to float their boats on Loy Krathong.
Restaurants along Pattaya Beach bustled, despite not being able to serve alcohol legally, and throngs walked down the sand to send their krathongs of flowers, candles and incense to sea.
At Chaimongkol Temple, Thais came to make made merit and float their krathongs in the pond. Sellers inside and outside the temple grounds did good business, selling to both Thais and foreigners.
Wat Chaimongkol’s Child Development Center and Pattaya School No. 8 donated the profits from their stands to the temple’s general fund.
Pattaya’s official Loy Krathong celebration on the beach at Central Road turned out to be a bust, with concerts from big name Thai pop acts sparsely attended due to the restrictions the city placed on those trying to enter the stage area.
Rather than put up with the hassle of proving coronavirus vaccinations and tests, crowds simply enjoyed the music from outside the gates.
Pradub Porachu, owner of Stueble Beer German Restaurant on Soi 7, reopened on Loy Krathong after being closed much of this year and was rewarded with busy tables.
Pradub said regular German customers returned and tourists in town for Loy Krathong found the eatery.
Pattaya also held its traditional krathong contest, with Wijitpajong Floating Krathong winning first place and 15,000 baht. Pattaya School No. 3 placed second for 12,000 baht while Pattaya School No. 3 took the 9,000-baht third-place prize.
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