The Eastern Seaboard celebrated Mother’s Day with alms offerings and fireworks to mark HM Queen Sirikit’s 83rd birthday.
Festivities began in the morning as Banglamung District organized a merit-making ceremony with 84 monks to mark the start of HM the Queen’s 84th year.
District Chief Chakorn Kanjawattana opened the event with colorful flowers and lighting welcoming a large number of residents and public officials.
Nongprue’s official commemoration followed an Aug. 8 merit-making with 100 students and teachers at Nongprue Community School.
Mayor Mai Chaiyanit opened the event that featured offerings of dried food to monks, a parade, Mother’s Day drawing competition, an activity where children paid respect to their mothers, and the planting of trees.
Vice Admiral Wipak Noyjinda, Commander of Sattahip Naval Base, leads the Mother’s Day candle lighting activities on the occasion of Queen Sirikit’s 83rd birthday.
Parent Thongrob Malee said it was good to have a Mother’s Day activity at school as it required mothers to participate. But he suggested that the school should show some concern for kids who have no mothers.
Pattaya’s ‘main event’
Pattaya’s “main event” began at 4:30 p.m. with closure of Beach Road and the kickoff of a smaller Mother’s Day parade. City hall scaled back the number of participants – although all 42 communities were still represented – and had the marching band from Pattaya School No. 7 lead the procession while performing the Royal Anthem and Sadudee Maharacha en route to Bali Hai Pier.
Lovely traditional dancers perform on the Bali Hai stage to honor HM the Queen.
At 8 p.m. Beach Road reopened and the celebration began at the South Pattaya jetty, with shows put on by students from various schools, including traditional dances many more.
There were two stages, and the smaller stage was located in the area for the Aug. 16 “Bike For Mom” project, which was chaired by former Culture Minister Sonthaya Kunplome. Officials awarded prizes to 150 cyclists who signed up for the trek.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome leads the flower offering ceremony at Bali Hai.
Pattaya Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome emceed activities on the large stage, where the ceremony offering flowers, incense and candles to a portrait of HM the Queen took place, followed by offerings from all Pattaya’s communities.
In all, more than 1,000 people attended the birthday event and were rewarded with a large fireworks display at the end of the night.
The Pattaya area also saw private celebrations such as the annual Mother’s Day festival at Nong Nooch Tropical Garden.
Pattaya Mail’s Nutsara Duangsri places our flower cone in front of an image of HM the Queen.
General Manager Pantanan Kanthisookpan led the offering of flowers as more than 2,000 children and mother’s looked on.
The celebration included elephant shows and a Bike For Mom signup activity. The highlight of this year was three young elephants who offered flowers to 12 mothers.
Sattahip
At the auspicious hour of 7:09 p.m., Sattahip District Chief Parinya Phothisut opened the district’s “Tak Baht” merit-making ceremony for Mother’s Day.
Eighty-four monks were invited to receive alms at the colorfully decorated district headquarters.
Parinya then moved to Sattahip Community Hall to head the 8:39 p.m. flower-and-incense offering to HM the queen.
Students from Asia Technology University look smart as they march in their dress whites for the Mother’s Day parade.
The celebration was well attended by many civil servants, local officials, residents, police officers, soldiers and students.
He also used the occasion to donate funds from the Sattahip Red Cross to homeless people. Among the recipients was Benjawan Chucherd, who received 100,000 baht, Boonmak Kothibdee who was given 58,600 baht, and Tawatchai Wongsakorn who received 25,900 baht.
Pattaya Sports Club members proudly display their banner in the parade.
Royal Thai Navy officials in Sattahip, meanwhile, held their own commemoration with Vice Adm. Wipak Noyjinda chairing the candle-lighting event at the Sattahip Naval Base.
More than 2,000 people took part, singing songs for HM the Queen and enjoying a massive fireworks display.
Wipak Noyjinda offered his best well wishes to the Queen and prayed for her to have a long, healthy life.
Chonburi
In Chonburi, Gov. Khomsan Ekachai led the early morning merit-making ceremony with wife Busarawadee and large numbers of the province’s residents, public officials, students and military.
All alms offered on the occasion will be provided to sick people in various hospitals as well as elderly residents in need.
Later that evening, the governor took over as host of Chonburi’s birthday commemoration at Chonburi City Hall.
Mayor Itthiphol Kunplome and Chakorn Kanjawattana lead city officials in the candle lightening ceremony.
Over 1,000 residents crowd into the Bali Hai area, offering flowers and showing profound love for HM the Queen.
Sattahip District Chief Parinya Phothisut presents a flower cone to honor HM Queen Sirikit on her birthday.
Eighty-four monks were invited to receive alms at Sattahip’s district headquarters.
Chonburi Gov. Khomsan Ekachai hosts the province’s birthday commemoration for HM the Queen at Chonburi City Hall.
Gov. Khomsan Ekachai leads the early morning merit-making ceremony with wife Busarawadee and large numbers of the province’s residents in Chonburi.
District Chief Chakorn Kanjawattana leads the alms offering activities at Banglamung in the morning.
Volunteers from both the public and private sector work very hard, both behind the scenes and on stage, to bring the ceremonies to the public. (l-r) Miss Rangsima Chanchote from the Education Department Pattaya, Jirasak Jitsom, director of Pattaya School 11, Wannapa Wannasri, head of the Education Development Department Pattaya, Pratheep ‘Peter’ Malhotra, MD Pattaya Mail, Wirawan Somkuen from the education Department Pattaya and PaitoonChanchang, deputy director of Pattaya School 11.
An elephant at Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens performs for the Ride for Mom event.
Many foreign visitors turned up to witness the Mother’s Day parade.
The Pattaya Drum and Bugle Corps plays the national anthem.
