Seven mini parades will mark the start of the Pattaya Issan Festival, running Friday through Sunday on Third Road.
Opening ceremonies will be held at Pattaya School No. 8 and the rest of the event will take place at the empty lot on Pattaya Third Road between North and Central roads. Registration begins at 1 p.m. at the South Pattaya School, with the 100-meter-long parades highlighting a variety of traditional northeastern dances, “pin” playing, “kaan” mouth-organ instrument playing and more, beginning their march through the city at 4 p.m.
The route begins at Walking Street and will move up Beach Road, eventually turning and moving to the festival site on Third Road by 6 p.m. Beach Road will be closed for those two hours and traffic police coordinated route plans with the Pattaya Issan Association at the March 3 preparation meeting.
Chanthiman Srirphosasuk, President of the Issan Association of Pattaya, shares thoughts with other members who attended a planning meeting for this year’s Issan Festival.
The event also will feature performances from actor Nadej Kokimiya and country music singer Ying Lee, general Issan music, and sales of northeastern products. There also will be a “phi ta khon” scary-ghost dance competition with winners receiving more than 100,000 baht in prizes.
The second day will feature a transvestite beauty show featuring performers from Mimosa Pattaya and various “mo lam sing” concerts. Rival transvestites from the Tiffany Show hit the stage on the third day before winners of the scary-ghost contest are announced.
Plenty of northeast-made products will be up for sale and profits from the entire event will be donated to Phrabatnam-pu Temple in Saraburi Province which helps AIDS and HIV patients.
City hall and volunteer police will provide security and parking will be available at School No. 8.
