Mother Nature rained on Pattaya’s big parade as the city hosted the International Fleet Review to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Even through sailors had to march through calf-deep water and many tourists stayed indoors instead of watching the parades, Thai officials called the show a spectacular success, with Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on hand for the Nov. 19 official kickoff.
The day started sunny, but quickly took a turn for the worse as the parades began. Sailors and military personnel from each of the 19 countries participating carried on in full dress uniform, ignoring the floods that reached 30 centimeters in places, shining an embarrassing international spotlight on Pattaya’s perpetual inability to control flooding.
