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Surfcrest
April 5th, 2014, 03:31
Holiday & Events, Thailand

Poi Sang Long Festival
Date & Venue: 1-4 April, 2014 at Wat Pa Kham, Pai District (parade on the 3rd) 3-6 April, 2014 at Wat Sriboonrueng, Maesarieng District (parade on the 5th) 6-9 April, 2014 at Wat Don Chedi, Muang District (parade on the 8th) Mae Hong Son Province

The annual Poi Sang Long Festival is an aged-old ordination ceremony undergone by boys between seven and 14 years of age of the Thai Yai ethic group in northern Thailand, but mostly synonymous with Mae Hong Son province. The ritual consists of taking novice monastic vows and participating in monastery life for a period of time that can vary from a week to many months or more. Usually, a large group of boys are ordained as novice monks at the same time. The ceremony goes on for three days. In the first day or Sang Long receiving day, the boys will enter a tonsure ceremony and dress up in the Sang Long dress. On most days, the boys will be spending almost the entire time being carried around on the shoulders of their older relatives. But itтАЩs on the second day or Krua Lu parade day that the grand procession takes place along the road. On the third day or Kam Sang day, the boys are ordained, and enter the monastery for a period of time. The three-day ritual is believed by the Thai Yai people in Mae Hong Son that it will help gain more the result of the merit than the ordinary ordination.

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Samutsongkram Lychee Festival 2014
28 March тАУ 7 April, 2014
In front of Samut SongkramтАЩs City Hall

Samut Songkram is organising its popular annual Lychee Festival as part of an ongoing drive to enhance the reputation of the province as the number one producer of great tasting, high-quality Lychee fruits.
The 12-day event will host a range of farmersтАЩ booths which will sell fresh lychee fruits freshly delivered by more than 180 growers in Samut Songkram. There will also be the local one-tambon, one product (OTOP) goods native to Samut Songkram, as well as tasty dried food and seafood products on sale.

And it isnтАЩt just food thatтАЩs on offer. Among the entertainment will be a Lychee eating competition, a pomelo competition and a whole lot more.

The highlight of this yearтАЩs event will be the first-ever Lychee Procession Competition in which performers will parade colourfully around the streets of the town for the entertainment of visitors.

Also throughout the month of April, visitors are encouraged to come and enjoy the taste of fresh Lychee from nearby farms. Many of the local growers will open up their orchards to guests, so that people can come and learn about this lovely sweet fruit and how itтАЩs grown.

This fun and educational event will take place in plantations around Wat Intharam, Wat Bangkung, Wat Pramote, and Wat Bangko Thepsak in Tambon Kwae Orm and Samut Songkram.

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Pad RewтАЩs Food and Fruit Festival
1 April 2014 - 30 April 2014
RatchabhatRachanakarin University, Chacheongsao province

There will be famous and good quality of Pad Rew such as the sale of agricultural products, processed agricultural products, exhibition about exporting mangos and mango contest.There will be also Nam Hom coconut, eggs, processed agricultural products, sticky rice with coconut milk contest, fighting fish contest, Som Tum mango contest by housewife communities. The thing you shouldnтАЩt miss is the agricultural product booths and famous thing from Pad Rew city.

At RatchabhatRachanakarin University, Chacheongsao province.

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Koh ChangтАЩs Food and Fruit Festival
1 April 2014 - 31 May 2014
Koh Chang, Thailand

Kohchang is the second largest island after Phuket, so that their area is very large and the beach is also beautiful. It is very famous for both Thai and foreign tourists.Another profession beside of fisherman is fruit gardener, especially Durian. Chani Durian or called in general as тАЬKoh Chang Durian has its own special taste which is different from others that is it is a little bit salt.There is the inspection which indicated that the Koh Chang Durian contains Iodine substance.Therefore, to promote the sale of agricultural product, AmphoeKoh Chang has created this festival.In the festival you can find agricultural products, OTOP products, products from the sea and performances on the stage etc. at the front of Koh Chang Government Office. There is the low cost sale of fruits directly from gardeners, fruit contest, processed fruits and the best seeds of Koh Chang Durian bid, as well.

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Thai Heritage Conservation Festival
2 April 2014 - 13 April 2014
Trang, Thailand

This festival gather many activities as following which will be held in the beginning of April into one festival

1. Thai Music/ Thai Heritage day

2. Phraya RatsadaQingming Festival

3. MahaChakri commemoration day

4. Rubber tree day

5. Day of Older Persons and Songkran Day

6. Sritrang FlowerBloomingand Famous food day

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Sunrise at the gate тАУ Phanom Rung Historical Park Festival 2014
Date: 4-6 April, 2014
Phanom Rung Historical Park, Chalerm Prakiat district, Buriram

BuriramтАЩs most famous festival тАУ Sunrise at the gate тАУ Phanom Rung Historical Park festival will take place from 4 to 6 April.

The festival is always staged at this time of the year as this is when the rays of the rising sun shine through all of the Khmer templeтАЩs 15 doorways at the same time. This awe-inspiring spectacle takes place only four times a year at the Phanomrung Sanctuary and is believed to bring great blessings upon everyone who is there to witness it.

But seeing the magic of the rising sun isnтАЩt the only activity awaiting people who travel to the festival. There will be lots on for people interested in the divine and religious aspects of this fascinating temple. A ritual will be held to worship the gods and celestial beings of the Phanomrung Sanctuary (on 4 April at 6:30 hrs.) and there will also be a colourful parade to pay homage to the templeтАЩs goddess and deities (on 5 April at 14:00 hrs. and 6 April at 15:30 hrs.).

When the sun has gone down, a spectacular light and sound will be staged as well as presentations and cultural performances to enjoy on 5 and 6 April at 20:00 hrs. Visitors to the festival will also be able to try a wide range of local cuisine at the Muang Pae old market, as well as find shops selling one-tambon-one-product souvenirs made in the local community. Having visited the Phanom Rung Sanctuary, tourists can also explore other attractions in vicinity including Muang Tam Sanctuary in Prakhonchai district, Wat Khao Angkarn тАУ the Buddhist temple on an extinct volcano, the silk and cotton weaving village of Tambon Charoensuk, and Lamnangrong dam of Non Dindaeng district тАУ all these attractions and more can be found in Buriram province.

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Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai celebrates 20th anniversary
Date: 4-8 April, 2014
Hat Chom Manee, Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, Nong Khai

ThailandтАЩs Nong Khai Province in cooperation with Lao PDRтАЩs Vientiane Province and Australia are jointly organising a grand celebration to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge from 4-8 April, 2014 at Hat Chom Manee, Nong Khai. The grand celebration will take place on 5 April, 2014 with highlight activities being the grand opening ceremony of the 20th Anniversary Celebration of Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge and spectacular light and sound presentation, firework displays, water curtain performances, as well as cultural shows from three countries тАУ Thailand, Lao PDR and Australia. In addition, there will be two other opening ceremonies to mark the Thai-Lao relations, including the photo exhibition on Nong Khai тАУ Vientiane 100 Years of Relations and the Rukkachart Park of 60th Year Thai-Lao Diplomatic Relations. The grand celebration day will be fun-filled with mini music concerts by famous Thai singers тАУ Songsit Rungnoppakhunsri and Viyada Komarakul Na Nakhon. On 6 April, 2014, there will be special events to promote tourism of Thailand and Lao PDR, including cycling over the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, golf tournament, Nong Khai dance carnival performances and contests to get cash prizes worth 100,000 Baht. A mini concert from famous singers will also be added to the fun. Throughout the five-day event, there will be trade fairs of products from Thailand, Lao PDR, Australia, China and Vietnam at the ceremonial park in front of the Nong KhaiтАЩs old City Hall building.

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Songkran тАШSong Nam Oi TanтАЩ in Sri Satchanalai
6 April 2014 - 16 April 2014
An open space in front of the Phraya Lithai Memorial Monument and Sri Satchanalai Historical Park, Amphoe Sri Satchanalai, Sukhothai

тАЬPeople of Sukhothai usually have a high moral standard and they are usually Oi Tan.тАЭ This line was written on the reverse side of the first stone inscription that told stories of Sukhothai when it was the first Kingdom of Thailand. And this is the origin of the тАШSong Nam Oi Tan, Songkran Sri SatchanalaiтАЩ Festival. The people of Sri Satchanalai celebrate the countryтАЩs New Year with the word тАШOiтАЩ which means тАШto doтАЩ, together with the word тАШTanтАЩ which means тАШdonationтАЩ; thus, тАШOi TanтАЩ means тАШto donateтАЩ. This is a part of their way of life that has been continuing since the beginning of the nation, as written on the stone inscription. Hence, the Sri SatchanalaiтАЩs Songkran тАШOi TanтАЩ is one of the тАШmust-go-toтАЩ destinations.

Activities

-Join the worship ceremony of Phra Maha Thammaracha I and the royal dynasty.

-Watch the тАШLady Oi TanтАЩ competition.

-Celebrate тАШChang pho MueangтАЩ parade and series of Sri Satchanalai cultural shows.

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Songkran 2014 / Thai New Year
13 April тАУ 15 April
All Thailand

Truly, there are different ways people celebrate New Year. While western countries use fireworks for the celebration, Chinese nationals have their dragon dance. However, Thailand has the most unusual way of celebrating New Year, and this is known as Songkran Festival. If this is the first time you heard about this, then you may want to know more. Who knows? You might also be interested in joining them.

What is Songkran Festival?

If we would take a look at the history, Songkran actually originated from Burma. In fact, there are also other countries practicing such festivity like Vietnam and Laos. The word Songkran was actually derived from тАЬSankrantiтАЭ, which means тАЬto move or to changeтАЭ. Celebrated on particular dates in 13 April тАУ 15 April, Songkran 2014 is regarded as the longest holiday in Thailand. Unlike other festivals in the place, Songkran is said to be the grandest since it is traditionally celebrated for three consecutive days.

Similar to other nationalities, Thais also have beliefs which truly originated from their forefathers. A day before the celebration of Songkran, the housewives must clean their house and remove all the rubbish. Otherwise, it might bring them bad luck for the remaining months of the recent year. As part of the belief, Buddha images should be washed carefully so as to bring good fortune to house owners.

Rather than an earthly enjoyment, Songkran 2014 focuses on spiritual intentions like giving alms to monks and paying a visit to Buddhist temples in their place. In addition to that, they build sand pyramid images and festoon colorful stuff such as flowers and flag lets.

But before we forget, the festival would not be complete without the so-called Water fight. Armed with water guns and water containers, travelers and natives including children throw water upon others, which symbolizes cleansing and rejuvenating of their bodies. There is no exception in this festival but obviously everyone understands the real meaning of this event

There are also places in Bangkok where side events took place. While other folks are busy cleansing and throwing water to the passersby, there is a pageant where women from the particular area showcase beauty and talents. But just like how April FoolsтАЩ Day is being celebrated, there are also women who play pranks on men while passing the streets.

When is Songkran Festival 2014?

In the past, there is no particular date as it was originally set through astrological calculation. But now, there is already a fixed date for the celebration, Just in case the dates fall on a weekend, they will still follow the date but some of the missed days will be taken from weekdays. However, just to make sure, everyone can join the event, the three consecutive days are declared as non-working holidays. Songkran 2014 falls on April 13, 2014 to April 15, 2014.

In conclusion, Songkran festival is a mix of tradition and fun. On the other hand, this even is also about showcasing ThaiтАЩs finest dishes. After the tiring 3-day celebration, natives in their genuine kindness diligently serve the guests and travelers with their very affordable cocktails and spicy goodies.

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http://songkran2014.com/

Surfcrest

Surfcrest
April 10th, 2014, 23:56
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Songkran р╕зр╕▒р╕Щр╕кр╕Зр╕Бр╕г р╕▓р╕Щр╕Хр╣М тАУ Water Festival (Thai New Year) 2014

Sunday, 13 April 2014 to Tuesday, 15 April 2014 is arguably the best time of year to be in Thailand as this is the time of the Songkran festival. This is a time for water fights, parties, and spending time with family. Chiang Mai is a well-known venue for travelers to experience this, though the celebration is country-wide (actually throughout much of the Mekong region).

тАвIn 2014 because the 13th falls on a Sunday, an extra holiday will be added on the 16th of April (Wednesday).


тАвMonday, 13 April 2015 to Wednesday, 15 April 2015


Songkran 2014 water festival, Thailand: details and guide to the Thai New Year

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/thailand/10734753/Songkran-2014-water-festival-Thailand-details-and-guide-to-the-Thai-New-Year.html

http://goasia.about.com/od/Events-and-Holidays/a/Thailand-Water-Festival.htm

Surfcrest