Year Of The Golden Ox Begins On Monday

[Kerryd]

Year of the Golden Ox begins on Monday

Local celebrations run from January 24-27 at Bali Hai Pier

Sawittree Namwiwatsuk

Officially, Chinese New Year begins on January 26, and this year the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)

will help promote the celebrations in nine provinces, hoping to boost revenue from tourism at the same time.

Locally, celebrations will be held at Bali Hai Pier from January 24-27 using the following schedule:

Saturday 24th

19.00 Hrs: Official Opening Ceremony by the Mayor and the Pattaya City Council, Chonburi Governor, TAT Pattaya Director, and the VIP from China.

19.30 - 22.30 Hrs: Various Chinese cultural performances brought to you by the TAT

Sunday 25th

18.00: Mo-Ta-Mae band show

19.00: Games to win prizes

19.30: Various Variety Shows

21.00: Games to win prizes

22.00-24: Ban Ban band show

Monday 26th from 9.00 – 20.00 Hrs

The Dragon troupe and the City Official pay respects to:

9.09: King Taksin’s Monument in front of the City Hall

10.30: Chinese God at the Sanctuary in Naklua market with parades and Dragon Shows

13.30: King Chumporn’s Monument

18.00-20.00 at the Walking Street gate the parade starts then proceeds through the Walking Street to the Main Stage at the Bali Hai Pier

At the Main Stage (Bali Hai) Monday 26th

18.00: Ha-Noi musical show

19.00: Chinese Girl Pattaya 2009 Contest first round

19.40: Mask Changing Show

20.00: Chinese Girl Pattaya 2009 Contest Second round to select last 15

20.40: Beijing Lions Show

21.00: Full Show of the Dragon Troupe

22.30: Pek Palitchoke Concert

23.30: Ice Saranyoo Concert

Tuesday 27th

19.00: Chinese Acrobatic Shows

19.30: Chinese Girl Pattaya 2009 Contest third round

20.00: Games to win prizes

20.10: Chinese Girl Pattaya 2009 Contest – talent shows and announces the winner

20.50: Martial Arts performances

21.20: Concert by Scrubb

22.20: Concert by Joey Boy and his team

Nationally, TAT has joined the Ministry of Chinese Culture to help organize the celebrations,

hoping to attract enough visitors who they expect to inject as much as 550 million baht into the economy.

On January 14 at the TAT building, Chumpol Silpa-archa, Minister of Tourism and Sports, announced this year’s celebration, with Weerasak Kowasurat, president of TAT, Chen Jiang, cultural attaché from the Embassy of China, and Pornsiri Manoharn.

Minister Chumpol said he is pleased at the joint efforts by many organizations to preserve the Chinese New Year celebrations. He expects around 500,000 people to take part in the celebrations daily, with at least 20% being foreigners.

If you plan to travel outside of Pattaya, you can catch the TAT sponsored celebrations in the following cities:

Bangkok: China Town, Yaowarat on January 27 where the highlights of the event are the Kuan-Im goddess and performances by seven acts from China.

Ratchaburi: In China Town January 23-31.

Ayutthaya: A festival from January 27-31.

Supanburi: January 25 to February 1.

Nakhon Ratchasima: January 26-27.

Nakhon Sawan: January 19-30.

Chiang Mai: China Town on January 26-27.

Hat Yai-Songkla: January 26-29.

Phuket: January 31 to February 2.

Pattaya Mail - Vol. XVII No. 4