Celebrating Phuket’s tin-mining past on Loy Krathong 2014

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Celebrating Phuket’s tin-mining past on Loy Krathong 2014
Suthicha Sirirat

PHUKET: If you’re in Phuket on November 3-4, be sure to head up to Thalang’s Si Sunthon district for their annual “Loy Krathong” celebration, which will feature a lot of local history, colour, culture, entertainment, food and fancy fair festivities galore.

This year’s Loy Krathong celebrations in Sisunthon will be dubbed “Kit Teung Tai Raang Part 3”, a consecutive, themed festivity to commemorate the glorious Tin Mining past of the area, and will take place in the courtyards surrounding the Bang Maruan water retention area.

Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong, along with Si Sunthon Mayor Worawut Songyot and Tourism Authority of Thailand Phuket office chief Anoma Wongyai presided over the press conference this morning to announce the festivities.

Be sure to bring a camera, appetite and curiosity as there will be plenty in store to captivate you and the entire family – parades, shows, games and of course, the traditional Loy Krathong water floating rites, traditionally held in the evening, under the bright moonlight.

Loy Krathong is one of Thailand’s most popular traditional festivals, second only to perhaps Songkran. Its date, dictated by the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar, varies every year, but usually happens in November.

Traditionally, the underlying objective of the tradition was to pay homage to the life-giving water guardian (Mae Kong Ka), and to ask for forgiveness for polluting her all year.

In the old days, organic biodegradable materials were used to construct the “Krathong” floats; however, many materials used today include non bio-degradable materials, such as plastic, safety pins, candle wax and joss sticks.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/celebrating-phuket%E2%80%99s-tin-mining-past-on-loy-krathong-2014-49215.php

-- Phuket News 2014-10-18