Asalaha Bucha and Khao Pansaa next week

Next week marks the beginning of Buddhist Lent with two of the most important religious days on the Thai calendar, Asalaha Bucha and Khao Pansaa.

The back-to-back Buddhist holidays next week means two dry days in Pattaya as bars, restaurants and entertainment venues are barred from selling alcohol on Thursday, July 30, and Friday, July 31.

Khao Pansaa marks the start of the monks’ “rains retreat,” during which they stay inside temple grounds so as not to trample crops during the rainy season. Candles are seen as a way to provide monks enlightenment during their prayers and candle parades are popular.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/asalaha-bucha-and-khao-pansaa-next-week-49239#sthash.O1smCwGY.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2015-07-24

No surprise that for Pattaya Mail the main cultural point to be made about Khao Pansaa and Asalha Bucha is the impact on alcohol drinking.

I recall several years ago, me & 2 other friends working in Kuwait all happened to be on vacation at the same time in Pattaya. We were ready to whoop it up & they had elections = no booze.

We were practiced old hands though & just took our own jug to the restaurant, exactly like we did in Kuwait.

I think daily life as usual during these days . Or banks closed ?