November 5, 200619 yr last year at this time I happened to be at home on a short break and went along to the wat to observe the festivities. I panicked as I didn't expect the swarms of people, the noise and generalised chaos...I fled and didn't even put the little boat in the water. This year I knew what to expect and indicated to the wife that I would be in attendance...the wife remembering the previous fiasco said 'sure?' The chaos began a half mile from the wat with a humongous traffic jam...the BiB (locals whom I never seen before in our small town) waving torches about listlessly as motorists and motorcyclists jockeyed for parking. There was a fun fair with ferris wheel and merry-go-round, endless food stalls and stalls selling every conceiveable item, two sound stages (one traditional thai music and one pop), a muay thai boxing ring, a movie venue and swarming masses of people...looked like the entire population of Suphanburi was there. we made our way to the water's edge (Talking Heads...'take me to the river and put me in the water...') and the wife appeared with the little boats. We lit the candles and the joss sticks and the wife looked at me and said 'OK darling?' then bent her head in prayer. I became all lacrymose as I usually do during solemn occasions and said 'to whomever is listening bless this family and bless me because you know we deserve it...'. There were some kids in the water that took the 10 baht offering to push the boats out and away from the edge. I enjoyed a moment of companionable silence with the wife and thought , 'I've become part of a great tradition...'. we repaired to the traditional thai music sound stage, a big crowd, as Mama-in-law likes these things as as girl she was a singer in traditional thai music groups. We lucked out and found a table at one of the adjacent food stalls...I had kwieteo...quite good as well. Later, one of the bros-in-laws motorbiked me back to the house 10 mins away... tutsiwarrior's loy krathong adventure...what about you guys?
November 6, 200619 yr Author We've still got the biggest night to go in Chiang Mai! whaddaya mean?...isn't loy krathong on the same day evrywhere in Thailand?...you guys got sum sorta heathen calender or sumpin' up there?
November 6, 200619 yr It's the Chiang Mai version that's called something like Yee Ping and lasts a little longer than elsewhere. You DO know that Songkran can last weeks here, but only something like 2 days in Bangkok?
November 6, 200619 yr Went to diiner last night at a lakeside place, chucked a few Kratongs in the river, lit a few sparklers for the kids, launched one of them rising balloon things, had a bottle of Scotch, went home to bed. Rather uneventful!!!!
November 6, 200619 yr Author It's the Chiang Mai version that's called something like Yee Ping and lasts a little longer than elsewhere. You DO know that Songkran can last weeks here, but only something like 2 days in Bangkok? forgive my ignorance...I'm just a dumb falang... also forgive my mis-spelling of calendar...calender has a completely different meaning according to Merriam-Webster...
November 6, 200619 yr It's the Chiang Mai version that's called something like Yee Ping and lasts a little longer than elsewhere. You DO know that Songkran can last weeks here, but only something like 2 days in Bangkok? forgive my ignorance...I'm just a dumb falang... also forgive my mis-spelling of calendar...calender has a completely different meaning according to Merriam-Webster... You are not dumb in any regard. Been reading your posts for years! -G
November 6, 200619 yr We built as big a bonfire as I could manage ( no guy ) a few fireworks and some family around to eat and drink, lots of those little lights everywhere, and pushed a few Kratongs onto the fish pond..not strictly correct as it should be running water. The best full moon of the year
November 6, 200619 yr Not to dampen the spirits too much, but many communities across Thailand (including mine) had a much more somber tone this year in deference to the cities that suffered severe flooding.Our own town normally has a huge 4 to 5 day festival with rides, multiple concerts, fireworks, closed-off streets, etc. This year it was all cancelled, except for one small stage with traditional Thai dancing. People, in far fewer numbers than usual, came to float their krathong and then left shortly thereafter. We empathize with our fellow Thai cities that have and still are suffering due to the floods... from the post pictures thread
November 6, 200619 yr Author yeah...on the road to the north out of town in low lying areas houses are under water...the old family home, on stilts over a paddy is also flooded...the bro-in-law that still lives there manages to make do...other areas to the south are also flooded... wouldn't know it at the local loy krathong festivities...sanook at full throttle...
Create an account or sign in to comment