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Bangkok Fair & Fastivals
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Chinese New Year |
As most people in Bangkok are of Chinese origin, this festival is
entrenched in the culture and forms an important event of the city.
Celebrated in January, it is marked by paying homage to the departed
souls of forefathers. Elders give money to small children as tokens
of love. Families gather together and celebrate by holding a feast.
Various colorful parades and contests are held around the place, the
most important one being the Chinese Food Festival in Chinatown.
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Songkran Festival |
Songkran festival marks the traditional Thai New Year and is
especially popular for its bedlam of exciting water fights. In
Bangkok, the excitement of Songkran is most prominent near the Grand
Palace and Sanam Luang. The water spatter associated with the
festival lasts for about three days, over the lunar full moon. Boat
races are held and colorful dancers and music troupes parade the
city grounds. Thai people enjoy family gatherings and visit temples
during this time.
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Royal Ploughing Ceremony |
It is an ancient Brahmanic ceremony that is being celebrated in
Bangkok since the Sukothai period. The event is hosted near Sanam
Luang in May, by the King who bestows farmers with his blessings for
a productive harvest. He also initiates the season by ploughing the
ground. After this ceremonial ploughing, the sacred bulls are
offered seven different platters, containing rice, corn, beans,
sesame seeds, alcohol, water and glass. The bulls' choice of food is
used to predict the agricultural produce for that particular year.
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Loy Krathong |
This festival commemorates the Goddess of Water and has been
observed all over Thailand, since the Sukothai period. People
congregate at the waterside during the full moon in November and
offer their 'krathong' (a lotus-shaped vessel decorated with flowers
and candles) and 'loy' (float) it in the water. In this way, they
thank the Water Goddess for giving them water for everyday use.
Various fun fairs, concerts, games and events are organized during
this period.
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The Golden Mount Fair |
The Golden Mount is a part of the Wat Saket Temple, which forms the
venue for the annual Golden Mount temple fair, celebrated in
November every year. The Golden Mount of Wat Saket is covered with
red cloth and the Buddhists in Bangkok visit the temple to offer
their obeisance to Lord Buddha's relics and rejoice in the festive
spirit. The whole aura of the place resembles a carnival, with folk
plays, local food stalls, bauble stalls and animal circuses.
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Thai Beer Festival |
Thai Beer Festival is celebrated in the cooler months of October or
November, after the monsoon spells are over. The event is ideal for
enjoying authentic Thai food and beer, as during this time, Thai
breweries set up stalls at various locations to promote their
brands. Various stage events and live performances are also held.
The most popular venue of the festival is the one located in front
of the World Trade Center, at the Rajprasong Intersection.
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Bangkok International Film Festival |
This festival is organized annually in February, by the Royal Thai
Government and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, to promote
alternative award-winning international and local films. The event
is characterized by various workshops, symposiums, special tributes,
the Bangkok Film Market (BFM) and other notable events. The festival
mainly aims at drawing attention to the emerging filmmakers
throughout Asia, in particular to those of the Southeast Asian
region.
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Bangkok Travel Information
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