Yesterday, I opened the calendar and found a mark on 27 November 2023 which is The celebration of the Loy Krathong Festival.
Surprisingly, the first day of WBUAP MRGA 2023 is the same day of The celebration of the Loy Krathong Festival in Thailand.
Allow me to explain what I got from the Internet for some of you who might not know about The celebration of the Loy Krathong Festival.
Actually, the celebration of the Loy Krathong Festival in Phuket is not so huge compared to Chiang Mai and Bangkok; however, Phuket is a great place to go, where you can combine a relaxing beach holiday with the beautiful cultural experience of Loy Krathong.
Loy Krathong is celebrated on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar, this usually falls in November. In 2023, Loy Krathong in Phuket will be held on the 27th of November, 2023.
Loy Krathong, or the Thai Light and Lantern Festival, is one of the most important and anticipated festivals celebrated in Thailand every year. Loy is the Thai word for “float” and a Krathong is a piece of banana trunk decorated with flowers, banana leaves, a candle, and incense sticks.
During Loy Krathong, millions of people gather at waterways and lakes in Thailand to pay respect to the water goddess and apologize for any contamination of water in the past year.
The sending off of krathongs symbolizes the release of bad luck from the previous year and allows participants to make a wish for good fortune in the coming year.
Loy Krathong is celebrated on all of Phuket’s waterways, beaches, hotels, and resorts.
- Patong Beach
Patong is traditionally one of the busiest centers of events on the island of Phuket for Loy Krathong. There might be many celebration activities along Patong Beach, such as performances, the traditional “Nang Noppamas” beauty pageant, and the renowned “Most Beautiful Krathong” contest. There might be street foods stalls and booths showcasing local entertainment for people to enjoy. - Phuket Town
Locals typically celebrate in Saphan Hin Park and Suan Luang Park in Phuket Town. If you’re keener on a more local experience with treats and performances and don’t mind the crowds then these locations are for you.
Make your krathongs
Building your own krathongs is a great way to put a more personal touch into the ceremony.
Traditional krathongs are made from a slice of banana tree, banana leaves, and flowers. You’ll also place a lit candle and incense stick in the center as an offering to Buddha and the water goddess. People often add coins, and maybe hair and nail clippings, hoping for good luck and casting off bad luck.
All in all, as the head of exhibition and special event of WBUAP GRMA 2023. We plan to do a mini-festival in the hotel area.
First, we will start the exhibition from 12 hrs until 20.30 hrs. Second, there is a mini-concerts in both 26-27 of November starting from 17.00-20.00 hrs.
I’m waiting for the confirmation from the local authorities what kinds of exhibitions will be there in the event. Maybe, they will bring the Phuket cultural shows in the WBUAP MRGA exhibition hall, or there might be the foods festival from 26-29 of November.
We do our best to make this WBUAP MRGA become a real fantastic for all.