Koh Samui Festival |
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Chak
Phra Festival |
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 Surat
Thani celebrates the official end of the annual 3-month
Buddhist Rains Retreat (Ok Phansa) in mid-October with
the Chak Phra Festival (literally 'the procession of
hauling the Buddha image). The tradition stems from
the belief that the Buddha ascended to Heaven during
Phansa to preach to his mother. The festival marks the
Buddha's return to Earth, and is an occasion for religious
merit-making and general celebrations. Local people
organise dazzling land and waterborne processions of
revered Buddha images (to symbolise the Buddha's return
to Earth) and boat races on the Tapi River where long
boats, manned by up to 50 oarsmen, are ebulliently raced.
Religious devotion, spectacle and merriment combine
to make Surat Thani's Chak Phra Festival a memorable
annual event.
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Rambutan
Fair |
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The annual August fair celebrates
the delicious fruit, first planted in Surat Thani during
1926. Highlights include floats adorned with rambutans
and other fruits, exhibitions of local products and
ornamental plants, and demonstrations by specially trained
monkeys who harvest coconuts. |
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Full
Moon Party |
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Once a month at Haad Rin Beach, Koh
Pha Ngan. 10,000 or more people make it a party to remember
along the one-kilometre sandy beach.
People party from dusk till dawn and even onto the
next day. Thai and western DJ's play sounds to cater
for all party goers tastes from Hip-Hop, House, Trance,
Garage and Jungle. International visitors and Thai celebrate
this world famous event together. |
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Songkran
(Thai New Year) |
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 The
Songkran is the most exuberant nationwide festival in
the Thai calender. It is a public holiday that is held
over three days from the 13th-15th April, and marks
the start of the Buddhist New Year.
Songkran has evolved over the centuries from a purely
religious event where Buddha images were bathed in water
to purify them, into a bigger celebration of water.
Today everybody gets wet as buckets of water are thrown
over everyone on the streets Songkrans originals customs
are still maintained, where younger Thais pay there
respects to monks and their elders by sprinkling their
hands with scented water. |
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Loi
Krathong |
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 This
traditional custom has been celebrated nationwide for
centuries. It is claimed that this historic ceremony
has its origin in the 13th Century during the Sukhothai
period. It is celebrated during the night of the full
moon on the 12 lunar month of every year (normally November).
On this night all Thais go to rivers and waterways to
float a Krathong in order to say thank you for the life-giving
water.
Loy means float and Krathong is the name of a small
artistic boat made from banana leaves and flowers. Each
Krathong contains a candle and incense. After lighting
the candle and incense send your Krathong off into the
night. Thais believe that if the candle's still burning
as the Krathong floats away, this will bring you good
luck in the coming year.
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Koh
Samui Music Festival |
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 Reinforcing
the festival's reputation as Asia's biggest live music
event, KSMF 2005 will include a wide and varied mix
of musicians and musical genres that made KSMF 2004
such a resounding hit ? and organisers can confirm high
profile international headline acts, UB40, Jerry Lee
Lewis, The Wailers, Jools Holland and The Blues Brothers
will be featuring in this year's festival.
Including the world's finest blues performers (promoted
by The John Lee Hooker Tribute); tropical big bands;
world music; as well as some of Thailand's leading performers,
KSMF 2005 promises to be the ultimate in musical experiences.
With world class music and spectacular outdoor theatre,
puppet shows and shadow theatre from around the world,
beach theatre and dramatic balloon performances ? KSMF
2005 will be a ten day event that promises to keep the
whole island rocking. For performance schedule and tickets,
visit www.kohsamuimusicfestival.com |
