September Festival Guide

Phichit Boat Race 2008

This is your September Festival Guide full of wonderful festivities and events happening in and around the whole country. Thai people will almost certainly invite you to come and join in with all the fun as they celebrate. Most regions in Thailand have their own brand of entertainment and all foreigners are more than welcome to participate in these fun times.

May I suggest that you jump in at every possible opportunity. Please remember though that not all festivals and events happen on the same day each year. Many have fixed dates and others are determined by the lunar calendar.

The Phichit Boat Race is a type of regatta featuring a variety of extremely long boats but not to be confused with the long-boats that you encounter around the islands in the south. This traditional event of long standing takes place in the town of Phichit which you will find located at the far end of the central plains about 340 kilometers or 210 miles north of Bangkok. The race itself is set on the bank of the Mae Nam Nan River in front of the temple Wat Tha Luang.

This delightful race has tremendous pride amongst the locals and takes place on the first Saturday and Sunday in September every year. Should you witness this spectacular event, you will see just how these locals go about their race with such zest. Don't forget to check out the video too!

Taan Khuay Salak is a succession of similar dragon boat races celebrated on the Nan River between mid-September and mid October every year.

Chinese Moon Festival In Phuket

September Festival Guide

These festivities are usually conducted by the women folk as the Chinese people believe that the moon is uniquely associated with female deity. Other forms of small shrines laden with fruit, candles and incense are placed in front of homes to honour the moon goddess.

Celebrations include the eating of moon cakes which are shaped like that of the full moon. Many of these cakes are specially prepared by Chinese chefs who are flown in from Hong Kong. Some of the ingredients included many types of Chinese nuts as well as lotus seeds and red beans.

The Thai people have their own variations of ingredients for these cakes including a fruit called the Durian. This fruit has a wonderful taste if you can withstand the unpleasant odour that emanates from within. Other ingredients include chestnuts and the persimmon which is a sweet red tropical fruit originated from China.

Additional ingredients may include lotus seeds, salted egg yolk and watermelon seeds. Not the typical chocolate cakes that we may be used too but quite scrumptious all the same.

This is the Durian Fruit

Chestnuts

Persimmon Fruit

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