Pattaya tourists enjoy the beauty of Loy Krathong and eclipse on beach
Pattaya tourists got to enjoy the beauty of the Loy Krathong festival, combined with the lunar eclipse, on Tuesday night at Pattaya Beach. The crowd of thousands gathered on the beach to float their krathongs in the sea.
A video shows students from nearby schools wearing traditional Thai clothing, and assembling their krathongs for contests.
At the beach, there were over 100 stalls selling street food, drinks, sweets, and snacks, The Pattaya News reported. There was also a cultural dance performance.
Pattaya Mayor Poramase Ngampiches also stopped by the beach, encouraging visitors not to use styrofoam krathongs, since they would pollute the ocean.
The lunar eclipse was the cherry on top of the buzzing night. The eclipse this year has been called the “Beaver Blood Moon lunar eclipse” due to how the moon appeared to be a deep red colour.
Across Thailand, crowds have gathered to celebrate Loy Krathong. Bangkok dwellers floated as many as 572,602 krathongs down the city’s waterways.
Bangkokians celebrated Loy Krathong this year at several hotspots including ICONSIAM, Asiatique The Riverfront, Rama VIII Bridge, Lumphini Park, and more.
Loy Krathong takes place on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar. It is a time to celebrate and give thanks to the goddess of water, Phra Mae Kong Ka.
On this special night, people float lotus-shaped baskets called krathongs on rivers and waterways to thank Mae Kong Ka for her blessings. The holiday is believed to date back to the Sukhothai period in the 14th century, and there are different beliefs about its origins.
