1 thousand people celebrate start of Buddhist festival at Pattaya temple

About 1,000 people celebrated the start of a Buddhist festival at a temple in Pattaya on Sunday. The Nong Or Temple had a kick-off event for the Thod Kathin Festival with about 1,000 people in attendance.

Photos show a happy crowd of attendees smiling and clapping, as well as attendees presenting offerings to a monk.

The Thod Kathin Festival begins at the end of the Buddhist lent. At ceremonies, monks are given new robes. The festival involves a 30-day merit-making period, where people give offerings to monks.

The festival is commemorated by Buddhists in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and India.

At the packed kick-off event at Nong Or Temple on Sunday, attendees enjoyed a charity concert, merit-making, and prayers and chanting. Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet led a large delegation of politicians, bureaucrats and community leaders at the event, Pattaya Mail reported.

Volunteers at the festival sponsored 60 almshouses to give free food to the public. The temple added 2,536,784 baht to its coffers, with money to go toward building renovation and Buddhist programs.

Just last night, Thailand celebrated another Buddhist holiday, Loy Krathong. Bangkok dwellers floated more than half a million krathongs down the city’s waterways to mark the “festival of lights”.

Loy Krathong is a time to celebrate and give thanks to the goddess of water, Phra Mae Kong Ka.

At a time of two Buddhist holidays, Thailand seems to be in quite a festive mode.