Carnival “to be more international’

PHUKET: The annual carnival in Patong, held to mark the opening of the tourism high season, will take place this year from November 1 to 3, and has been renamed “Phuket Carnival 2005”.

Phuket Tourist Association President Pattanapong Aikwanich explained that the yearly event is to have more of an international flavor.

“We need to accept that 80% of Phuket’s tourism is reliant on foreigners, so we should make [the carnival] more international by inviting foreigners to take part.”

He explained that he expects around 10,000 people to attend. “Tourists start to arrive at that time of year and the first charter flights are also expected around then, so numbers will be up,” he commented.

He said that this year’s foreign participants will include Japanese and South Korean revelers.

The opening parade on November 1 will start at 4:30 pm near Simon Cabaret and wind its way along Prachanukhro Rd and on to Thaweewong Rd (the beach road).

The three days of activities will include a religious ceremony, the “longest beach massage”, an international beach buffet, OTOP products, a fashion show, and traditional local dancing.

Games and competitions will abound; the carnival will feature beach volleyball, beach soccer, a tug o’ war, an underwater garbage-gathering contest (which is expected to net three tons of refuse), a beer-drinking contest, and food-eating and -serving competitions.

For more information contact the Tourism Authority of Thailand at Tel: 076-212213