“Phuket Balloon Festival 2009′ at Central Festival

PHUKET CITY: Central Festival Phuket will host the Christmas-themed ‘Phuket Balloon Festival 2009’ starting with a grand opening ceremony at 1pm on Saturday.

To take place in the Grand Hall on the mall’s first floor, the event will feature balloons up to three meters across, specially crafted to resemble a variety of sea creatures.

Under the theme ‘Christmas Under the Sea,’ these will be on display to the public free-of-charge until December 27.

The event is the first-ever of its kind in Phuket or the South, organizers say.

Activities to take place on Saturday include a fashion show (featuring celebrity models dressed up as sea creatures), appearances by clowns and a ‘bubble show’.

Just as the frenzy of last-minute shopping hits fever pitch on December 24, there will be a Christmas tree decoration contest starting at 4:30pm with prizes of 10,000 baht, 5,000 baht and 3,000 baht for the lucky winning teams.

The contest will admit fifteen teams of teenagers and young adults.

The trees must be made entirely of either natural or recycled materials under the contest theme, ‘Green Christmas’. The judging panel will include representatives of the Phuket Energy Office and local artists.

The award ceremony will be followed by a Christmas tree lighting ceremony at 6pm.

Those wishing to learn more or take part in the contest can pick up application forms at Central Festival Phuket located at the Darasamuth School Intersection on the bypass road in tambon Wichit.

— Atchaa Khamlo