Phuket prepares for Kathu Cultural Street Festival

PHUKET: The third annual Kathu Culture Street Festival will take place this weekend, showcasing the cultural heritage of one of Phuket’s oldest and most vibrant communities.

The fun will begin tomorrow with a parade at 5pm along Wichit Songkraam Rd, from the Ketho Child Development Center to the Kathu Public Health Center.

Traffic will be prohibited between Kathu Municipality offices to Kathu Health Center while festivities are taking place on Friday and Sunday night, from 7am to midnight.

In addition to the sale of local food and handicrafts, activities showcasing local lifestyle during Phuket’s tin-mining era will be displayed on five stages along the road.

The opening ceremony will take place at the main stage in front of the health center at 7pm.

“Kathu has a long history of tin mining. The three days of activities will not only provide fun, but a knowledge of local history that should not be missed,” said Kathu Mayor Chai-anan Suthikul.

The event will attract more tourists to Kathu in the low season and help preserve the town’s unique culture, he said.

Festival goers will want to keep an eye on the sky, as the Meteorological Department’s forecast for the weekend calls for mostly cloudy conditions and thunderstorms covering 30 to 40 per cent of Phuket until Tuesday.

— Pimwara Choksakulpan