For expats living in Thailand, 12th August every year is just another holiday. Even better when it comes close to a weekend like this year and they can go away on a holiday. However, for Thai people it is both the Queen’s Birthday and Mother’s Day.
Holidays like this one are the busiest times for the media as there is always many events being organized. I have to take pictures for two local newspapers as well as our own online news magazine at www.paknam.com so had to turn up for the merit making event at 7 a.m. in the morning.
About 100 monks were invited to a merit making event for the Queen’s birthday. Thai people normally give alms on their own birthday. But this time they were doing it in order to make merit for the Queen. This was followed by the releasing of 1 million tiny marine creatures into the river.
After a short break I was back again at the Provincial Hall for the more formal ceremony to pay homage to a portrait of H.M. The Queen. This is compulsory for all government officials. As you can see, they had to put on their formal dress uniform.
In this picture, you can see police commanders from Samut Prakan wearing their white uniforms complete with ceremonial swords.
I then had to come back again at 6 p.m. for the main event of the day when local schools and organizations came together to pay their respects to H.M. The Queen on the occasion of her birthday.
This finished at about 8.30 p.m. after a fireworks show and traditional Thai dancing. That wasn’t all I did that day as I also had to go to Ancient Siam and The Erawan Museum to take pictures of their Mother’s Day activities. I think I need a holiday after all that!
- Posted from my iPhone
better than KFC and McDonalds lol but the name...