Phra Samut Chedi Worship Fair 2005

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If you are Thai culture lovers who want to touch and learn more about Thailand , we welcome to present you some great activities that will make you achieve your target in a short time of staying here.

When talking about circumference near Bangkok, Samutprakarn seems to be the first town most people think. This province is widely known as "Muang Pak Nam" located at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River, north to the Gulf of Thailand and about twenty-nine kilometers from Bangkok. Although it is very close to capital and full of factories , Samutprakarn is still famous in many exquisite attractions such as Bang Phu resort, Asokaram temple,Muang Boran (Ancient city), Samut Prakan Crocodile Farm and Zoo and Erawan museum , etc.

Besides those, this city is also a great home to both of Mon and Thai folk custom such as Yon bua festival and Pak Lat Songkran Fair. Yon bua is a festival which goes back a long, long time for the Bang Phli people and which have been followed by generation to generation. It is held yearly on the thirteenth day and the early morning of the fourteenth day of the waxing moon in the eleventh month of the lunar calendar. About Pak Lat Songkran fair, this is widely know as Phra pradaeng Songkran Fair held yearly on the first Sunday after Songkran Day (April 13^th). However, there is an important up coming festival we are proud to show you.

"Phra Samut Chedi Worship Fair" or so-called "Chedi Fair" is an annual festival held at Wat Phra Samut Chedi to celebrate the "Phra Samut Chedi" or "Chedi Klang Nam". This pagoda was built by the order of the King Rama III to satisfy his father (King Rama II ) intention. Generally, this pagoda is both of an historic site and sacred place where people from all over the country come to pay homage to . In addition, it is also an important symbol to Samutprakarn province. The fair lasts for nine days and nine nights, starting from the fifth day of the waning moon, the eleventh lunar month of every year. Around the second day of the waning moon (before the fair), the eleventh lunar month, Phra Samut Chedi townspeople and Buddhists in Samutprakarn Province would collaborate in sewing a large red cloth to wrap around the chedi. For this year, this festival will be held from October 23 - November 1.

Activites

The ceremony will begin with the procession in presenting the red cloth to cover the pagoda.

The procession will be run through the streets around the Pak Nam Market, then be brought onto boats going down the Chao Phraya River until it reaches the Phra Pradaeng District Office. Then the procession will return to Ong Phra Samut Chedi. After that people will walk around the Phra Samut Chedi (wian tian - walk, while holding lighted candles, around a temple) and cover the Phra Samut Chedi with red cloth .Besides this, for daytime , all visitors will enjoy with the striking boat racing in the Chao Phraya River.

For nighttime, the dark will be replaced with many colorful electric light of local entertainments and many local products shop through the road. More than these, Samutprakarn is also well known in the traditional Mon dessert called "Khanom Bueng Yuan". Whoever visite here must try it. If you are "Pad Thai & Hoi Thod" lovers , you will be pleased with these here. All ingredients are fresh from the sea, especially for shrimp and mussel. Roasted fishball , meatball and shrimpball are also great snack you shouldn't missed. You will find them in all sizes, but the giant is very wonderful . So, the Phra Samut Chedi Worship Fair won't disappoint you.

How to get there

By car

Sukhumvit Road (the old route) is a highway from Bangkok leading to Samutprakarn Province.

By air-conditioned bused :

Por Or 511 - Sai Tai Mai - Pak Nam

Por Or 507 - Sai Tai Mai - Pak Nam

Por Or 536 - Victory monument- Pak Nam

Por Or 25 - Tha Chang - Pak Nam

Por Or 8 -Tha Rajavoradit-Pak Nam

To worship the pagoda, you have to go by water way . There are daily ferries in front of Pak Nam fresh market around the clock ( cost is fixed by time).

5.00 am.-06.30 pm. =3 Bahts

6.30 pm. - 09.30 pm. = 3.50 Bahts

09.30 pm.-00.00 am. = 6 Bahts

00.00 am. - 5.00 am. = 10 Bahts