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Poi Sang Long ceremony
at Pa Pao Temple, Chiang Mai
Nopniwat Krailerg
Earlier this week, Tai tribes people hailing from several
districts in the upper northern region of Chiang Mai led their children to
join the annual Poi Sang Long ceremony at Wat Pa Pao Temple in Muang, Chiang
Mai. This year’s event was supported by TAT, as well as the Chiang Mai
municipality.
 Poi
Sang Long or Buad Look Kaew is a ceremony for young boys entering the
priesthood; they will have all their hair shaved and wear beautiful
decorations.
Relatives and friends accompanied and congratulated 49
Buddhist novices, and the traditional “Samanen Hae Look Laew” (parade of
Buddhist novices took place with participants carrying trees decorated with
bank notes and necessities for the Buddhist novices), around the pagoda of
the temple.
Poi Sang Long or Buad Look Kaew is a ceremony for young
boys entering the priesthood. This ceremony is usually organized from March
to May, by calling the young men “Sang Long”; they will have all their
hair shaved (except eyebrows), wear beautiful decorations such as necklaces,
bracelets and rings.
They have to wrap their heads like Burmese, wear long
socks and a sarong, put white powder on their faces and paint their eyebrows
and lips. All these signs indicate that even a rich man could leave all
behind to join the priesthood.
This ceremony is not only a tradition, but it has also developed into a
magnet for tourists, Thais and foreigners alike.
The Ostrich Eggs signature
and BBQ afternoon
Gerald van
der Straten Ponthoz
A cool BBQ afternoon with friends to celebrate Songkran
was happening at Insii Thai House Maechan Chiangrai.
 Everyone
was invited to decorate ostrich eggs by signing them in their own style.
High quality ostrich steaks from a farm in Chiang Rai
with the ‘nice extra’ of ostrich eggs did the trick.
The ostrich eggs were used for a contest during the afternoon, which had
to be signed by the guests with a special present for the winner who had the
nicest signature. Everyone was invited to decorate ostrich eggs by signing
them in their own style and in the end five big ostrich eggs were covered by
the signatures and drawings of friends from Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai.
‘Andaman Spice’ — a fashion show with a message
Nopniwat Krailerg
Central Department Store started their nationwide
campaign ‘Andaman Spice’ last weekend at Central Airport Plaza Chiang
Mai. Orachorn Chanwiwattana, general manager, said this years ‘welcome
summer festival’ is to promote the Andaman area, and this time not only
for the foreigners who are already supporting the shaken region, but also
the Thais who have always been known to be too superstitious and are still
thinking twice about going down south. She referred to the people who lost
so much and urgently need tourists to recover in order to boost the economy
and urged Thais as well as foreign residents to show support for the people
of the Andaman area.
 Orachorn
Chanwiwattana, general manager of Central Airport Plaza (left) with
Junnapong Saranak, director TAT, Northern Region 1 and his wife.
Indeed Creation, a Chiang Mai organizing company provided
the ‘Andaman Spice’ fashion show with a pulsating atmosphere and
‘happy beach songs’ for people to get in the mood and to enjoy holiday
atmosphere. 30 male and female models cat walked fashions around the
Aquarium.
The fashion show emphasized colourful, trendy and informal dresses from
well known brand name such as Adidas, AIIZ, Portland, Puma and X=ACT.
Everybody agreed afterwards that the highlight was the shapely and scantily
clad models who dived into the aquarium to swim, to the utter consternation
of the fish.
Sumalee
Lukuan, (3rd from left in front row) marketing director of Chi Chang
Computers was seen in the audience and as always she looked as if she
belonged on the catwalk herself: trendy and stylish!
Sweet
and spicy, the models during their last pose in swimwear after one of them
took a dive into the aquarium.
Northern Local Larb Festival 2005 organized by Chiang Mai Correspondents Club
Nopniwat Krailerg
The Thirtieth Northern Local Larb Festival took place on
April 9 at Kad Suan Kaew department store. It was one of the Songkran
festival week activities, organized by the Chiang Mai Correspondents Club.
Sathid Klong-akkara, senior editor of Pak Nuea newspaper headed the
preparations, supported by Chiang Mai Provincial Administration
Organization, Tourism Authority of Thailand Northern Office Region 1, Kad
Suan Kaew department store and private sectors, including educational
institutes in Chiang Mai. The objectives were to conserve northern local
food, encouraging Lanna tradition, culture and tourism.
There were several activities provided such as Larb cooking by
journalists and the general public, vegetable carving, Miss Larb contest, of
course, with 39 participants, and a local costume competition both in male
and female categories.
Chao
Duangduan na Chiang Mai (left), president of Chiang Mai Provincial Culture
Council, Thawatwong na Chiang Mai, the president of Chiang Mai Province
Administration Organization (center) and Udom Suwitsakdanon, deputy
president of Chiang Mai Province Administration Organization.
Atmosphere
at the Northern local Larb competition 2005.
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