Thao Thepkasattri-Thao Sri Suntorn Festival
is rather a mouthful at the best of times, try saying it with a coupe, of
bottle of chang beer inside you. But what does it all mean, well Thao
Thepkasattri-Thao Sri Suntorn Festival is celebrated as one of Phuket Island’s
most famous carnivals. It takes place in the Thalang area of the island, near Bang Tao Beach and near the victory monument, which is pretty much bang in the
middle of the island.
The festival is to celebrate the most
important time in the history of Phuket. Commencing on the 2nd march
till the 17th and covering both cultural and sporting activities,
including: bicycle races, a mini marathon and a Buddhist ordination which is
called an uppasombor moo. The highlight of the entire fortnight is the huge and
spectacular show about the history of Phuket.
The festival is held to honour the memory of
the two heroic sisters, Thaop Thep Krasatri and Thai Sri Suntorn. These sisters
rallied the people of Phuket over two hundred years ago to defend Phuket from
the nasty Burmese troops.
The highlight of the festival is a
spectacular show about the history of Phuket. The show tells the story of the
two sisters, about their leadership and their bravery in defending Thailand
biggest island. The play comprises of over several hundred actors and runs for
a number of nights - beginning at 7 pm till late.
The cultural show caters for a Thai audience.
Obviously tourists are very welcome to watch the show. As the show is in Thai
if you have a Thai friend or can afford a translator that may be a good idea,
however even so the show is a beautiful production regardless of understanding
what is actually going on. This is a must if you would like to immerse yourself
in Thai culture and history.
If you are interested in Thai culture and
history and would like to experience and learn as much as possible, then these
events are for you. There will be a chance to observe a,
"Upasampada". A Buddhist Ordination Ceremony. "Upasampada",
meaning "approaching or nearing the austere tradition of life."
The process of young men taking the rites of
ordination to become a Buddhist monk and lifestyle is also shown here. The
Buddhist monastic code states that a person must be 20 years of age to become a
monk (bhikkhu).
There will also be a sword dancing show, a
shadow puppet show and singing of traditional Thai lullabies and ancient songs.
The festival will also have a variety of Thai cuisine for you to enjoy. There
will also be a large outdoor market selling every product you can think of
including but not all items such as batik, silk, wooden decorative items also
there will be a funfair for the children and music concerts too.
This is one of the biggest festival in the
southern part of the country and if you are in the area or have to to come it
is well worth a visit. Thai festivals are renowned the world over and this one
is quite spectacular itself. Rekindling the proud times of when Phuket defeated
the Burmese soldiers with very limited forces at had to do it.
