 Phra
Samut Chedi Worship Fair This is the
great fair for which people from all over
the country come to worship the revered
chedi. The fair is held annually for 9 days
and 9 nights, starting from the fifth day
of the waning moon in the eleventh month
of the lunar calendar. During the festival,
there are contests held for the best-looking
procession in presenting the cloth to cover
the Phra Samut Chedi. 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 and return
to Ong Phra Samut Chedi. There are also
the walk around the Phra Samut Chedi (wian
tian – walk, while holding lighted candles,
around a temple), boat racing in the Chao
Phraya River, local entertainments, and
many local products on sale. Getting there:
from Samut Prakan town to Phra Samut Chedi,
there are daily boat ferries in front of
Wibunsri Market around the clock.
Pak Lat Songkran
Fair (Phra Pradaeng) It is held yearly
on the first Sunday after Songkran Day
(April 13th). The townspeople in cooperation
with Amphoe Mueang Phra Pradaeng celebrate
the Songkran Day according to the local
Songkran Festival of Raman (Mon) people.
Songkran beauty pageants parade, freeing
birds and fish, and traditional folk entertainment
such as Saba (a pitch and toss game),
Thayaemon (a musical composition of Mon)
and Mon dancing are included in this fair.
Yon Bua Festival
is a festival which goes back a long,
long time for the Bang Phli people and
which have been followed by generations
after one another. 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.
The festival consists of worshipping and
parading of Luang Pho To, both on land
and by boat, competitions of local activities
such as arranging a lotus tray, boat decoration
contests, and folk entertainments such
as Phleng Rua (traditional singing in
boats). In the early morning of the fourteenth
day, the Yon Bua Festival is held, people
will toss lotus onto the boat bearing
the Luang Pho To Buddha image. They also
toss lotus to the people from out of town
in boats who also come to join in the
festival as a sign of making merit together.
Luang Pho Pan Worship
Fair It is the Bang Bo people’s annual
fair, held on the eighth day of the waxing
moon in the twelfth month of the lunar
calendar to commemorate and celebrate
Luang Pho Pan’s virtue.
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