Two Farang's Wed, Thai Style

Loy Krathong


(Picture compliments of Wikipedia taken at a Loi Krathong festival in Chiang Mai)

On our way to a Volunteer wedding, we haphazardly caught and savored the traditional practice of lighting and releasing "Khom Loi's" (lanterns) into the night sky during the beginning of Loy Krathong, a Thai holiday briefly described below.

"Loi Krathongs history in Thailand
Loi Krathong in Thailand originated in Sukhothai period as Loy Phra Pra Teip or Loy Khom (floating lantern). It is a festival of Thai people. After that, Noppamas- the most favorite concubines Sukhothai king - created krathong, like lotus-shaped, for floating in the river. Instead of floating lantern, it used for worshipping the foot-print of Buddha at Nammathanati River beach in Thakkhinabodh district, India. As we called Nehrabhuddha river.

Loi Krathong at the present:
Nowadays, Thai people still keep form suitably; on the full moon of the twelfth, people usually prepare natural materials to make krathong. For example, they use banana trunk and lotus to make beautiful krathong then stick candle, incense stick, and flowers in krathong. They always ask for good luck in the future and forgiveness Pra Mae Khongkha.
At the temples and tourist places, they held contestation of making krathong and Noppamas beauty pageants contest. There are many entertainment shows at night. Moreover, they set cautiously fireworks. The materials, used for making krathong, could be easily decomposed.
Reasons for Loi Krathong

We can conclude the reasons for Loi Krathong in Thailand are:
1. To ask for forgiveness Pra Mae Khongkha because we use and drink water. Moreover, we often throw rubbishes and
excrete wasted things in the water.
2. To worship the foot-print of the Buddha on Nammathanati River beach in India.
3. To fly away misfortune and bad things like floating sin- Bhrama ceremony.
4. To pay respect to Uppakhud whom mostly northern villagers show their gratitude for. According to legend, he was a monk who had supernatural to kill Mara.

Krathong could be made from anything else such as banana leaves, banana trunks, coconut barks, paper, and etc. Stuck with incense stick and candle to make a wish and float it in the river. "

(Information accessed at Loy Krathong, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)


PCV's gathering for some pre-Loy Kratong 'lamping'




Setting our off dream into the sky





I'm behind so in order to catch up to speed, I have to back track a little. Whew. Where did the time go?! I've been out of site and in Bangkok way too much lately. They say a little of time away from site is good for rejuvenating the soul and balancing mental health but I now also believe too long of respite from site can cause an imbalance of reverse sorts. The more I'm away, the harder it is to get back in the grove of things. Being only months away from Close of Service, I'm definitely feeling a bit more pressure to get as many things done as possible before I leave yet, try really hard to cherish the time left. Seems like it's suddenly hit me like a freight train train how little time I have remaining. I'm not even sure I'll be ready to leave when the time does come!

It's been an incredible, frustrating, rewarding, strange, wacky, overwhelming, and altogether, life-changing experience. Given the intense nature of my existence here, it's been very hard lately to think all this building to creating and doing something is finally coming full circle. But, ready or not, it's coming.

I regress. This theme of this blog really has nothing to do with my existential Peace Corps crisis (which, let's be honest, is nothing new!)

I'd like to share memories of a purely blissful nature.

On Nov. 19-21, around 20 Volunteers attended a wedding for one of our very own. Some might call it the gala of the season; others, a mere result of our being here so long that we've become Thai. (Not really but, somewhere in between). It's probably not a coincidence that the momentous occasion fell so close to Loy Krathong as our lives inevitably weave into the beautiful tapestry of our surroundings--nothing happens in and of itself. Towards the end of the picture show, you can tell though, that despite the day long ritual (6AM to 8:30 PM) of making merit, monks chanting, parading around on elephants, pictures, pictures, pictures, Thai dance, & karaoke, that the bride & groom added their own American flavor--however subtle. (think: "Just Married Signs, Wedding Cake (definitely not a Thai tradition), & goofy costume pictures). Enjoy!

P.S. I won't comment too much, but you might notice a particular gentleman Volunteer who keeps popping up in my pictures who may or may not have captured my affections in recent months ;)