Fah Thai Magazine May June 2018

OVERTURES
NEWS AND EVENTS
1-8MAY
2018
ASIA
DUA LIPA ‘THE SELF-TITLED TOUR’
British songstress Dua Lipa made quite an
impact during her debut performance in Asia
back in 2017. This month, the singer/model
returns to enthral her fans with a solo show
with major performances in several Asian cities
including Hong Kong (1 May), Kuala Lumpur
(3 May), Singapore (4 May), Seoul (6 May) and
Tokyo (8 May).
Dua Lipa’s ‘The Self-Titled Tour’ will see the
artiste perform her hit singles that made her
one of the most exciting and most streamed
British female artist in recent history proven by
her five 2018 Brit Award Nominations.
Dua Lipa exploded on the scene last
year with her hit song, “New Rules”, which
topped the charts in the UK. Riding the wave
of popularity, she followed-up with several
popular singles such as “IDGAF”, “Scared to
be Lonely” and “Blow Your Mind (Mwah)”.
dualipa.com
4-8MAY
2018
LAOS & ISAAN, THAILAND
ROCKETS FOR RAIN
In Laos and the northeastern provinces
of Thailand like Yasothon and Roi Et, no
aerospace engineer is needed to make rockets
fly. Spectators will gather to see the master
creators of rockets, typically monks with skilled
knowledge of gunpowder and a good sense of
motion in space that’s more than enough to
send the rockets hurling upwards to the skies.
Now the much-loved rocket festival or
“Boun Bang Fai” returns to the Lao paddy fields
– where home-made rockets will be launched.
For visitors travelling to Laos in May and June,
there’s a good chance you may happen upon
the festive and colourful rocket processions.
The festival marks the annual growing
season in Laos, as the monsoon season is
expected in June. Ahead of the ploughing
period, the farmers send up the rockets
skywards to please and remind the God of Rain
to send enough to nourish the paddy fields.
Lao folks leave their routine work a few
days before the launch day. Then led by local
monks, who are counted on for genius rocket
engineering, gunpowder gets put inside a long
pipe before firing them in the empty field.
The smaller rockets are fancier in the way
they shoot up into the heavens while the
large ones don’t even look like they’re capable
of flight. The higher the rockets go, say the
locals, the more rain will come down. But it’s
no guarantee every rocket shoots upward
as the God of Rain may have the last word.
tourismlaos.org, tourismthailand.org
2018
12MAY
HO CHI MINH
RUNNING HAPPY WITH COLOURS
Think of India’s Holi festival, a 5k fun run and
dance party mixed into one day for a “messy
weekend” in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. La
Vie Color Me Run is uncompetitive fun, and
a most colourful running race. Runners start
the event in white clothing, but by the end of
it become a kaleidoscope of colours having
run, danced and walked through different
zones where they’re pelted with vivid corn
starch-based powders. There will be no hard
feelings of being a loser mingling in the air. The
unclocked run has no winners or prizes, but
runners are showered with coloured powder at
stations along the way. At the ‘finish line,’ the
runners become party-goers and are rewarded
with a DJ-anchored dance. colormerun.vn,
runsociety.com
MID-MAY
2018
KRABI
CHAO LAY BOAT FESTIVAL
Lanta island in Krabi is the place where you
can observe an ancient sea ritual still carried
out by Urak Lawoi natives of the island. The
Aboriginal Malay people of Urak Lawoi has
been living in the islands of Phuket and Krabi,
and for centuries they have maintained their
lives circling around the seas with open ocean
fishing. It is not then a surprise that they
would carry on colourful rites and celebrations
at the beginning of each year’s fishing season.
Loi Ruea (Floating Boats) festival takes place
twice a year during the 13th to 15th day after
the full moon of the sixth month or middle of
May this year. In this elaborate event where
visitors can witness heavily decorated fishing
boats — real ones and models — that fishermen
make especially for this celebration meant to
ward off all the bad spirits that might affect
their fishing efforts and work throughout the
year. These ‘floating boats’ can also be seen
as a smart solution for fishermen to test the
conditions of the waters. The event brings
back family members that might have moved
further out and here they’ll gather, even for a
few days during the celebration, as a way to
catch up and strengthen rare clan ties.
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Krabi,
T: +66 (0) 89 201 7985, tourismthailand.org
26-27 MAY
2018
&
2-3 JUN
2018
SINGAPORE
WATER DRAGONS
The sport of Dragon Boat racing dates back
to ancient China. Today, it is a sporting race
widely practised in Asia and renowned for
instilling teamwork, dedication and team
coordination. Singapore, in owing to its large
Chinese community, will once again celebrate
this grand sport with the Dragon Boat Festival,
which takes place at several venues across the
island nation.
Bedok Reservoir and Kallang River will
host several races in May and June but most
eyes will be fixed on DBS Marina Regatta.
Held against the backdrop of the Gardens
by the Bay, the DBS Marina Regatta, which
is backed by the Singapore Dragon Boat
Association (SDBA), will serve up a carnivallike
atmosphere as teams take to the water
to compete for honour and glory. Marina Bay,
Singapore, sdba.org.sg
1-7JUN
2018
CHIANG MAI
INTAKHIN CITY PILLAR FESTIVAL
Inthakin is a Chiang Mai city pillar believed
to be first erected by King Mangrai when the
city was founded in 1296. The sacred pillar
was moved from its original place at Wat
Inthakin to Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai’s
city centre in the 1800s. Each year, Chiang
Mai celebrates the incoming rainy season by
worshipping this sacred monument. After
a period of droughts and dry spells, locals
welcome the lusher climes with colourful
celebrations and major merit-making at the
temple. Wishes for a good year ahead abound
as the rains approach, meaning a bountiful
rice crop and healthy harvest. The best spot
to witness this long-time tradition is at Wat
Chedi Luang where hundreds of people will
attend the event either in a formal procession
or as families and individuals. This Brahman
tradition usually last seven days beginning
with ‘Tam Bun Khan Dok’ or flower-blessing
rituals to be followed by dancing, music
performance, carnival games and street fairs.
Wat Chedi Luang, Amphur Muang, Chiang Mai,
Tourist Hotline 1672, tatcontactcenter.com/en
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