Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11th November – 17th November 2019

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11^th November – 17^th November 2019

]It's that time of the week again, Sunday morning and her ewe go with the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11th November – 17th November 2019.

The long run is in the bag, a ran a half marathon distance as part of my training schedule. Come 15th December the Surat Thani half marathon is on the program.

It's nice and warm with just a few clouds in the sky. At 10.30am the current temperature is already 31C. Not bad for a November!

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11^th November – 17^th November 2019

Wat Plai Laem earlier this week, during the yearly Loy Kratong festival. The Meh Guan statue at night time.Well lit up and popular as ever.

Last week around Koh Samui was gorgeous. Plenty of sunshine, including a blue sky all day long on Wednesday. The rest of the week was partially cloudy. We had just the one shower in Plai Laem on Friday.

Maximum temperature last week reached just one time 34C. The minimum dropped to 22C. 

So far this has been a tremendous month of November. Hardly any rain and plenty of sunshine. Not your typical rainy season month at all. Let's see how things look like for next week.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 11^th November – 17^th November 2019

Plai Laem, this morning, under a nice and sunny sky. A few clouds can be seen but it looks like another nice day.

For next week the forecast is looking good until Tuesday. We may have a little bit of rain that day. Wednesday the wind will pick up. Peaking on Thursday. This goes hand in hand with possibly some rain showers. Come the weekend, it should all have calmed down again. 

It looks like this may turn into a very gentle November indeed. let's cross our fingers.

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. 

If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. 

 Join me in a private dive trip with yours sincerely! 

You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two. 

You may also opt for a very special dinner experience at The Thai Experience. Behind closed doors, reservation only and a very enjoyable and well worthwhile way of spending an evening on Samui. Authentic Thai food and a great atmosphere. Can highly recommend this experience.

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. 

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 19th November – 25th November 2018

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 19^th November – 25^th November 2018 

Just past 10.40 on Sunday morning and here we are with the Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 19th November – 25th November 2018.

No running this morning, since I was working at a half marathon in Surat Thani with the timing system. A very different point of view towards a race.

It's really nice today considering we're in the midst of the supposed rainy season. It's partially cloudy with a 30C temperature. It feels a lot warmer though, especially when the sun is out.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 19th November – 25th November 2018; View over Nathon beach from the Seatran pier.

Last week was a very good for November around Koh Samui. Plenty of sunny and partially cloudy days, except for Tuesday and parts of Wednesday. There was some hard rain on these two days. Other days during last week were just fine. Maximum temperatures ranged from 31C to 24C but it was very humid though.

Most of last week I was in Khao Lak for a few days of teaching and diving. The yearly Loi Kratong festival was celebrated as well when I was down there.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 19th November – 25th November 2018; My 'must' visit when in Khao Lak, the 813 boat, that got pushed on to land during the 2004 Tsunami. This time pictured during the Loi Kratong 2018 festival under the full moon.

The forecast for next week is predicting mixed weather. Tuesday may see a bit of rain and Wednesday and Thursday may be a bit more wet. The rest of the week may see occasional showers. Still very favorable for this time of the year.

Koh Samui, Thailand weekly weather update; 19th November – 25th November 2018; The 2018 Loi Krationg festival, which I celebrated for the fourth time in Khao Lak

Please do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and enjoy the beaches around the island or in front of your hotel or resort and get some well deserved rest and a break. 

If you're done resting or need something else to do, there's plenty of things on offer on and around Koh Samui, you can go snorkeling or diving or take a dive course. 

You can also enjoy some of the trips I recommend, like a half day gourmet lunch and snorkeling trip at the Southern part of Koh Samui or a photography trip where you get to see the most photo genetic spots on the island or go for a drinks tasting tour if you like a tipple or two. 

You may also opt for a very special dinner experience at The Thai Experience. Behind closed doors, reservation only and a very enjoyable and well worthwhile way of spending an evening on Samui. Authentic Thai food and a great atmosphere. Can highly recommend this experience. 

Contact me for more detailed information on any of the options mentioned. 

If you like to donate to this blog, use this secure link PayPal.Me/CamilleLemmens. 

Camille

Loy Kratong 2016

Loy Kratong 2016

Loy Kratong 2016 was held yesterday but it was a close call, since intially all events were cancelled after King Bhumibol Adulyadej's passing awau but just in the nick of time, it was revealed that all events could actually happen after the one month mourning period and Loy Kratong 2016 just fell one day after the 30 day mourning period.

It was supposed to be a toned down version without fire works or other typical party like activities and it was indeed a very subdued affair yesterday at Wat Plai Laem or Wat Suwannaram. Not a big event, still a few people were there, but we just went to float our Kratong, walked around the temple and paid respect to our deceased parents and went back home again.

Loy Kratong 2016 yesterday at Wat Plai Laem, some of the Kratongs or floats floating at the lake around the temple.

Many events are suppsoed to be toned down now, but I wonder how that may actually work out, like yesterdays Full Moon party on Koh Phangan, how can one tone down usch an event?

Either way, it was good to be back home on Koh Samui and be able to enjoy this event with my family which is not each year the case.

When you were on Koh Samui, the most popular place to float your Kratong yesterday was at Chaweng Lake, where it was very busy, just like all recent years. Surprisingly, all kratongs or floats were already cleaned early this morning. 

Slowly things are getting back to normal around Thailand, there are still eleven months of mourning laying ahead of us, but things aren't as strict as during the previous thirty days. Hope you enjoy your stay on Koh Samui or somewhere else in Thailand.

Do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Loy Kratong 2015

Today is Loy Kratong 2015 ลอยกระทง around Thailand and it's one of the biggest Buddhist events around the country.

The name can be translated as "to float a basket", and comes from the tradition of making a krathong or rather a buoyant and decorated basket, which are then floated on a river, a lake or on Koh Samui, into the ocean.

 A 'loi' (ลอย) means "to float", while krathong (กระทง) has various meanings, one of which is "a basket to be floated on water in the Loi Krathong festival". Several translations of krathong can be found, such as "floating crown", "floating boat" or "floating decoration". The traditional krathong are made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or Styrofoam. 

The advantage with bread is that it will disintegrate and can be eaten by fish. Styrofaom is a different problem altogether.

The Loy Kratong event takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the Western calendar this usually falls in November. This year it's today, next year it will be 15th November 2016.

The traditional Loy Kratong song

This is one of the few Loy Kratong celebrations during which I'm outside of the country. I've been in Khao Lak a few times during Loy Kratong, so I cloud participate in and enjoy the general local festivities. However, this year I find myself back in the Philippines, and being a Catholic country, there's no Loy Kratong to be found here.

It's always a great event to witness and if you're on Koh Samui today, enjoy your Loy Kratong 2015 event. The best place (and most busy one as well) will probably be at Chaweng Lake or Phru Chaweng. Some of the temples around the island may also have activities planned. Be prepared for heavy traffic and parking problems.

I do hope you enjoy your Loy Kratong 2015 event, where ever you are in Thailand.

Do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Welcome to November 2015

We're already on the second day of November, time to say 'Welcome to November 2015'. 

The weather during November is usually among the wettest during the whole year. November is known for the monsoon or rainy season and a typical November will see lots of rain, in the worst case scenario, a few days in a row with almost uninterrupted rain.

The start of this month has already been very wet, we can only hope that it will get better.

Loy Kratong will be 25th November 

What you don't want to miss out on is the Rua Chak Phra festival in Nathon from 4-12 November and you may spot the odd or more than just that one boat floating the streets of Koh Samui.

The next big event on the agenda this month will be Loy Kratong come 25th November. Another must see and experience festival. The roots of this Buddhist festival date back to around 1800.

'Loy' means to float and a 'kratong' is a floating object. In the case of Loy Kratong, this typically is a slice of a banana trunk that is decorated with elaborately folded banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense sticks. 

Thai people also add some cut off hair and fingernails and 9 Thai Baht to the kratong and float them off in a river, lake or the ocean as a way of letting go of the bad in them and they believe that the festival will bring good luck.

Enjoy the festivals and hopefully it won't rain too much.

Do 'like' my Koh Samui blog Facebook page and don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Loy Kratong 2014 on Koh Samui

Here's an impression of my Loy Kratong yesterday at Phru Chaweng or Chaweng lake yesterday.

All the family went to float the kratongs and it was busy but fun.

A very big Kratong on display at Central Festival

First some background information on this Buddhist festival;

The origins of Loy Kratong have been traced to Sukhothai, but, more recently, it has been argued it is actually an invention from the Bangkok period, According to the writings of H.M. King Rama IV, in 1863 the originally Brahmanical festival was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honor the original Buddha. 

Very original and colorful kratongs made out of ice cones for sale at Central Festival

'Loy' means to float and a 'kratong' is a floating object. In the case of Loy Kratong, this typically is a slice of a banana trunk that is decorated with elaborately folded banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense sticks. 

Thai people also add some cut off hair and fingernails and 9 Thai Baht to the kratong and float them off in a river, lake or the ocean as a way of letting go of the bad in them and they believe that the festival will bring good luck.

A busy platform at Chaweng Lake to put the kratongs in the water

Nowadays it;s also common to lit the so called hot air balloons, but I'm not a big fan of these, since they have two iron parts that are not very environmental friendly and every time I conduct a clean up at Chaweng Beach we find dozens of these hot air balloon frames.

Phru Chaweng was busy yesterday evening

This brings me also to the kratongs and the materials they are made of. Traditionally banana trunks and other natural products are used, which is good, Alternatives are kratongs made out of bread or as shown in the second picture of this article, creative ideas like suing ice scones. They will hardly any detrimental impact on the environment.

The last picture of this article gives you an idea what we're dealing with around the country.

One of the many hot air balloons being released during Loy Kratong

As the pictures show, it was busy but enjoyable and there was a big fair along the waterside and all around Phru Chaweng. Many food stalls and attractions similar to a typical temple fair and lots of attractions for kids could be found.

Part of the fair, a motor bicycle making it's rounds

One attraction that stood out was the motor cycle driving around in a cubicle, partly without hands and partly just inches away from your face. All not as stable as we may be sued in the West with all it's regulations but fun to see such an 'old fashioned; fair attraction again.

Chaweng lake the day after

Hope you had your fun yesterday during the Loy Kratong festivities on Samui or around Thailand.

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 7th November, 2014

Today's weather;

Yesterday's blue skies have been replaced with cloudy skies over Koh Samui. Current temp at 7am is 26.1C

Very colorful kratongs made out of bread, for sale yesterday at Central Festival

Yesterday saw a lovely day with blue skies all day long and nice 31.8C max temp.

The forecast predicts possibly some rain today, rain tomorrow and a stormy Sunday petering out on Monday and possibly blue skies for the rest of next week.

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Loy Kratong around Koh Samui, 6th November

In two days time, Thurday 6th November, the yearly Loy Kratong celebration will take place around Samui and all of Thailand.

Loy Kratong at Phru Chaweng or Chaweng Lake, looks like a big event this year

There is a big event scheduled at Phru Chaweng or Chaweng Lake but also the various Temples or Wats around the island will stage events. I expect Wat Plai Laem to have an event this year, especially since they have a small lake around the temple.

It's the first Loy Kratong since Central Festival opened it's doors on the island and they are planning a big event as well, with prices to be won for the best Kratong.

Please buy or use only natural made Kratongs, to diminish the potential environmental damage. since a few years Kratongs made out of bread are on sale at various locations around the island, they may be a good alternative.

Enjoy the festival and let's cross our fingers for a dry event!

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 4th November, 2014

Today's weather;

It's cloudy all around Koh Samui this morning and it won't surprise me if there will be rain later today. Current temp at 7am is 25.3C

Kratong in Chaweng Lake, waiting for the 6th November

Yesterday saw a fairly nice day with occasionally some sunshine but during the evening we had some strong rain and it looks like it rained during the night as well. Max temp reached 30.5C

The forecast still predicts the typical November mix with cloudy days and possibly some sunshine and a shower here and there. The rain and wind expected for this weekend has softened and been pushed back a day, there may well be no hard rain in that period at all. Let's see how this pans out.

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Loy Krathong 2013 in Khao Lak

Today was time for Loy Krathong around Thailand, and for me the second time in Khao Lak for me, after the 2010 festival.

My Krathong which I bought at the festival site

This year I was on my own however and I went to the Tsunami memorial in Khao Lak, where a location was set up next to a small but fairly fast streaming river, and ideal location to float your Krathongs. 

My oldest two children floated their Krathongs at Wat Plai Laem on Samui.

Loy Krathongs for sale at the Tsunami memorial

It was a nice and busy festival with loads of activities, a market, we;re in Thailand, so lots of Thai junk food and plenty of local people who were selling Krathongs in all sorts and sizes. I bought mine for 50,-THB

A local girl was waiting with a Krathong in her hand, so I asked if I could take her picture. She held my Krathong as well, so I didn't have to put it on the ground. Thanks!

Many locals where at the festival site, but a lot of foreign tourists where here to enjoy the activities as well. I have a hunch feeling that more or most locals went to a local temple to celebrate there and the was also a site at the beach. So plenty of options to choose from.

The place where the Krathongs are put in the river at the Tsunami memorial

The Krathongs on their way

A hot air balloon

There were also a lot hot air balloons for sale and many were set drifting into the air. Although they look lovely as little light dots in the sky, I'm not a big fan of them. First of all once their fuel has died out, the metal frames crash into nature, secondly, if they go up in flames, you don't want to be waking under them since the burning material can easily fall on top of you with all kind of consequences and thirdly, people with grass roofs are also very wary when these floating balloons are up in the air, since they can lite up the whole roof and the whole house under it.

This year the balloons where banned in Phuket!

The whole Loy Krathong festival also has a downside that most people are not aware of, the day after, when all Krathongs are 'beached'. Especially nowadays with most Krathongs not being made of natural materials anymore. Check some pictures here.

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks!

Camille

Loy Kratong is here very soon, 17th November 2013

In two days, 17th November, time it's time for the yearly Loy Kratong festival or ลอยกระทง, a festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand and certain parts of Laos and Burma (in the Shan State).

On Koh Samui this will be celebrated at Chaweng Lake.

Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.

The traditional Loy Kratong song

Just like three years ago, in 2010, I will be in Khao Lak for the festival and will float my Kratong there.

Loi means 'to float', while krathong refers to the (usually) lotus-shaped container which floats on the water. Krathong has no other meaning in Thai besides decorative floats, so Loi Krathong is very hard to translate, requiring a word describing what a Krathong looks like such as Floating Crown, Floating Boat, Floating Decoration. The traditional krathong are made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish. Banana stalk krathong are also biodegradable, but styrofoam krathongs are sometimes banned, as they pollute the rivers and may take years to decompose. A krathong is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, incense sticks, and a candle. A small coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. On the night of the full moon, Thais launch their krathong on a river, canal or a pond, making a wish as they do so. The festival may originate from an ancient ritual paying respect to the water spirits

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 29th November, 2012

Today's weather;

It's dry this morning around Koh Samui but with overcast and the roads are still wet. Current temp at 7am is 25C

On Malapascua in the Philippines, it's blue skies and sunshine, once more. Current temp at 8am local time is 27C
This morning I went for the early morning dive, departure at 4.45am and saw about a dozen Thresher sharks. Later today the PADI IE will kick off on Malapascua, around 4pm.

My wife and the children went to Wat Plai Laem yesterday evening to float their kratongs

Yesterday saw once more a bit of rain around Samui hut the evening was dry. Around 45mm came down during the daytime, worthy of an average monsoon day. Max tempm reached 28.2C

The forecast is looking, until the weekend heavy overcast but a lot direr and after the weekend almost completely dry and who knows, maybe a sunbeam or two again.

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks!

Camille

Loy Kratong 2012

It's the day to float the Kratong's again. In Thai ลอยกระทง. It's also the second time since moving to Thailand that I'm not in country to float a Kratong during Loy Kratong.

Loy Kratong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.

Loi literally means 'to float,' while kratong refers to the lotus-shaped receptacle which can float on the water. Originally, the kratong was made of banana leaves or the layers of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. A kratong contains food, betel nuts, flowers, joss sticks, candle and coins. Modern kratongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A bread kratong will disintegrate in a few a days and be eaten by fish and other animals.

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks!

Camille

Loy Kratong 2011; the day after

Loy Kratong 2011; the day after

This year's Loy Kratong was missed out on by family. We were too tired to visit the only to spots where a celebration was going on this year; Chaweng lake and Nathon, after our trip to Surat Thani to get Thai passports for my wife and son. Both would've involved hard to find parking spots for the car and long walks to the festivities and to Nathon also a long drive.

It came as a surprise to me that Wat Plai Laem didn't stage a celebration.

Chaweng lake this morning

My wife and me where at the Chaweng lake area this morning though and it was interesting to see the aftermath of the Loy Kratong festivities here. As the picture above shows, plenty of left over Kratongs floating on the lake.

Murky water and 'empty' kratongs

All the Kratongs were emptied out by some local youth. You're supposed to clip off some bits of your finger nails and hair and put it in the Kratong, together with 9 Thai Baht, for good luck!

Usually some kids jump in the water and get their hands on the coins!

Plenty of Kratongs under the walk ways, due to the wind direction

Cleaning up was in swing along the lake, I just wonder when and if the water will be cleaned of Kratongs. I have my doubts!

Some of the Lratongs are made of bread dough, typically they're made of banana tree stems and this year i saw for the first time coconut shells being used. All natural and degradable materials, although still plenty of empty plastic bags among the debris!

More next year!

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 10th November, 2011

Today's weather;

Koh Samui is waking up under a blue sky, no fluffy clouds today! Current temp is around 27C at 7am

The forecast remains steady with some day time rain in the coming days.

Yesterday saw a very nice day around Samui with very nice blue skies and a few fluffy clouds. Very unusual for this time of the year. Max temp reached 32.2C

The PADI IE was also completed very successfully by my candidates yesterday.

Chaweng Beach yesterday

The floods keep spreading in Bangkok. The police is also trying to deal with many lawbreakers, thieves are plenty about in the city right now.

It's full moon today and the Loy Krathong festival is on today across the country

Some reports state the the capital could be dry withing 11 days! Gotta see before I believe it, fact is though, that North of Bangkok the first flooded areas are starting their clean ups.

If you're planning to visit Samui or Thailand, consider booking your hotel rooms through my Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Thailand hotel recommendation blog. Thanks, you will help me keeping the blog going.

Camille

Loy Kratong 2010 in Kao Lak

Loy Kratong 2010 in Kao Lak

This year I'm in Kao Lak during the Loy Kratong celebrations since I'm teaching an IDC here and have to float a Kratong on behalf of my family, since in Samui there was no celebration this year in the local Wat Plai Laem.

Loy Kratong ลอยกระทง takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.
"Loi" means "to float" and a "krathong" is traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk.

In Kao Lak there was however a big party on next to small river and a wooden construction was build so everybody could get close to the rive and float his or her Kratong.

The water was relatively rapidly moving which worked out great for the Kratongs and they were swiftly taken with the current after being launched.

There were plenty of Kratongs for sale at various stalls and the average price was around 50 Baht.

This is a picture of my Kratong this year, but this was the second version, since the first version was a very small Kratong made out of a lotus flower and was very cute, but after I added some of my hair, a small piece of my nail and 9 Baht in coins, it was off balance and unfortunately capsized immediately, so it was time for a second Kratong. This one floated just fine!

At the party ground all kinds of activities were going on with lots of food and goods for sale and in a corner near a big stage I found some very big Kratongs, made by hotel staff and students of the local schools, which looked like a competition. Above shows a proud student from a local school with an over sized Kratong.

That;s it for this years Loy Kratong, if you were in Thailand, I'm pretty sure that you participated in the festivities and if you're outside Thailand and know Thai people there, you may well have participated in a local festivity and otherwise, I hope you enjoyed these pictures.

Camille

Loy Krathong 2009

Loy Krathong 2009

As usual this year's edition of Loy Krathong, a big Thai celebration was held at Wat Plai Laem and this time around I'm on Koh Samui, in contrast to last year when I was on Koh Tao.

We went early to the Temple or Wat to float our family Krathong. The temple was celebrating and partying since the last couple of days with bands late into the evening.


This this years family Krathong, made by my wife's younger sister and Mother in law.

All around the island handmade Krathongs were on sale and if you somehow managed to miss out on buying one, the temple had more than plenty on offer. In contrast to previous years though, no bread Krathong were for sale.

There was a big offering altar for the main building in the Temple.

As described in a previous post, there was ample chance to connect with more divine spirits. All the red flags are hanging on white ropes that somehow are all connected and lead back to the monks praying space/area.

Camille

Loy Kratong 2008, Koh Tao

Loy Kratong 2008, Koh Tao

This year I am in Koh Tao during the Loy Kratong festivities, so I had to celebrate and float the Kratong on my own, without my family. They went to the same place as last year, Wat Plai Laem and I went to the harbour in Mae Haad, like the majority of people on Koh Tao.

During the day time, plenty of people around Mae Haad were making Kratongs, to sell later on.

My Kratong came from staff at the Safety Stop who made a whole bunch of them.

This years Kratong!

My Kratong, floating in Mae Haad harbour, in company of dozens of other Kratongs.

It was busy at the harbour, with a constant coming and going of plenty of people who wanted to set their Kratong afloat.

Camille

A donation to the local Temple

Sometimes during a Buddhist Holiday, people donate a large amount of money to the local Temple.

This year's Loy Kratong saw such a donation being made by a local women from Plai Laem to Wat Plai Laem.




At Wat Plai Laem I saw all these 'money trees' lined up. The money on the trees are gifts by 'normal' people, like you and me, or my wife. In general people give anywhere from 20 to 100 Baht but also donations of 500 and 1.000,-Baht are no exception. The money is attached to the tree and that's it.

The money that is attached to the money trees is given to the local Temple, to buy bricks, paint, wood, you name it, so a new part of the Temple can be either build or completed.

In this picture, the money trees are all loaded on to cars and driven over to the Big Buddha part of the Temple, where there will be a ceremony, not only the money trees will be handed over to the monks, but.........

..........also the gifts these people are carrying. This local family is donating 100.000,-Baht to the Temple. This is a relatively common happening at various Temples over the island, I assume that a lot of local Samui people make or made good money on land sales and donate part of that money to the local Temple. During my 8 years here, I heard of a few of such happenings, mostly when relatives where involved but so far I never witnessed such an occasion.

The 'anonymous' money trees and the big 'spenders' have arrived at the Big Buddha part of the Temple and the money (100.000,-Baht) is placed in front of the monks. The people who donate the money get to sit with the Puu Yaai Baan (Headman of the village) in font of the Monks during the ceremony in special chairs.

There are lots of people following the 'spenders' and there's music and dancing going on, on the way to the Temple. Once arrived at the Temple, all the money is put in front of the Monks and a ceremony is held, where everybody attending is seated in front of the monks, on the floor.

An interesting Thai tradition. Next time you see a new part of the Temple being build, you can silently wonder who donated part of that money.

Camille