Surin Elephant Tak Bat Buddhist alms ceremony for Lent.

[DavidFL]

Part 16 Chiang Khong - Lower Esarn Meander July 2024

Continued from

Chiang Khong – Lower Esarn Meander July 2024. Part 15 Buriram - Surin

Continued from https://www.gt-rider.com/se-asia-motorcycling/threads/chiang-khong-lower-esarn-meander-july-2024-part-14-rang-nong-buriram.16353/ Checking tracks and attractions over a lengthy breakfast the following day, I realised I had gone past a few places and missed another one that...

www.gt-rider.com

Holed up in Surin, killing time before I could get a room in Ubon because of the wax candle festival, an employee in the 90s Surin Pub asks me if I'm going to the 6 am "tak bat" elephant alms ceremony tomorrow morning.

No, I know nothing about that. I was going to Ubon for the Wax Candle Festival, but I can't get a room until after the festival is over.
Oh, didn't you see the main elephant parade today, either?
Nope, I was resting up in my room. I knew nothing.

But not being one to miss the moment, I was up at 5:30 a.m. the following day and in downtown central Surin at 6:10 a.m.

The big wigs arrived somewhat later, and the show got underway at 7:15 AM, according to my first photo and sighting of the mighty Surin Changs.

To be continued.

 

[DavidFL]

I admit I was completely ignorant of this festival in Surin, but Thai people from all over the country came to it to make merit in the morning by giving alms to monks mounted on elephants for the start of Buddhist lent.

It was a fantastic event to witness and wander around amongst the giants with their revered monk passengers receiving alms from the hundreds of people lined up waiting.

Announcements over the PA system suggested people came from far away, diverse places such as Mae Hong Son, Lamphun, Songkhla, Phuket, and Narithiwat. There's no doubt it is on the Thai merit-making tourist event calendar.

What an incredible scene! I was amazed at the liberal attitude, permitting everyone to walk around wherever they wanted amongst the parade and elephants. Surin, you guys rock!

Should anyone be interested, the festival should always coincide with the start of Buddhist Lent = the full moon in July.
And it should be two days. The first day, a big elephant parade in the street, and the next morning, "tak bat" almsgiving.
The Ubon wax candle festival is on at the same time, but as I found out, you need to book a room weeks, if not months, ahead.
If I had a choice, I would go for Surin over the Ubon wax festival every time.

Surin Accommodation

Martina Hotel Resort A big sprawling resort hotel, with all ground floor rooms & parking right outside your door. Super friendly happy, efficient reception staff. Prices start @ 400 / 450 baht & the rooms are very good value for money. Clean, nice furnished & spacious with good...

www.gt-rider.com

Surin Restaurants

Starbeam A place to go for genuine home cooking brekky. An extensive menu - Western & Thai foods - & fair inexpensive prices. The breakfast burritos were it for a hungry old GTR fellah. And what a sumptious winner they were - excellent! As was the old fashioned mug of coffee...

www.gt-rider.com

I've been on the road for almost a month now, with the trip focus being the old Khmer ruins in lower Esarn.
I have hundreds of photos and multiple posts to make, but this elephant tak bat festival in Surin has been a total surprise to me.
I was heading to Ubon for the wax festival, but I did not book a room in advance, as I have been on a nomad's wandering route, making it up as I go.
The festival today has been the peak of the trip for me, so I'm cutting out the last bit planned -Ubon / Mukdahan / NKP & starting my return to Chiang Khong tomorrow. There are a few more ruins to see on the way back, but I feel a need to curtail this exploratory trip on a high now.

Let the good times roll.