News & Update

DECEMBER

For Thais -- Dec 5th - The King's Birthday & National Day

For Americans -- Dec 25th - Christmas

THE KING'S BIRTHDAY & THAILAND NATIONAL DAY

December 5, 2009

LONG LIVE THE KING

CHRISTMAS DAY

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas Day, December 25, is an annual holiday that marks the birth of Jesus. Christmas combines the celebration of Jesus' birth with various other non-related traditions and customs, many of which were influenced by ancient winter festivals. Christmas traditions include the display of Nativity scenes and Christmas trees, the exchange of gifts and cards, and the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve night. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion of goodwill, giving, compassion, and quality family time.

NOVEMBER

For Americans -- The month of Thanksgiving
For Thais -- The month of Loi Krathong

LOI KRATHONG FESTIVAL

Monday, November 2, 2009

Loi Krathong (or Loy Kratong, Thai ลอยกระทง) is a festival celebrated annually throughout Thailand on the full moon night of the 12th lunar month, which usually falls on some day in November. This year, Loi Krathong Day is November 2, 2009. "Loi" means "to float". "Krathong" is a raft about a handspan in diameter traditionally made from a section of banana tree trunk (although modern-day versions often use styrofoam), decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, flowers, candles, incense sticks etc. The floating of a Krathong – a banana-leaf cup – is to float away ill fortune, to create good luck, and to express apologies to the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha.

The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as "Noppamas Queen Contests". According to legend, Noppamas was a consort of the Sukhothai King Loethai (14th century) and she was the first person to float a decorated krathong.

The song that plays throughout Loi Krathong Day is "Ramwong Wan Loi Krathong".

Watch a video of Loi Krathong song (Thai version)....

Ramwong Wan Loi Krathong

วันเพ็ญเดือนสิบสอง
น้ำก็นองเต็มตลิ่ง
เราทั้งหลายชายหญิง
สนุกกันจริงวันลอยกระทง
ลอย...ลอย...กระทง...ลอย...ลอย...กระทง
ลอยกระทงกันแล้ว
ขอเชิญน้องแก้วออกมารำวง
รำวงวันลอยกระทง
รำวงวันลอยกระทง
บุญจะส่งให้เราสุขใจ
บุญจะส่งให้เราสุขใจ

Wan-Pen-Duean-Sip-Song

Nom-Ko-Nong-Tem-Taling

Rao-Tong-Lai-Chai-Ying

Sanook-Gun-Jing-Wan-Loi-Kra-Tong!

Loi-Loi-Kra-Tong... Loi-Loi-Kra-Tong

Loi-Kra-Tong-Gun-Laeo

Kho-Choen-Nong-Gaew-Ok-Ma-Ramwong

Ramwong-Wan-Loi-Kra-Tong

Boon-Ja-Song-Hai-Rao-Sook-Jai

Translation

On the full moon day of the 12th lunar month,
Water overflows the banks.
All of us, both boys and girls,
Will have fun together on Loi Krathong Day!
Loi, Loi Krathong...Loi, Loi Krathong,
After we’ve floated our krathongs,
We’ll ask the ladies to come out and dance the ramwong,
Dance the ramwong on Loi Krathong Day,
Dance the ramwong on Loi Krathong Day,
Making merit will bring us happiness,
Making merit will bring us happiness.

Watch a video of Loi Krathong song (English version)....

Loi Krathong Lyrics

November full moon shines,
Loi Krathong, Loi Krathong,
and the water's high
in the river and local klong,

Loi Loi Krathong,
Loi Loi Krathong,
Loi Krathong is here and everybody's full of cheer,

We're together at the klong,
Each one with his krathong,
As we push away we pray,
We can see a better day.

THANKSGIVING DAY

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Turkey by Milan, Age 5.

Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks, traditionally to God, for the things one has at the end of the harvest season. In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. This year 2009, Thanksgiving is Thursday November 26th. Certain kinds of food are traditionally served at Thanksgiving meals. First and foremost, turkey is usually the featured item on any Thanksgiving feast table (so much so that Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as "Turkey Day"). Stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, corn, other fall vegetables, and pumpkin pie are commonly associated with Thanksgiving dinner. All of these primary dishes are actually native to the Americas or were introduced as a new food source to the Europeans when they arrived.

In Support of 'THAI-USA PROJECT'

Mr. Chalard Bunluaphob, a Thai-American who resides in Chicago, IL, and Ajarn Somkiat Pongpaiboon, one of the PAD's five core leaders who is now a Democrat Party MP truly believe in education. Chalard and Somkiat are long-time friends, born and raised in Ban Harn (currently called Dan Khun Thot) – a rural village in Na Khon Rachasima (Korach) Province in northeast Thailand (E-Sarn). One of their current missions is to build schools in the communities of the impoverished.

Become a supporter of this mission