Buddhists Throughout Thailand Celebrate New Year’s Eve

BANGKOK, December 31 (TNA) - Devout Buddhists throughout Thailand celebrated the New Year’s Eve on Tuesday by offering alms to monks while many paid worships at renowned temples and prayed for blessings for the new year 2014 which is the Year of the Horse. Tourists visiting the northernmost province of Chiang Rai paid worships to Wat Phra That Doi Tung temple and sought for blessings and prosperity for the year 2014. Traffic at the foot of Doi Suthep temple in the northern capital of Chiang Mai was extremely heavy when people lined up and offered alms to monks. Policemen had to asked motorists to avoid travelling to the mountain. Several areas in Mae Hong Son’s Pai district are also packed with holidaymakers while hotel rooms and tents which are installed near exciting scenery are fully booked. Many Cambodians have crossed the border in the eastern province of Chanthaburi and exchanged their currency to Thai baht, making the currency to become stronger automatically. A large number of Thai tourists are also seen at Si Sa Ket province which borders Cambodia and visited a mountain and a national park amid cool weather. In Songkhla province which is near the Thai-Malaysian border, many Malaysian and Singaporean tourists are seen everywhere to celebrate the New Year’s holidays while many entertainment places have organised exciting parade and fancy events to welcome them. Buddhists in the resort province of Phangnga joined in offering alms to 58 monks at the beach in Takua Pa district. In an attempt to preserve old tradition, they also floated a boat and prayed for peace in Thailand. Similarly, Buddhists in Nakhon Pathom’s Sam Phran district offered alms to 99 monks who came from several temples. Devout Buddhists are expected to attend prayers by monks at many temples nationwide late tonight and seek for blessings as well as prosperity throughout the coming 2014. (TNA)