People across Thailand worship gods, ancestors on Chinese New Year

BANGKOK, February 9 (TNA) - Thais of Chinese descent throughout Thailand on Saturday paid their worships to gods and deceased ancestors on the eve of Chinese New Year festivities, which begin Sunday. At the well-known Pak Nam Pho market in the central province of Nakhon Sawan, people gave their offerings to gods and their deceased ancestors. Traffic policemen also placed offerings on tables at the road intersections and prayed for good fortune as well as lesser road accidents than in 2012. Similar activities were also organised in the northern capital of Chiang Mai as people turned up at Chinese shrines and temples and made prayers. Because of the large crowd, there was a scarcity of candle, joss stick, and silver and gold paper. The general atmosphere at the revered Wat Phra That Doi Jom Thong in the northernmost province of Chiang Rai, a large amount of people made prayers and asked for future prosperity and long life. Dressed in red shirt, considered as bringing luck colour for the Chinese, people gave their offerings to the revered Phra Kal Shrine in the central province of Lop Buri. Officials had to work hard and requested them to spend less time at the shrine due to the overcrowding situation. In the southern province of Songkhla near the Thai-Malaysian border, the worshippers offered pork, duck, chicken and fruits as offering to the revered City Pillar Shrine. The worshippers are expected to light large candles tonight to welcome the God of Fortune they believe would travel and bless them. (TNA)