Huay Mongkol Temple draws crowds for Mother’s Day draping of giant Luang Pu Thuat statue
Crowds gathered at Wat Huay Mongkol on Saturday evening to take part in the 12th annual draping ceremony of the giant Luang Pu Thuat statue, held to mark Mother’s Day and honour Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother’s 93rd birthday.
The event, organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Central Region office, took place at 8 p.m. on 9 August in the forecourt of the statue in Thap Tai Subdistrict. Mr. Apichai Chatchalermkit, Deputy Governor for Domestic Marketing at TAT, presided over the opening. Organisers said the ceremony was also intended to promote tourism, encourage overnight stays, spread income to local communities, and boost domestic travel.
Ceremony honours Queen Sirikit and promotes domestic tourism
Phra Phisan Sitthikhun, the abbot of Wat Huay Mongkol, led the religious proceedings alongside 30 monks, chanting blessings dedicated as a royal merit-making act. Local and regional officials attended, including Ms. Wannapha Kiatphongsa, Director of TAT Central Region; Mr. Kittipong Sukphakool, Deputy Governor of Prachuap Khiri Khan; Mr. Prasoot Hombanthoeng, Hua Hin District Chief; Ms. Bussaba Choksuchart and Ms. Phailin Kongphan, Deputy Mayors of Hua Hin City; Mr. Kitipong Siriphetkasem, President of the Hua Hin/Cha-am Tourism Business Association; and Ms. Vasana Srikanjana, an advisor to the association.
More than 1,000 Thai and foreign visitors joined the ceremony, carrying a saffron-yellow cloth measuring 3 metres wide and 247 metres long in a clockwise procession before draping it over the statue, which bears the royal cypher “Sor Kor.” The ceremony took place against a backdrop of lighting and sound displays.
At the conclusion, Abbot Phra Phisan Sitthikhun distributed “Luang Pu Thuat with Iron Kettle Back” amulets to all participants, who then departed safely.
