THAILAND: BOAT RACING - Thousands turn out to watch century-old tradition of boat racing in Northern Pichit Province

Thousands of people have travelled to the northern Thai province of Pichit for a century-old traditional long-boat racing festival to mark the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat. In an annual pilgrimage, villagers and tourists from across the country lined the banks of the Nan river to watch the boat race in the sleepy town of Pichit, 344 km north of Bangkok. Long-boat racing is a traditional rite usually held in September and October when the water level of the river is at its highest. Boat races of this kind have a long history in Thailand with evidence of such boat races being held in the 1600s as military festivals. This year some 45 teams from across the region joined the competition which is divided into three categories depending on the number of paddlers in each team - - 30 (small), 40 (medium) or 55 (large). The race is the main draw but for the many visitors, another attraction was surely the boats, long narrow wooden vessels carved from dugout tree trunks and decorated with colourful banners and lucky garlands dangling from the prow. The boats are manned by oarsmen in brightly coloured shirts. The moment the rifle is fired to start the race, the lead rower starts counting aloud and shouts to encourage while pounding the beats with his paddle. To this thumping rhythm, the crew paddle flat out over the 600 metre long distance to the finish line. To witness this grand affair, many people, like Jamnian Permkesorn (Pron: Jam-nian Perm-ke-sorn), travel hundreds of kilometres. Once isn't enough for the 71-year-old. Jamnian has visited Pichit from Bangkok every year to participate in the festival. "The boat race is a tradition that should be preserved because it unites the oarsmen to the village they come from, and the district the boat represents," he said. Passed on from generation to generation, the long boat racing tradition is carried out much the same way it was in the old days. "I was born here in Pichit and as far as I can remember, I've come to see this race all my life," Ketkanok Janwangpong (Pron: Ket-ka-nok Jan-wang-poang) said. The winner from one of the categories this year told Reuters they had spent two months on practicing before the event as the pressure was high for them to keep the title for a second year running. "There is more water this year than last year and it makes a difference, making it more difficult. The currents are stronger this year," Krit Nimprasert (Pron: Grit Nim-pa-sert) said. The regatta has been a part of Thailand's culture for centuries and is held in various parts of the kingdom. But it is in Pichit that the festival originated on the Nan River in 1907, after villagers making merit at the temples started to race one another.

ITN Source | September 6, 2006

Tags:. .annual. .traditional. .represents. .pressure. .northern