Fireworks extravaganza lights up Pattaya sky

19 Dec 2011

The night sky above Pattaya was brilliantly illuminated by a colourful fireworks extravaganza this weekend. The Pattaya Fireworks Competition 2011 was held in honour of King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 84^th birthday.

Participating teams were from Australia, the US, Japan, China, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the United Arab Emirates as well as Thailand. Pattaya Beach Road was the focal point of the fireworks displays, but visitors in most parts of the resort with clear views upwards were able to see the multi-coloured offerings to the skies, some of which were loud enough to rattle windows.

The event opened on Friday evening with a ceremony attended by Pattaya mayor Ithipon Kunplume. Over the course of the two-day festival, organisers say that around 20,000 fireworks and rockets were launched into the sky over Pattaya.

Restaurants and bars along Beach Road and Walking Street did a brisk trade with patrons marvelling at the spectacle. Some visitors and local residents headed up Pratamnuk Mountain, where Pattaya Viewpoint gave panoramic views of the fireworks exploding in the skies.

While Friday’s displays were a sight to behold, Saturday’s were even more magnificent and led many foreign tourists to say that the sight was even more amazing than anything, New Year’s Eve festivities included, that they had witnessed in their homelands.

The Pattaya exhibition is the second to be held in Pattaya and the culmination of a two-year series of similar events staged to pay homage to the revered Thai king and his consort, Queen Sirikit. Last year, the first Pattaya show was held on 14 August, two days after the queen’s 78^th birthday.

Tags: Fireworks Pattaya