Thai Beauty Contest Ubon Ratchathani Thailand

Way back in early January, Benjawan went off to watch her friend Ploy in a beauty competition at the local New Years Eve festival held at the main park here in Ubon Ratchathani.

She took my camera along and these are just a few of the pictures I can use, she took a lot but many are unusable, well if you make them black and white they don’t look too bad. Below are just a few of the contestants.








Thai girls love to take photos and be in photos so I wasn’t really surprised to find these pictures, a few Ben had taken self portraits and then Noot got involved. There is a bit of a fashion show of sorts of the girls dressed in different outfits and poses and will have to upload them one day in the near future.


Brunty

Khun Da's Funeral Part 2, Isaan Thailand.

I blogged part 1 of Khun Da’s funeral in Isaan Thailand. This is part two and Khun Da’s final journey on this earth.


After removing Da’s coffin from the house it is placed on the back of a pick-up truck, the monks then come to the front of the truck and hold a large piece of string called Bhusa Yong.


People hang onto the Bhusa Yong behind the monks; this is connected to the coffin. One of the monks repeats portions of the Abhidharma as they walk to the cremation area. Friends and relatives hold onto the Bhusa Yong and feel that they are doing their last service for the deceased and engaged in a commendable act as well.

This man is throwing rice in its husks, they call this Kow Tok Tak and is to make the spirits of already deceased happy and allow them to travel to the cremation area.



The cremation area is about 1km out of the village. Hear the scattering of the rice continues.

The monks are first to enter the area.



Khun Da’s journey is nearly over.


Khun Da’s coffin is resting on the funeral pyre with the monks facing ready to perform the final ceremony or rites.

Everyone who attends picks up some twigs or bark and adds to the funeral pyre.



Everyone will “Lang Na” or wash the face of Khun Da using fresh coconuts. I do not know why as even Noot doesn’t know and I will have to ask someone more senior that will know the answer.



The final rites are then performed.


Then all so quickly everyone places their piece of sandalwood or fragrant wood they were given onto the pyre after it is lit.

The next day the family return and do what is called “pick the bones”, they sort through the ashes for any bits of bone left to be wrapped in cloth and placed into an urn. These were then placed nest to Khun Da’s deceased wife, Khun Ban. They were together again.

Brunty.

Sport Day Parade Outfits Thailand.

Below are pictures from a primary sport day here in Thailand. These are pictures for the parade that takes place before the sports start.
















Brunty