On April 10th, 2023, the Songkran Festival celebrations were held at Huay Mongkol Temple in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province. The event was attended by Phra Phisan Right, the abbot of Wat Huay Mongkol Monastic President, Mr. Achawan Kongkanan, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Prachuap Khiri Khan Office, and the President of the Layperson, along with Mr. Udomsuk Nimsian, President of the Prachuap Province Tourism Business Association.
Together, they participated in the worship ceremony and pressed the button to pour water on the large Luang Pho Thuat, which bore His Majesty’s initials (Sor Kor.). People and tourists also joined in, pouring water and seeking blessings for prosperity for themselves and their families during the Thai New Year. The temple will remain open until April 17th for people to pour water on the big Luang Pho Thuat.
In addition to the ceremony, tourists were invited to pay homage to the largest Buddha image in the South, enshrined behind the large Luang Pho Thuat. This offering to the Buddha boasts a lap width of 14.19 meters and a height of 29 meters, gilded with five brothers and sisters enshrined around Phra Phuttha Sothon. Visitors can ask for luck from “Thao Wessuwan” and “Ai Khai” at the pavilion beside the large Reverend Father Thuat. The temple also features a coffee corner and waterfront pavilion for tourists to relax and feed tens of thousands of fish in the Huay Mongkol River, which is the first royal project in Thailand.