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THROUGHOUT THE EVER-CHANGING MOOD OF PAK NAM PHO CHINESE NEW YEAR EVENT, THERE WAS ONE CONSTANT: TEAM JERSEYS
Team Jerseys aren’t just your favorite sport team’s kit. In Thailand, they are vibrant polyester garments with bold lettering and maximal design - all of which indicate who you're with, what you represent, and where you belong.
In Pak Nam Pho’s case they come in variations. Some are from the main event organizer’s merch table, some are from the decades-old associations, a lot of them are from groups only insiders would recognize. The vibrancy doesn’t stop there. Traditional dress also shift into newer fabrics and modern cuts that can be worn casually.
Team jerseys are a staple at Thai festivals and public activities and a popular souvenir category across Thailand with same common thread of design. Tradition moves with the time. Changing, but ultimately recognizable and incredibly fun.
No two money trees are the same. The tree itself has no fixed form. It can be made from anything and so in that freedom, it becomes something personal - shaped by faith, by means and by whatever they can find in their homes basically.
In Boon Phawet, households collect donations from neighbors and relatives, arrange them into money tree, and carry it to the temple in their own small procession accompanied by Klong Yao Ensemble - loud, joyful and slightly raucous, while the monks are chanting. This contrast is what we found in Isan. where joy is never separated from devotion. Even making marit must have a little fun in it.
The yellow, red, and green flag colors connecting people of Mae Hong Son to their Shan culture roots, carried down from Thailand and across the border from Myanmar.
Some bags look simple, yet carry an ethnic history within them. Such as the red textile from Red Karen people, which we saw woven into Yaam bags and reimagined as a blazer. These Yaam reflect an image we witnessed throughout the festival - religion serving as a spiritual anchor, drawing people from every corner, wherever they come from.
Some bags look simple, yet carry an ethnic history within them. Such as the red textile from Red Karen people, which we saw woven into Yaam bags and reimagined as a blazer. These Yaam reflect an image we witnessed throughout the festival - religion serving as a spiritual anchor, drawing people from every corner, wherever they come from.
Aside from the regular festival souvenirs like beaded accessories or t-shirts, one thing you can't miss at Thai ritual events are the amulets and sacred, blessed objects. The most famous ones are Phran Bun Mask and miniature ‘Serd’ headdresses, which bring luck, success in business and protection against bad entities. All of them are sold at the festival ground where the attendees can buy for themselves or for friends and family.
There was a total of 88 Talai rockets of various size in the Bang Fai Talai competition. Naturally, the teams would have to make their circular rockets stand out from each other.
Some paints the traditionally woven circular bamboo wing in vibrant colors, some even alter their exhaust vent of the Talai for it to rotate in the different direction to the others when launched.
Unintentionally, Talai is where Isan tradition meets it’s innovation and individuality.
Some paints the traditionally woven circular bamboo wing in vibrant colors, some even alter their exhaust vent of the Talai for it to rotate in the different direction to the others when launched.
Unintentionally, Talai is where Isan tradition meets it’s innovation and individuality.
Other than the iconic masks of the Ghosts, the other notable feature of this festival is the “bells” that chimes every time they move their limbs.
Every Ghost has their own sound, Some the sound of cowbell, others are the sound of rusted tin can or soothing wooden chime.