You Don’t Have to be Irish to Join the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
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In recent years there has been a growth in the number of Irish bars opening in Pattaya, and with so many ex-pats from the Emerald Isle now settled in Pattaya it is a wonder that the annual festivities to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day have not reached our fair city in past years.
On March 17, Pattaya will see the first St. Patrick’s Day Parade taking place along Beach Road.
The idea for the
parade came from the management of the Freedrop Bar, located opposite the Asia
Hotel on Pratamnak Hill, and in collaboration with City Hall and the Father Ray
Foundation this first parade will hopefully become an annual event.
The parade will start at 1.30pm at Soi 4, and
then travel along Beach Road to Walking Street. From there it will turn left on
South Pattaya Road and again turn left on Second Road before ending at Alcazar
Theatre.
All Irish bars, non-Irish bars and all other
businesses in Pattaya are invited to decorate a float or pick-up truck and join
the parade. Registering each float will cost just 5000 baht, and whilst the St.
Patrick’s Day Parade promises to be another day of fun for the residents and
tourists of Pattaya there is also a serious side to the parade.
The money raised
from sponsorship and float registration will be donated to two local charities,
the Fountain of Life and the Father Ray Foundation. Both charities have strong
Irish connections, with Sister Joan of the Fountain of Life coming from the
village of Dunmore in County Galway, whilst the grandparents of Father Ray
Brennan came from the counties of Mayo and Kerry.
In the evening of
the March 17, and following the Parade, the charity auction will be held at the
Freedrop Bar.
For more information about the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and
registering your float, or if you have any items you would like to donate for
the auction, call Derrick at the Freedrop Bar on 087 613 5797.
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