Pak Nam Pho Chinese New Year festival roars to life on banks of Chao Phraya

The province 250km north of Bangkok is home to a large Chinese-Thai population who celebrate the lunar New Year on the Chao Phraya riverbank with fireworks, dragon and lion dancing and pole-climbing.

The New Year celebrations run every night in the city until January 26.

Monday’s crowd was treated to dazzling pyrotechnics and Chinese-Thai cultural performances.

Now a magnet for tourists, the event also features exhibitions of arts and culture, vendors selling local specialities, and a range of performances and activities.

The festivities culminate on the night of January 24 with the Chao Pho-Chao Mae Pak Nam Pho procession, which is expected to draw over 100,000 visitors.

A daytime procession of dancing dragons, lions and other traditional Chinese-Thai performances will flow through the streets on January 25, bringing the festival to an end.

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