Post Card: Dusit Palace Winter Fair, Bangkok

When I heard there was a beautiful floral Winter Fair named “Aun Ai Rak Khiai Khwam Nao” I couldn’t wait to get there to take a look. The meaning of this fair translates as:

‘the warmth of love offering relief from the cold’

which did make me smile as I wandered around, on a warm and sunny day all hot and sweaty!

This fair was the agreement of our new King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun. It sees a collaboration between the Thai government and the private sector who have between them put on a spectacular show with over 200,000 flowers and plants used to decorate the site.

The event pays homage to yesteryear, with visitors requested to dress in traditional Thai costume from King Rama V’s times. King Chulalongkorn, Rama V was a popular Thai king who reigned from 1868-1910. He made some significant reforms, all without bloodshed and is remembered fondly for his work in education and military reform, with the state railway and in slave liberation.

King Rama V developed the Dusit Palace area to be a place of escape from the oppressive and stiflingly hot Grand Palace. The area of Dusit Palace contains over thirteen Royal residences and gardens and is where Thai kings have lived since these times.

I am dropped at Dusit Zoo as a police cordon prevents us from getting any closer and with an umbrella to shield me from the sun, I set off to walk past the police line to what I think will be the 1km walk to the entrance. I am stopped by a policeman who indicates towards a police van and I hop-in joining a minibus full of Thai OAP’s (and one OAW: Old Age Wren, well nearly!) to be whizzed to the identification and entry area.

Each of us is assessed for appropriate attire, which meant not the Rama V costumes, but clothes covering the shoulders and dresses below the knee, luckily I pass and proceed to a TV camera and stand with my passport ID above my head for an official entry photograph before reaching a checkpoint where my ID is swiped into a computer and all my details recorded. It is high security.

There appear to be a number of volunteers helping visitors upon arrival and before I know it, I’m into what turns out to be a wonderful experience. There are hardly any foreigners, which as far as I’m concerned makes it all the better.

It was so lovely to see all the period clothes, people seemed genuinely excited to be there, enjoying lots of shopping, eating and photo opportunities. Bangkok has more people using Facebook than any other city in the world and so we know where all these photos are going!

Here are some of my favourite pictures from the day:

I love this photo of the girls all dressed up and can just imagine the expressions at home when the note from school says school excursion next Tuesday, as a mark of respect please ensure your daughter is dressed in a gold King Rama V outfit! Don’t they all look beautiful?

Before I go, I find myself far from needing relief from the cold but am very happy to find a coconut sellar which offers cool relief from the heat indeed. I follow the lead of everyone else and head back to have the coconut hacked open and was given the top round slice as a spoon, the flesh of the coconut is delicious.

What a great day having the warmth of love giving relief from the cold (and the heat!)