Poinsettias parade in Tha Rae
(aimpol buranet / Shutterstock.com)
About a 30-minute drive from the provincial capital of Sakhon Nakhon, the village of Tha Rae is located north of Nong Han Lake. The village has been inhabited by a Thai-Vietnamese population for 136 years and is also the largest Catholic community in Thailand. The beautiful St. Michael's Cathedral as well as old buildings and houses in French-Vietnamese style are worth a visit.
It has also become much quieter in Tha Rae due to the Covid-19 outbreak in. Every year on December 23 and 24, a poinsettia parade takes place here, which attracts thousands of visitors. The residents of Tha Rae hope that this year the domestic tourists will come and participate in this traditional Christmas celebration.
In addition to this atmospheric parade, the inhabitants will, as every year, decorate their houses with star-shaped lanterns. Many villagers will also participate, said Adul Trakulma, councilor with tourism policy in his portfolio. A Christmas play will also be performed.
The cathedral was built in 1884 by a group of Vietnamese. This was later expanded and increased to a visitor number of 1000 people. In Tha Rae there are 4 smaller churches that can be visited.
Tha Rae is a good example of how different ethnicities and religions can live together from tourism through their OTOP products. (One Tambon One Product). Another attraction is the nearby Nong-Han lake with cozy restaurants and boat rentals.
Source: der Farang