On Wednesday the 4th of May there was a ceremony to pay respect to the monument of King Rama V in Thong Sala.
Many important figures gathered at the monument, this is one of two monuments of Rama V on Koh Phangan.
The first one you can find in Than Sadet which he frequently visited when on the island.
A ceremony is held every year to welcome Rama V to Koh Phangan and thank him for his kindness to the island during his reign, this was the second ceremony to be held for this statue.
He visited the island as a tourist sixteen times during his time as King so is held in high regard by the Koh Phangan locals and in fact the whole of Thailand.
Rama V helped Koh Phangan become a tourist destination, thus helping the people and economy of this beautiful island grow and become what it now is.
Present at the ceremony was Vannee the president of the Tourist Association of Koh Phangan, the Mayor, Governor, Police Chief, The Red Cross and other representatives from local businesses.
The ceremony was beautiful, with local monks present to give their blessings to the monument.
People presented gifts of gratitude and then of course in the Thai tradition, enjoyed food, drinks and conversation with each other.
The monument looks especially nice in the evening when it is lit up so go and have a look yourself one day with now a little more knowledge about what it is all for.
See the full gallery here.
Keep updated with phanganist.com by following our Facebook page.
