Oberhausen.
Asian cuisine, street food stalls and even Thai boxing matches: the Thai New Year festival is coming to Oberhausen. What the creators are planning.
The Thai New Year Songkran festival will also be held in Oberhausen this year. On Sunday, April 16, a new outdoor festival will start in the inner courtyard of the Altenberg center. Organizers promise an “intoxicating and exotic celebration” with a festival of Thai food and culture.
Asian cuisine is particularly important: 28 street food vendors will offer their food at the festival. Popular dishes like “Tom Yum Goong” shrimp soup should be familiar to Thai cuisine lovers. “Phad Thai” noodles also have a huge following.
“We offer dishes with lots of vegetables and fruits. Grilled meat is also on the menu”, promises the organizer Chairat Janklab, who is organizing the festival in the center of Altenberg for the first time with his agency BKK Events.
Songkran festival in Oberhausen: 28 stands with street food
The regional round dance is not so new. So far, the organizers have held their parties at the Raffelberg Racecourse in Mülheim-Speldorf. The agency is now moving from the neighboring town to Oberhausen, “for organizational reasons”.
In addition to the culinary offerings, the show stage program of the “Songkran Festival” should not be let down: it includes a presentation that brings the national sport of Thailand “Muay Thai” closer to the audience in Oberhausen. Thai boxing is a martial art that uses fists, legs and elbows. Many top European athletes travel to Thailand to improve their ring skills at training camps.
Dance groups are certainly part of the sporting accents of Thai New Year celebrations. Traditional clothes are used. As a modern twist, record players look to the set lists of Asian hits. Typical Thai souvenirs are also advertised. Chairat Janklab: “We invite everyone from Oberhausen to get to know Thai culture better.”
Oberhausen’s Songkran Festival: Thai boxing replaces water fighting
A municipal representative will open the ten-hour festival (from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.). Mayor Manfred Flore (SPD) is on schedule. By the way, Songkran Festival is also known as water festival or water spray in this country. This is due to Thai customs.
Thai people douse each other with water during the Songkran festival. This symbolically washes away the misfortune of the past year. Although it is incredibly hot in Thailand in mid-April, the temperatures in Germany are not very warm. Chairat Janklab: “Because of the weather, we will not have a water fight.”
BKK Event wants to assess the number of visitors after the premiere in Altenberg. “Basically, we are interested in a long-term partnership in this place.” Those interested do not have to arrange the admission ticket by April 16. Chairat Janklab promises: “Entrance is free!”
>>> The Altenberg center is preparing for a busy weekend
The Thai food and culture festival concludes the weekend program in the center of Altenberg at Hansastraße 20 on Sunday, April 16.
In the previous days, the socio-cultural center opens with disco formats. On Friday (April 14, 8:00 p.m.) “Adults Only” begins for friends over 25 years old. On Saturday (April 15, 22:00) “Disconaut” will follow the younger night owls. In addition, the “Jugendsünde” party (at 11 p.m.) is being celebrated in the Schlosserei.
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