Elephant boats on the Chao Phraya River

Elephant boats on the Chao Phraya

Move aside dragons, elephant boat racing is here. From February 28 to March 1 the second annual Elephant Boat Race and River Festival, organised by the Anantara Riverside Bangkok, will be held on the Chao Phraya River next to the resort.

Teams from around the world will challenge the winners of last years inaugural race, the Royal Thai Navy Seals. The specially designed boats are decorated with elephant themed sculptures with tails inspired by traditional Thai fish motifs. The races are held on a 200 metre course with four teams per heat. First to splash across the finish line progresses to the next round and closer to winning the royal trophy graciously granted by His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua.

The action on the river gets underway at 10.00 am. In addition to the racing there will also be plenty of fun on terra-firma. The entertainment will include live music, children’s arts and crafts, fun fair rides. There will also be wide selection of food and drink throughout the day and into the evening.

General admission is 200 baht for each day though VIP tickets and four for the price of three deals are available. Advance tickets can be purchased here.

The proceeds of the event go to Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation. The foundation will distribute these funds across a variety of projects dedicated to captive and wild elephant welfare, enabling them to continue their vital work throughout Thailand.

Ko Kret: Island in the City

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