Meanwhile, Chak Phra literally mean

Meanwhile, Chak Phra literally means “pulling of the Buddhist monks” and it is celebrated in many southern provinces such as Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani, Phatthalung, Songkhla and Yala. The most impressive Chak Phra festival is on the Tapi River in Surat Thani Province. To mark this occasion, two float-pulling ceremonies are held, one on land and the other on water. On land, the splendidly adorned floats are pulled across the town by the participants of the ceremony. At the same time, on water, the ceremony is highlighted by a float decorated in colourful Thai design of a float made to carry the Buddha image. This float is then towed to the middle of the river for a religious ceremony. On the following day, the float carrying the Buddha image is towed along the river so that people can worship and make merit. Both land and river events are highly colourful. The Chak Phra festival then concludes with an exciting boat race and a traditional game.