The annual “Blessing of the Fleet” ceremony, a longstanding tradition within Hua Hin’s fishing community, will take place on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at the Chao Mae Tubtim Shrine, adjacent to the Hilton Hua Hin Resort & Spa.
The event, which honours the town’s longstanding connection to the sea, is organised by the Hua Hin Fishing Community and is intended to make merit for the ancestors of local fishermen. This year’s ceremony will feature a range of activities, including the scattering of ashes on Hua Hin beach for those who were unable to return to their homeland.
Mr. Phairoj Makmu, President of the Hua Hin Fishing Community, announced that the traditional “Sea Offering” ceremony would also include the release of plaster figurines into the sea.
Approximately 3,000 figurines, representing men, women, and children, will be prepared for the public to donate. Participants are encouraged to write their names or those of their loved ones on a piece of paper attached to the figurines, make a wish for the removal of misfortune, and place them in a specially adorned boat. The boat will then be taken to Khao Krong, an area rich in marine life, where the figurines will be submerged to form a habitat for coral and marine animals.
In the morning, the ceremony will start with an offering to the ocean deity, followed by a merit-making ceremony for monks to bless the occasion. Local fishermen’s boats, used daily in their work, will be decorated for the event, symbolising the community’s gratitude and respect for the sea that sustains their livelihoods.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Prachuap Khiri Khan Office has also expressed its support for the event. Mr. Archawan Kongkanant,, Director of the TAT Prachuap Khiri Khan Office, highlighted that this ceremony is a significant local tradition that reflects the deep faith and respect the fishermen have for the Hua Hin Sea. He noted that the province is promoting tourism under the “5 Must Do in Prachuap Khiri Khan” concept, which aims to generate economic and social value in the area.
Locals and tourists are invited to participate in the “Blessing of the Fleet” ceremony and can exchange figurines at the designated area in front of the Phra Nak Shrine at Wat Hua Hin from August 20 to September 14, 2024, or at the event venue on the day of the ceremony.
This tradition, revived nearly 20 years ago, continues to be an important event in the life of Hua Hin’s fishing community, celebrating the cultural heritage and enduring connection between the town and the sea.
At 9am the blessing ceremony begins at the Chao Mae Tubtim Shrine. At 12pm, the ship will be released to the sea.
