Bus to Chonburi Buffalo Festival

[OzMan]

I plan to catch a bus/van from Ekkamai to Chonburi to attend the Buffalo festival. Looking at the map, the bus station is about 2 km before the location of the event. Does the bus travel along Sukhumvit Rd near Chon Buri Provincial Hall, or is the bus station the nearest location I can travel to?

[Kerryd]

What is the location for the event ? Everything I've looked at says "Chon Buri" and that's it. 

Saw one site saying it was on 1 Oct and another saying it was on 29 Oct too.

[Damrongsak]

The Pattya News says it will be held September 28 to October 4, with the main race on Oct. 1. 

 

But I saw the other dates as well. 

[Matzzon]

If you take the bus from Ekkamai, you can take the one to Pattaya, it will go further and out of my experience they have let people off at different locations down the road.

[OzMan]

4 hours ago, Damrongsak said:

The Pattya News says it will be held September 28 to October 4, with the main race on Oct. 1. 

 

But I saw the other dates as well. 

Chonburi government FaceBook page says 1st October. That is the only date I have seen.

 

[OzMan]

5 hours ago, Kerryd said:

What is the location for the event ? Everything I've looked at says "Chon Buri" and that's it.

It will be held at the ceremony fields in front of the Chonburi City Municipality Office.

[Damrongsak]

1 hour ago, OzMan said:

Chonburi government FaceBook page says 1st October. That is the only date I have seen.

 

Problem is it's done by dates of the full moon, and there are two in October.  Hence the confusion.

I was looking at the Google satellite view of the Chonburi City Municipality Office and it didn't look like there was anywhere to have buffaloes run around.  ???  But if soi dogs can run around, maybe buffaloes can, too.  TIT.

 

I'd love to see the kwaiboys perform.  Though life outside the city is much more sabai. 

 

[Kerryd]

Well, so far I've found no less than 4 sites that say it's happening on 29 Oct.

However, as the Chonburi PR Facebook page says it's 1 Oct (as well as the Pattaya News) I'm inclined to go with that date. (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/เป็นวันวิ่งควาย)

The location is here (as far as I can tell) : https://www.google.co.th/maps/@13.3632008,100.9769874,811m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

You can see the stadium and race track where I'm guessing the events will be held. 

Note it is a 6 day event spread over 7 days apparently (nothing happening on 2 Oct).
From 28 Sept to 4 Oct, with the actual races on 1 Oct.

From the Chonburi PR page:
   
   

[Kerryd]

Found a couple pics with English translations. They only did one page of the schedule though:
        

[champers]

Anybody know about special busses/vans from Pattaya direct to the event?

[johng]

Don't know about "special" buses   but you can jump on the white songthews going north along Sukhumvit road and they will take you almost to the Chonburi City Municipality Office.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Chonburi+Municipality+Stadium/@13.3593655,100.9762679,15z/data=!4m8!1m2!2m1!1schonburi+amphur+office!3m4!1s0x311d4a76e067123f:0xa182690744e14af3!8m2!3d13.3647099!4d100.9765783

 

Get off at the Hospital and there will be other transport to take you  or just walk a bit.

 

 

[OzMan]

16 hours ago, Matzzon said:

If you take the bus from Ekkamai, you can take the one to Pattaya, it will go further and out of my experience they have let people off at different locations down the road.

Is there a consensus on this? If I catch an Ekkamai Pataya bus it will let me off nearer Chonburi City Municipal Offices.

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, OzMan said:

Is there a consensus on this? If I catch an Ekkamai Pataya bus it will let me off nearer Chonburi City Municipal Offices.

The regular Ekamai to Pattaya buses do not go through central Chonburi, but use the bypass, and drop off points are usually limited to a few places close to the destination, like Laem Chabang, Rom Poh etc.

Edited September 24, 2020 by jacko45k

[OzMan]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

The regular Ekamai to Pattaya buses do not go through central Chonburi, but use the bypass, and drop off points are usually limited to a few places close to the destination, like Laem Chabang, Rom Poh etc.

Thanks jacko45k

[OzMan]

Can anyone give me a latitude and longitude for the festival? Their map is confusing me.

[Kerryd]

If I have my calculations correct, pretty much the whole event is taking place in this area:
https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/ตลาดหน้าศาล+Chonburi+Night+Market/@13.3635103,100.9796215,18.71z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x311d4a77dfbe0a3b:0xaeab91664971c9dc!8m2!3d13.3627403!4d100.9806626?hl=en

 

[Kerryd]

I hope that's right because that's where I'm heading bright and early in the morning. Note the forecast calls for "light rain" in the afternoon (up to a 60% chance by mid-afternoon).
 

[OzMan]

2 hours ago, Kerryd said:

If I have my calculations correct, pretty much the whole event is taking place in this area:
https://www.google.co.th/maps/place/ตลาดหน้าศาล+Chonburi+Night+Market/@13.3635103,100.9796215,18.71z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x311d4a77dfbe0a3b:0xaeab91664971c9dc!8m2!3d13.3627403!4d100.9806626?hl=en

 

 

Thanks kerryd. Fits in with the location of Tesco shown on their map.

[Susco]

I guess our animal cruelty members are offline these days, or it doesn't suit them for some reason

 

[Fujionrye]

Went yesterday. Poster says the races start at 10 start but it would be ok if you got there around noon. The early crowd starts to thin about that time.

[Kerryd]

Yeah, by noon I was inching towards the street and left after the 3rd race.

The Thai Culture Conservation Parade was supposed to start at 7:30. I timed my arrival (in Chon Buri) just right, arriving at 07:15. Saw some buffalo carts getting prepped and people walking around in "ceremonial" costume and.............about 8:30 they finally started the parade down the rode towards city hall.

The races were supposed to kick off at 10:30 (The "Grand Opening" and pre-race ceremonies were supposed to start at 10) but they failed to mention "Thai time" as I think the first actual race started around 11:30. As it took over 20 minutes before the next race, and then nearly 30 minutes before race 3 finally ran, I gave up and went home.

Could have done with some cloud though. The forecast called for clouds and then light rain in the afternoon but it was clear, sunny and ****** baking all day (until early afternoon at least).

Was not bad though. Hundreds and hundreds of buffalo. Some Thai fun events (shooting targets with slingshots and paintballs, climbing greased poles to grab skewers with money attached to them, a Thai "quiz" event that looked like Jeopardy or something and a Takraw game where the players tried to put the wicker ball through some small hoops that were suspended about 10 meters or so above the ground).

There was a mini carnival at one end as well with a tiny ferris wheel and carousel. Wasn't getting any business in the morning. I didn't bother wandering through the souvenir/shop area.

The races were a bit of a hoot. Many of the buffalo really didn't like the idea of having a rider on their back and balked at the starting gate, setting off the other buffalo. That was why each race took so long. And while they were trying to get the buffalo ready for the next race, handlers would be walking some from the finish area back to the start area.

I think the first race was the only one in which all the buffalo made it to the finish, with their riders still on. (It seems the same group of riders run each race on different mounts.)
A couple riders fell off but the buffalo kept on going and a couple barely made it out of the start before deciding it was just too **** hot to run with some wan*** on their back whacking them with a stick.

The most excitement perhaps was after the finish line as they only have about 25 meters to slow down and stop before running into the shelter at the end which is full of other buffalo already. 
They have a group of guys down there to stand in front of the beasts, who seemed to be well trained in not trying to run right through the little squirt in front of them. Which most of them could have easily done had they been so inclined. Instead the beasts would slam on the brakes or try to veer to the side where they had some more guys ready to keep them from running out of the race area and onto the street.

Really wonder how the owners keep track of their animals. There were rows and rows of tented shelters housing hundreds of buffalo that looked almost identical. It would be like parking your Honda Wave in a parking garage with a thousand other Honda Waves (with no license plates on any of them) and then 12 hours later trying to remember which one is yours.

This was an event I've had marked on my "to do" list for a couple years now and it's finally done. I suspect I probably won't go again next year. Unless it looks to be considerably cooler (as in, pouring rain maybe).     

Next up - the "Naga Fireballs" on the Mekong later this month.

[mran66]

Any idea about schedule for today and weekend? Any activities left? 

[Kerryd]

5 minutes ago, mran66 said:

Any idea about schedule for today and weekend? Any activities left? 

There's a couple things happening on the 3rd and 4th but I don't have an English translation of what they are.

[champers]

3 hours ago, Kerryd said:

Yeah, by noon I was inching towards the street and left after the 3rd race.

The Thai Culture Conservation Parade was supposed to start at 7:30. I timed my arrival (in Chon Buri) just right, arriving at 07:15. Saw some buffalo carts getting prepped and people walking around in "ceremonial" costume and.............about 8:30 they finally started the parade down the rode towards city hall.

The races were supposed to kick off at 10:30 (The "Grand Opening" and pre-race ceremonies were supposed to start at 10) but they failed to mention "Thai time" as I think the first actual race started around 11:30. As it took over 20 minutes before the next race, and then nearly 30 minutes before race 3 finally ran, I gave up and went home.

Could have done with some cloud though. The forecast called for clouds and then light rain in the afternoon but it was clear, sunny and ****** baking all day (until early afternoon at least).

Was not bad though. Hundreds and hundreds of buffalo. Some Thai fun events (shooting targets with slingshots and paintballs, climbing greased poles to grab skewers with money attached to them, a Thai "quiz" event that looked like Jeopardy or something and a Takraw game where the players tried to put the wicker ball through some small hoops that were suspended about 10 meters or so above the ground).

There was a mini carnival at one end as well with a tiny ferris wheel and carousel. Wasn't getting any business in the morning. I didn't bother wandering through the souvenir/shop area.

The races were a bit of a hoot. Many of the buffalo really didn't like the idea of having a rider on their back and balked at the starting gate, setting off the other buffalo. That was why each race took so long. And while they were trying to get the buffalo ready for the next race, handlers would be walking some from the finish area back to the start area.

I think the first race was the only one in which all the buffalo made it to the finish, with their riders still on. (It seems the same group of riders run each race on different mounts.)
A couple riders fell off but the buffalo kept on going and a couple barely made it out of the start before deciding it was just too **** hot to run with some wan*** on their back whacking them with a stick.

The most excitement perhaps was after the finish line as they only have about 25 meters to slow down and stop before running into the shelter at the end which is full of other buffalo already. 
They have a group of guys down there to stand in front of the beasts, who seemed to be well trained in not trying to run right through the little squirt in front of them. Which most of them could have easily done had they been so inclined. Instead the beasts would slam on the brakes or try to veer to the side where they had some more guys ready to keep them from running out of the race area and onto the street.

Really wonder how the owners keep track of their animals. There were rows and rows of tented shelters housing hundreds of buffalo that looked almost identical. It would be like parking your Honda Wave in a parking garage with a thousand other Honda Waves (with no license plates on any of them) and then 12 hours later trying to remember which one is yours.

This was an event I've had marked on my "to do" list for a couple years now and it's finally done. I suspect I probably won't go again next year. Unless it looks to be considerably cooler (as in, pouring rain maybe).     

Next up - the "Naga Fireballs" on the Mekong later this month.

My first visit yesterday too. We arrived at 10 and left at 2.30. An enjoyable day out and free entrance so VFM. We watched the races from both sides, close to the finish line for a while. It takes some guts to stand and stop charging buffalos! We stood behind the start line for a while and the buffalos waiting to race were constantly doused with water and had high powered fans trained on them to keep them cool. The track is barely 100 Metres long and races are over in a flash. Kudos to the jockeys who have no protective equipment and have all on controlling such powerful beasts. There was one nasty moment when a jockey was thrown off his mount and looked spark out, but he had just had the wind knocked out if him.

There seemed to be a lot of activities set up for the evening. There was an impressive looking big marquee for a music concert, BBQ restos and a Thai version of bingo. No clickety click or 2 fat ladies as numbers were only 1 to 30.

I did contemplate entering my beloved better half into the elderly ladies beauty contest at 6pm, but thought better of it. I am too young to die.

[johng]

3 hours ago, Kerryd said:

There's a couple things happening on the 3rd and 4th but I don't have an English translation of what they are.

On the 3rd it says there is a Thai chess competition  and a Thai boxing competition.

 

on the 4th I can't make out what it says due to the font and lack of reading skills 

but think it's some sort of religious ceremony ?