Border busy as festival kicks off

SA KAEO: A throng of Cambodian and Vietnamese nationals have crossed into Thailand via the Aranyaprathet border pass to attend the province’s famous annual vegetarian festival.

Pol Col Benjapol Rodsawat, chief of Sa Kaeo immigration police, yesterday deployed officers to monitor Cambodian and Vietnamese travellers visiting vegetarian cafeterias in Aranyaprathet district, particularly the one arranged by the Sawang Thieng Thammasathan Foundation in Aranyaprathet municipality.

The foundation’s 10-day vegetarian festival officially starts today.

It was reported that the Aranyaprathet border crossing has been busy since yesterday morning.

As Poipet has neither Chinese shrines nor vegetarian cafeterias, those in the city with Chinese ancestors have often crossed the border to attend the festival in Aranyaprathet district in past years.

Many are merchants from Poipet market and other nearby areas in the Cambodian border province of Banteay Meanchey.

“Many are just crossing the border in order to attend the festival, according to officers,” said Pol Col Benjapol, insisting that stringent checks are being carried out.

Pol Col Benjapol, who visited the foundation’s cafeteria to talk to the tourists, said there is a huge population of Chinese descent in Cambodia, and many Vietnamese traders are also working in Poipet.

The foundation’s chairman, Supachai Wangprapha, said all attendants would receive a free meal throughout the 10-day festival.

The foundation has provided free meals for every annual vegetarian festival for more than 60 years, and the place has become increasingly popular.