为庆三宝佛节 泰国帕通海滩所有娱乐场所将关闭一天

佛教在线海外讯 据海外媒体报道，2009年7月7日，为庆祝三宝佛节，泰国帕通海滩的所有娱乐场所将在当天关闭一天，以便让那些在夜晚工作的娱乐场所工作人员也能够一同庆祝节日。

帕通娱乐企业协会主席Sompetch Moosopon表示，帕通娱乐企业协会会员已于6月23日在班素可泰饭店相见，共同探讨庆祝泰国公共节日——三宝佛节的活动计划。大家一致通过在节日当天举行布施法会以及一系列的活动。预计会有400多个娱乐单位参加。“关闭娱乐场所，给那些在娱乐场所工作的员工们做功德、思考佛教重要性的机会，这已经是第七年了。我们想要在Soi Bangla和全帕通形成一种在三宝佛节当天关闭娱乐场所的传统。”

活动计划将于三宝佛节当天黎明开始。在早上7点的时候将会有一场布施法会。由信众向僧人们布施米、不易腐败的食物、僧袍以及其他的必需品。而一些善款也将被捐给帕通医疗基金会去帮助那些患病的穷人。下午，人们将在海滩路的帕通足球场地举行“多彩运动节”活动。届时，所有娱乐场所的工作人员将被分为9个团队，每个团队将有一个颜色代表。而将被举行的广泛的竞技活动则包括拔河、腿上绑沙袋赛跑等传统比赛。并且人们还会给最佳的拉拉队颁发奖品。

Moosopon表示：“我们想要在娱乐行业工作人员中制造一种和谐的氛围。给每个人一个和他人娱乐的机会。而布施法会和团队运动则可以促使形成一种团结的精神，帮助娱乐行业工作者团结起来一同度过当前不景气的经济时期。（编译：子规）

PATONG, PHUKET: All entertainment venues in Patong will close on July 7 to observe the Buddhist holiday of Asarnha Bucha.

Sompetch Moosopon, president of the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA), said the PEBA committee met at the Baan Sukhothai Hotel & Spa on Tuesday to discuss plans for Asarnha Bucha Day, which is a public holiday in Thailand.

It was agreed to hold merit-making ceremonies as well as a range of activities aimed at building camaraderie among the scores of people employed in the Patong nightlife entertainment industry.

“This will be the seventh consecutive year that we will close entertainment venues in Patong to give workers the chance to make merit and reflect on the importance of Buddhism. We want to establish this as a tradition for Soi Bangla and all of Patong,” he said.

Employees of over 400 entertainment venues are expected to take part, he said.

Events will kick off just after dawn, a time when many nightlife workers are normally just going to bed.

At 7am there will be an alms-offering ceremony organized by Patong Municipality, with merit-makers offering monks rice, non-perishable foodstuffs, robes and other necessities.

Financial contributions will also be accepted by the Patong Hospital Foundation, a charity set up to help poor patients pay their medical bills, he said.

The Patong Football Field on the beach road will be the focus of activity in the afternoon, when “sport color day” activities will see workers from various nightlife establishments band together into nine teams, each with a different color.

The wide range of competitive events will include such classics as tug-of-war and sack races. Awards will also be given to the teams with the best cheering sections.

“We want to develop harmony and give everyone a chance to have fun with one another,” Mr Sompetch said.

The merit-making and team-building activities will help create a unified spirit, helping industry workers fight together to survive during these tough economic times, he said.