The normally sleepy acreage suburb of Forestdale, nestled between Brisbane’s southern suburbs and Logan, will explode in colour and the enticing aroma of Thai cuisine on Easter Sunday as more than 10,000 people converge on the Thai community’s Buddhist Temple to celebrate Thai New Year.
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Spread over 7 hectares of mowed grass estate, the temple’s grounds have been home to Thailand’s Songkran festival for 18 years, and numbers have grown rapidly with the popularity of Thai culture and cuisine and celebrating all things "sanook", a Thai word for "fun".
More than 50 food stalls are expected to sell everything from the famous green papaya salad to charcoal grilled chicken, Thai drinks and sweets.
And while nibbling on that satay pork stick, there will be entertainment aplenty, including traditional Thai music and dancing.
Contestants will spend hours preparing themselves dressing in ornate and colourful authentic Thai costumes before engaging in a public speaking competition in front of the crowds as part of a "Miss Songkran" contest.
There will be traditional Thai children’s games and rides, and hard-to-find Thai clothes for sale.
- Songkran festival is at Wat Thai Buddharam, 1 Paradise Rd (corner Johnson Rd) Forestdale, from 9am-5pm. Due to limited on-site parking , a park’n’ride shuttle service will operate from the nearby Woolworths Distribution Centre on Distribution St, Larapinta (follow the signs).
