Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew led a host of leading officials in declaring the fair open last night (Mar 20).
“This event is another economic stimulus activity for Phuket, in addition to the Roi Rim Lay Food Fair being held at various locations,” Governor Narong said.
“Holding this annual Dee Phuket fair [sic] this time is also to provide income for the Phuket Red Cross in order to use the money to help the poor people and activities to help people who have been affected by various disasters,” he added.
The fair will be held each night through next Monday night (Mar 28), the final night when the major lucky draw prizes will be announced.
The event is the first Red Cross Fair to be held in Phuket since the pandemic began two years ago. Before COVID-19, the annual fair was one of the biggest and busiest fairs on the island.
The current edition underway at Saphan Hin, the traditional site for the fair, has been rebranded to ‘Dee Phuket Fair’ so as to not undermine or detract from the national Red Cross Fair’s online version, or offend the national Red Cross office organisers.
Regardless, the fair currently underway at Saphan Hin is expected to be one of the largest fairs on the island marking the easing of COVID restrictions. The fair features live entertainment every night as well as hundreds of stalls by vendors selling local dishes and delicacies, and other products and produce.
One of the main attractions of the fair has always been the lucky draw prizes. In years past the top prize has been a semi-detached home worth more than B2 million.
This year, in line with the economic impact of COVID-19 throughout the country, the prizes though still substantial are of much less value.
The top prize is 10 bahtweight of gold, worth more than B300,000, while second prize is a gold bar weighing 5 bahtweight, worth about B155,500.
Third prize is be a 2-bahtweight gold bar. There will be three third-place prizes up for grabs, with each gold bar worth more than B62,000.
The fourth prize will be a gold bar of 1 bahtweight of gold. There will be five fourth-place prizes up for grabs, with each gold bar worth about B31,100.
Fifth prize in the lucky draw will be a 2 salung bahtweight of gold, with 20 fifth-place prizes up for grabs and each gold prize worth just over B15,000 each.
For those with the correct last three numbers in the lucky draw there will be 50 16-inch fans to be won.
Tickets cost B100 each.
The money raised goes to the Red Cross Phuket projects to support the poor and the elderly, often both, across Phuket, and to support those suffering dire financial hardship due to ongoing the COVID economic crisis, still sharply experienced by many people across the island.
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