To celebrate the start of Songkran – the four-day Thai New Year festival – Chaophraya, Birmingham’s fine dining Thai restaurant, last week enlisted the help of three authentic Thai monks to bless Birmingham for the year ahead. 

The Thai monks – from The Buddhavihara Temple in Staffordshire – visited the Bullring-based restaurant on Thursday, April 12 visitors to the eatery and to Bullring’s Spiceal Street. Blessings by Buddhist monks are said to bring health and good luck to the recipient for the coming year and take place during a short ritual.

In addition to the blessing, traditional Thai street entertainers including dancers and singers took to Spiceal Street to welcome in the New Year. 

Restaurant founder, Atcharaporn Kaewkraikhot, known simply as Kim in the UK, said: “Thai New Year is very important to us at Chaophraya and is not something that is widely celebrated in Birmingham. We wanted to be able to bring a little of the magic of Thailand to people visiting Bullring on Thursday, with traditional Thai entertainment, blessings and our authentic Thai cuisine. What better place to celebrate the Thai New Year than at Chaophraya!”