On 10 November 2024, over 100 MFU Myanmar students and lecturers and the Chiang Rai Aid Centre for Myanmar Workers joined the Chiang Rai community in a Kathin procession to Sri Koerd Temple.
The Kathin ceremony is a significant Buddhist tradition observed by both Thai and Myanmar communities. It involves offering robes and other necessities to Buddhist monks who have completed their three-month rainy season retreat. This year, the Kathin ceremony held special significance as it coincided with the 60th day since major flooding affected the Chiang Rai community. It was an opportunity to make merit and foster community resilience.
Mr. Saw San Nyunt Win, a third-year student from the School of Applied Digital and Technology and President of the Myanmar Student Organization of MFU, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to share Myanmar culture with the Thai community. He said, “The festival was truly fantastic! I extend my sincere gratitude to the Thai Government and Myanmar people for providing us with the opportunity to share our Myanmar culture. It was a joy to celebrate Kathein, a traditional Myanmar festival, alongside our Myanmar community and the Myanmar people of Chiang Rai. Also, I want to thank all the participants from MFU for helping us in order to join the Festival well.”
Mr. Thet Zaw Moe, a first-year student from the School of Health Science and a member of the Myanmar Student Organization of MFU, shared his feeing in representing Myanmar students. He stated, ‘I felt an immense sense of pride being able to represent my country, and my culture and share the beauty of our traditions with others in a different country. Next time, I really want to share more Myanmar’s beautiful festivals and traditions, both Burmese and English, so that people around the world can appreciate the richness of our culture.’
