WHY DO BIRDS suddenly appear, every time you are near? Because, we can now tell the brother and sister group The Carpenters, there is a bird-singing contest happening.
And the biggest bird singing contest on the island was held at Saphan Hin public park in Phuket City on the weekend, with 1500 people involved from Bangkok and 14 provinces all over the South.
About 360 birds competed in the first singing contest, the Queen's Cup, designed to find the bird with the best voice.
Owners collect prizemoney. There were 90 sparkling gold cups to be presented.
The second contest, for amateur owners, attracted 721 birds, singing away, with smaller prizes.
On Sunday, contestants returned for the King's Cup and 100 more gold cups, to international rules. About 1000 people attended, with 800 birds competing.
Prize cocks and doves were also involved in the weekend's proceedings.
Throughout Thailand's south especially, singing birds are highly prized and kept as pets in many families.
Birds can fetch as much as 300,000 baht. The best ones have to be carefully protected against bird thieves.
This can pose a problem because singing birds, mostly the red-whiskered bulbul (nok krong hua juck) actually enjoy being out in the sunshine.
The chairman of the national Nok Krong Hua Juck Union, Surathep Bunyawatwanich, said about 2500 people had come to the bird-singing festival.
Charities in Krabi would benefit from the entry fees, he said. The Phuket event cost between 500,000 baht and 600,000 baht to advertise and organise.
''Making cages is becoming an occupation for more people because singing birds are becoming more popular,'' he said.
A good singing bird can sing smoothly and melodiously. The length of the song is not a consideration.
Contests are judged by experienced bird-song experts who take notes and award points. Birds are placed in categories and eventually, winners emerge.
Singing bird owner Napassawan Srivisarn told Phketwan that she had 15 singing birds at home in Prajuabkirikhun province. She brought her husband and eight birds to the festival.
Her husband worked and she was left to care for the birds most days, forming an attachment to them.
Their best birds were award-winners.
''Birds need exercise for their voices,'' she said. ''Their feathers need cleaning, too.''
The next contest is at Sampan Park, Nakan Phatom province, near Bangkok on December 20-21.
And the biggest bird singing contest on the island was held at Saphan Hin public park in Phuket City on the weekend, with 1500 people involved from Bangkok and 14 provinces all over the South.
About 360 birds competed in the first singing contest, the Queen's Cup, designed to find the bird with the best voice.
Owners collect prizemoney. There were 90 sparkling gold cups to be presented.
The second contest, for amateur owners, attracted 721 birds, singing away, with smaller prizes.
On Sunday, contestants returned for the King's Cup and 100 more gold cups, to international rules. About 1000 people attended, with 800 birds competing.
Prize cocks and doves were also involved in the weekend's proceedings.
Throughout Thailand's south especially, singing birds are highly prized and kept as pets in many families.
Birds can fetch as much as 300,000 baht. The best ones have to be carefully protected against bird thieves.
This can pose a problem because singing birds, mostly the red-whiskered bulbul (nok krong hua juck) actually enjoy being out in the sunshine.
The chairman of the national Nok Krong Hua Juck Union, Surathep Bunyawatwanich, said about 2500 people had come to the bird-singing festival.
Charities in Krabi would benefit from the entry fees, he said. The Phuket event cost between 500,000 baht and 600,000 baht to advertise and organise.
''Making cages is becoming an occupation for more people because singing birds are becoming more popular,'' he said.
A good singing bird can sing smoothly and melodiously. The length of the song is not a consideration.
Contests are judged by experienced bird-song experts who take notes and award points. Birds are placed in categories and eventually, winners emerge.
Singing bird owner Napassawan Srivisarn told Phketwan that she had 15 singing birds at home in Prajuabkirikhun province. She brought her husband and eight birds to the festival.
Her husband worked and she was left to care for the birds most days, forming an attachment to them.
Their best birds were award-winners.
''Birds need exercise for their voices,'' she said. ''Their feathers need cleaning, too.''
The next contest is at Sampan Park, Nakan Phatom province, near Bangkok on December 20-21.
