CHA-AM, THAILAND – The 11th Crab Pulling Tasting Festival in Cha-am drew locals and foreign visitors to the seafront for a week focused on fresh Blue-Swimmer crab, seafood and evening entertainment.
Official opening at the beach viewpoint
The festival officially opened on the evening of 14 March at the Cha-am Beach Viewpoint in Phetchaburi province. The coastal town scheduled the event to run until 21 March, offering a week of seafood, show cooking and nightly programs.
The opening ceremony was led by Governor Phopchanok Chalanukroh alongside provincial representatives. Tourism officials, hotel operators and local authorities also took part in the launch at the popular beachfront location.
Organizers and goals of the event
The festival was organized by the Cha-am Municipality in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phetchaburi office. The Singha Corporation supported the event as a sponsor.
According to the authorities, the festival was intended to stimulate tourism in the district. It also aimed to support local fishers and generate additional income for businesses across Cha-am.
Almost 100 stalls serving crab in many styles
Along the beach zone, nearly 100 food vendors set up stalls, according to the organizers. Their menus focused on locally caught Blue-Swimmer crab, prepared in a wide range of styles.
In addition, chefs from well-known hotels and restaurants in Cha-am created special menus for the festival week. These dishes were developed specifically for the event to highlight regional seafood.
Traditional crab pulling on display
The program included demonstrations of traditional crab-pulling techniques used by fishers in the region. These presentations showed how local crews typically caught Blue-Swimmer crab off the coast.
A beach walking street offered local products for visitors to browse and buy. In the evenings, live concerts with popular Thai singers were scheduled along the shoreline.
Daily conservation: releasing young crabs
Alongside the culinary program, a daily conservation activity took place. Visitors were invited to return young Blue-Swimmer crabs to the sea as part of efforts to protect local stocks.
Participation in the release activity was free of charge. It was held every day between 18:00 and 19:30, giving festival-goers a set time window to join.
Annual event with limited time to visit
Organizers emphasized that the crab festival was held only once a year. They urged potential visitors not to delay their trip if they wanted to experience the event.
The final festival day was set for 21 March, after which the beach area was expected to return to its usual pace. The organizers framed the week as a brief chance to combine seafood, culture and nature on the Cha-am shoreline.
“Are food festivals like this a real gain for Cha-am and local fishers, or in the end mainly marketing for tourism and sponsors?”
said huahintoday.com, raising questions for readers.
“How important are the daily conservation activities to you – and should measures like this become a mandatory standard at coastal events in Thailand?”
said huahintoday.com, inviting public debate.