PATTAYA, THAILAND – Pattaya significantly reworked its traditional PATTAYA COUNTDOWN TO 2026 to reflect nationwide mourning for Her Royal Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother.
City Hall meeting set new direction
In meeting room 131 at Pattaya City Hall, Mayor Poramese Ngamphichet chaired a special session on 21 November 2025 to realign the event. Participants included Phumiphat Kamolnath, secretary to the mayor, city council member Jidapha Suwatthaphon and acting administrative director Wipawadee Wongborisuth from the Office of Tourism and Sports, alongside department heads and responsible officials. The objective was to adjust the format and schedule so the celebration would match the national mourning period while preserving the New Year’s importance for residents and visitors.
‘Sea of Serenity’ replaces exuberant party tone
The PATTAYA COUNTDOWN, usually one of the city’s largest and most visited New Year’s Eve events, was planned to be much more subdued this year. Event organizer MONO 29 presented a revised concept under the new guiding theme “Sea of Serenity,” emphasizing gentleness, simplicity and calm. At its core stood a tribute to the Queen Mother’s “boundless royal grace,” described in the presentation as “as vast as ocean and sky.”
Artistic tributes and ‘Wave of Light’ planned
Organizers planned a range of artistic performances dedicated to the Queen Mother, including honorary artistic presentations and music and poetry segments. A special “Wave of Light” staging was intended to express love, reverence and remembrance. This shifted the focus away from exuberant partying toward a quiet, respectful commemoration.
Call for consistently restrained programme
Several participants at the meeting asked MONO 29 to refine and further revise the programme. They aimed to ensure that every segment maintained a consistently restrained character appropriate to the mourning period. Officials stressed that the entire flow, from stage performances and show elements to visual design, had to strictly follow this standard, and that the suitability of the tone would be decisive for approving the concept.
Final schedule still awaiting approval
Once the detailed final plan was officially confirmed, Pattaya’s Public Relations Division was expected to release the full programme. The documentation of the meeting and the intended changes was prepared by the Public Relations unit of the administrative division of the city’s Office of Tourism and Sports. The English-language report was based on work by Natcha Traipipath for the report and Chinnarang Chuemchuea for photos.
“boundless royal grace”
said presentation organizers, describing the Queen Mother’s legacy.
“as vast as ocean and sky”
said the presentation, characterizing the scope of that royal grace.