Thousands show up at wat for chance to get free iPhone
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Thousands of people eagerly gathered at Wat Ratchaburana in the northern province of Phitsanulok yesterday for a chance to get a free iPhone 6 Plus and cash as handouts scheduled during religious ceremonies.
Some even camped out overnight at the temple. About 100 police and soldiers were called in to maintain order.
Because of the huge turnout, security officials finally recommended against sticking to the tradition of “tossing coins of luck” out of concern that it might cause chaos or even a bloody stampede.
The organisers then instead had police and soldiers hand out the coins to each participant at the ceremonies, which were held to gild sacred stone balls of nine temples with gold leaves, and also to ordain Weerayut Photassa, a temple-affairs manager at Wat Ratchaburana.
Some coins of luck were attached to banknotes, and others to notes advising the recipients to claim an iPhone 6 Plus.
One of the lucky participants was Narin Kanpeng, who heard that prizes would be handed out at the temple and decided to show up to try his luck.
“After queuing up for quite some time, I got a coin, and it turned out to bring me luck,” he said.
With it came a note that he could get one of the mobile phones.
“I will use it myself,” he said.
Two others identified as iPhone 6 Plus winners are Paphon Tongananda and Ananyarak Khamphan. Paphon said he spent about an hour in the queue and got a Bt5 coin with a note stating that he could get a phone.
“I will give this cellphone to my son. He turned 20 on Tuesday. This is going to be a perfect gift,” he said.
