A friend in the Czech Republic has been raving about Prague’s Christmas Market and, judging by the photos she has sent, it is indeed beautiful. I much prefer outdoor decorations of the season than those inside a shopping mall. While not an “official” Christmas market, the parking lot outside of Limelight Avenue in Phuket Town is certainly looking quite festive at the moment. This is the location of the Thai tire snowman that I posted a few days ago and a few saxophone-playing Santas as well. The Christmas tree made of tires is in a very dark portion of the parking lot so I will have to shoot that another day.

Buddhist-Christian fellowship on display as the permanent Spirit House for the shopping center looms in front of the untraditional (for Thailand) decorations including reindeer and a Christmas tree. Bright lights in the small city.

Limelight is just a three- or four-minute walk from my home through the narrow lane known in Thai as a soi. This parking lot hosts the Indy Market, an open-air collection of stalls selling food and drink as well as old clothes and nick-nacks three evenings each week. They also sponsor a lively talent competition; young vocalists were performing this past week.

In the 10 years that I have lived in the neighborhood, Limelight Avenue itself has expanded from an ugly strip-mall with a few rundown shops to an enclosed two-story mini-mall with a nice food court, an expensive bar, numerous eateries, a health clinic, and even a gymnasium. There’s also a very odd McDonald’s. Odd in that it doesn’t serve any hamburgers; there are a few chicken sandwiches (if you catch them before they decide to stop frying them) as well as fries but most people just buy cheap ice cream here.

The interior is decked-out for the holidays as well. I will share photos of those decorations on another day.

It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas out here.