In the distant past, courtship inThailand was confined initially to merit-making ceremonies. After the ceremonies, following merry-making activities, such as folk games, would provide opportunities for young men and women to spend time together. But their emotional relationships were still eyed by their elders. Today, young people enjoy greater opportunities to meet each other freely. As a result, Thai folk games which have been passed on from generation to generation are disappearing in the passage of time.Among them is the fun game of tug-of-war, known in Thai as Chakkayoe, which was popularly played during the Songkran Festival, the traditional Thai New Year. Players are grouped into twoteams that have equal numbers of people. Then a line is made on the ground, separating the two teams. The first person
of each team stretches his or her arms out to grasp the other side's hands firmly, while people behind them grasp the waist of the person in front of them, one by one, in a row.When the game starts, each team tries to pull the other until one side crosses the line. The team that crosses the line into the other side will lose. In some places, a rope is used for the two teams to pull. The winning team must be able to pull the other crossing the line into its side.