Water festival draws crowds across country
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People have flocked to celebrate the water-splashing festival at many popular venues across the country.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday presided over the opening of celebrations in her hometown, Chiang Mai. Speaking in northern dialect on her weekly TV show, she wished all Thais happiness, a fresh start free of trouble and a safe journey during the traditional New Year.
In Chiang Mai, she urged people to be polite when splashing water and refrain from drinking alcohol to prevent accidents. She broadcast her TV programme from Bo Sang umbrella village in San Kamphaeng district.
Meanwhile, local residents in the province built a giant sand chedi yesterday using 700 cubic metres of sand, as part of a merit-making ceremony.
Chiang Mai Night Safari’s eight-year-old elephant “Nong Nam Wan” also celebrated Songkran on the Chiang Mai-Hang Dong Road by holding a rubber tube with its trunk to spray water on people.
Despite the car bomb that rocked Hat Yai late last month, hotel and tourism entrepreneurs in the city have fared better than expected, as all 25,000 rooms in the city were reserved. Malaysian tourists are the biggest group of foreigners travelling there to celebrate the festival, according to Somchart Pimthanapoonporn, chairman of the Hat Yai-Songkhla Hoteliers Association.
Previously, after the explosion in Hat Yai, Somchart said businesses had expected only 50 per cent of the rooms to be reserved since a lot of tourists from Singapore and Malaysia had cancelled reservations.
He estimated that the district would be able to generate revenue of around Bt50 million from Wednesday till Friday.
Despite the blazing heat, Khao San Road was crowded with Thai and foreign revellers for the second day of New Year celebrations yesterday. They were entertained by a foam party and music performance.
Supachai Limwuttiwong, a Thai man who joined the Khao San celebrations, said the hot weather did not affect him that much, though he wanted police to strictly implement safety measures as he was worried about pickpockets and women being molested.
With a huge flock of revellers on Silom Road, police from Bang Rak, Yannawa and Thung Mahamek stations combined forces to ensure safety. Selling alcohol and carrying weapons were prohibited, but reports emerged of vendors selling alcohol. To prevent improper or lewd dancing, police prohibited vehicles equipped with amplifiers from entering the road.
People in Kanchanaburi celebrated Songkran in Mon style, by offering alms to 100 monks on Uttamanusorn Bridge, the longest wooden bridge in Thailand.
On Angthong’s Khao Suk Road, police yesterday implemented strict measures to prevent crime, molestation and indecency after some youngsters were seen engaging in obscene acts on Friday.
Local residents in Phitsanulok made merit for their ancestors.
On “Khao Niew Road” in Khon Kaen, 51,814 people performed a “human wave” at 7pm on Friday, breaking the Guinness World Record of 50,208 people, set last year.
