Thais content, polls claim

A half of respondents wished for peace and reconciliation and a quarter for wealth and well-being in the New Year. 

The survey of 2,041 people in 17 provinces from December 20-29 found that happiness factors were Thais’ unity to express loyalty to His Majesty the King at close to 10 and family relations, mental health and physical health at about 7 each. 

The public called for politicians (35 per cent), the media (28 per cent) and investors and the private sector (13 per cent) to work on reconciling the country in 2013. 

Thailand’s opportunities spring from its status as a world tourist attraction (46 per cent), its investment and economic stability (27 per cent) and its technological growth (11 per cent).

What inspires people to do better in the coming year are loyalty to the nation, religion and King at 49 per cent followed by self-sacrifice and gratefulness to the motherland at 17 per cent.

Around the country, New Year revellers crowded attractions while security was beefed up in major cities for countdown parties. 

Chiang Mai’s Huai Nam Dang National Park was bustling with 1,200 campers a day. In Chiang Rai’s Mae Sai district, 20,000 visitors were crossing the border to Myanmar, generating a 20-per-cent boost in revenue from the usual Bt500 million per day. 

Chiang Rai will host the “Miracle Countdown @ Maesai Chiang Rai” event till January 1, for Thais, and people from Myanmar and Laos to get together. Buri Ram United Football Club president Newin Chidchob will host the event at their new i-mobile stadium on December 31. 

In Bangkok, police were considering deploying thousands of officers to four famous celebration venues – CentralWorld, CDC Mall, Asiatique and Sanam Luang. Some 20,000 people were expected to attend Buddhist prayers led by PM Yingluck Shinawatra.

In the Northeast, Khon Kaen was due to station 800 security officials and volunteers equipped with 16 surveillance cameras, some bomb-squad robots and metal scanners around its event grounds on Sri Chan Road.