Yaowarat Chinese New Year cancelled to honour Queen Mother Sirikit
The Samphanthawong District Office announced the cancellation of this year’s Chinese New Year event along Yaowarat Road, also known as Bangkok’s Chinatown, citing the ongoing mourning period for Her Majesty Queen Mother Sirikit.
In an official announcement issued today, February 2, the district office, which oversees the Chinatown area, confirmed that the Chinese New Year celebrations scheduled for February 17 and 18 would no longer take place. The decision was made out of respect as Thailand remains in a period of mourning.
District officials explained that Chinese New Year is traditionally marked by lively festivities, performances, and a joyful atmosphere. As such, hosting a large-scale celebration during a time of national mourning would be considered inappropriate and inconsistent with the sombre mood observed across the country.
Despite the cancellation of the official event, authorities noted that Yaowarat Road is still expected to attract large numbers of visitors.
Street food vendors and local businesses are expected to operate as usual, meaning tourists and residents will still be able to visit the area to sample Thai-Chinese cuisine and experience the unique atmosphere of Bangkok’s Chinatown.
The announcement comes amid signs of a strong recovery in Thailand’s tourism sector. Recently, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Thapanee Kiatpaiboon said the tourism scene in Thailand was becoming increasingly lively, with the number of Chinese tourists rising to around 15,000 arrivals per day. This marked an increase from the 10,000 to 12,000 daily arrivals recorded over the past few months.
TAT also projected that approximately 1.25 million foreign tourists would visit Thailand during the Chinese New Year travel period from February 13 to 22. The agency estimated that this influx would generate more than 35 billion baht in revenue for the country’s tourism industry.
Nat Kruthsut, Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business Development at TAT, told Than Settakij news outlet last week that the authority was focusing its Chinese New Year promotional efforts on two major events, one at Siam Paragon shopping mall in Bangkok and another in the Hat Yai district of Songkhla province.
As of now, Chinese New Year events in other provinces have not been cancelled. In particular, Nakhon Sawan province is still scheduled to host a 12-day celebration, while Hat Yai in Songkhla province remains set to hold a 10-day event from February 16 to 25.
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