songkran festival
- Thailand News
Songkran festival in Chiang Mai to draw in millions of tourists
Anticipation builds as the Songkran festival in Chiang Mai, set to span 10 days, is projected to pull in millions of tourists, raking in an estimated 20 billion baht in revenue. This year’s observance of the festival, scheduled from April 7 to 17, is particularly special as it not only seeks to uphold the local Lanna culture but also marks…
- Thailand News
Bali Hai Pier roof construction to be completed before Songkran
Ensuring the safety and comfort of locals and tourists, Pattaya Deputy Mayor Manoch Nongyai has pledged to complete the roof construction at Bali Hai Pier before the Songkran festival. Manoch, along with city council members, personally inspected the ongoing project at the pier on Tuesday, March 19. The construction project at Bali Hai Pier entails two fundamental components. One is…
- Thailand News
Thai airlines gear up for Songkran splashdown with extra flights
Thai Airways International, Thai AirAsia, Nok Air, Thai Lion Air, and Thai Vietjet are gearing up for the Songkran festival, a major annual event in Thailand. With an expectation of a surge in travel demand, these airlines have announced the addition of extra flights and ticket discounts to accommodate this rise. Thai Airways International yesterday announced that it would supplement…
- Phuket News
Patong prepares for Songkran Music Festival on the Beach 2024
Patong is gearing up for the annual Songkran Festival celebrations, with a press conference in place on March 15. The conference was held at Bangla Plaza, Patong Beach, at 5pm, to discuss the upcoming Songkran Music Festival On The Beach 2024, scheduled for April 12 to April 14. The Phuket Governor, Sophon Suwannarat, led the press conference and was accompanied…
- Tourism News
Thailand adds 38 flights to soar past Songkran price surge
Thailand’s Civil Aviation Office (CAAT) has decided to add 38 new flights to its schedule, in an attempt to combat inflated airfare prices during the Songkran festival and improve the overall travel experience for holidaymakers. Deputy Director of the CAAT, Sarun Benjanirat, brought this development to light as a direct response to the call from Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit for…
- Business News
Songkran festival projected to generate 24.4 billion baht in revenue
The Songkran festival, one of Thailand’s most anticipated events, is projected to yield an impressive 24.4 billion baht (US$682 million) in revenue. This figure is a result of an estimated 510,000 international visitors and 4.29 million domestic trips, as stated by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). In a bid to attract more international tourists, the government unveiled plans for…
- Thailand News
Songkran sees more stringent alcohol sales regulations
In a bid to curb road accidents caused by drunk driving during the extended World Songkran Festival, which spans from April 1 to 21, the Public Health Ministry initiated stringent measures to control the sale of alcohol, particularly to minors. Public Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew outlined the festival’s divisions: a preparatory stage running from April 1 to 10, the main…
- Thailand News
Discounted domestic flights for Songkran announced by CAAT
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) announced that a discount of roughly 20% will be applied to early morning and late-night domestic flights during the Songkran holiday. This move is aimed at providing an economical travel option for all holidaymakers. Sarun Benjanirat, the deputy director-general of CAAT, disclosed today, March 11, that the initiative is in response to the…
- Thailand News
Transport minister slashes prices with 38 more domestic flights
Amid escalating complaints over skyrocketing airfare prices, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit announced an additional 38 domestic flights and an estimated 13,000 seats for the upcoming Songkran holiday season in April. Suriya asserted that this measure is just one of the short-term solutions being devised to combat the escalating airfare predicament. “We’re taking decisive action to address the concerns raised by…
- Transport News
Thai minister vows to improve Rama 2 Road traffic ahead of Songkran
The quality of traffic on Rama 2 Road in Thailand is set to improve ahead of the Songkran Festival, as promised by the Thai Minister of Transport, Suriya Juangroongruangkit, on February 27. The vow comes in the wake of a delay in the road’s construction, a setback attributed to the impact of Covid-19 on the contractors in charge of the…
- Thailand News
Bangkok gears up for grandiose govt backed Songkran festival
Bangkok is set for an unprecedented Songkran, the annual water festival. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has plans to incorporate the festivities into the government’s soft power promotion policy, making this year’s festival more grandiose. The announcement came from Chadchart Sittipunt, the governor of Bangkok, yesterday. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) had a meeting discussing the city’s readiness for…
- Thailand News
World Songkran Festival to last from April 1 to 21
In an exciting announcement, government spokesman Chai Wacharonke yesterday revealed that plans were underway to organise World Songkran Festival activities nationwide. This decision comes hot on the heels of UNESCO’s recent recognition of the Songkran festival as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. “The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has formally acknowledged the significance of the Songkran…
- Thailand News
State Railway of Thailand introduces advance booking service for Songkran
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) rolled out a game-changing 90-day advance booking service for CNR express trains on key routes, just in time for the upcoming Songkran festivities. This initiative, set to kick off tomorrow, January 12, aims to alleviate the surge in travel demand during the Thai New Year celebrations. Kicking off with Songkran, the service allows eager…
- Thailand News
UNESCO recognises Songkran festival as Intangible Cultural Heritage
Thursday witnessed a series of events commemorating the Songkran Festival’s recent recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The official declaration was made yesterday during UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee meeting for Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Botswana. The Culture Ministry’s application for the inclusion of the Songkran Festival was approved by…
- Thailand News
Thailand considering month-long Songkran Festival to boost economy
The National Soft Power Development Committee in Thailand is proposing to extend the Songkran Festival for the entire month of April. Traditionally held from April 13-15, the water-splashing festivities are a cornerstone of the celebration. The committee hopes that by extending the festival and incorporating a range of other cultural events across the country, the festival could be promoted to…
- Thailand News
Thailand’s DDPM reveals total traffic accident results of ‘Seven Deadly Days’
Thai officials have now revealed the results of traffic accidents from April 11 to 17. This period is known as the “Seven Deadly Days” of the Songkran Festival. Data from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) revealed that there were 2,203 road accidents, 2,208 injuries, and 264 deaths during this period. On April 17, the last day of…
- Thailand News
PPRP pledges to boost economy with soft power promotion in upcoming General Election
The Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) has pledged to enhance the promotion of soft power as a key driver of the economy if the party is victorious in the upcoming General Election. Charnkrit Dejwithak, a spokesperson for the party’s election strategy committee, highlighted the significance of a soft power development policy through the example of the Songkran Festival, which draws numerous…
- Thailand News
Health crisis looms as Songkran ends: Expert warns of potential Covid-19 spread
As the Songkran Festival wraps up, public health expert Dr Thira Woratanarat expressed concerns about the potential spread of the Omicron subvariant XBB.1.16. The subvariant is thought to be responsible for a recent increase in Covid-19 cases in India. Dr Thira, a lecturer at the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at Chulalongkorn University, referred to the…
- Thailand News
Injuries increased by 81% during Songkran, road fatalities decreased
Hospital admissions during the Songkran Festival spiked by 81% due to road accidents A significant 81% rise in hospital admissions has been reported due to an alarming 19% increase in the number of people injured in road accidents during the Songkran Festival, as stated by the Ministry of Public Health. The ministry’s permanent secretary, Dr Opas Kankawinpong, expressed his concern…
- Thailand News
Foreign army veteran rescued after Songkran water gun exacerbates PTSD
A Thai rescuer took to Facebook to share knowledge about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms after he helped a foreign veteran suffering from the condition after a water gun attack in the Patong sub-district of Phuket. The Thai rescuer, Nicola Vincenzo Biccai, posted the story on Friday, April 14 that he received a notification from witnesses that a foreign man…
- Songkran News
South Korean Embassy in Thailand ‘boogies’ to celebrate Songkran Festival (video)
The South Korean Embassy in Thailand got down and boogied in preparation for this week’s Songkran Festival. The embassy staff, including the South Korean Ambassador to Thailand, Moon Seoung-hyun, got into the Thai New Year festive spirit by taking part in the traditional “Ram Thai” dance. The two-minute video went viral, receiving over 400,000 views in just four days on…
- Guides
Songkran: The joyful water festival of Thailand
As the hot sun beats down on the streets of Thailand in April, many are gearing up for one of the most exciting festivals of the year – Songkran. This annual celebration marks the traditional Thai New Year, and it’s a time for cleansing, renewal, and lots of water fun! Water as a celebration of renewal Songkran is a three-day…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | More women accuse politician in major sex scandal
3 more women have broken their silence, adding to claims of one of the largest sex scandals in Thailand involving a senior politician. On Monday, another three women filed complaints with police against former Democrat deputy leader ปริญญ์ พานิชภักดิ์, for a total of eight women who have officially accused him of sexual misconduct. Lawyer Sittra escorted the three women to…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Academic says Omicron may have already peaked
Last week, as some Thai doctors were having fun predicting a ‘doomsday’ scenario with up to 100,000 new Covid infections per day post-Songkran, one academic just had to kill the party by citing..whoops… “real data”, that indicates Omicron may have already peaked in Thailand. In a Facebook post over the weekend, a science lecturer from Chulalongkorn University Jessada referred to…
- Thailand News
Songkran: MOPH to measure blood alcohol levels during festival’s ‘7 Dangerous Days’
The Ministry of Public Health plans to use blood testers to measure the alcohol level of drivers during the “Seven Dangerous Days of Songkran”. Authorities say the blood test would be used in addition to the standard breathalyzer test. If anyone refuses to get tested, officers will assume them to be drunk. The crowded roads during the annual Songkran Festival…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Songkran this year: what you can and can’t do
no foam parties or powder smearing will be allowed in Bangkok during Songkran next month, but when it comes to water splashing on the Thai New Year the rules are a bit vague. Quote unquote “Traditional water sprinkling” is allowed, but officials did not go into detail about what exactly that means. The Bangkok Communicable Disease Committee decided to allow…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Thailand’s Tourism sector demands full reopening
Tourism businesses in Thailand are struggling to survive and barriers to increasing the number of foreign visitors to the kingdom must be removed immediately. That’s the view of Chamnan Srisawat from the Tourism Council of Thailand, who says the Omicron variant, coupled with Russia’s war on Ukraine, has dealt a double blow to the sector. A TCT poll that surveyed…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Easing of entry restrictions possible after Songkran
Thailand’s tourism minister says entry restrictions could be eased further IF there is no surge in Covid cases following next month’s Songkran holiday. Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn says Test & Go and Thailand Pass could be scrapped from June 1, if there is no spike in Covid cases or deaths after the Thai New Year holiday. Phiphat is anxious for the country…
- Thailand News
Songkran 2022 might be back on in Thailand! | GMT
A Songkran with water MAY end up being a thing for 2022. PHUKET MONOPOLY. Blood and organ harvesting claims by Thai woman in Cambodia were fake. Most Thais ‘open’ to green.
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Water fights are banned for Songkran this year
It might soon get a little easier to travel to Thailand. The government plans to scrap the pre-departure testing requirements for vaccinated travellers entering the country under the Test & Go and Sandbox schemes. A spokesperson says they are waiting for confirmation. Under the planned revisions, a PCR test is needed on arrival and a self-administered rapid antigen test…
