Songkran water festival images help Thailand earn more than 5 billion USD
Monday, April 15, 2024 11:55 AM (GMT+7)
During the Songkran New Year festival in Thailand, the country can collect 200 billion baht (equivalent to more than 5 billion USD), according to calculations by the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce.
This year, Songkran festival takes place after the traditional Thai holiday was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in December 2023. Photo: Reuters.
This has prompted the Thai government to organize a series of events over 21 consecutive days to stimulate tourism and spending. Photo: Reuters.
The Songkran Water Festival is the traditional New Year of Thailand. Since 95% of the population is Buddhist, the New Year is celebrated on the first day of the Buddhist calendar, which is April 13-15 this year. Photo: Reuters.
The festival began in 1941 under the Thai Royal Regulations. Photo: Reuters.
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) expects the country to earn up to 200 billion baht (over 5 billion USD) during this year's Songkran festival, of which 11.8 billion baht (over 300 million USD) will be spent by foreign tourists. Photo: Reuters.
Thanavath Phonvichai, chairman of the advisory board of the UTCC Center for Economic and Business Forecasting, predicted the festival would boost economic growth by 2.9 percent, but domestic spending growth would remain sluggish. He said the record domestic spending of 13.5 billion baht in 2019 would not be beaten this year, and noted that Thais were still cautious about spending. Photo: Reuters.
Mr. Chai Wacharonke - Thai Government spokesman - announced tourism data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Immigration Department, showing that 10.4 million tourists visited the kingdom from January 1 to April 9, up 146.21% compared to the same period last year. Photo: Reuters.
The majority of tourists came from China (1.92 million), followed by Malaysia (1.27 million), Russia (670,233), South Korea (595,705) and India (519,878). Photo: Reuters.
From April 11 to 17, Thai Airways International is expected to operate 16,307 flights, an average of 2,330 flights per day. Photo: Reuters.
The Thai government representative stressed that the arrival of more than 10 million tourists reflects the prime minister's vision through visa exemption measures and guaranteed entry through airport checkpoints. At the same time, the prime minister also directed state agencies to promote Thailand as a tourism hub and destination for tourists around the world. Photo: Reuters.
Le Minh
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