BANGKOK, Oct 30 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will not call off this year’s three-day celebration of Loy Krathong festival at Asiatique The Riverfront in the capital Bangkok, though the event will be celebrated quietly to show respect to the late Supreme Patriarch.
TAT Deputy Director of Tourism Products, Wilaiwan Tawichsri, said Wednesday that this year’s event will take place at Asiatique The Riverfront from November 15-17 without entertainment activities as the nation is still in mourning for the death of His Holiness Somdej Phra Nyanasamvara, the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand.
Loy Krathong day this year falls on November 17, which is a Sunday.
This year’s highlights include cultural shows, relevant exhibitions on how each province celebrates the festival as well as displays of 10 illuminated barges and fireworks without loud noises.
TAT will also sponsor the event in Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Tak, Samutsongkram and Suphan Buri in a bid to preserve the Thai tradition, though Ayutthaya province has already called off this year’s event.
Ambassadors and diplomats from 25 of 30 countries which received invitations from the TAT have confirmed their participation in the event.
Last year some 200,000 tourists participated in the Loy Krathong festival in Bangkok and up to 600,000 tourists celebrated the festival nationwide.
The number of people participating in this year’s event is expected to increase 10 per cent year-on-year as the celebration days have been extended from one day to three days, and that the festival has been heavily promoted worldwide to attract more tourists to the country.
