Chiang Mai earns over Bt2b during Songkran Festival

BANGKOK, April 20 (TNA) - The recent Songkran or Traditional Thai New Year in Chiang Mai is expected to earn the famous northern Thai resort city up to over two billion baht. The state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Chiang Mai's office, made the assessment on Monday, with director of the office Wisut Buachum saying that up to 85-90 per cent of overall 40,000 hotel rooms in the province were booked during the recent festivity. Wisut also pointed out that up to 50,000 international tourists visited Chiang Mai on average daily during the recent Songkran Festival, 70 per cent of whom are Thais, while the rest came from Europe and China. According to the regional TAT chief, Chiang Mai should earn at least one billion baht baht tourism-related revenues from April 11-15 alone, or 200 million baht daily on average, during the peak celebration period, obviously higher than last year. (TNA)