Rooms fully booked in Hat Yai during Songkran Festival

BANGKOK, April 4 (TNA) - Hotel rooms in Hat Yai, Thailand's southern business hub in Songkhla Province, have been fully booked during the upcoming Songkran Festival, expected to generate local tourism-related revenues of at least 300 million baht. The president of Songkhla's association of tourism business confederation, Suraphon Kamplanon, told journalists of the information on Tuesday, foreseeing that a number of international tourists, especially those from Malaysia, should join the Songkran or the Traditional Thai New Year Festival in Hat Yai in mid-April. Among planned activities, Suraphon said, the Nakhon Hat Yai Municipality will organize the “Hat Yai Midnight Songkran” event during April 11-13 on Niphat Uthit and Thammanoon Vithi Roads. Suraphon revealed that highlights of the three-day festivity include a carnival procession, a Miss Songkran pageant, a Miss Tourism beauty contest, a water Thai boxing competition or Muay Talay and traditional water splashing at night. According to the association's chief, full security has already been planned for international visitors by parties concerned, including local defense volunteers who will increase the frequency of their patrols during the period. Regarding the weakening Malaysian currency, ringgit, the association's chief viewed that it should not have much impact on tourists' spending, projecting that at least 300 million baht should be changed hands in Hat Yai during this year's Songkran Festival. (TNA)