Air, bus services increased to cater Thai New Year revelers

BANGKOK, April 5 (TNA) -- State-run agencies Airports of Thailand Public Co. Ltd. (AoT) and the Transport Co. Ltd. have prepared extra flights and bus services to serve revelers during the upcoming Songkran festival or Thailand’s traditional New Year which falls between April 13 – 15. Prapon Pattamakitsakul, director of AoT’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, said the number of air travelers using the airport during pre- and post- Songkran celebration from April 9 to 19 is projected at about 1.77 million, including 1.48 million of those traveling overseas. The airport will, thus, increase 328 additional flights, comprising 294 international flights and 34 domestic flights, to serve the passengers during the period, he said. Interpreters will also be stationed at the airport round-the-clock to facilitate foreign passengers, who speak Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, French and Arabian would be, he said. Meanwhile, Nopparat Karunyavanich, acting managing director of Transport Co., Ltd. , said that the bus agency has projected that Songkran celebrants would leave Bangkok for upcountry from April 9 to 12 and return to the capital between April 13 – 16. Transport Co., Ltd. will, thus, increase its bus services from 6,000 to 7,500 trips per day, which could cater nearly 200,000 passengers a day, Nopparat said. (TNA)