DCA nods for increased flights during Songkran

BANGKOK, April 10 (TNA) - Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) has allowed international airlines to increase their domestic and international flights to serve travelers during the upcoming Songkran or Traditional Thai New Year Festival. DCA Director-General Voradej Harnprasert told journalists that his department, which supervises 26 airports nationwide, has permitted 28 additional domestic flights from April 11-16, 158 additional international flights from April 2-21 and 69 additional chartered flights during the upcoming Songkran holiday period, officially set from April 12-16. Voradej assessed that there should be 236,590 international air passengers, or 33,799 daily, in Thailand from April 11-17, 2014, as the domestic tourism has been returning to normal and the number of foreign tourist arrivals in the country has risen by more than 50 per cent lately, mainly Chinese tourists. The Department of Land Transport has, in the meantime, taken actions to promote road safety for travelers during the Songkran Festival. The department's director-general, Asdsathai Rattanadilok Na Phuket, told reporters that staffs of his department, as well as representatives of educational institutes and concerned agencies will offer vehicle checks to motorists and will launch campaigns against alcoholic drinks and excess speed among motorists, including the drivers of public transport vehicles. Chatkaew Photongnak, Deputy Director of the state-run Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), announced that his agency will also increase bus trips and service hours on 151 routes in the capital from April 11-17, including 35 routes connecting to inter-provincial bus terminals to serve travelers during the Traditional Thai New Year Festival. Meanwhile, people and agencies have started their activities marking the Songkran Festival. In Bangkok, Permanent Secretary for Interior Wiboon Sanguanpong led his ministry's executives to extend their Traditional Thai New Year greetings to Caretaker Interior Minister Charupong Ruangsuwan, who thanked them for conserving Thailand's beautiful tradition despite the ongoing domestic political strife. In Chiang Mai Province in the Thai North, local authorities were cleaning the ancient moat, or the Ku Muang Canal, in the provincial heart as part of their preparations for welcoming international tourists during the upcoming Songkran, or Water Splashing, Festival, with millions of baht expected to change hands in the nothern Thai resort city. Water in the Ku Muang Canal was drained out in mid-February, replaced by clean water, added with calcium hydroxide and tested regularly, whereas a total of 13 coin-operated water vending machines were set up in five focal points in the city to ensure that locals and international tourists will be provided with clean water for the forthcoming Traditional Thai New Year celebrations. In nearby Chiang Rai Province, authorities the Nakhon Chiang Rai Municipality plan to organise the traditional Lanna-styled Songkran Festival on San Khong Road, during which international visitors will be encouraged to wear traditional clothes but alcoholic beverages will be banned, boosting the sale of flower-patterned and traditional shirts like hot cakes there. In Lamphun Province, also in the Thai North, authorities in the Muang Nga locality of Muang District organised a ceremony for the general public to extend the Traditional Thai New Year greetings to more than 2,000 elderly people to conserve the beautiful Lanna culture. The participants, in turn, received blessings from the elderly. In Satun Province in the Thai South, Deputy Governor Veeranant Pengjan brought Thai people from Satun and neighbouring Songkhla Province to join Songkran celebrations organised by Malaysians of the Thai origin in the Malaysian State of Perlis, where there were a water festival and water-pouring traditional New Year greetings for the elderly who, in turn, extended their best wishes to the Thai delegation. In neighbouring Phuket Province, Governor Maitri Inthusut officially opened the provincial roads and maritime accident prevention and control centre, aimed to prevent and reduce roads and maritime traffic accidents to zero during the provincal Songkran celebrations, from April 11-17, 2014, in parallel with the setting up of Songkran celebration zonings in six areas in the province to facilitate the prevention and control of Songkran-related accidents. (TNA)