Int'l Mask Festival held in Thai Northeast

LOEI, THAILAND, June 26 (TNA) - Crowds of international visitors have joined a unique mask festival, held annually in a northeastern Thai area. Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister General Tanasak Patimapagorn and Permanent Secretary for Culture Krisayapong Siri jointly inaugurated the three-day festival in Dan Sai area of Loei Province on June 25. This year's Mask Festival,also known as the "Ghost Festival" or "Phi Ta Khon" Festival in Thai, in which a grand procession of people's wearing spectacular ghost masks as part of their yearly merit makings, were joined by people from seven neighboring countries, including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, India and Thailand, to share and foster cultural relations in the region. Loei Governor Khumpol Bantaotuk told journalists, meanwhile, that the annual festival is aimed to promote not only local culture and wisdom, but also regional economic and tourism cooperation in line with the Thai government's 4.0 policy on driving Thailand towards sustainable stability and prosperity. (TNA)