Malaysians celebrate Eid-al-Adha in Thailand's Hat Yai, but spend less

BANGKOK, October 5 (TNA) - A large number of Malaysian tourists are now visiting Hat Yai district, known as shopping paradise in deep southern Thailand, to celebrate the Eid-al-Adha Festival which began Sunday. The festival, known as the ‘Feast of the Sacrifice’, is one of the most major festivals on the Muslim calendar and lasts for four days. Somchart Pimthanapoonporn, president of Hat Yai-Songkhla Hotel Association, opined that about 80 per cent out of total hotel rooms in Hat Yai have been booked by tourists, down from the same period in the past years. Somchart said tourists have become cautious in spending, probably due to poor economy in several countries worldwide. Traders have joined hands with security officials to prevent any untoward incidents in the district, close to the Thai-Malaysian border. (TNA)