No ban on water-splashing in Thailand's Songkran Festival

BANGKOK, March 28 (TNA) - Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha does not ban water-splashing during the upcoming Songkran or the traditonal Thai New Year Festival but advises people to keep water consumption at a reasonable level due to the ongoing drought. Assistant Government Spokeswoman Colonel Thaksada Sangkhajan told journalists of the policy on March 27, denying recent reports that the prime minister, who is also Chief of the Thai army-led National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), permitted water-splashing only on April 13 or the official Songkran Day. The assistant spokeswoman explained the prime minister would like people to continue with the traditional water festival, but simultaneously help cope with the current drought that was a national crisis. The assistant spokeswoman said that the water-saving campaign should not prompt Thai people to travel abroad during the upcoming Songkran Festival in mid-April, instead. The assistant spokeswoman pointed out that some Thai people, anyway, spend their vacations in foreign countries during long Songkran holidays, no matter whether there is such a water-saving campaign or not, while there should also be considerable inter-provincial trips during the Songkran holidays as usual. (TNA)