Thailand prepares for New Year celebrations

BANGKOK, December 21 (TNA) - Thailand, like other areas worldwide, is preparing for the upcoming New Year Festival, especially in tourist destinations across the country. On Koh Samui or Samui Island in Surat Thani Province in the Thai South, for instance, Nakhon Samui Municipality joined forces with the local Chaweng Beach Community to launch a big cleaning day on December 20 to clear wastes from the entire island to protect the environment, especially at major tourist sites, and to be prepared for the upcoming Christmas and New Year celebrations. The big cleaning activity, joined by local government officials, community leaders and people from all walks of life, was also aimed to honour His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the auspicious occasion of the beloved Thai monarch's 88th birthday on December 5, 2015 and Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's 60th birthday on April 2, 2015. Most wastes which were cleared included plastic and snack wrappers. Koh Samui normally welcomes hundreds of thousands of international visitors during the Christmas and New Year holidays, earning the southern Thai resort island at least 10 million baht of tourism-related revenues annually. This year, 80 per cent of local hotel rooms on Koh Samui have been reportedly booked and most air tickets of all flights to the resort island have been reserved. Meanwhile, several agencies are launching campaigns on creating public awareness on reducing road accidents nationwide during the forthcoming New Year Festival, with the Department of Land Transport expressing its confidence that road accidents during the upcoming New Year celebrations should drop by 5-7 per cent from the corresponding period of last year, as stricter inspections of public transport drivers for drug and alcohol consumption are launched. It is expected that Thailandpost should cater up to 760,000 items of postal materials a day during December 15, 2015-January 15, 2016, a 9 per cent increase from the corresponding period of last year. (TNA)