Thais celebrate Chinese New Year nationwide

BANGKOK, Feb 10 (TNA) - Thais of Chinese descent on Sunday throughout the kingdom paid worships to Chinese gods at shrine and temples while many enjoyed their annual holidays at favourite spots as Chinese New Year festivities begin. A large crowd of Chinese New Year celebrants visited Panan Cherng Temple in the former capital of Ayutthaya, near Bangkok, and paid respects to God of Wealth Cai Shen. They prayed to the God that fortune befalls on them during the Year of the Snake. In the southern province of Songkhla’s Hat Yai district, considered as shopping hub for tourists, many Malaysian and Singaporean tourists took their family members to worship God of Wealth Cai Shen and other revered god so that they could prospect further during the rest of this Chinese New Year. Because of the heavy influx of Malaysian tourists visiting Hat Yai, customs officials at Sungai Kolok checkpoint in Narathiwat province have to reinforce personnel to facilitate the tourists visiting the country. Celebrants continue to pay their respects to Buddha images at Phra That Doi Tung Temple in the northernmost province of Chiang Rai amid the cool, breezy weather. They also brought with them offerings as they prayed for long and healthy life. While many people visited shrines and temples, a large group of celebrants admired the natural beauty of the natural park in the northern Phitsanulok province amid a cool weather as the temperature dropped to 10 Celsius. Many guesthouses in the province have been fully booked. (TNA)