People advised to take precaution for launching balloons during Loy Krathong

BANGKOK, November 27 (TNA) - Loy Krathong celebrants in several provinces in the Thai North have been urged to take precaution by not launching hot air balloons or smoke lanterns in some sensitive areas, especially those near provincial airports, as they may obstruct the flying of commercial airlines. As celebrants in several northern Thai provinces, including Lamphun, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, are expected to release hot air balloons and smoke lanterns during this year's three-day Loy Krathong festival in the region, starting from November 27, as previous years, Voradej Harnprasert, Director General of the Civil Aviation Department, told reporters that, for the safety of commercial airliners, his department's officials and those of other agencies concerned have explained to people in the provinces that they should not, in particular, launch hot air balloons or smoke lanterns in areas around airports. In other areas in the Thai North, Voradej noted, northern celebrants can launch hot air balloons and smoke lanterns from 6:30pm-7:30pm and, again, after 9pm. The Thai Ministry of Transport's Marine Department, on the other hand, forbids large boats to travel between the Rama VII and the Rama IX Bridges in Bangkok from 4pm until midnight on November 28, when a large crowd of celebrants are expected to turn up and float their krathongs. According to the Marine Department, patrol boats will start cruising along the Chao Phraya River on Wednesday evening to provide safety to the celebrants. The annual Loy Krathong festival is celebrated in Myanmar, Cambodia and Thailand. The floating of banana leaves in the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar, or November, is meant to pay respect to the spirit of the waters. Meanwhile, the Kasikorn Research Centre or KRC, a subsidiary of Thailand's leading Kasikorn Bank (KBank), projected, based on its recent survey, that about 3.52 billion baht would be spent by Loy Krathong celebrants in metropolitan areas alone this year. The survey found, however, as the Loy Krathong festival this year falls on a working day, part of the responents decided not to join the festival, while some others still undecided. (TNA)