Thai tourism lively during Christmas and New Year

BANGKOK, December 25 (TNA) - Thailand's tourism is obviously lively at the moment, thanks to the annual Christmas and New Year celebrations, with more tourism-related revenues expected to be generated than last year. In Hat Yai, Thailand's business hub in the southern Songkhla province, for instance, buildings and tourist sites are now colourfully decorated and brightly-illuminated to welcome international tourists who have now soared by over 70 per cent, particularly those from Malaysia and Singapore, as schools in the neighbouring countries are now closed for the year-end holidays. The Nakhon Hat Yai municipality has also placed a 10-metre-tall Christmas tree, with fancy decorations, in the heart of the city, which has caught visitors' attention for taking pictures for souvenirs. Besides, four elephants from the central Ayutthaya province were dressed in Santa Claus costumes and joined activities with Ayutthaya's red cross office, including presenting New Year gifts, performing an elephant dance and handed out fans with the symbol of World Expo 2020 to local students, which brought smiles and happiness to the youths. Thai Defence Minister Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat has, on the other hand, ordered the strict prohibition of troops from drunk driving and the deployment of more than 10,000 soldiers on highways to help facilitate New Year travellers, who will also welcome to have a rest at military camps along the routes, as well as the setting up of military medical and mechanic teams along the highways nationwide to assist New Year travellers around the clock in case of any emergency. Defence Ministry Spokesman Colonel Thanatip Sawang-saeng revealed that the measures, which were resolutions of Monday's Defence Council meeting, chaired by the defence minister, are aimed to support a committee tasked with reducing road accidents during the upcoming New Year celebrations. Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism reported that there have been 21.8 million foreign tourist arrivals in Thailand so far this year, an increase of some two million from last year, projecting that the number of international tourist arrivals in the Kingdom should further increase by some 10 per cent next year, boosted by signs of the global economic recovery. (TNA)