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The place to visit today is Thailand: Happy Songkran 2019

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If there was a better time to explore the uniqueness of Amazing Thailand, the Thai New Year, known as the Songkran Festival from April 13 to 16 is an event where an all-out water battle and ancient traditions somehow blend in an annual celebration. The country is coming to a business standstill, turning into a national party.


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It’s unlike anything else in the world. And it’s wet. Venturing out onto Thailand’s streets on April 13 is an open invitation to have a bucket of water thrown at you or a loaded water super-soaker aimed in your direction. You WILL get wet.

For tourists, the event offers a huge water party breaking out in the streets of Thailand’s towns and villages. For locals, it is a time when they can spend moments with their families and visit temples to  make merit – and then get involved in the water fights as well.

This Songkran 2019 the Tourism Authority of Thailand has organized celebrations in three  tourist destinations – Tak, Mukdahan and Ranong – and is supporting activities in eight other provinces (Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Ayutthaya, Phuket and Songkhla).

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Songkran is the Thai New Year’s national holiday. Songkran is 13 April every year, but the holiday period extends from 14 to 15 April. In 2018 the Thai cabinet extended the festival nationwide to five days, 12–16 April, to enable citizens to travel home for the holiday. In 2019, the holiday will be observed 12–16 April as 13 April falls on a Saturday. The word “Songkran” comes from the Sanskrit word saṃkrānti ,literally “astrological passage”, meaning transformation or change. The term was borrowed from Makar Sankranti, the name of a Hindu harvest festival celebrated in India in January to mark the arrival of spring. It coincides with the rising of Aries on the astrological chart and with the New Year of many calendars of South and Southeast Asia, in keeping with the Buddhist/Hindu solar calendar.

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Myanmar’s Thingyan water festival kicks off Saturday morning

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Traditional Thingyan water festival has kicked off in Myanmar’s regions and states in full swing.

Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein on Friday extended wishes to the people for a happy water festival and prosperous new year.

Thingyan water festival will last until April 16 and the new year will fall on April 17, in which Myanmar people decide to turn over a new leaf and leave misfortunes from old year.

Yangon region’s water throwing pavilion was unveiled Friday by the chief minister in front of the region’s City Hall located in downtown area of Yangon city.

The opening ceremony was followed by the performances by the Myanmar traditional dancer troupes in colorful dresses with Thingyan music.

Special celebrations featuring “Walking Thingyan Festival” was also being celebrated by people roaming around the city to receive the water-throwing from pandals where people throw water using hoses.

Meanwhile, Mandalay Region Chief Minister Dr. Zaw Myint Maung also ceremonially inaugurated a water-throwing pandal in the country’s second largest city Mandalay, calling for peace and socio-economic development across the country starting from the new year.

Among Myanmar’s 12 seasonal festivals throughout the year, the Thingyan water festival represents the grandest which is believed to bring peace and prosperity to everyone.

Myanmar people annually celebrate traditional Thingyan water festival to welcome new year as other Southeast Asian countries such as Songkran in Laos and Thailand as well as Chaul Chnam Thmey in Cambodia.

As part of celebration of the festival, people throw and douse water onto one another to wash sins and to make clear the moral impurities from old year.

Travel News | eTurboNews

TAT promotes Songkran 2019 festivities in emerging destinations

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TAT promotes Songkran 2019 festivities in emerging destinationsBangkok, 4 April 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is promoting Songkran 2019 festivities in three emerging destinations – Tak, Mukdahan and Ranong – and is supporting activities in eight other provinces (Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Sukhothai, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Ayutthaya, Phuket and Songkhla) to showcase local traditions of the annual Thai water festival.

TAT promotes Songkran 2019 festivities in emerging destinationsTAT Governor Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn said secondary destinations offer a different take on the uniqueness of time-honoured Thai traditions at this most important time of the year.

“Thailand’s emerging destinations and secondary cities have a unique charm that is often found in smaller towns around the world. Some traditions are maintained in these places that might have faded in larger more established destinations like Bangkok or Pattaya.

“While international tourists see Songkran as a boisterous fun festival, for Thais it is a traditional time to place family first, pay respect to one’s elders and visit temples. Visitors should get more out of Songkran if they take time to embrace its origins and traditions,” he added.

TAT promotes Songkran 2019 festivities in emerging destinations
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor (centre), and on his right, Mrs. Sujitra Jongchansitto, TAT Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business, in a group photo with traditional Thai dance performers

In addition to traditional Songkran celebrations, each of the three destinations – Tak, Mukadahan and Ranong – offers unique attractions.

Tak province is home to spectacular natural attractions including the largest and arguably most beautiful waterfall in Thailand. This small town in the Lower North of Thailand also serves as an important crossroads for travellers between Bangkok and Chiang Mai and is an important westerly route into Myanmar at Mae Sot (Thailand) / Myawaddy (Myanmar), with cross border access now possible due to relaxed restrictions.

Mukdahan is one of the northeastern provinces of Thailand bordering the Mekong River, across which lies Savannakhet Province of Lao PDR. Roughly 4 km north of the city’s centre, the second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connects it with Savannakhet city.

Ranong is Thailand’s most northern province along the Andaman coast sharing a land border with Myanmar. Varied attractions and activities make this a great place for anyone wanting to experience one of Thailand’s lesser-visited Southern provinces. Dense forest and lush agricultural lands cover much of the province, and there are numerous islands, big and small, off the coastline.

According to Mr. Yuthasak, TAT continues to support celebrations in other key destinations as it always has. Nationwide in Thailand, top locations to experience Songkran, region-by-region, include: Central and Eastern Region: Bangkok and Pattaya; Northern Region: Chiang Mai; Northeastern Region: Khon Kaen; and Southern Region: Hat Yai.

For more details of the festivities organised and supported by TAT, please visit: Songkran Festival 2019.

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand

Centara to showcase traditional Thai heritage through Songkran

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Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, is partnering with Smile in Love Wedding Studio to showcase Thailand’s rich cultural heritage embodied in traditional Thai clothing throughout the upcoming Songkran Festival 2019. Centara staff will wear traditional Thai costumes, providing guests with an up-close look at the timeless style and glamour of authentic Thai apparel. In addition to celebrating Thai clothing traditions, guests at every hotel and resort property across the group will be invited to take part in Thai cultural activities such as the offering of beautiful handmade jasmine garlands and the traditional pouring of scented water over the palms.

Preparations are well underway at all 33 Centara properties within Thailand to extend a warm welcome and Thai-style hospitality to guests soon to arrive from around the world to join the Songkran festivities nationwide. All front-line staff will be dressed in traditional Thai costumes during the upcoming 11th – 15th April 2019 holiday period. Special activities, such as a booth for sprinkling scented water on the Buddha’s image, a set-up for pouring scented water onto elders’ palms, along with traditional Thai folk performances are also being arranged, enabling guests to experience the many appealing facets of this popular annual festival.

As the Thai hotel brand-of-choice among both Thai and international guests, Centara takes great pride in delivering its renowned standard of Thai-style service and gracious hospitality to guests while celebrating an important and joyful cultural occasion together with millions of Thais.

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 68 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Laos, China, Oman, Qatar and the UAE. Centara’s portfolio comprises six brands – Centara Grand Hotels & Resorts, Centara Hotels & Resorts, Centara Boutique Collection, Centra by Centara, Centara Residences & Suites and COSI Hotels – ranging from 5-star city hotels and luxurious island retreats to family resorts and affordable lifestyle concepts supported by innovative technology.It also operates state-of-the-art convention centres and has its own award-winning spa brand, Cenvaree. Throughout the collection, Centara delivers and celebrates the hospitality and values Thailand is famous for including gracious service, exceptional food, pampering spas and the importance of families.Centara’s distinctive culture and diversity of formats allow it to serve and satisfy travellers of nearly every age and lifestyle.

Over the next five years Centara aims to double its size with additional properties in Thailand and new international markets, while spreading its footprint into new continents and market niches. As Centara continues to expand, a growing base of loyal customers will find the company’s unique style of hospitality in more locations. Centara’s global loyalty programme, Centara The1, reinforces their loyalty with rewards, privileges and special member pricing.

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Thailand extends visa-on-arrival fee waiver until 30 April 2019

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Bangkok, 15 January, 2019 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is pleased to announce that the Royal Thai Government has approved the extension of the visa-on-arrival fee waiver for citizens of 20 countries until 30 April.

The decision was announced in the Royal Thai Government Gazette on 11 January, reasoning it as a measure to stimulate and promote tourism as well as to enhance the kingdom’s attractiveness among foreign visitors during the high travel season.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said the continuation of the stimulus visa-on-arrival measure came at a perfect time as Thailand is set to celebrate Chinese New Year in February and the Thai New Year (Songkran) in April.

Thailand extends visa-on-arrival fee waiver until 30 April 2019

Chinese New Year 2018 at Bangkok’s China Town

Thailand extends visa-on-arrival fee waiver until 30 April 2019

Songkran Festival in Chai Phra Kiat Temple, Chiang Mai

Chinese New Year celebrations are huge in Thailand, and this year will mark the 15th anniversary of cooperation between TAT, the Chinese Ministry of Culture, and the Chinese Embassy in organising annual Lunar New Year festivities in Thailand. This year’s date falls on 5 February.

Mr. Yuthasak said: “This year, the Chinese New Year official opening ceremony will be held at Siam Square, one of the most popular shopping areas in Bangkok. We aim to attract more of the younger generation to enjoy the traditional performances.”

Every year, China sends over 100 traditional Chinese dancers and musicians, martial artists, Chinese opera performers and acrobats from several cities in a cultural exchange. In addition to the opening ceremony, typically held at Bangkok’s Yaowarat (China Town), performances are also held in key cities around Thailand where Chinese New Year is celebrated in grand style. In return, TAT organises education tours of Thailand for the performers.

For the Thai New Year (Songkran), TAT will continue its strategy to promote Thai traditions and cultural values, the core part of almost all traditional events and festivals in Thailand, according to Mr. Yuthasak. “As usual, TAT will provide support to the organising of Songkran celebrations in various destinations throughout the kingdom.”

The Songkran Festival, 13-15 April, is an event where boisterous fun and ancient traditions go hand-in-hand. For tourists, the event offers a chance to enjoy a huge celebration where water parties break out in the streets of Thailand’s towns and villages. For locals, it is a time when they can spend precious moments with their families and visit the temples to observe ancient rites and make merit.

Other notable events and festivals scheduled during the period include the World Wai Kru Muay Thai Ceremony on 17 March in Ayutthaya and the uniquely local Poi Sang Long Festival (held during March or April) in the northern province of Mae Hong Son.

The list of countries eligible for the visa-on-arrival fee waiver until 30 April:

Citizens of Andora, Bulgaria, Bhutan, China including Taiwan, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Fiji, India, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan will be exempted from the 2,000 Baht visa-on-arrival fee for the purpose of touring in Thailand for not more than 15 days.

Source: Tourism Authority of Thailand