Tat Promotion Air Fares And Packages

[george]

All roads lead to festive fun

BANGKOK: -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand has joined hands with the private sector to organise a host of Songkran festival events around the country.

Travel packages offer a full rage of services and activities to the millions of local and international tourists expected to descend on the country’s most popular destinations for the three-day festival that starts on Tuesday.

Airlines, including budget carriers, are offering a wide range of special promotions for passengers departing from Bangkok.

All domestic fares will be lower than normal during Songkran.

A one-way ticket for Phuket Airlines’ Bangkok-Chiang Mai route will cost only Bt900, with a round trip going for Bt1,500.

Bangkok Airways is offering a three-day, two-night stay on Koh Samui for Bt8,400, which includes a round-trip ticket. Thai Airways is offering a similar package to Phi Phi Island for Bt9,999.

Pleasure Holiday Tour is offering half-day and full-day packages, including transportation, meals and an English-speaking guide.

For the Bt600 half-day tour, tourists visit main attractions around the Grand Palace, including the Emerald Buddha temple, Coronation Throne Hall, Royal Reception Hall, Royal Funeral Hall, the Golden Chedi and Royal Pantheon.

The Bt1,000 full-day tour visits Damnernsaduak floating market, located 80 kilometres from Bangkok by motor boat, and cultural programmes such as the Thai village show at the Rose Garden.

Ayutthaya, which boasts some of the finest Thai architecture, will also draw its far share of tourists over the festival.

One of the oldest cities in the Kingdom and its former capital, its most popular attractions include the Summer Palace and a replica of Peking palace.

Kanchanaburi, 120 kilometres northwest of Bangkok, is another tourist magnet thanks to it world-famous war cemetery and River Kwai bridge, which you can cross as part of a scenic train ride.

Songkran is also a popular time for beach-goers while many diving operators offer package deals.

Pattaya, where you can dive at depths of 18 to 30 metres with six to 10 metres visibility, draws plenty of dive enthusiasts, as does Koh Lan, Koh Pai and Koh Rin islands.

Koh Samet in Rayong province offers divers coral reefs and shipwrecks at depths of 10 to 20 metres while Koh Chang in Trat province is good for dives of 10 to 25 metres.

Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Mu Koh Ang Thong in the South are also excellent dive spots. Recommenced places for diving in Phuket are HQ Bay and Turtle Ledge while Koh Phi Phi is also a popular location.

Tourists venturing to Ubon Ratchathani province will be treated to the water-pouring rite on the revered Phra Kaew Bussarakham image. Tourists can also enjoy fascinating folk plays and the Thai-Indochinese Food Fair featuring master chiefs from neighbouring countries.

In Chiang Mai, the Grand Lanna Civilisation Songkran Festival is the most important Songkran event in the country. It showcases the ancient civilisations established along the Mekong River.

Countries of the Greater Mekong Sub-region, namely Laos and Burma, as well as the southern Chinese province of Yunnan, are historically linked to Lanna, or the Northern Thai Kingdom, which comprises the provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, Phayao, Phrae, Nan and Mae Hong Son.

Their common culture and heritage is brought to life in Chiang Mai over Songkran.

In Bangkok, floats and people from 76 provinces will move along Ratchadamneon Avenue to Sanam Luang. There is also a procession and bathing ritual of the Phra Buddha Sihing Buddha image in Sanam Luang.

In Hat Yai, the highlights are the midnight Songkran celebrations, Miss Songkran pageant and procession, and Buddha image bathing rituals.

--The Nation 2004-04-07