It seems that this years’ Songkran Thai New Year celebrations have been one of the most successful ever in terms of money raised by the Thai tourism sector. Now that Songkran 2014 is finished for another year, we can bask in the afterglow of the money that has been created for local businesses throughout Thailand during the festive period, with Phuket doing very well indeed.
The figures coming out of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office say that the Phuket participants in Phuket are estimated to have contributed 252 million THB to the Thai economy over the three day festival on the island. It is always an important time for Phuket businesses who need to rake in the profits before the monsoon season arrives.
Although the figures generated in Phuket sound rather large, other areas of Thailand, most notably those who celebrate Songkran over a longer period than Phuket, have managed to generate even higher revenues.
TAT have declared that over 1.46 million people, 1.35 million of those Thais have generated 4 billion baht to the economy over the festive season. Khon Kaen topped the list, contributing 751 million THB. Chiang Mai was next with 656 million THB, and in third place was Bangkok, generating 536 million THB.
