CHIANG MAI, April 10 (TNA) – Arrivals of tourists are
increasing in Chiang Mai as Thailand’s northern province is traditionally
celebrating the Songkran (Thai New Year) festival while smog is alleviated
there.
Representatives of Chiang Mai airport and airlines warmly
welcomed visitors from Flight FD3445. The visitors received souvenirs for
merit-making activities amid live Lanna-styled music performances that marked
the beginning of Chiang Mai’s Songkran celebrations.
A Buddha image was placed at the airport for tourists to
traditionally bathe in accordance with the Songkran custom.
Ronakorn Chalermsaenyakorn, operations director of Chiang
Mai airport, said normally the airport served 210-250 flights and 30,000-35,000
passengers a day but traffic should rise by 12% to 40,000 people a day on April
10-12 and 15-17 as smoke haze was being relieved in the province.
Airport officials, police and soldiers were deployed to
prevent crime at the presently crowded airport, he said. (TNA)
