As long as the government does not decide on any cancellations, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) supports the scheduled New Year’s countdowns and festivities.
In light of a number of provinces choosing to scale back their countdown celebrations this year, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn stated that as of right now, the TAT has not yet received any notification that the government will mandate any cancellations.
He said there had been no indication from either the tourism minister or Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha that events backed by private sector partnerships in 12 provinces were in danger.
Additionally, a number of event organisers have asked for approval to include a formal blessing ceremony for Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendiradebyavati in their event schedule.
According to Mr. Yuthasak, TAT has organized two of its own New Year countdowns in the cities of Bangkok and Hat Yai as a way of saying thanks to everyone who has tirelessly worked to promote tourism in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
“The Amazing Thailand Countdown 2023 has been arranged to promote Thai domestic tourism, the key driver of the economy,” he stated.
The celebration in Bangkok will take place on the pier next to Wat Phra Chetuphon (Wat Pho), and its highlights will include free concerts and fireworks. As of right now, the music is still scheduled to go as scheduled.
A dedicated walking street will be part of the Amazing Thailand Countdown 2023 in Hat Yat, which will also include free performances by Malaysian and Thai artists, lighting projections, and fireworks.
According to Mr. Yuthasak, Thailand will welcome 700,000–800,000 international visitors throughout the forthcoming holiday week.
He also said that December’s average daily inbound visitor arrivals of 72,000 might contribute to expenditure reaching 26 billion baht at this time. As of December 20, 10.9 million baht has been spent by foreign visitors.
The Thai market is anticipated to contribute 800 billion baht in income for the whole year, according to the TAT, which also forecasts at least 34 million domestic journeys in December.
According to Thapanee Kiatphaibool, deputy governor for domestic marketing at the TAT, hotels in Songkhla are now completely booked, with around 80% of the rooms being occupied by visitors from Malaysia. 1.8 million Malaysian tourists are now present in Thailand.
The Education Ministry, the Office of the Court of Justice, and the Office of the Ombudsman are among the government authorities who have requested assistance from their agencies to scale back the countdown celebrations.
The New Year’s countdown will continue in Pattaya, although the celebrations on December 29–31 will not include any spectacular fireworks displays.
