Thailand is set to extend Songkran into a month-long global water festival next year, aiming to enhance its “soft power” and attract more international tourists.
Paetongtarn Shinawatra, leader of the Pheu Thai Party and president of the National Soft Power Strategy Committee (NSPSC), announced on Friday the committee’s decision to elevate Songkran to one of the world’s premier festivals.
Ms Paetongtarn stated, “Let’s make the Songkran festival the event that everyone has to fly to Thailand to attend. Let’s make Thailand [home of] one of the top 10 global festivals.”
“Starting from next year, the Songkran festival will not be the same. We will not splash water only for three days but the whole month with events to be held nationwide,” she revealed.
Ms Paetongtarn wrote on her Facebook page, indicating that the prolonged festival is expected to contribute 35 billion baht to Thailand’s economy.
On Thursday, the NSPSC proposed a budget of 5.1 billion baht, aimed at supporting key sectors, including festival events, culinary activities, tourism, entertainment, sports, Thai arts, creative design, music, and book-related initiatives.
Dr. Surapong Suebwonglee, vice president of the NSPSC, highlighted the need for the Soft Power Act and the establishment of the Thailand Creative Content Agency (Thacca) with 12 sub-committees for different soft power sectors.
Dr. Surapong mentioned that the NSPSC will reassess the proposed budget around December 14 before presenting the final report to the cabinet in January.
Chadatip Chutrakul, CEO of Siam Piwat Co., stated that the festival events sub-committee plans over 10,000 events nationwide in 2024, featuring the extended Songkran in April.
Ms. Chadatip, as head of the festival events sub-committee, detailed that the water festival will take place on Rachadamnoen Avenue and other sites in Old Town Bangkok, showcasing both global and local artists.
In addition to Bangkok, each province will host unique water festival events throughout April, highlighting their local traditions.
Ms. Chadatip noted these events will provide job opportunities at the village level and enable locals to gain event planning skills. She also mentioned that the sub-committee is developing a mobile app to promote Thailand’s soft power to international audiences.
