Int'l tourists welcome to Marine Festival in Thai South

CHUMPHON, THAILAND, March 14 (TNA) - International tourists are welcome to a grand marine festival in the Thai South, set to be held in Chumphon Province during March 17-21. The annual festival, the 27th of its kind, will be held in front of the Tambon Paknam Municipal Office, with its highlights including sand sculptures featuring royal projects of late His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, including those on building a water retention zone in Nongyai area to have successfully addressed the previously-repeated flooding problem in the provincial seat. Sand sculptures of late Prince Kromluang Chumphon Khet Udomsak, who founded the Royal Thai Navy, as well as those of various marine aquatic varieties, will also be on display along the beach. Chumphon Governor Narong Ponla-iad told journalists on March 13 that the five-day event is supported by the state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and other relevant agencies to promote his province's tourism during March-June, when the sea is considered the most beautiful of the year. Besides, environmentally-friendly activities such as beach cleaning, diving trips to collect garbage under the sea will be organized, along with an photo exhibition and an exhibition on the Royal Thai Navy vessels scuttled to be the habitats of marine lives and an underwater learning center of the marine lives for divers. Various games and entertainment will also be arranged for international visitors, such as mountain bike and marathon running races, as well as folk cultural performances, together with the sale of delicious seafood and community-based local products. (TNA)