Thailand to host Harmony World Puppet Festival 2016

BANGKOK, October 12 (TNA) - Worldwide puppeteers will gather in Thailand early next month for the Harmony World Puppet Festival 2016, expected to generate over 300 million baht tourism-related revenues. Noppadon Pakprot, Deputy Governor of the state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), told a press conference in Bangkok on October 11 that the Harmony World Puppet Festival 2016 will be organised at Surasri Camp in the central Kanchanaburi Province during November 1-7. Noppadon stated that over 60 puppet companies from about 30 countries around the world will participate in the one-week grand event, including Thailand's Nataya Burapa Puppet Theatre and Semathai Marionette, as well as Jose Nevarro from the United Kingdom and Narua from Portugal, all of which will perform under the theme of the "Puppet Village". Noppadol said next month's event will be Thailand's host of such the international puppet festival for the second time since 2014, when the event was organised in Sanam Luang ceremonial ground in Bangkok. According to the TAT deputy governor, a change in the venue of the international puppet performance from Bangkok to Kanchanaburi is aimed to distribute income to provincial communities in line with the Thai government's policy. Besides, the World Puppet Festival 2016 is considered a start-up project in the Thai tourism industry under the government's 4.0 innovative policy. (TNA)