Songkran celebrations begin in Chiang Mai

CHIANG MAI, April 11 (TNA) -- Celebrations for the Songkran festival have started in Chiang Mai province as the Chiang Mai Night Safari nocturnal zoo is organizing parades of animals and showing off a Lanna-styled trade fair and processions. Apart from Songkran water splashes, the management of Chiang Mai Night Safari welcomes visitors with the parades of miniature horses, iguanas, miniature hedgehogs and “Ton Kluai”, a golden python weighing 66 kilograms that needs seven porters. There are also booths of Buddha images for visitors to traditionally bathe, lifestyle shows representing Lanna-styled Songkran traditions, and a trade fair of local products. The special activities will continue at Chiang Mai Night Safari until April 16. Tourists are flocking into the northern province of Chiang Mai. Crowds are packing into Chiang Mai airport. Its management said the airport would serve nearly 230,000 people during the week-long Songkran holiday. The traffic is expected to rise by nearly 30,000 people from the festival last year. (TNA)