Dove cooing contest in Thai South draws hundreds of breeders and tourists

YALA (THAILAND), September 2 (TNA) - Bird breeders and tourists are gathering in Thailand’s southern province of Yala for the 27th ASEAN Barred Ground Dove Festival, hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Entrants from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore had submitted altogether over 1,012 doves and red-whiskered bulbuls in a competition with over 300 awards. Yala Mayor Phongsak Yingchoncharoen said on Sunday he believed the contest had created a creative economic opportunity for the city’s bird breeding industry, which had targeted at least 100 million baht in revenue each year. (TNA)