Over Bt45b circulated during Thailand's Songkran holidays

BANGKOK, April 18 (TNA) - Over 45 billion baht was circulated during recent Songkran, or Traditional Thai New Year, holidays when the total number of travellers nationwide exceeded 3.6 million, nearly 700,000 of them are foreign visitors. Thai Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul told journalists of the figures on Tuesday, elaborating that about a total of 45.48 billion baht was circulated during the long Songkran holidays, from April 11 to 17, a 14.4 per cent year-on-year increase. Kobkarn said about three million Thai tourists visited 14 provinces, including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Khon Kaen and Phuket, where Songkran celebrations were held in a traditional way. According to the minister, the Thai travellers spent on their travel costs, accommodations, meals and souvenirs, generating about 8.4 billion baht for local tourism-related businesses, or a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase. The minister noted that Thailand attracted more than 695,000 foreign tourists during the Songkran long holidays, earning the Kingdom about 36.94 billion baht tourism-related revenues, up 16.4 per cent year-on-year. (TNA)