As many as 90,000 tourists are gathering in the city this week to take part in the Songkran celebration, Suladdha Sarutilavan, director of the Thailand Tourism Authority's office in Chiang Mai, said. It is expected that the occupancy of hotels will be 65%. Tourists come to Chiang Mai to take part in various activities, including the rite of prayer, the Songkran beauty pageant, and the bathing ceremony of revered Buddha statues with water.
As an addition to the main program, the festival organizers have installed fountain tunnels up to 50 meters long, which is very attractive for tourists, since the weather in Chiang Mai is very hot.
Due to the expected large influx of tourists, the local authorities have taken a number of measures to ensure the safety of tourists. They announced the release of 1 million cubic meters of water daily from the Mae Ngat Somboon Chon Dam into the city's water bodies to keep water bodies clean in urban areas. There were also restrictions on the sale of alcohol.
To respond to emergencies, the local authorities, together with Chiang Mai University, have installed security cameras that help monitor holidaymakers at popular festival venues.
Chiang Mai's tourism inspector, Colonel Makara Srisakulfisut, notes that the city is the first in Thailand to use the technology. The authorities have already installed cameras at all known tourist sites throughout the city, and rescue services are on standby in case of a serious incident.
