“In the past few years, the Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai has been held from April 13-15 with various activities. However, this year it is extended from April 7-17. Due to shorter promotional communication, tourists may take longer to decide. Currently, hotel bookings in Chiang Mai during Songkran are hovering around 50%. If they can increase to 60-75% during April 13-15 or throughout April 7-17, it would be satisfactory for business operators,” La-iad said.
She added that despite some progress in addressing the PM 2.5 dust issue, it remains a challenge with no real solution in sight. This is due to issues with forest ecosystem management, hotspots in certain areas, and the need for coordinated supervision across districts, neighbouring provinces, and even neighbouring countries.
“One thing I’d like to see in the future is improved communication, knowledge sharing, and cooperation from all sectors. The government itself needs to closely monitor and track the outcomes continuously to reduce the impact of PM 2.5 dust effectively year by year,” she said.