No more Songkran in Pattaya
Pattaya - Songkran celebrations in Pattaya will not be much fun this year because Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has declared a state of emergency in Chon Buri province, which prohibits any gatherings of five or more people, the resort city's mayor Itthipon Khunpleum said Saturday.
The resort city, where the Asean summits are taking place, has had to cancel many events prepared for the water festival, which in Pattaya runs from April 9 to today, he said.
The cancellations might translate into losses of Bt70 million per day, he added.
More than 4,000 members of the American Navy, who were scheduled to dock in Pattaya this week, have already cancelled, the mayor said.
The state of emergency, declared to control the situation after the red-shirt protesters broke into the summit venue, made Songkran in Pattaya a very quiet one, he said.
Some 10 people were injured in a clash between the red-clad protesters and the government-sponsored security men in blue yesterday morning. Now, the protesters are accusing the government of using force against them
The mayor added that the special Songkran events planned in Pattaya for April 19 would also be affected by the incident and the state of emergency.
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