Thailand’s Songkran Holidays are postponed

From April 13th to April 15th each year, Thai New Year erupts onto the streets with much partying and squirting of water across the nation.

That these celebrations would be curtailed as Thailand moves to keep its Covid-19 outbreak under control is no surprise.

However, the government has gone one step further and the public holidays for Songkran have been cancelled and will be held later in the year.

This has been done to avoid people using the three-day break to travel to their home province and potentially speed up the spread of the disease.

“The government will need to use intense measures to stop the spread of virus,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-Ocha said in a televised speech.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam announced the cancellation of the public holidays during a briefing on Monday afternoon.

New dates will be later announced well in advance later for the long holiday, he said.

• Songkran
• Public Holidays in Thailand for 2020