Grand countdown events planned across Thailand to welcome 2024

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is working with businesses and authorities in those provinces to organise the “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2024”, aimed at promoting the country – and particularly Bangkok – as a “global countdown destination”, according to Apichai Chatchalermkit, the TAT’s deputy governor for tourism products and business.

He said the TAT would host two major countdown events in Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima – “Amazing Thailand Countdown 2024 Vijit Arun” and “Korat Winter Festival & Countdown 2024”, respectively.

The “Vijit Arun” event is part of the TAT’s Vijit Chao Phraya 2023 light-and-sound shows along the river being held this month.

In Bangkok, the TAT-hosted event will be held on December 31 and January 1 at Nagaraphirom Park, which is located across the Chao Phraya River from the picturesque Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn).

The highlight will be firework displays lasting more than seven minutes over the river, with Wat Arun’s well-lit main pagoda in the background. There will also be cultural and musical performances.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, the event – also marking the city’s 555th birthday – will be held at the Provincial Hall’s front yard from December 22 to January 2.

Pyrotechnic shows will be the highlight of the countdown event, which also features a local market fair, an amusement park, a floral garden, and lighting decorations.

Countdown events to welcome 2024 will also be held in other provinces with support from the TAT. These include Amazing Chiang Mai Countdown 2024 on Dec 31; Awaken Khon Kaen Countdown 2024 on Dec 31 and Jan 1; Suphanburi Countdown 2024: Happy Love Happy Luck on Dec 29-31; Hua Hin Countdown 2024 in Prachuap Khiri Khan on Dec 31; Discover Phuket Countdown 2024 on Dec 31 and Jan 1; Hat Yai Countdown 2024 in Songkhla on Dec 31 and Jan 1. Similar events are also planned for Nakhon Phanom and Roi Et provinces.

Many shopping malls in Bangkok also plan their New Year celebrations, including Centralworld and Iconsiam.
Iconsiam managing director Supoj Chaiwatsirikul said the riverside mall is collaborating with the TAT, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and others to hold New Year celebrations for three days from Dec 29-31 under the theme “The Unrivaled Phenomenon of Siam”.

He said the highlight will be a nine-minute-long pyrotechnic display involving 50,000 fireworks along a 1,400-metre stretch of the river. There will also be a 3D drone celebration show involving 2,000 drones.

Meanwhile, Centralworld will hold the Bangkok Countdown 2024 as part of the Amazing Thailand Countdown 2024, according to Central Pattana senior executive Kantaphon Phanitrat. He said this year’s countdown would also feature a digital pyrotechnic show along with real fireworks.

The TAT expects 54.4 billion baht in tourism revenue to be generated for Thailand during the upcoming New Year’s festival, agency Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool said on Friday. That would be a 45% increase over the previous year, she added.

A total of 1.18 million foreign tourists are expected to visit Thailand between Dec 22 and Jan 1, a 56% jump from the same period last year. An estimated 41.7 billion baht in revenue would be generated for the tourism industry during this period, an increase of 60%, according to Thapanee.

About 3.76 million Thai tourists are expected to travel domestically between Dec 29 and Jan 1, a 10% increase from the same period last year, the TAT governor said. She added that 12.7 billion baht in tourism revenue would be generated from this group of domestic tourists, representing an 11% gain over last year.

Thapanee attributed several positive factors to a big jump in the number of foreign visitors expected during the New Year’s festival. These include more flights to Thailand, visa exemption for tourists from many countries, extension of bar opening hours, as well as the TAT’s promotional campaigns in overseas markets.