Big New Year exodus from Bangkok

THE exodus from Bangkok is gathering pace with as many as 500,000 people have traveled upcountry from Mo Chit 2 bus terminal from Tuesday to Thursday (Dec 27-29) to celebrate New Year in their hometowns with an additional 161,368 people expected to do so today (Dec 30), Thai News Agency cited Transport Company as saying.

Yesterday (Dec 29) a total of 7,267 scheduled buses and 1,905 additional coaches departed Bangkok taking 180,454 people to their hometowns, Transport Company added.

Meanwhile at Chanthaburi border crossing with Cambodia there is a tight security in place to carefully check Cambodian workers heading back home to celebrate New Year. Officials are scanning fingerprints to check for criminal records to prevent wrongdoers fro taking advantage of this celebration to escape Thailand. An average of 10,000 people are crossing over to Cambodia each day during this festive season.

There was a lively atmosphere at Buengkan customs house jetty with both Thais and Laotians who have come to work in Thailand crossing the border to return home for this festive season. Laotian tourists visiting Thailand are buying all kinds of goods to take back home with this adding a festive mood at the jetty. It is expected that the New  Year celebration will boost cash circulation here by at least 10 million baht.

Likewise at the First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge in Nong Khai Laotians working in Thailand are heading home while Thais working in Laos, including businessmen based there, are making the reverse crossing. The huge traffic led to additional officials being posted at both Nong Khai checkpoint and customers house to carefully screen the documents.

CAPTIONS:

Top: All bus terminals across the country are packed with people returning home to celebrate New Year. Photo: Thai News Agency

Inset: Buengkan checkpoint is very busy during the current New  Year festivities. Photo: Thai News Agency

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ThaiResidents Team