The press conference was led by Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansuppana, who was joined by representatives of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket Old Town Communities, Phuket Provincial Culture Office, and others.
Miss Somjai said, “The 20th Chinese New Year Phuket Old Town celebration will be held on Feb 10-12 from 5:30pm onwards. The event will take place at Phuket Old Town, Dragon Park on Thalang Rd, Soi Rommanee, Krabi Rd, Thepkrasattri Rd, Phang Nga Rd, some parts of Phuket Rd and at the Phuket Thai Hua Museum.”
This year’s event will present three elements of Phuket’s heritage: food, architecture and dress. There will be many activities including art, music and dance performances, puppet shows, storytelling, and the Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao).
“On the last day of the event, we will worship Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy), which is an ancient Phuket tradition. The worship will be held from 10pm onwards at the Dragon Statue area. The activity is aimed at bringing luck, wealth and merit as well as to conserve local culture and tradition,” Miss Somjai said.