Bangkok festival, street food surge
Bangkok’s Thailand Tourism Festival ran March 25–29 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center with a heavy street‑food program — stalls operated 10:00–21:00 and menus ranged from classic curries to grilled scorpions (chiangraitimes.com). The city is gearing for Songkran in early April, when riverside food hubs (Benjakitti Park and riverfront venues) and massive water‑fight crowds will supercharge street‑food footfall ( ).
The Tourism Authority of Thailand staged the festival as its 44th edition under a “New Thailand” quality‑tourism push and included a formal tribute to Queen Sirikit in the programme. (thailand.prd.go.th) Organisers split the expo into nine themed zones and promoted a “5 Must Do in Thailand” itinerary alongside a Zero‑Waste‑to‑Landfill sustainability strand. (tatnews.org) Regional pavilions at the show concentrated on OTOP and SME food vendors and offered special discounted tour packages intended to spur domestic trips and local vendor income. (expatsthai.com) The convention centre billed the exhibition across multiple halls (Exhibition Halls 1–4, Level G) and several reports noted organisers encouraged use of Bangkok’s MRT and other public transit for visitor access. ( ) Songkran 2026 carries the traditional public holidays from April 13–15 while the Tourism Authority schedules large‑scale Bangkok programming across April 9–15, including the Maha Songkran World Event at Benjakitti Park and riverside festivities at ICONSIAM and Asiatique. (kkday.com) (tatnews.org) TAT’s broader 2026 targets aim for 36.7 million foreign visitors and 2.78 trillion baht in tourism revenue, and separate Songkran forecasts put the festival’s economic boost at roughly 26.5 billion baht with about 476,000 international arrivals and 4.4 million domestic trips during the period. (nationthailand.com) (thethaiger.com) City and national authorities are already flagging stepped‑up safety measures for Songkran after prior years’ spikes in accidents, including police advisories and continued use of alcohol‑restricted zones in major celebration areas. (nationthailand.com) (chiangraitimes.com)
