People in Thailand are preparing for the traditional New Year festival Songkran in April. Known for its rituals where people soak each other with water, this year's edition is expected to boost the country's flagging tourism industry.



Songkran will take place from April 12 to 16. The festival was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2023.



Thai tourism authorities say this year's festival is expected to generate about 780 million US dollars, an 8 percent increase from last year.



They also say they expect about 470,000 international tourists and 4.4 million domestic trips.



The Thai government is making efforts to promote this year's festival as a national celebration with events planned nationwide.



This comes as the country's tourism industry continues to recover slowly from the coronavirus pandemic.



However, the number of travelers from China is expected to drop this year due to a series of fraud cases targeting Chinese tourists.