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Top of the list for Songkran water play: Khao San, Pattaya, Phuket & Samui. History, culture, folk arts, shopping & hospitality top reasons for visiting Thailand.

Photo above of the water fights that Songkran is famous for. Photo below of another side of Songkran, Thai people going back to their hometown to meet their elders (Source: Wikipedia)

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Foreign tourists keen on Songkran

11/04/2012
Online Reporters

At least 61 per cent of foreign tourists now visiting Bangkok intend to take part in the Songkran celebrations, according to the result of a survey by Bangkok Poll released on Wednesday.

A minority, 15 per cent, said they would not, while the rest said they knew very little about the Thai New Year festival.

Of those who would take part in the celebrations, about 15 per cent planned to join in the fun on Khao San Road in Bangkok, 8.5 per cent at Pattaya in Chon Buri, 8 per cent at the resort island of Phuket, and 6 per cent at Samui Island off Surat Thani.

Asked what they were concerned about in joining the celebrations, the respondents pointed to safety of life and property (25.1 per cent), traffic jams (23.4 per cent), violent conduct by Songkran celebrants (17.2 per cent), sexual harassment (7.5 per cent), and political rallies (6.7 per cent).

Asked what major attractions drew them to visit Bangkok, 33.2 per cent mentioned ancient sites and artifacts, 19.8 per cent tradition, culture and folk arts, 16.4 per cent shopping venues, 14 per cent Thai food, and 11.2 per cent the hospitality of Thai people.

The poll was conducted on March 30 and April 1, with responses from 640 tourists at seven major tourist attractions in Bangkok. Most of the tourists polled were from Europe.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Foreign tourists keen on Songkran, 11/04/2012, Online Reporters, link) 

Tourist Survey Vocabulary

Theravadan Buddhist New Years  - also called "Water Festival" (See Wikipedia)
Songkran - the Thai name for New Years; a major holiday in Thailand (See Wikipedia)  สงกรานต์
Thai New Year Festival - Same as "Songkran festival"
Thingyan - the Burmese name for Buddhist New Years (See Wikipedia) 
Lao New Years - (See Wikipedia)
Cambodian New Years - (See Wikipedia)
Songkran festival
Songkran celebrations
Songkran celebrants
festival
celebration
celebrants

water fight -  a type of mock combat using various water-dispensing devices to soak opponents. Everything from buckets to balloons to water guns and even cupped hands cradling water can be applied in a water fight (See Wikipedia)
hometown - the place where a person was born and raised as a child
elders - the older people in your family

keen on - like something very much; very interested in activity สนใจอย่างยิ่ง very interested, eager or wanting (to do) something very much สนใจ, ใจจดใจจ่อ
keen  on Songkran - really like Songkran

Foreign tourists keen on Songkran

intend - to plan to do; to want to happen ตั้งใจให้เกิดขึ้น, วางแผนไว้
take part - do some activity with other people
intend to take part - plan to do some activity with other people

intend to take part in the Songkran celebrations

survey - gathering information about what people think about different subjects (public opinion) by asking large numbers of people questions and counting their answers, and then using statistics, graphs, and tables to present results (See Wikipedia)  การสำรวจความเห็น

according to the result of a survey
respondents - the people who are asked questions in a survey
response - the answers to survey questions given by respondent

released - made available to the public 
a survey released on Wednesday

minority - a small percentage, less than 50% จำนวนน้อย

At least 61 per cent of foreign tourists now visiting Bangkok intend to take part in the Songkran celebrations, according to the result of a survey by Bangkok Poll released on Wednesday. A minority, 15 per cent, said they would not, while the rest said they knew very little about the Thai New Year festival. Of those who would take part in the celebrations, about 15 per cent planned to join in the fun on Khao San Road in Bangkok, 8.5 per cent at Pattaya in Chon Buri, 8 per cent at the resort island of Phuket, and 6 per cent at Samui Island off Surat Thani.

concerned - worried about something มีความกังวล
property - things that people own 

traffic - the number traveling to a place during a period of time (people, aircraft, ships, trains, cars, trucks, etc.) ความหนาแน่นของจำนวนคน หรือยานพาหนะในช่วงเวลาใดช่วงเวลาหนึ่ง
traffic jams - when there are many cars on the road, moving very slowly

violent - involving the use of physical force, with the intention of causing damage to property or injury or death to people รุนแรง
conduct - to do something (usually in an organised way); to carry out
violent conduct
violent conduct by Songkran celebrants

sexual harassment - touching or doing or talking about something sexual to a person who does not want this (See Wikipedia)
political rallies - gathering of people for a political protest

Asked what they were concerned about in joining the celebrations, the respondents pointed to safety of life and property (25.1 per cent), traffic jams (23.4 per cent), violent conduct by Songkran celebrants (17.2 per cent), sexual harassment (7.5 per cent), and political rallies (6.7 per cent).

attractions - interesting and amusing things for people to see and activities for them to do
drew - make a person go to a place 
major attractions drew them to visit Bangkok

ancient - very old ที่เก่าแก่ ที่โบราณ
ancient sites - very old places that are important in history (such as Ayutthaya, Sukhothai, the Chiang Mai moat, Lopburi palace, etc)

artifacts - old objects (of historical interest) such as old pots, clothes or paintings
tradition -  something passed down within a society, still maintained in the present, with origins in the past. Common examples include holidays or impractical but socially meaningful clothes (See Wikipedia)
culture
folk arts

venues - places were public events or meetings take place สถานที่ชุมนุม พบปะสังสรรค์ places where events happen สถานนี่จัดงาน
shopping venues - shopping centers; shopping malls; places where people go shopping and buy things

hospitality -  the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable and friendly. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers and tourists (See Wikipedia)  การให้การต้อนรับด้วยความยินดี
the hospitality of Thai people

Asked what major attractions drew them to visit Bangkok, 33.2 per cent mentioned ancient sites and artifacts, 19.8 per cent tradition, culture and folk arts, 16.4 per cent shopping venues, 14 per cent Thai food, and 11.2 per cent the hospitality of Thai people.

poll - a survey (see above); an occasion when a lot of people are asked about what they feel about something
conduct poll - to do a poll; to carry out a poll
responses - the answers given in the poll

The poll was conducted on March 30 and April 1, with responses from 640 tourists at seven major tourist attractions in Bangkok. Most of the tourists polled were from Europe.