A majority of people agree with an idea of wearing Thai traditional clothes when playing with water during the upcoming Songkran Festival to conserve Thai traditions and culture, according to an opinion poll by National Institute of Development Administration (Nida Poll) published on Sunday.
The survey was conducted during April 4-5 on 1,250 people of various levels of education and occupations throughout the country.
The majority, or 84.96%, of the respondents, said wearing Thai traditional clothes is a way of conserving the Thai traditions and culture and showing to foreigners genuine Thai ways of life when asked to comment on the idea. However, 14% disagreed, saying that it is inappropriate for them to be worn while splashing water on one another, while 1.04% were uncertain or had no comment.
Asked whether they want to wear Thai traditional clothes for the water festival, 64.24% said they do, to set an example for people of next generations; 33.44% said they don't want to, reasoning that traditional clothes are expensive, difficult to wear and not suitable for the Thai weather which is rather hot; and, 2.32% were uncertain or had no comment.