The Tourism and Sports Ministry has been instructed by Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin to clear up public misunderstanding over the duration of this year's Songkran festival.
Mr Srettha said on Monday that Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol would explain the extended Songkran celebration period, which, according to the government, spans 21 days.
Some foreign visitors mistook this to mean that water fights would be taking place every day across the country for 21 days starting from April 1.
Last week, government spokesman Chai Watcharonke said that although the Maha Songkran World Water Festival lasts from April 1 to 21 across the country, activities are not held simultaneously in every province.
He said the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has a calendar outlining 21 days of nationwide celebrations from April 1 to 21.
Only the main celebrations are held from April 13 to 15 in almost every province.
One confused Chinese tourist was recently seen on social media armed with a water gun outside a shopping mall in Bangkok, only to find no one else was celebrating.
A video clip of the tourist was released on China's video-sharing site Douyin before it was shared by "Daka China", a Facebook page featuring stories about China. A Thai translation was provided.
On Monday, Mr Srettha promised to quell confusion, saying the Tourism and Sports Ministry would be clarifying the matter.
The premier called for public patience as the misunderstanding was being resolved and blamed the confusion on the spread of inconsistent information about the revised format for this year.
Mr Srettha also said each province should enjoy its own unique Songkran celebrations according to its cultural roots.
In some localities, such as the Phra Pradaeng district of Samut Prakan and in Pattaya, the festival is typically hosted after the main April 13-15 celebration period.
