4 Thai provinces adopt Chinese Spring Festival holiday

Bangkok (CNS) -- The Thailand Council of Ministers passed a decision on Tuesday to make traditional Chinese Spring Festival an official holiday in the country's southern Yala, Satun, Narathiwat and Pattani provinces.

This year the first day of the new year on the Chinese lunar calendar falls on January 23.

Proposed by Thai Minister of Interior Yongyuth Wichaidit, the holiday is expected to show more respect to local people who migrated from China and live in the primarily Muslim southern parts of the country.