Phuket Celebrates Songkran by Releasing Turtles - AsiaRooms.com

    PHUKET, THAILAND, March 03, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Songkran celebrations take place all over Thailand in April, but there is one aspect of the festival that remains unique to Phuket.

As part of the country's traditional new year festivities from April 13th to 15th, people on the island will release captive turtles into the water at selected beaches.

Coastal areas like Patong and Karon are usually the main focal points for the Songkran celebrations, but people using accommodation in Phuket will have to visit quieter beaches such as Nai Yang and Mai Khao to see the turtles.

As the animal is viewed as a symbol of patience and wisdom, releasing turtles into the water is thought to bring people good luck and help them to live a long life.

A turtle releasing ceremony was also held on Phuket in early January in recognition of the western new year, with the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation sending 50 green sea turtles into the water.

Such ceremonies have additional significance due to the fact that the long-term future of many turtle species is in jeopardy.

Citing figures from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the Thai Turtle Trust has estimated that half of the 72 species native to south-east Asia are either endangered or critically endangered.

For people using accommodation in Thailand, the Songkran festival in Phuket provides an opportunity to see the animals return to their natural environment.

Editor Notes

AsiaRooms.com is a leading online accommodation site in Asia offering deals in over 30,000 properties across the region and worldwide, ranging from beach resorts to five star luxury hotels.

AsiaRooms.com offers customers a saving of up to 70 per cent off the normal room rate for a variety of independent and branded hotels. Customers can book online or by phone 24/7, whether booking 12 months or 12 minutes in advance - whatever time, whatever day.

AsiaRooms.com arms customers with information to help them choose the right hotel. Users can read from over 150,000 true hotel reviews, written by customers who have booked through AsiaRooms.com and actually stayed at the hotel.

For further editorial information please contact:

[email protected]

+ 66(0)38 377 666

Website: http://www.asiarooms.com

# # #