The Association of Thais in Macau announced in a press conference yesterday that it will host a 2-day event in Rua de Abreu Nunes (荷蘭園二馬路), colloquially known as “Thai Street”, named “Thailand Cultural Festival”, starting this Saturday.
The press conference was held at the Hotel Beverly Plaza in Zape.
According to the association’s president, Orawon Santisubpoon, the event’s objective is to offer intangible spiritual comfort to the Thai community in Macau while also promoting multicultural heritage. As the event has been successfully held for 20 years, the Thai-style carnival aims to revitalise the old city district through a model of activation spreading from a point source to a surrounding area and contribute to boosting Macau’s economy, she said.
According to the association’s chairman, Chan Dat Ca, the annual activity has become a signature event around the Avenida do Conselheiro Ferreira de Almeida neighbourhood and a key highlight of its December calendar. As the Thai-Chinese community and Macau are now inseparable, under Macau’s multicultural policy, the association has consistently worked to maintain cultural exchanges between the two regions and provide support for Thai-Chinese residents in their daily lives in Macau, Chan said.
Chan also said that the event also aims to stimulate Macau’s economy by attracting more visitors. This year’s event will be held between Saturday and Sunday, featuring a Thai food street, “lady boy” cabaret performances, traditional Thai massage, stage programmes, and performances by Macau singers, all designed to inject energy and vitality into the area, he said.
According to a statement by the association, the event has received financial support from the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO). The statement also that this year’s event will emphasise environmental measures, such as using eco-friendly utensils and reducing single-use plastic items. All those participating in the event are kindly requested to follow on-site arrangements, the statement said.
According the Statistics and Census Bureau, 26,299 Thai nationals visited Macau in the first 10 months of this year, Macau’s third-largest foreign visitor segment after South Koreans and Filipinos.
This poster provided by the Association of Thais in Macao yesterday promotes its carnival to be held in Rua de Abreu Nunes on Saturday and Sunday.
