2023 Pi Mai Lao Holiday Dates Announced
Source: Vientiane Times
The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that Monday April 17 and Tuesday April 18 will be public holidays, to compensate for April 15 and 16 of the Pi Mai Lao (Lao New Year) celebrations taking place on Saturday and Sunday.
The holiday will begin as usual on Friday April 14 and continue until Tuesday April 18.
The PM’s Office also instructed the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, central government agencies and provincial government offices to ensure there will be enough food and general consumer goods to meet demand.
Ministries and provincial government bodies were told to monitor the price of food and other goods on sale in markets and to regulate the price of services such as the cost of public transport and entrance fees at tourist attractions, to prevent vendors from taking advantage of high demand to boost prices.
Authorities throughout the country were also advised to ensure peace and social order by having security guards on duty throughout the Lao New Year holiday.
The Ministry of Public Security was advised to work with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to allocate traffic routes and provide assistance to foreign visitors, to further ensure safety.
The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism will ensure that tourist sites are fully equipped to serve visitors, both from Laos and abroad.
This year many provinces will hold a range of activities to celebrate Lao New Year after events were canceled or downsized for three years in a row because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Luang Prabang city will celebrate Pi Mai Lao on a much larger scale this year with an extensive program of activities to take place over 10 days from April 11-20.
The official Lao New Year holiday normally runs from April 14-16, but events in Luang Prabang will overrun this timeframe, the Director of the provincial Information, Culture and Tourism Department, Dr. Soudaphone Khomthavong, told the Vientiane Times.
The program of activities includes the Nang Sang Khan contest, an elephant procession, pouring of water over Buddha images and monks at temples, almsgiving ceremonies, a Naga lantern parade, and a performance of traditional dances at the Royal Palace Museum.
