Prayut shoots down 9-day Songkran holiday

The prime minister has poured cold water on the suggestion to extend this year's Songkran Festival into a nine-day holiday.

Emerging from the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha said the idea was not tabled as a proposal for the cabinet to consider.

Gen Prayut said he personally did not agree with a longer Songkran holiday.

The idea was to add two more days -- Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17 -- so that the Songkran holiday would run nine days from April 11-19.

"I think the normal holiday should be enough, because all public services are necessary. I don't think an extended holiday to spur tourism would generate much return," the prime minister said.