From 0.01am until midnight on Friday, vehicles can zip through all toll booths of the Chalerm Maha Nakhon, Sirat and Udon Ratthaya expressways free of charge, the Expressway Authority of Thailand (Exat) said. The authority expects more people to travel on Friday as it forms a four-day long weekend, which kicks off with Royal Ploughing Day. The break will extend into Monday, which is a compensation holiday for Visakha Bucha Day on Sunday (May 15). The national holiday on Friday marks the Royal Ploughing Ceremony, an ancient tradition observed in Thailand every year to mark the start of the rice-growing season. Brahmin priests and court astrologers then interpret what the oxen eat to forecast whether the country’s coming harvest will be plentiful or not.

Source: The Nation Bangkok May 13, 2022 03:19 UTC