Lunar New Year festivals and prayers are marking the start of the Year of the Snake around Asia and farther afield.

Several countries mark their new year based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar involving movement of the Sun and Moon.

Chinese tourists visiting Thailand for Lunar New Year are worried about being kidnapped by gangsters to work in hellish scam centers, despite efforts to reassure them.

Thailand's consumer spending over the Lunar New Year period could rise 4.5% to a five-year high of 52 billion baht ($1.54 billion), helped by government stimulus measures and higher income, a survey showed on Friday.

Lunar New Year tourists are flocking to Thailand. The holidaymakers, many from China, are expected to boost tourism, which has been struggling to recover from the pandemic.

The festival is celebrated by several ethnic communities across the world, where it is known as Chunjie (Chinese), Seollal (Korean) and Tet (Vietnamese), among other names. In English, it is commonly referred to as Lunar New Year, after the lunisolar calendar that many of these communities traditionally follow.

The government expects 770,000 Chinese nationals to visit Thailand during Chinese New Year, from Jan 24 to Feb 2, an increase of 22.6% compared to the Lunar New Year period last year.

For many, the Lunar New Year is a time to reflect on people they have lost. But it's also a time to set intentions and welcome the new energy of the future.

Lunar New Year is based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar. It begins with the first new moon and ends with the Lantern Festival on the next full moon, 15 days later. The Chinese zodiac operates on a 12-year cycle of animals. 2025 marks the Year of the Snake.

People in Bangkok, Thailand, gathered at the Leng Noei Yi temple, also known as the Dragon Lotus Temple, on Tuesday to celebrate the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year. The Chinese Lunar New Year also called the Spring Festival,