Russians still biggest tourist group in Phuket, peak expected during holidays

Russians remain Phuket’s biggest tourist group, and the island resort’s tourism is expected to peak during the holidays, according to the president of the Southern Thai Hotels Association, Sueksit Suwannadissakun, who believes the peak of tourism High Season will be between December 24 to January 5.

About 57% of hotels in the island province reopened in October, jumping to 70% in November, according to Sueksit. He said the association expects that during Christmas and New Year, 80% of Phuket hotels will be opened. Sueksit told The Phuket Express…

“The top tourists are now Russians which is about 25% of total visitors, secondly followed by Indians at 12%, and finally Singaporeans and Australians at 6%. These four groups of tourists are almost half of the overall tourism market in Phuket.” 

Sueksit added that most other tourists in Phuket are Europeans coming to Thailand for the warm winter here.

In November, Phuket saw 55,097 Russian tourists arriving on its shores. The second largest tourist group in Phuket that month came from India, with 26,525 travellers, according to Phuket Immigration.

The recent swarm of Russian tourists in Thailand has taken the country’s tourism forces completely by surprise. Despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian tourism market has returned much quicker than expected, according to the president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) last month.

Chartered flights to Phuket and Pattaya are being filled by Russian tourists. Less than two weeks after Russian airlines made their triumphant return to Phuket, Aeroflot announced an increase in direct flights to the island. The flagship airline of Russia made known on November 12 that it would be adding 14 new flights a week from Russia to Phuket.

As of October 26, Thailand witnessed 7,349,843 international tourists arrive at its airports. According to the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Thailand is on course to attract around 11 million tourists this year.

Source - The Thaiger

YOUR AFFILIATE / REFERRAL LINK HERE

Thailand - Ratchaburi locals urge foreign tourists to wear face masks

Residents in the central province of Ratchaburi urge foreign tourists to wear face masks while travelling in Thailand because the Covid-19 situation is expected to be more serious during the High Season.

Channel 3 reported that they received a complaint from locals in Ratchaburi about the use of face masks among foreign tourists. Locals said that most Thai people still use face masks but foreigners don’t. Residents want officials to encourage foreign tourists to wear face masks.

Residents are worried about another Covid wave because more tourists are visiting Thailand now restrictions have been lifted. They believe another coronavirus outbreak could affect the economy again.

The government suggests people wear face masks in crowded public areas such as the Metro and BTS but face masks in Thailand are no longer compulsory. Most Thai people and business owners in the province think it is fine for foreigners to drop their face masks.

A Thai tour guide, Patsayu Thianjam, told the media that he still wears a mask in the public place but could not force anyone to wear a face mask.

Patsayu added that if foreign visitors do not want to wear masks then that is fine with him, he says he is happy more tourists from across the world are visiting Thailand once again.

A seller at the floating market, Usarat Onsooddee, said…

“I do not care much about the face mask or the infection. It depends on them. If they don’t wear it, it’s totally fine for me. Covid is just a disease. It can be treated. We can’t make a living if we think too much. It has been three years and no one cares for us. Getting infected and making a living is better than starving to death.”

Usarat added that the market had seen an influx of more visitors. She reckons tourism is at about 50% of the pre-pandemic total.

A doctor from the Ratchaburi Provincial Public Health Department, Pajaree Areelop, said…

“We can’t force anyone to wear a face mask because there is no law or restriction as in the past, and the situation changes. What we can do is ask for cooperation and protect our own health. The official health department still encourages people to wear a face mask. However, the concern over health conditions and the economic situation should be balanced. We opened the border for the economy to recover. Locals, sellers, and business owners who were worried about the infection can put their masks on to protect themselves.”

Source - The Thaiger

YOUR AFFILIATE / REFERRAL LINK HERE

.

#Thailand - Maya Bay to be closed for three months next year.

Park officials said they were going to close Phi Phi island’s famous Maya Bay from June for three months next year.

Officials of the Koh Phi Phi National park authority held crisis talks on Thursday where they were told that the bay has been ravaged by too much tourism.

So it was going to be shut to allow the beach side of Maya Bay, as well as the waters in the bay, to recover ahead of the 2018 high season.

 FOR THE BEST GLOBAL HOTEL & FLIGHT BOOKINGS

Photos and stories in international media have shocked officials into doing something about the massive crowds heading to Maya Bay every day, sometimes leaving standing room only on the iconic beach, made famous by the 2000 Leonardo DiCaprio film, The Beach.

 Officials have also been receiving complaints from concerned locals about tour boats anchoring indiscriminately in the area causing damage to the bay floor and any remaining corals.

Source - TheNation

Thailand Security advisories ‘may hurt tourism’

.

MANY TOURISTS may not visit Thailand if their countries issue travel advisories after intelligence reports warned of possible bomb attacks in Bangkok, tourism associations said yesterday.
. 

"The tourism sector may suffer a huge negative impact if many countries issue travel advisories in relation to the warnings of bomb threats raised by the Thai police," Thai Travel Agents Association president Suparerk Soorangura said.

.
Many foreign travel agencies and hotels are including Thailand in packages for the upcoming high season, so it is too soon to judge the number of advance bookings or cancellations, he said. If the government is unable to control speculation or ensure confidence in the international market, many tourists will shift their trips to other countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia or the Philippines, he added.
.
"Our high-season period will be badly affected if tourists do not make bookings," Suparerk said.
.
Supawan Thanomkiatphum, president of the Thai Hotels Association, said security had been tightened at many hotels and public areas as a precaution.

Airports of Thailand earlier announced tighter security measures at the country's six international airports, while the public transportation system is also implementing security measures.
.
Meanwhile, national police chief Pol General Chakthip Chaijinda affirmed that information obtained by the intelligence services about plots for three bomb attacks in Bangkok and the vicinity between October 25 and 30 was in line with reports from their international counterparts.
.
He said police investigators, led by his deputy for national security, Pol General Srivara Ransibrahmanakul, were looking into the leads but he declined to say if suspects detained after Tuesday's raids were linked to the alleged plots. He added that the end of October coincided with several key dates, including the anniversary of the founding of a southern insurgent group.
.
Army chief General Chalermchai Sittisart has refused to say if the threat of bomb attacks in Bangkok might be linked to the unrest in the deep South, although he did say that cars stolen in the region might be used in the attacks. He added that attacks would not affect the ongoing peace dialogue regarding the Southern unrest.
.
Chalermchai said the Peace and Order Maintaining Command had been instructed to help police to monitor communities and public areas, including malls, so people should not panic but be vigilant for suspicious items. He added that security forces were investigating the latest warnings.

 .

Source: The Nation

.