No Low Season In Phuket Tourism Market

[Jai Dee]

No low season in Phuket tourism market

The tourism market in Phuket is active, with no slack in tourist spendings despite the current monsoon season.

The Deputy Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Southern Office Region 4, Ms. Lanchuan Thongrut (รัญจวน ทองรุด), reports that despite the ongoing monsoon season in Thailand, many tourists from China are replacing outgoing European travelers in Phuket province. From May 1-7, more than 2000 Chinese travelers from Shanghai visited Thailand via charter flights, and spended a daily average of 2000-3000 baht per person.

The Deputy Director revealed that another influx of visitors will visit Phuket from May 9-11 as part of a Thai Airways meeting and will contribute to the absence of a low season in the province's tourism market this year.

Ms.Lanchuan added that the Phuket local administrative organization will be cooperating closely with the Tourism Authority of Thailand Southern Office Region 4 in further promoting the Phuket tourism market.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 08 May 2007

[smartecosse]

anyone else see the pink elepahnts as well??

[Wolfie]

what a bunch of cr*p!

Low season has hit already and is hitting hard in phuket, i was there less than two weeks ago and know a few local business owners (bars, restaurants etc) and they are already feeling the pinch.

[smartecosse]

i like to use my patented "moped o meter" to see how busy it is

if there are half a dozen mopeds in front of every second shop then low season is here

if there are no mopeds in front of the shop but street vendors have filled the space its high season

easy..............

[khall64au]

And exactly where are all these "zero-dollar" Chinese tourists spending their 2-3K baht per day?

Phuket - like all major tourism-dependant economies - NEEDS a low-season to recover from the intensity of the HIGH season. Recovery of natural environment, infrastructure, energy and sanity is imperative to a healthy life. No system can run on over-drive year-round and retain good health!

Perhaps a reality check is in order with a re-structure of tourism models?

[LivinLOS]

Is it a bird.. Is it a plane.. Ohh no, its a pig flying there..

[jamesinchina]

Last week was Golden week in China - National hols 1st-7th so plenty of people travelling overseas. I spent a week in Phuket 30th-07th and it was pretty quiet.

[Aussietraveller]

Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department

Only a PR department could come up with such a statement.

I do agree with the moped meter, and i agree with it.

I was in Patong last friday, and every motorbike rental shop was full of motorbikes.

2 months ago, they were all empty.

A quick lap around patong at about about 3pm also showed a marked decrease in traffic volumes.

A friend who is in hotels was telling me his hotel groups occupancy has dropped from 80% + at Songkran to just over 25% now.

As I look outside the house now, it is pi##ing with rain, not sure why the tourists would not want to be here?

[borracho]

There's no question low season has arrived.

I started earlier and is slower than last year.

We've a few more storms than last year as well.

It's nice and sunny now!

[jdinasia]

Kamala is empty ... the beachside places north from town center are all closed for the season. Nice to have a break from the insanity even though Kamala gets more families etc than many other places around here!

apparently last night's storm tossed up tons of sand on the road through Kalim ... pretty nice to have te new season start!

[Dupont]

Monsoon season? Low Season!@# Rainy season

Didn't the TAT banish all these accurate negative names? I seem to recall it was the "Green Season" the last few years.

[Ping]

Kamala is empty ... the beachside places north from town center are all closed for the season. Nice to have a break from the insanity even though Kamala gets more families etc than many other places around here!

apparently last night's storm tossed up tons of sand on the road through Kalim ... pretty nice to have te new season start!

I can't stand high season in Phuket and I know many others feel the same way. I far prefer putting up with the rain from time-to-time rather than the chaos of high season. It also has the advantage that low season in Phuket is autumn/winter in Melbourne (Oz).

Ping

[NBT TV Phuket]

MiniVDO: Phuket hotel occupancy rate stands at 60% at present.

To see or download mini-video, go to http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=213835

Entering the low season or rainy season for the Andaman region, the hotel occupancy rate for Phuket is now standing at 60%. The figure was confirmed by the Suwalai Pinpradab, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s local office in Phuket, who stated that Asians like Koreans and Chinese dominate the market at present. The Scandinavians are however still active among holiday makers on the island due to direct flights between there and the Phuket Island. She also pointed out that Middle East tourists & travelers started to come in as they love the rain.

Andaman News TV11 (VHF dial) + Radio Thailand FM90.5 Phuket City, both broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces, 8.30am & later on Phuket Cable TV Channel 1, Friday 18 May 2007 & www.Thaisnews.com {Our news text and mini-videos can be freely copied, but give credit to Andaman News TV11 Phuket or contact [email protected]}