By Namo Vananupong

   

PHUKET (NNT) - The tourism scene in some provinces has visibly gotten livelier after the relaxation of Covid restrictions to accommodate the reopening of Thailand to international tourists, and as the tourism high season comes into view. This is especially true for Phuket province, which has a 3-month head start because of the Phuket Sandbox quarantine waiver initiative.

 

Many tourists were seen boarding vessels at Chalong Bay Pier in Phuket’s capital district, as they made their way to islands and islets near Phuket.

 

There were Thai as well as foreign boaters, the latter consisting of travelers from countries such as Israel, Denmark, and France. Staff at the tourist drop-off point at the pier said there have been more visitors lately, in contrast with very quiet days at the pier earlier, when around 20 people would head to the pontoon and marina at the pier each day.

 

Currently, more than 1,000 people make use of the pontoon and marina per day. The staff said more tourists are expected during the year-end peak season.

 

In Trang province, Pak Meng Pier was seeing significant tourist activity. The visitors comprised both Thais and foreigners who were generally there to tour Morakot Cave – Trang’s highlight tourism destination. Recently, no less than 100 people charter boats to the cave each day.

 

The charter service has become more popular as opposed to group tours, as each visitor group tries to avoid mingling with other tourists due to COVID-19 concerns.

 

In Trat province, Ko Chang district’s implementation of the safe tourism model resembling Phuket Sandbox was apparently going well, as hotel bookings continued to climb.

 

Hoteliers said rooms were almost completely booked for nights within the peak season. They viewed Thailand’s reopening to international tourists positively and said they have made all the required preparations, notably making sure that their hotels meet the SHA Plus public health standard.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2021-11-03

 

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11 minutes ago, webfact said:

Hoteliers said rooms were almost completely booked for nights within the peak season. 

Going to go out on a limb and call that claim complete  bull !

The Thai tourist industry is fighting a losing battle with the current administration calling the shots.

Look at Greece!!
No quarantine,  no insurance,  no test, you get sick with covid the government takes care of you for free, plus great Turkish coffee.

 

59 minutes ago, webfact said:

Hoteliers said rooms were 'almost completely' booked

'Almost completely'... completely half full or half empty, almost.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The tourism scene in some provinces has visibly gotten livelier after the relaxation of Covid restrictions to accommodate the reopening of Thailand to international tourists, and as the tourism high season comes into view.

Try opening up (and I do mean opening up fully) other areas which are not doing so well instead of all the prohibitions and see what happens

But all the serial whiners here told me the Phuket sandbox failed, the Thai gov't failed, and everyone and everything in Thailand is smothered in fail sauce. Why would they lie?

Still, whether full or not, those who runs Phuket must know something more than those who runs Pattaya...

That is one crammed tour group catamaran, hope the swells not too bad and you got knocked off.

 

Some really good deals for a private cat hire at the moment that makes the experience as it should be.

Some thing must be going on as it really busy on the roads, yesterday late afternoon I drove from Rawai to the Homepro at Samkong the car park was almost full then we drove into Phuket town lots of traffic everywhere, 

Its looking like the tourist economy has been totaled for nothing then ????

4 hours ago, talahtnut said:

'Almost completely'... completely half full or half empty, almost.

But only on the floors that are open!

Who on Earth is supposed to believe this avalanche of human manure - honestly? 

3 November 10:00 a.m. Pattaya Beach Road - not a single tourist from Pattaya Klang to Walking Street.

 

Nuff said.

Booking a trip to Phuket a couple of weeks ago, there were plenty of bargains to be had. I was able to get in at a couple of 4* + hotels for around 1300-1500THB a night. One wing of a hotel we stayed at near the airport was basically being left to rot, complete with "green" pool and weeds running wild.

9 hours ago, webfact said:

Hoteliers said rooms were almost completely booked for nights within the peak season

I don't believe it.

 

Thais don't look that far in the future.

22 hours ago, HappyExpat57 said:

3 November 10:00 a.m. Pattaya Beach Road - not a single tourist from Pattaya Klang to Walking Street.

 

Nuff said.

Yupp we went to central a bit later ,didnt see any tourists at all,the only falangs were guys with their wives 

Riding towards the circle on ChaoFa east in the evening and saw one of the big tour buses pulling into some accommodation, was a bit strange as I haven't seen one on the road near home for a long while.