Surat Thani—On February 10th, 2024, Mr. Wiwat Chuenban, the Chairman of the Surat Thani Provincial Tourism Industry Council, publicly revealed an increasing number of foreign and Thai tourists visiting Koh Samui in January and February 2024.

 

After a visa exemption for Chinese tourists, there were four direct flights from Chengdu, China, to Surat Thani in one week. There was also a direct flight route from Taiwan to Surat Thani as well, resulting in a surging number of bookings of more than 672 hotels, and 25,000 rooms were reserved, according to Wiwat.

 

The direct flight from Taiwan, the third tourist charter flight, had 188 tourists visit popular tourist attractions such as Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao during the Chinese New Year Celebration.

 

Surge in Tourism: Koh Samui Sees Increase in Visitors Following Visa Exemptions and Direct Flights

By Kittisak Phalaharn

 

Full story: THE PATTAYA NEWS 2024-02-12

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

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3 hours ago, webfact said:

After a visa exemption for Chinese tourists, there were four direct flights from Chengdu, China, to Surat Thani in one week

A surge??

Yep, it is a madhouse on the roads here now. Absolte lunacy out there.

Sounds like Samui and Phuket have been ruined by foreigners. That's what airports do.

 

 

4 hours ago, Can samui said:

Yep, it is a madhouse on the roads here now. Absolte lunacy out there.

I don't see any difference compared to last year at all, always been a mess on roads.

4 hours ago, uttradit said:

Sounds like Samui and Phuket have been ruined by foreigners. That's what airports do.

 

 

Not sure you are aware of the fact that Samui was always busy already and barely has flights, even today? Is not comparable to Phuket, at all. We can only wish that was true, then I would not have to pay 5-10K one way tickets with Bangkok Airways too.

31 minutes ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Not sure you are aware of the fact that Samui was always busy already and barely has flights, even today? Is not comparable to Phuket, at all. We can only wish that was true, then I would not have to pay 5-10K one way tickets with Bangkok Airways too.

So it is busy on roads and ruined.

5 hours ago, uttradit said:

Sounds like Samui and Phuket have been ruined by foreigners. That's what airports do.

 

 

Very strange comment! Both locations developed to cater for foreigners "GI's" during the Vietnam War. Even now without foreigners they would be ghost towns as seen during covid, which kind of stopped the notion that Thailand wasn't dependant on foreigners both tourists and their investment.

1 hour ago, ChaiyaTH said:

Not sure you are aware of the fact that Samui was always busy already and barely has flights, even today?

Hmm. 43 flights into Samui today. That is average for this time of year.

Not a lot compared to Bangkok but a lot for an island with a small runway. No long haul flights.

The furthest is Chengdu, Singapore, Hong Kong and Chongqing.

As a private airport, the CAA puts a limit on the flights. I think that it is a maximum of 50 fights in per day.

41 minutes ago, BritScot said:

Very strange comment! Both locations developed to cater for foreigners "GI's" during the Vietnam War. Even now without foreigners they would be ghost towns as seen during covid, which kind of stopped the notion that Thailand wasn't dependant on foreigners both tourists and their investment.

Loaded with tourists.

23 minutes ago, Tropicalevo said:

Hmm. 43 flights into Samui today. That is average for this time of year.

Not a lot compared to Bangkok but a lot for an island with a small runway. No long haul flights.

The furthest is Chengdu, Singapore, Hong Kong and Chongqing.

As a private airport, the CAA puts a limit on the flights. I think that it is a maximum of 50 fights in per day.

43 is a lot. Compare that to Nan.

3 hours ago, uttradit said:

43 is a lot. Compare that to Nan.

What an utterly ridiculous comparison. 

Just now, Keeps said:

What an utterly ridiculous comparison. 

How so? Nan isn't ruined by foreigners. Samui and Phuket are.

6 minutes ago, Keeps said:

What an utterly ridiculous comparison. 

Udon 49

Samui 43

 

Udon sizeable city and province. Samui small island.

 

No wonder Samui is crowded. With no airport it would still be nice like Chang.

9 minutes ago, Keeps said:

What an utterly ridiculous comparison. 

I can give you sad ones too.

2 minutes ago, uttradit said:

I can give you sad ones too.

Whatever bignok...........

On 2/12/2024 at 2:09 PM, BritScot said:

Both locations developed to cater for foreigners "GI's" during the Vietnam War.

Explain, during that time you had to take a six hour boat from central Suratthani to reach Samui