Thai Tourists Swarm Vietnam

[cdnvic]

Hue attracts swarms of Thai tourists

16:30' 28/10/2007 (GMT+7)

VietNamNet Bridge - More than 15,000 Thai visitors visited the historic city of Hue this week, setting a record for tours, the Thua Thien-Hue tourism authority has announced.

On October 23, Hue welcomed nearly 6,000 Thai visitors, most of whom arrived by land caravan tours on the Trans-Asia Highway through the Lao Bao Border Gate in Quang Tri province.

This was the largest number of Thai tourist arrivals to Hue in one single day, said Vo Phi Hung, director of Thua Thien-Hue Tourism Department.

Hung said Thai tourists were expected to continue to visit the city next week as it is now a long holiday in the northeastern region of Thailand .

One of the major reasons behind the harp increase in Thai tourism tourists was the Trans-Asia Highway (linking central Viet Nam with Laos and the northeastern provinces of Thailand), also called the East-West, Economic Corridor, as well as the opening of the second Friendship Bridge (between Savanakhet of Laos and Mukdahan of Thailand) last year.

However, the hotel network in the city, with nearly 6,000 rooms, cannot accommodate such a big group of guests at one time.

Hung said after a one-day tour of Hue , many Thai visitors to Hue on October 23 had to stay overnight in neighbouring localities such as Da Nang and Quang Tri.

The director of Hue-based Huong Giang Travel Co. Ltd, Nguyen Hang Quy, said Thai tourists were interested in World Heritage sites in the central region, including the Phong Nha Cave in Quang Binh province, Hue, the historic town of Hoi An and the My Son Cham Complex in Quang Nam province.

Quy said Thai visitors would like to spend more money on souvenirs and traditional Vietnamese food rather than pay for luxury hotels and resorts.

He added his company had organized tours of central Viet Nam for groups of Thai tourists thai include up to 600 guests.

According to figures from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Viet Nam has become the second most popular destinations in the Greater Mekong Sub-region for Thai visitors, just behind Laos . TAT’s figures show that Thai tourist arrivals to Viet Nam in the first nine months of 2007 amounted to nearly 121,000, a year-on-year increase of 137 percent.

Meanwhile, the number of Vietnamese traveled to Thailand dropped by 60 percent in the first seven months of the year, due to unrest in the country.

-VNA

[londonthai]

travelling is great for understanding other people and it's good thai do take an opportunity of an easy road travel to vietnam.

problem is swarming on one day - I do understand that was a holiday in thailand and many took some few days or even the whole week off.

as to vietnamese - probably they do have problems with visas (if they need one) or more probably with cash (travelling do cost). There is no unrest in thailand - I would think that rather vietnam is in an unusual transitional period, which still does not deter tourists from travelling there.

[lopburi3]

There is no unrest in thailand

I am sure the Thai authorities trying to retain order in the Southern provinces will be glad to hear that.

[londonthai]

the insurgency in the south is for the last 5 years and it doesn't bother tourists that much.

the reporter did mean the last year military putch. The new year bombs affected thai tourism only lighly - not justyfying 60% drop in vietnamese tourists, so it's not a real reason.

[cdnvic]

travelling is great for understanding other people and it's good thai do take an opportunity of an easy road travel to vietnam.

problem is swarming on one day - I do understand that was a holiday in thailand and many took some few days or even the whole week off.

as to vietnamese - probably they do have problems with visas (if they need one) or more probably with cash (travelling do cost). There is no unrest in thailand - I would think that rather vietnam is in an unusual transitional period, which still does not deter tourists from travelling there.

Vietnamese do not require visas for stays of 30 days or less. Your comment that the violence in the south does not deter them is mere guesswork.

[londonthai]

yes, it's a guess - we haven't yet asked those vietnamese tourists who did not come why they were not interested in coming. While there was a dramatic downturn for vietnamese there was a significant rise in tourists from some other south east asia countries not bothering with the military junta. My guess there are other factors

[ThaidleHands]

yes, it's a guess - we haven't yet asked those vietnamese tourists who did not come why they were not interested in coming. While there was a dramatic downturn for vietnamese there was a significant rise in tourists from some other south east asia countries not bothering with the military junta. My guess there are other factors

Comparing the January-July period of 2006 and 2007 saw an overall downturn in visitors from the other ASEAN member countries of .5%. Every ASEAN nationality showed a decrease except Myanmar (+30%) and Laos (+117%) plus Indonesia (+2%). Most critically the entries by Malaysians and Singaporeans -- two nations who historically form the backbone of ASEAN tourism to Thailand with 60% or more of ASEAN national's total visits -- saw declines of 11% and 13% respectively.

[my friend I]

A lot of Thais who came from Vietnam after WW2 are starting to go back to trace family members.

[SoCal]

Vietnam is a nice trip.

My dollars are worth more in the last two years here in Vietnam. Not to say it has not come down a little recently, but as a whole it is up over the two years.

In the same period I have been comming to Thailand less and less due to the dollar slide against the baht.

Would imagine Vietnamese think the same way, as Thailand becomes a more and more expensive destination. Converse for the Thais.

[greenmember]

as to vietnamese - probably they do have problems with visas (if they need one)

Vietnam and Thailand are in ASEAN. No visa required. Their passports will be stamped allowing a 30 day stay when they are at Immigration Counter at airport. Not sure how they stamp when people arrive by road.