Songkhla Tourism Begins To Recover, Revitalise

[george]

Songkhla tourism begins to recover, revitalise

HAT YAI: -- Tourism in Thailand's southern railways junction province of Songkhla has begun to pick up and become revitalised again, due to increasing numbers of Malaysian tourists travelling in tour groups and by their personal vehicles.

A large number of Malaysian tourists in particular had come to Songkhla now because there were school holidays in Malaysia starting from late May to June 8.

The semester break allowed numbers of younger tourists and families to make more time intensive road journeys.

In particular, an additional number Malaysian tourists had travelled to Thailand's southern crossroads business district in the largest numbers during the past three days since June 7, because that Saturday was declared a national holiday marking the birthday of the Malaysian sultan.

Somchai Pimthanapunporn, president of Haad Yai-Songkhla Hotels Association, said that tourism in Songkla in the past several weeks must be considered as the most active in the past four years because of the numbers of Malaysian and Singaporean tourists which had arrived in the province.

It showed that foreign tourists began to have more confidence in the safety of their travel here. It is estimated more than Bt200 million had been spent in that period, he said.

--TNA 2008-06-09