TAT upbeat over Phuket tourism prospects

PHUKET, Nov 21, (TNA) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is confident of meeting its tourism target figures for the southern resort island of Phuket this year, despite concerns over the security situation in the southern border region.

According figures from the TAT’s 4th regional office, over three million tourists visited Phuket over the first nine months of this year, a forecasts are looking good for the final trimester, traditionally the Phuket high season.

Mrs. Suwalai Pinpradap, director of the TAT’s 4th regional office, said that visitor numbers were noticeably up from Asia, with visitor arrivals from South Korea up 100 percent from last year’s figures.

She attributed this to the success of TAT roadshows, including one in Seoul. At the same time, she said that Australians were making more repeat visits to the island.

Phuket, dubbed the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’, has come into prominence recently by hosting the international under-19s women’s football championships.

--TNA 2004-11-21

Bangkok Post 22 Nov 2004

Malaysian hideout reports denied

Nobody here, says Umno branch chief

WASSANA NANUAM

A Malaysian politician denies separatist leaders ............

Meanwhile, Thai and Malaysian authorities have agreed to promote tourism in the three southern provinces and Kelantan state following a sharp drop in the number of Malaysian tourists visiting the South.

Tourist arrivals from Malaysia dropped 20% after bomb explosions in Sungai Kolok in which two Malaysian tourists were killed and five others injured.

Tourist arrivals from Malaysia dropped 20% after bomb explosions in Sungai Kolok in which two Malaysian tourists were killed and five others injured.

Read another report regarding the 3 "hot" borders lastweek that their tourism business had dropped more than 60% and tourist are now focusing more on Sadao-Hadyai as their main crossway to Thailand and Malaysia.

Let's just hope the bombers don't focus there too.

Explorer