Tourists Flock To Eastern Thailand

[george]

Tourists flock to eastern Thailand

BANGKOK: -- Business is booming on Thailand's east coast with some tourists sleeping on beaches until hotel rooms become available after the tsunami wiped out west coast resorts.

"People are looking for new destinations. Many people are in Thailand now and they don't want to go to Phuket or Krabi or Phang Nga," Chidchai Sakornbodee, head of the Association of Thai Travel Agents, said, referring to Andaman coast resort areas hard hit by the catastrophe.

Instead, they have beaten a path to resorts along the Gulf of Thailand and its islands like Samui, seemingly a world away from the calamity that rocked the kingdom's southwestern beaches.

"The hotels in Samui are full," Mr Sakornbodee said, adding that properties were being urged to erect tents for overflow visitors and charge them a reduced rate.

The Bangkok Post reported Between 30,000 and 35,000 tourists were arriving on Samui every day, far exceeding the 13,000 available hotel rooms.

--Agencies 2005-01-03

[Jai Dee]

Pattaya hotels are fully booked too.

I went for a stroll down Walking Street last night, hoping to dine at one of the seafood restaurants.

Gave up in the end and went elsewhere, as they were all jam-packed with tourists.

We were told at one restaurant that we could have a table, but it would be at least an hour before food could be served.

It's a pity about the southern resort locations... they could really use the tourist dollars right now.