Krabi Hotel Occupancy Up; Shell Cemetery Busier

VDO on http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/prev...hp?news_id=1201

or

item –2— Krabi hotel accommodations reportedly benefited from the long holiday period with occupancy rates picking up to 60%.

The government’s decision to extend Buddhist Lent holidays to be five days resulted in a pick up of hotel occupancy rates in Krabi. According to local Tourist Association president Ittirit Kinglek, Krabi accommodations enjoyed 60% occupancy during July 4-8th, compared to 10-20% during most of this low season period. The Abhisit Vejjajiva cabinet agreed to announce Monday 6th July as a public holiday so that people had a longer weekend including Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with the latter two days being public holidays as they are important religious days of Asalha Puja and Buddhist Lent. According to Ittirit, 80% of visitors at this period are Thais. He expected a minimum of 10 million baht circulation for the five days of holidays.

item –3 The shell cemetery in Krabi was busy and earned reasonable income from visitors during long holiday period of Buddhist Lent and government’s holiday extension.

The 75 million year old shell cemetery of Krabi was crowded with tourists, Thais and foreigners, during the long public holiday period of Buddhist Lent. The cemetery is located at Ban Laembho in Sai Thai, Muang district. The fee collector Adinan Chimnoo said at least 600 people visited the site each day during July 4-6th. He said the fee collected amounted to about 11,200 baht per day while souvenir stalls also benefited during the long holidays.

Andaman News NBT TV (VHF dial) at 8.30am & perhaps repeats on Phuket Cable TV channel 1 at 3.30pm, 7pm, 1.30am & 6.30am, broadcast to Phang Nga, Krabi & Phuket provinces & maybe Mazz Radio FM108 at 7pm in Phuket, Friday 10th July 2009 & http://thainews.prd.go.th/newsenglish/ & www.YouTube.com/AndamanNews