Tourists Return To Patong Beach

[george]

Tourists return to Patong Beach in tsunami aftermath

PHUKET: -- Tourists are flocking back to Patong Beach, the heart of the Phuket visitor industry, two months after the area was devastated by the December 26 tsunamis, according to local tourism authorities.

Patong beach was returning to normal and the number of tourists from Europe had increased in February, with hotel occupancy rates up to 30-40 percent, Phuket Tourism Committee member Kritsada Tansakun said.

Mr. Kritsada, who is also the general manager of Patong Beach's Royal Palm Hotel, added that the situation was likely to improve.

Local entrepreneurs' earnings were boosted last weekend by a " Beach Fair " organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand to welcome the tourists' return.

Hoteliers, restaurant and small business owners demanded that more such promotional activity be held in the future to help the local businesses community recover from the tsunami disaster.

Mr. Kritsada said five hotels on Patong Beach had reopened to tourists and 25 other hotels were being rebuilt. He predicted that Patong beach would recover completely when the small, beachfront shops and restaurants began operating again.

--TNA 2005-02-28

[phuketrichard]

Yea, Patong will soon be as it was pre Tsunami with the jet ski's, beach chairs/umbrellas, tuk tuk's cloggging the roads, motorcycles and cars for rent clogging the parking spaces and touts all over the place.

Noting will have changed, it will be as slezzy and unmanaged as before.

I was just in patong yesterday and did not see 5 hotels had opened nor were the business open on the beach road,

More BS

[phuketrichard]

Heres a good site about hotel status. Only 2 hotels that were damaged in patong have re-opened.

http://www.sawasdee.com/tsunami/hotels.htm

[Felt 35]

How is the old saying; Tell a lie often enough and be believed!