Songkran Trips Rise, But Chiang Mai And Bangkok In Doldrums

[george]

Songkran trips rise, but Chiang Mai and Bangkok in doldrums

BANGKOK: -- The number of trips made around the country rose by 15 per cent year on year during this week's three-day Songkran festival, with the highest increase being in the southern region.

Trips to Chiang Mai and Bangkok failed to reach expectations, however, due to fewer foreign tourists than normal out of concern over political violence.

Prakit Piriyakiet, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) deputy governor for the marketing communications department, said the number of visitors to Phuket, Hat Yai, Samui and other major destination in the South had increased by about 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Hat Yai reported visitor growth of more than 20 per cent, as many Malaysian tourists as well as Thai travellers celebrated Songkran in the city.

Prakit said the number of visitors to the Northeast was at the same level as last year, most of them workers returning home for the holiday.

The number of visitors to Bangkok dropped by 10-12 per cent from the same three days last year.

"With 43 countries having issued travel advisories to their citizens to avoid or reconsider visiting Thailand, the number of foreigners plunged," he added.

More than 90 charter flights bringing nearly 15,000 visitors from China were cancelled due to last weekend's bloody clashes in Bangkok, just a few days prior to the Songkran festival.

Prakit said Chiang Mai also missed its visitor target, even though the city is famous for its boisterous celebration of the annual festival.

However, other commercial cities in the North such as Nan and Sukhothai were reported crowded with many domestic tourists.

The TAT will soon report tourists' spending during the Songkran festival, and will discuss with the private sector tourism strategies for the coming low season.

Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), said tourism business across the country during the festival had grown by 15 to 20 per cent.

The TCT reported a similar picture to that of the TAT as far as Chiang Mai and Bangkok were concerned, with both destinations enjoying fewer tourists than last year's Songkran due to the cancellation of charter flights and fear of further street violence.

The TCT said operators in the South had received a healthy number of both local and foreign visitors, while those in the Northeast felt that business was at the same level as last year.

"Although Songkran produced a positive result [for tourism], I feel the country's political problems will not go away soon as the government has declared there are [political] terrorists in the Kingdom," Kongkrit said.

The TCT wants to talk with the private sector and officials about the situation and prepare business strategies, he added.

Charoen Wangananon, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association, said it would revise up its estimates of tourism damage and other impacts from the red-shirt demonstrations next week.

-- The Nation 2010-04-17

[newsfooter][/newsfooter]

[gotlost]

The downturn in tourist in Chiang Mai for Songkran was definitely noticeable.

[Ijustwannateach]

That old fable about the 'goose that laid the golden eggs' keeps coming to mind over and over living in Thailand....

[Paul123456]

That old fable about the 'goose that laid the golden eggs' keeps coming to mind over and over living in Thailand....

:-) I had to look up the story of the Goose that laid the Golden Eggs - but YES, totally agree.

[Donnyboy]

any businesses related to the tourist industry have had a rough time in recent years

*SARS

*Bird Flu

*Tsunami

*Floods

*GFC

*PAD in airport

*Red riots

any others?

[nonghoidave]

The downturn in tourist in Chiang Mai for Songkran was definitely noticeable.

Agreed.

[hammered]

Biggest year ever where I was by a long way and people seemed to be set on enjoying themsleves whatever was going on elsewhere. It does give you hope that there are a lot of people capable of getting on together away from the poltical shannigans. Not surprised BKK and CM down. It has it seems though helped to spread business around a bit.

[puyaidon]

I can only think of one concept that applies to all that has happened here either before or now and that is the "Peter Principle."

[Thanh-BKK]

The downturn in tourist in Chiang Mai for Songkran was definitely noticeable.

Agree to that.

Loved Chiang Mai as always.... no traffic jams, no political mayhem despite red flags waving everywhere, friendly people, Songkhran water fun aplenty and i've got the darkest tan since well over 15 years due to riding around on the small motorbike all the time, wearing shorts for a change

Bor Sang, usually stuffed full with Bangkok-registered cars during the Songkhran and Christmas holidays, remained strangely empty the whole week (i stay near there and been through there every day).

The good side? The roads remained safe...... as the Bangkokians usually drive as selfishly as they do in Bangkok, so far every single time i have gotten into a near-accident situation here it was due to some Bangkok-registered car, usually (cliche, i know, but fact) a Fortuner.

Sadly the holiday is over tomorrow and i'll have to go back to smoggy, traffic-jammy, red-shirty Bangkok tomorrow. Can't it be Christmas next week? Love to stay on the peaceful farm here.....

Best regards.....

Thanh

[gotlost]

Had to laugh today. The Highway Patrol were only stopping cars and trucks with plates from Bangkok on the 118 highway all others they let threw at a check point. This being Saturday Chiang Mai was dead.

[JackSterling]

We drove in the city last week.. I will never do that again..

One could really see it was off.. that some sort of weird thing was happening to here..

Let me tell you the truth.. hate it or not..

THAILAND is in the toilet!

The Thai have done it to themselves..

They have no one to blame but each other and their own selfish greed.

It is only going to get worse too...