Andaman Coast Won’t Be Revived By High Season

Andaman coast won’t be revived by high season

BANGKOK: -- Efforts to revive the tourism industry along the Andaman coast are not expected to be completed in the next three months in time for the high season, the secretary of the Thai Hotels Association said.

ML Hathaijanok Kritakara said hotel operators and travel agents have lost international and local bookings as a result of December’s devastating tsunami. The hotel occupancy rate in Phuket and its surrounding provinces is at 20-30 per cent while the occupancy rate in Bangkok is at 60 per cent.

Chiang Mai is experiencing an increase in visitors at about the same rate as decrease on the Andaman coast, he said.

“The association expects the occupancy rate for the entire industry to fall 10-20 per cent this year,” Hathaijanok said.

International tourists are still waiting to see if the government improves tsunami warning systems and other security measures, Hathaijanok said.

But Juthaporn Reungronasa, deputy governor for domestic tourism at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said the tourism industry along the Andaman coast is running as normal.

She said more than 90 travel agents and hotels will launch special packages this week at a fair in Bangkok. The event will be held at the Narai Hotel to attract local tourists back to southern destinations.

The latest casualty of the tsunami is the “Andaman Princess”, a cruise ship owned by Siam Cruise Co, which was forced to suspend its operations for a few months due to financial problems and the lack of tourists. The move has caused 188 employees to lose their jobs.

Suravee Rattanachai, the company’s consultant, said the firm would return money to customers and find an investor to resume the business.

If the company is not able to attract a new partner, it will sell a ship worth Bt133 million and pay its employees.

--TNA 2005-08-02