Malaysian Tourists

[Jai Dee]

MALAYSIAN TOURISTS ARE STILL THE MAIN TOURISM MARKET OF THAILAND

Tourists from Malaysia are still the predominant tourism market of Thailand, as the figure of Malaysian tourists is the highest in comparison to other ASEAN country members. Moreover, the number is expected to rise to at least 1.6 million travellers this year.

According to the Director of Tourism Office in Kuala Lumpur, Miss SOMMART SIRIWONG (สมมาตร ศิริวงศ์), people from Malaysia are increasingly fond of travelling to Thailand over the past four years. Although Thailand has confronted with several impediments, such as the SARS disease, the avian influenza and the southern unrest, the Thai and Malaysian tourism officials have exchanged information and worked together to promote tourism. With such efforts, the number of Malaysian tourists has risen continually, while the tourism industry in the Andaman coastal provinces of Thailand has continued to recover. In addition, the figure of Malaysian tourists travelling to Thailand next year is projected to be at least 1.7 million people.

Miss SOMMART indicated that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is planning to urge more Muslims to travel to Thailand by increasing the tourism routes within the country. The routes will stretch from Bangkok to other nearby provinces. At the same time, additional routes will be constructed to connect the northern provinces of CHIANG RAI and CHIANG MAI. The new routes will also be built along the Andaman coastal provinces.

In addition, the TAT is also cooperating with different airline alliances, to encourage more people to visit Thailand.

Source: thaisnews.com