TOURISM
TAT counts on happy Songkran
The Nation


Foreigners have fun during the famous water festival.

Songkran this year is looking to be more festive and colourful, with activities scheduled across the nation.

BANGKOK: -- More than 180 charter flights were recorded on Wednesday. Suraphon Svetasreni, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), said yesterday that Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai were the destinations of those charters.

Chiang Mai especially is welcoming hordes of Chinese coming to track down the locations of the blockbuster "Lost in Thailand".

The number of charter flights will be on the rise during Songkran, he said. Last year saw more than 200 arriving in the northern city.

TAT said the festival outlook this year was brighter than in previous years, which had faced tensions from politics and the great flood. This year, people are in a good mood to enjoy the long holiday. They have more money to spend after paying for repairs to their homes hit by the flood of late 2011.

TAT is organising and supporting celebrations in Bangkok and 12 provinces across the nation. From April 12-16, 2.71 million people are expected to enjoy these events, up 10 per cent from last year. Of them, 2.03 million are Thais and 678,000 are foreigners.

Tourism revenue is expected to increase 20 per cent to about Bt11.12 billion, of which Bt4.45 billion will be spent by Thais and Bt6.67 billion by foreign tourists.

Tourism revenue will also be helped by spending from first-car buyers, who will drive to nearby provinces and boost the grass-roots economy, TAT hopes.


-- The Nation 2013-04-05

This year people are in a good mood - that is until they banned booze.

2.71 million people are expected to enjoy these events

2.03 million are Thais and 678,000 are foreigners.

Bt4.45 billion will be spent by Thais and Bt6.67 billion by foreign tourists.

.

The clarity of dual pricing.

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2.71 million people are expected to enjoy these events

2.03 million are Thais and 678,000 are foreigners.

Bt4.45 billion will be spent by Thais and Bt6.67 billion by foreign tourists.

.

The clarity of dual pricing.

.

Yep considering the number of Thais in the contry at any given time compared to foreigners.

I guess nobody is litening to the expats who want the festival banned.

Such a shame bring on the wet T Shirts, partytime.

no mention of an expected 50% increase in the number of "tourists" from Korea if it kicks off over there..

"

Tourism revenue will also be helped by spending from first-car buyers, who will drive to nearby provinces and boost the grass-roots economy, TAT hopes."

No doubt adding to the annual carnage on those roads also ..........

TAT counts on government 11 "don't" rules for a happy Songkhran.

This year people are in a good mood - that is until they banned booze.

They are not letting that little bit of info to be publicized outside Thailand. "Oh yeah, farang, we forgot to mention, no booze." Sorry Have fun..