More foreign airlines to fly direct to Chiang Mai
By Digital Content

CHIANG MAI, Nov 15 -- As winter has arrived to northern Thailand, more international commercial airlines, especially those from fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), are expected to fly directly to Chiang Mai province during the current tourism high season, said Wisoot Buachoom, director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Chiang Mai Office.

Mr Wisoot’s optimistic views were expressed as TigerAir Taiwan’s inaugural flight direct from Taipei to Chiang Mai landed in the northern capital early Saturday.

TigerAir Taiwan will operate four direct flights per week from Taipei to Chiang Mai to cater to rising demands of tourists wishing to enjoy the natural beauty of the northern capital.

As many as 160 flights land in Chiang Mai per day during the current high season while airlines from ASEAN members plan to operate between 20-30 flights which will make tourism business in the province more bullish, said Mr Wisoot.

The number of tourists visiting Chiang Mai this year is expected to increase by no less than 20 per cent from 2013, while tourism revenue would exceed Bt60 billion, he said.

In another development, Pol Capt Kriangsak Lohachala, an advisor to the Crown Property Bureau, presided over the reopening of 22 shophouses along Bangkok’s Khao San Road which had undergone extensive renovations to conserve Thailand’s traditional architecture to how the old architecture once looked.

Renovation of these wooden shophouses took six months to complete with previous tenants allowed to continue staying there.

Pini Jingtrakul, tenant of one of the renovated houses, said she is happy with the renovation work as her house now looks very new and offers more safety for her.

Ms Pini said she only paid 25 per cent of total expenses while the Crown Property Bureau covering the rest. Rental fee has increased five per cent since the work was completed.

Khao San Road used to be a small alley and was developed following a recommendation given by King Rama I.

To date, Khao San Road remains very popular and is considered as a backpack haven for tourists because of bargain accommodations and variety of Thai food along the road, situated romantically near the Chao Phraya River. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-11-15

Must be a reintroduction of the same route. Went to Singapore in November of 2005 via Tiger Air too (direct to and from Chiangmai).

Tiger air good airline like there service.

Was rather hoping for Etihad or Emirates when I saw the headline...

20% increase over 2013 what are these guys smoking?

Oh dear....

People traveling 1st time to Thailand,after arriving to ChiangMai they probably wished they had went to Bangkok first.

Tourist will be asking where Khao San Road is in Chiang Mai after reading that article.

People traveling 1st time to Thailand,after arriving to ChiangMai they probably wished they had went to Bangkok first.

Care to explain that statement?

People traveling 1st time to Thailand,after arriving to ChiangMai they probably wished they had went to Bangkok first.

you rather mean, never went to CM :-))

or they missing buffalows and burning rice fields and that smoke in taiwan !!

Six months ago nothing special except that the city was almost empty. Was there last week - it is becoming a Chinese colony. Blue car tags with Chinese characters everywhere; all roaming in from Mao land, transiting within four hours through Northwestern Laos.
Beware; the Chinese are a slash-and-burn society with little concern for anything but themselves ;-)

Six months ago nothing special except that the city was almost empty. Was there last week - it is becoming a Chinese colony. Blue car tags with Chinese characters everywhere; all roaming in from Mao land, transiting within four hours through Northwestern Laos.

Beware; the Chinese are a slash-and-burn society with little concern for anything but themselves ;-)

10% of the population of Thailand is of Chinese origin so the visitors must feel at home. "Beware; the Chinese are a slash-and-burn society with little concern for anything but themselves" So they feel even more at home here.......

Must be a reintroduction of the same route. Went to Singapore in November of 2005 via Tiger Air too (direct to and from Chiangmai).

Taipei, not Singapore.

160 flights per day staggers the imagination. When I lived there in the early '80s I think there were only a handful, AFAIR only to Bangkok except for one to Mae Hong Son every other day or so.

20% increase over 2013 what are these guys smoking?

Krong Thip, Marlboro, whatnot...

Do do your due diligence first.

CNX passenger traffic [and CM tourism in general] has been growing leaps and bounds since 2010 and will continue to do so in the near future. January to September 2014 international passenger movements are up 63% [!!] over the same period in 2013 while domestic traffic is up 11% for a total of 19.xx%. Looking at the trend for the rest of the year I'd say 20% is right on the money. (Source: AOT, not TAT)

Immigration line is going to get a whole lot longer....

Immigration line is going to get a whole lot longer....

Fw more years and Chiang Mai will equal Bangkok in every way.