Foreign tourists still pack Hat Yai

[webfact]

Foreign tourists still pack Hat Yai
By Digital Content



SONGKHLA, Feb 23 -- Despite the car bombing incident in the trouble-plagued southern province of Narathiwat last Friday, foreign tourists, mostly Malaysians, remain packed nearby Hat Yai district celebrating the Chinese New Year, said Panu Woramit, chief of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Hat Yai office.

The general atmosphere in Hat Yai is still lively although celebrations for the Chinese New Year are drawing to a close.

Foreign tourists, 80 of them Malaysians and the rest Singaporeans and Indonesians, are wandering the town.

Many of them have been seen spending time on shopping or visiting restaurants.

A large number of them hired taxis for travelling around the town amid tight security provided by police and volunteers.

Mr Panu said tourism business in Hat Yai during the Chinese New Year this year is much better than the corresponding period last year as hotel rooms are fully booked while it is estimated that about Bt300 million would change hands.

He said tourists are expected to visit Hat Yai in large number again during the annual Songkran festival, or Thailand’s traditional New Year which falls between April 13-15.

Hat Yai will also host an international balloon festival this March 6-7, said Mr Panu, adding that foreign tourists still have high confidence on security measures in the district. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2015-02-23

[SiSePuede419]

Malaysians want to start the New Year off with a BANG?

[jacky54]

These are mainly Malaysian men looking for prostitutes, not really tourists, unless you put sex at the front How can 80 of them and a few others pack a town? is it toy town?

Edited February 23, 2015 by jacky54

[Strangebrew]

WOW a whole 80 people or was it 40 You know Thai counting and there spending 3 plus million baht each? Just don't buy those fake goods folks or you might be in the news.

[Sviss Geez]

Malaysians want to start the New Year off with a BANG?

I'm sure the relatives of those killed or injured in recent bomb attacks would be very amused by your infantile post.

[ratcatcher]

Plenty of naughty night life in Hat Yai to keep these devout Moslem men happy whilst on their vacation.

[Sviss Geez]

These are mainly Malaysian men looking for prostitutes, not really tourists, unless you put sex at the front How can 80 of them and a few others pack a town? is it toy town?

Your sources are giving you completely different information from that supplied to MCOT in the OP regarding the tourists activities. Do you have a source or are you just having a bit of a bash?

How many were the other tourists that you describe as "a few"?

[Stocky]

I think it should have said 80%.

They are largely families that visit Hat Yai, Chinese, Indian and Malay. Single (or unaccompanied) men don't bother travelling further than Danok or Sungai Golok.

[Beng]

These are mainly Malaysian men looking for prostitutes, not really tourists, unless you put sex at the front How can 80 of them and a few others pack a town? is it toy town?

I suppose 80 out of 100 is meant. but yes, many come for sex and booze.

[noitom]

Sex tourists don't get rattled by killings and bombings.

[jonclark]

This constant repetition that "the tourists are coming" is starting to sound rather desperate. It seems the authorities are trying very hard to convince people that everything is normal. But the harder they try and the more they repeat the mantra, the less convincing it all seems

[Lupatria]

New slogan by the TAT morons may be: Tired of boring fireworks? Visit Hat Yai- get the real thing.

[garrya]

This article doesn't make sense at all. I can't get my head around it.

Narathiwat has nothing to do with Hatyai. It's a couple hundred kilometres away. And as for these numbers?? 80 and the rest?

And that these tourists have been seen shopping and eating out?? What the f..k should they have done Hatyai? And they hired taxis?? What a surprise. Tourists are hiring taxis? Really? I didn't know this before.

Note that Hatyai is not a brothel like before. Most of the sex tourists are headed to Dannok and Sungai Kolok.

[Sydebolle]

Passed through Had Yai many times. Those so called "quality tourists" are Malays of all beliefs and Singaporeans out for a cheap lay. Witnessed more than once how these TAT-achievements mistreated their temporary holiday companions to the extent that I intervened twice by saying that they might be able to do that in their home country but not in Thailand.

Nobody goes to Had Yai, coming from Malaysia or Singapore, for beaches or shopping - trust me on that

[wvavin]

300 million baht was spent? I laughed till I dropped.

[fxe1200]

Plenty of naughty night life in Hat Yai to keep these devout Moslem men happy whilst on their vacation.

Here they are called "Muslim Light". They do drink, but refrain from pork.

[Yann55]

Hat Yai is actually a very nice city. I went there 3 times some 15 years ago and have very good memories of the place.

Clean and wide streets, lots of flowers, friendly locals... of course I have no idea what it's like now, but back then I repeat, it was a great place to visit.

I remember, in particular a beautiful park with a huge aviary where I spent hours admiring the most amazing birds.

If it wasn't for the tense political atmosphere, I would love to visit again, and frankly I'm surprised that these Malaysian and SG tourists still go there. Of course it's not like there's a bomb a day at every street corner, but hello, the danger is real and there are plenty of other places they could go to.

[thurien]

Malaysians want to start the New Year off with a BANG?

of course! Their religion entitles them to fleece Thailand, her beautiful and willing maidens, all the dried pork and fried pork knuckles together with 3 pints of good and strong beer...

[Seastallion]

I think it should have said 80%.

They are largely families that visit Hat Yai, Chinese, Indian and Malay. Single (or unaccompanied) men don't bother travelling further than Danok or Sungai Golok.

Yeah, it must be 80%. I was wondering about that. I went through Padang Besar on the 19th and it took a few hours to get back into Thailand because of the hordes of Malaysians and Chinese who trampled the queue ropes and it all became a free-for-all.

Hundreds of them, and that was just Padang, and just during the time I was trying to re-enter.

And to other posters.....majority were family groups, not horny men.

(PS. Padang Besar Duty Free have run out of the Captain Morgan Rum buy 1 get 1 promo, so my trip was a disappointment on top of the immigration scrum)

[Seastallion]

Hat Yai is actually a very nice city. I went there 3 times some 15 years ago and have very good memories of the place.

Clean and wide streets, lots of flowers, friendly locals... of course I have no idea what it's like now, but back then I repeat, it was a great place to visit.

I remember, in particular a beautiful park with a huge aviary where I spent hours admiring the most amazing birds.

If it wasn't for the tense political atmosphere, I would love to visit again, and frankly I'm surprised that these Malaysian and SG tourists still go there. Of course it's not like there's a bomb a day at every street corner, but hello, the danger is real and there are plenty of other places they could go to.

Yes, you never know when a bomb will go off.

[rajyindee]

Plenty of naughty night life in Hat Yai to keep these devout Moslem men happy whilst on their vacation.

The vast majority of Hat Yai tourists are Chinese Malaysians ... then Indian Malaysians. The Malay guys tend to come with their families.

[rajyindee]

Nobody goes to Had Yai, coming from Malaysia or Singapore, for beaches or shopping - trust me on that

Quite possibly because there aren't any beaches in Hat Yai. Trust me on that!

[weegee]

I think it should have said 80%.

They are largely families that visit Hat Yai, Chinese, Indian and Malay. Single (or unaccompanied) men don't bother travelling further than Danok or Sungai Golok.

Yeah, it must be 80%. I was wondering about that. I went through Padang Besar on the 19th and it took a few hours to get back into Thailand because of the hordes of Malaysians and Chinese who trampled the queue ropes and it all became a free-for-all.

Hundreds of them, and that was just Padang, and just during the time I was trying to re-enter.

And to other posters.....majority were family groups, not horny men.

(PS. Padang Besar Duty Free have run out of the Captain Morgan Rum buy 1 get 1 promo, so my trip was a disappointment on top of the immigration scrum)

Did ya get the "Vegemite"????

[Seastallion]

I think it should have said 80%.

They are largely families that visit Hat Yai, Chinese, Indian and Malay. Single (or unaccompanied) men don't bother travelling further than Danok or Sungai Golok.

Yeah, it must be 80%. I was wondering about that. I went through Padang Besar on the 19th and it took a few hours to get back into Thailand because of the hordes of Malaysians and Chinese who trampled the queue ropes and it all became a free-for-all.

Hundreds of them, and that was just Padang, and just during the time I was trying to re-enter.

And to other posters.....majority were family groups, not horny men.

(PS. Padang Besar Duty Free have run out of the Captain Morgan Rum buy 1 get 1 promo, so my trip was a disappointment on top of the immigration scrum)

Did ya get the "Vegemite"????

Nah Mate....I have to go a bit further than Malaysia for that. Next month. I'll get you 2.

[Roota]

They are largely families that visit Hat Yai, Chinese, Indian and Malay.

Exactly right and the town was packed to the rafters with them all week. I don't doubt the B300 million figure for a moment.

I do wonder though why some people feel so compelled to reflexively deny any positive story about tourist numbers to Thailand. Come down and see for yourselves.

And yes, it has everything to do with Narathiwat, as Songkhla is considered to be one of the troubled provinces.

[smotherb]

These are mainly Malaysian men looking for prostitutes, not really tourists, unless you put sex at the front How can 80 of them and a few others pack a town? is it toy town?

Well, there were sure a lot of families and women, so I imagine not all were seeking the prostitutes; besides, most of the sex tourists don't come all the way to Hatyai for girls when Danok is just across the border. There were tens of thousands of the Southern tourists at a minimum. Hatyai is about 200k population and Thammanoonvitthi and the downtown area was packed all weekend.

[swissbie]

Thanks garrya, seastallion and roosta. Too much comments here from Pattaya, knowing nothing but writing the hell out of a shit. Sure, there is sextourism too in Hat Yei, as nearly everywhere in LOS. But for the most of Malaysians, they come to Hat Yei for pleasent shopping in a easy environment. I have friends, they even come from Kuala Lumpur to spend a shopping weekend with their family in Hat Yei. Folks who don't know nothing about it should go there themselves, take some time and build their own oppinion. Don't condemn people and places you don't know.

[ggt]

Foreign tourists, 80 of them Malaysians and the rest Singaporeans and Indonesians, are wandering the town.

These tourists could easily pass as locals...not so the farangs from Europe, Australia, US, Canada...which could become targeted...

[Seastallion]

Thanks garrya, seastallion and roosta. Too much comments here from Pattaya, knowing nothing but writing the hell out of a shit. Sure, there is sextourism too in Hat Yei, as nearly everywhere in LOS. But for the most of Malaysians, they come to Hat Yei for pleasent shopping in a easy environment. I have friends, they even come from Kuala Lumpur to spend a shopping weekend with their family in Hat Yei. Folks who don't know nothing about it should go there themselves, take some time and build their own oppinion. Don't condemn people and places you don't know.

No mate...shush! You don't want to tell people it's nice. Let them malign the place. The fewer farangs, the better. Tell everyone that there are bombs and rats and crime and no prostitutes. It's almost the truth, but there are indeed a few prossies, so I'm told.

[swissbie]

he he, maybe your right, so better not to mention the beach near there i realy like..