Domestic travel will earn Thailand up to 11 billion baht this long weekend: TAT
The four-day weekend of October 13-16 should generate 10.86 billion baht in revenue from nearly 3 million domestic tourists/visits, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said.
In a bid to promote domestic tourism, the government added an extra day to the October 13 King Rama IX Memorial Day.
TAT said on Saturday that this long weekend may see slightly fewer travellers compared to the five-day weekend during the Buddhist Lent holidays in July.
The reason for fewer people travelling is widespread flooding and the fact that countries like Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong have recently lifted their travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. This has encouraged some Thais to go overseas instead of travelling domestically.
Also coming up is a second long weekend – October 22-24 with Monday, October 24 announced as a compensation day off for King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day which falls on Sunday.
TAT believes Thais will take more local trips this weekend thanks to the government’s travel stimulus schemes like the “Let’s Go Halves” and “We Travel Together”.
The cool weather is also expected to be a factor encouraging people to travel.
This long weekend, October 13-16, saw 313,860 arrivals in Bangkok, 214,720 in Chonburi, 187,980 in Kanchanaburi, 122,760 in Nakhon Ratchasima, 119,290 Khon Kaen, 118,930 in Rayong, 104,540 in Phuket, 94,950 Ayutthaya, 93,180 in Chiang Mai and 89,130 in Phang Nga.
