4 million Thais to travel during 5-day ‘long weekend’ – TAT

The main factors affecting Thais travelling during this long holiday period between July 13 and July 17 continue to be the local high inflation and expensive petrol prices (also affecting airline prices). During the holidays, it’s predicted that there will be nearly 4 million Thais travelling around the country, spending an estimated 14 billion baht.

With the current spike in costs, Thais are cutting back on their vacation costs and deciding to spend less on souvenirs, and travelling closer to home, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand governor, Yuthasak Supasorn.

“Domestic tourism for the upcoming weekend is quite strong, mostly driven by short-haul destinations reachable by car, followed by air travel and other public transport.”

“Employees in the private sector might not have the same duration of the holiday as employees in the public sector, so their travels will primarily be to neighbouring areas.”

Chon Buri, Nakhon Ratchasima, Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Rayong, and Saraburi are popular places to visit besides the Thai capital, according to the Governor.

The Land of Smiles is expected to have a 53% hotel occupancy rate, with the highest rates recorded in the central and eastern regions at 64% and 62%, respectively.

The Thaiger notes that many hotels and accommodation remain closed at this stage.

The only location in Thailand to achieve a high occupancy rate of 63% is the northeastern part of the country, where many districts host cultural events to mark the start of Buddhist Lent (today).

Bangkok has the lowest hotel occupancy rate at 42% on average, when compared to other main provinces. It also has the highest number of hotels re-opened since lockdowns were eased in early 2021. Also, many of the city’s workers are heading out of town, or back to their home provinces for the break.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post