Koh Chang sees tourist surge over long weekend, boosting park earnings
Koh Chang, an island off the coast of Trat, was a magnet for tourists over the three-day holiday this weekend. The influx coincided with today’s King Chulalongkorn Day and the tail end of the school break.
The chief of Mu Koh Chang National Park, Polwaree Buchakiat, noted that Koh Chang was bustling with visitors this month, contributing to the park’s earnings of over 1 million baht in entry fees – a sizable sum for the period.
Polwaree says the majority of these visitors were Thais and Europeans, with Chinese tourists not yet making a significant appearance.
“The weather is promising. The sea is beautiful. The water is crystal clear and it is sunny. So, visitors can enjoy swimming too. It rains sometimes but that is not an obstacle.”
The former chairman of the Tourism Council of Trat, Saksit Moongkarn, revealed that 25,000 visitors descended on Trat over the extended weekend. This surge followed a steady flow of around 600 tourists daily in group tours over the preceding week.
Other areas also witnessed a spike in the number of tourists. Doi Inthanon National Park in Chiang Mai, for instance, welcomed about 3,500 tourists, primarily Thais.
Weather Boosts Tourism
As the mercury dipped to 10 degrees Celsius at Doi Inthanon, the weather forecast predicted a cloudy and foggy morning.
In a similar vein, approximately 2,000 tourists braved the chill to visit Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei during the long weekend. The park’s chief, Adisorn Hemthanont, pointed out that most of the visitors were youthful hikers who relished the cold weather challenge. The temperature fell to a brisk 17.5 degrees Celsius yesterday morning.
Close to Phu Kradueng National Park, the visitor count at Phu Ruea National Park also rose. With temperatures hovering around 16 degrees Celsius, many travellers opted to witness the sea of clouds at sunrise from the mountaintop.
Thi Lo Su Waterfall in the Umphang district of Tak province was another favourite destination this holiday. According to Umphang district chief Thanpawat Puriwattanametha, over 3,000 people came to marvel at the waterfall, resulting in fully booked hotels and crowded camping grounds, reported Bangkok Post.
In Nakhon Ratchasima, the dipping temperatures, which fell to 22 degrees Celsius yesterday, sent people flocking to Wang Nam Khieo district. With the onset of the cold season, Flora Park in the district is gearing up for its annual flower tour, scheduled to commence on November 1.
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