New Year holiday draws homegrown tourists to Phuket, Koh Samui

With the vast majority of foreign holidaymakers still steering clear of Thailand, or simply unable to get a visa at the moment, the country has become almost completely reliant on homegrown tourists. The New Year holiday has brought some slight relief to islands like Phuket and Koh Samui, as visitors from other parts of the country arrived to welcome in a much-anticipated 2021.

Reports from Samui say the local ferry operator had to lay on extra services to meet demand, as cars and visitors queued in both directions before and after the long holiday. There were similar scenes reported at Phuket’s Sarasin Bridge, gateway to the holiday island. Patong has spring back to life, albeit still a shell of its former busy self.

The hotels and other tourism businesses that have managed to survive in places like Phuket and Samui are now completely dependent on domestic trade. The Thai government recently confirmed more public holidays in 2021, as well as an extension to the domestic tourism stimulus campaign, although it remains to be seen how a resurgence in Covid-19 may affect bookings. For the hotels still open on the island of Phuket and other tourist spots, the scheme is a much-needed lifeline.

Despite the return of community transmission, and tough restrictions still in place for foreign arrivals (even when vaccinated), the ever-optimistic Tourism Authority of Thailand recently held a dinner event in the Dusit Thani hotel in Dubai, with local TAT director, Pichaya Saisaengchan, celebrating the reopening of the Kingdom’s borders to visitors from the Middle-East.

“We look forward to starting 2021 on a positive note as we convey to travellers from the region to ‘Get Ready for Amazing Thailand 2021′.”

Just days ago, Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, said it would be up to homegrown tourists to rescue the Kingdom’s tourism sector, as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the globe and Thailand’s 14 day quarantine requirement remains in place.

The government has added 8 more public holidays in 2021 in the hope of encouraging some additional domestic travel.

National holidays

• Friday, February 12 for the Chinese New Year
• Monday, April 12, adding a day to Songkran holiday from April 13-15
• Tuesday, July 27 for substitution day for Buddhist Lent
• Friday, September 24 to celebrate Mahidol Day which is in remembrance of Prince of Songkhla, Mahidol Adulyadej

Regional holidays

• Friday, March 26 for Wai Phra That (Northern Thailand)
• Monday, May 10 for Bun Bang Fai, known as the Rocket Festival (Northeastern Thailand)
• Wednesday, October 6 for Sart Thai, a festival held on the 10th lunar month (Southern Thailand)
• Thursday, October 21 for the End of Buddhist Lent (Central Thailand)

SOURCE: Trade Arabia | Bangkok Post