Poll finds most Thais have no plans to travel during long weekends

Most Thai people plan to spend long weekends at home and have no travel plans, according to a Bangkok Poll survey. Nation Thailand reports that the survey carried out by Bangkok University shows that 54% of respondents have not made any travel plans for December. In terms of those who do plan to travel, Chiang Mai has proved the most popular destination.

1,137 people were surveyed across the country, with more than half saying they had made no travel plans. The biggest reason, given by 20%, is work commitments, followed by financial constraints (nearly 12%) and health issues (nearly 9%).

However, over 25% of people say they do plan to travel during long weekends in December, while nearly 21% say they’re unsure. In terms of destinations, Chiang Mai has come out on top, popular with 25% of respondents. It was followed by Chiang Rai at 9%, the northern provinces of Nan (over 6.5%) and Phetchabun (nearly 6.5%) and Loei in the north-east (over 5%).

For several months now, the Thai government has been running a stimulus campaign aimed at boosting domestic tourism. When asked about their knowledge of the We Travel Together scheme (“Rao Pai Tiew Gun”), nearly 70% knew about it, but over 32% said they were not aware of it.

The poll found that over 61% of those surveyed have not registered for the scheme. 18.5% say this is because they don’t know how to use the app, 15.5% say registration is too complicated, while 3.5% say the same about trying to book a hotel room through the scheme.

Over 55% of people say they believe the government’s stimulus campaign is proving effective and will encourage more people to travel, while nearly 45% say they believe the benefit to the tourism sector will be minimal.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand