Songkran festival drives 90% hotel booking rates in Thailand

Tienprasit Chaiyapatanan, President of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), revealed to the public yesterday that the Songkran festival, which took place from April 13 to April 15, witnessed a gratifying 90% hotel booking rate in major tourist zones.

This surge in bookings mirrors the popularity of the traditional Thai water festival among both local and international visitors.

However, an extension of the Songkran celebration dates to April 21 didn’t seem to resonate well with the tourists and did not impact the booking rates significantly. The primary reason for this, Tienprasit explained, was that most tourists preferred to book their stays during the three main days of water play.

Adding to the confusion, many international tourists were unaware of the Songkran celebrations happening in other provinces or specific areas, like Pattaya’s Wan Lai on April 19.

Despite this, Pattaya’s Wan Lai festival was immensely successful, particularly with domestic tourists. Early estimates from Pattaya City officials suggest that hundreds of thousands of Thais attended the event.

Tienprasit noted that a decline in accommodation bookings after the festival was expected.

“Once the festival is over, the accommodation booking rates would drop and would gradually increase over the next few months in some provinces and at tourist attractions.”

However, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could impact the number of tourists from that region. Tienprasit posited that Middle Eastern groups might be less likely to travel abroad due to the current circumstances.

As Thailand enters its low season, starting in May, Tienprasit highlighted the importance of domestic travel measures from the Thai government in stimulating steady tourism. Nonetheless, he pointed out certain considerations, like the high cost of domestic flight tickets and this year’s intense heat, could deter tourists.

“Many tourists may opt to travel elsewhere or be less likely to travel at all.”

Despite these challenges, the overall tourism atmosphere remained moderate, with most tourists booking their accommodation in advance. Tienprasit also noted the potential for some Middle Eastern groups to choose Thailand as a place to wait out the ongoing conflict, similar to tourists from Russia and Ukraine, reported The Pattaya News.

“Many tourists complimented Thailand as a safe, peaceful country to travel and live.”