“Bookings in the north are down and the outlook for… the first quarter of 2020 looks terrible.”

The head of the Northern Hoteliers’ Association based in Chiang Mai is painting a grim picture about the immediate future for tourism in northern Thailand.

She was bemoaning that bookings in the north are down and the outlook for the end of this year, and entering the first quarter of 2020, “looks terrible”.

Speaking to snook.com, La-iat Bungsrithong painted a picture of a sluggish tourist landscape in the north and poor pre-bookings during the, usually, busy Christmas and New Year period, and into the early months of next year.

She was blaming many of the same issues brought up by others in the tourism game – the high Thai baht, US-China trade wars and sluggish global economy.

“Compared to last year tourism was down and there seemed little hope on the horizon.”

“Chinese visitors remain the mainstay in the North with direct flights coming in from China cities but the expansion of hotel rooms in recent times is only seeing less of the pie for each operator.”

SOURCE: Sanook

PHOTO: britannica.com

Water levels in the Mekong River are now reaching a critical point. The river’s normally brown waters have turned aquamarine, like sea water, and sandbars are emerging, some of them several kilometres long.

Arthit Panasoon, president of a conservation group in the northeastern province of Nakhon Phanom, says the rare change in water colour, although it might look attractive, is a deceptively gloomy sign that the river is running dry.

He explains that the average depth in his vicinity is now around one metre, the lowest in more than fifty years. Because it’s so shallow, the river flows slowly, causing sedimentation, usually kicked up from the riverbed, to sink and remain unmoved, producing the aquamarine colour.

Arthit notes that the dry season has already begun and it will be six months before any rain returns, but the river is already drying up due to the many dams in China and Laos, and to the recent poor rains that can be attributed to climate change.

The drought is also causing other problems for local business and farmers. The Mekong Paradise cruise ship had to suspend operations since November 28 as it’s unable to navigate the river whilst it’s so low. And farmers, who used to draw water from the river, have had to extend their water pipes further to reach water.

SOURCE: Thai PBS World

PHOTO: Thai Residents

Thailand’s love affair with plastic, coupled with a casual attitude to littering, appears to have claimed another wildlife victim.

The body of a wild deer has been found with an astonishing 7 kilograms of garbage in its stomach. The deer was found at a national park in Nan province, northern Thailand.

Thai Residents reports that the deer was found just inside the entrance of the Kun Sathan National Park, with officials estimating it had been dead for about two days. Although there were no visible injuries to its body, its fur was falling out and it had a large scar on one of its hooves.

An autopsy detected irregularities in the animal’s kidneys, heart and lungs, with the veterinary team shocked to discover 7 kilos of garbage in the deer’s stomach. The contents are said to have included multiple plastic bags, including black garbage bags, as well as plastic coffee packs, instant noodle plastic bags, clothing and rope. The cause of death has been listed as intestinal blockage coupled with old age.

SOURCE: Thai Residents