THAI reopens Narita-Phuket route

MAI KHAO: The first Thai Airways International (THAI) direct flight from Narita, Japan, since the tsunami, arrived at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon, bringing some 300 Japanese tourists to the island.

The Boeing 777-200 arrived at 3:30 pm, a little ahead of schedule, giving the tourists some more time to be welcomed by Tourism Authority of Thailand Southern Region 4 Office Director Suwalai Pinpradub.

The tourists were also greeted by representatives from Phuket tourism businesses, who hung jasmine garlands around the arrivals’ necks.

Khun Suwalai said that Japan is an important source of tourists for Phuket and that the new service is a welcome move to boost visitor numbers in the region during the “green season”.

In the year preceding the tsunami in 2004, some 206,000 Japanese tourists visited Phuket.

Last year, although an improvement on 2006, some 115,000 Japanese tourists visited the island.

The THAI direct flights from Narita to Phuket operate on Thursdays and Sundays.