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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40023116

Royal Park Rajapruek unveils floral fest for tourists in winter

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Various kinds of winter flowers and activities are awaiting visitors at Royal Park Rajapruek in Chiang Mai until the end of February next year.

The “Flora Festival” was kicked off at the park since November 1, and it will be ended on February 28.

“The festival aims to promote tourism after the Covid-19 crisis and encourage tourists to spend their happy time with their families and beloved ones,” the park official said.

The festival features various kinds of winter flowers to allow visitors to take photos, such as rose, orchid, geranium, red salvia and pink cosmos.

Visitors can attend limited time activities until the end of February as follows:

▪︎ The event that allows visitors to witness the phenomenon when sun rays go through the door beside the Royal Pavilion; December 1 to 31; 4.50pm to 5.20pm.

▪︎ The Night Light of Flora Fest, an event that will feature lights along both sides of the road to the Royal Pavilion to welcome Christmas and New Year; December 23 to January 2; 5pm to 8pm

▪︎ An event to mark National Children’s Day on January 14

▪︎ An event to mark Valentine’s Day from February 11-14

Thai visitors pay tickets for entering Royal Park Rajapruek at 100 baht (70 baht for children) while foreign tourists pay 200 baht (150 baht for children).

Thai elderly aged 60 years or above, government officials and students pay 70 baht. Entry is free for disabled persons, monks and children under 100 centimetres.

For more info, please visit https://www.royalparkrajapruek.org/, the park’s Facebook page, or contact 053-114-110-2.

Related stories:

• Chiang Mai’s flower power gets tourists buzzing
• Phuket the top tourist destination for foreigners in 2022
• Grab tuk-tuks ready to roll in Phuket

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40023102

Phuket the top tourist destination for foreigners in 2022

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2022

Phuket was Thailand’s most visited province by foreign tourists in the first 10 months of 2022 and also the province that generated the most tourism income at 127.9 billion baht, deputy government spokesperson Tipanan Sirichana said on Thursday.

Tipanan was citing statistics from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, after Thailand welcomed its 10 millionth foreign visitor this year on December 10.

She said Thailand’s tourism industry is gradually recovering from the impact of Covid-19 since the launch of “Phuket Sandbox”, the government’s tourism sandbox initiative that aimed to reopen Thailand gradually, starting with tourism provinces.

“The success of the programme also came from strong public health measures and Thai people’s cooperation that has helped the tourism industry bounce back in a V-shaped recovery and attracted 10 million visitors before the year-end,” she added.

From January to October this year, Phuket received the highest number of foreign tourists at 2.32 million people, followed by Chonburi (975,026), Surat Thani (606,812), Songkhla (581,808) and Chiang Mai (496,111).

Phuket also tops the chart for tourism revenue in 10 months at 127.9 billion baht, followed by Chonburi (13.2 billion), Surat Thani (7.5 billion), Chiang Mai (4.2 billion) and Songkhla (3.6 billion).

The top 10 foreign visitors by nationality in 10 months are: Malaysian (1.29 million), Indian (698,757), Singaporean (381,940), Laotian (345,709), Vietnamese (340,670), South Korean (316,240), United Kingdom (291,753), United States (283,211), Cambodian (252,862) and German (235,596).

Related Stories

TAT confident of 10 million arrivals this year as tourism sector places hopes on high season

Thai tourism sector booming again after Test & Go, Thailand Pass lifted

TAT forecasts Thai tourism slump from Q2 next year

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https://www.nationthailand.com/pr-news/thailand/tourism/40023038

Grab tuk-tuks ready to roll in Phuket

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

Grab is launching a tuk-tuk service in Phuket after being granted a ride-hailing licence by the Department of Land Transport in September. The “GrabTukTuk” service in Phuket will be on hand to welcome the return of international tourists and support local job creation, the company said.

It expects to offer the new service through 100 tuk-tuk driver-partners by early 2023.

Grab, a leading super app in Southeast Asia, says the Phuket launch is part of the continued expansion of its mobility services.

Worachat Luxkanalode, Country Head of Grab Thailand, said, “we have seen consistent positive signals from the recovery of tourism industries. Since the beginning of this year, Thailand has welcomed more than 10 million international travellers so far. Ride-hailing applications have been one of the preferred travel options by foreign tourists, as they offer convenience and safety standards. Grab’s mobility service can support not only Phuket’s tourism sector but also the province’s overall economy through income opportunities for local communities.”

“As a leading platform, Grab is committed to raising the bar for ride-hailing service in Phuket, in terms of service quality, reasonable price and safety. We support the locals to use their personal vehicles to provide transportation services to earn extra income. Besides, we have encouraged those who provide public transportation services such as Tuk Tuk drivers, to use the Grab application as another channel of reaching passengers and increasing income opportunities,” added Worachat.

In addition, Grab Thailand has collaborated with government agencies and partners to ensure efficient preparation and build confidence for Grab driver-partners and public transportation operators in Phuket. These efforts reflect the goal of uplifting the service standards to create favourable impressions and travel experiences for international tourists, in response to the country’s reopening policy and Phuket’s measures in welcoming travellers and driving economic recovery. 

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40023034

Korat’s bright yellow sunflower field becomes latest social-media ‘check-in’ spot

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2022

A 100-rai field in covered in bright yellow sunflowers in Nakhon Ratchasima has become a brand new online “check-in” spot for local social media networkers.

The field, which is part of Rajabhat Nakhon Ratchasima University’s agricultural research centre, has been open to the public since December 9.

The campus is located in Muang district’s Chaimongkol area.

People can enter the field to take photographs or selfies with the tall bright yellow blossoms from 8am to 6pm daily until January 15.

The centre said the field has become very popular among tourists thanks to the cool temperatures and the bright vista. Visitors can also feed milk to baby goats frolicking in the field.

The temperature in Korat on Tuesday was chilly at 17 degrees Celsius.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40023008

Chiang Mai welcoming more tourists as flights start returning

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2022

Chiang Mai returned to its top spot as a favourite destination after the number of daily arrivals rose beyond 20,000 in December.

Nattawut Ta-inta, Chiang Mai Airport’s deputy director, recently said that the airport now welcomes between 18,000 to 20,000 passengers daily; of them, some 2,000 are international arrivals.

Some 130 domestic and about 20 international flights land in Chiang Mai daily. He said 11 international airlines have returned to their pre-pandemic schedule, including flights from Incheon and Busan in South Korea; Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam; Singapore; Luang Prabang in Cambodia; Taiwan capital Taipei; Hong Kong; Yangon in Myanmar; and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

He said before Covid-19 arrived in 2019, Chiang Mai welcomed some 35,000 travellers daily, 30% of whom were foreigners and the remainder domestic.

Nattawut added that in the pre-Covid era, the airport saw 145 domestic flights and some 90 flights landing daily, including 14 from China alone.

“Chiang Mai Airport has the slots ready for all airlines to reinstate their flights. They just need to notify the airport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand,” he said.

“Recently, Myanmar Airlines began flying twice a week from Yangon and will increase its flights gradually,” he said.

He expects China to open its borders in March, which may encourage Chinese travellers to return to Chiang Mai. He also said he believes more airlines will start flying to Chiang Mai from January.

Related stories

• Chiang Mai’s Doi Inthanon dons its winter cape of frost
• Thailand prepares to welcome 10 millionth foreign tourist this year
• Myanmar airline to launch Yangon-Chiang Mai flights from Dec 9

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40022978

Chiang Mai’s Doi Inthanon dons its winter cape of frost

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2022

Chiang Mai’s Doi Inthanon mountain looked like a magical Christmas cake with a dusting of white sugar on Sunday morning, as cold temperatures froze the morning dew.

This is the sixth time that the mountain has been covered in frost this year and the first time in about a month.

Park authorities reported that the temperature on the mountaintop and the Kew Mae Pan viewpoint had dropped to 4 degrees Celsius on Sunday morning. However, the park office lower down was slightly warmer at 11 degrees Celsius.

The Doi Inthanon Facebook page showed that the mountain had 4,778 visitors on Saturday.

The last five times frost was spotted on the mountain this year were:

• May 7: The carpark near the peak was covered in frost when the temperature dropped to 4 degrees Celsius.

• November 8: Temperature fell to 6C covering the carpark in frost.

• November 10-12: The mercury fell to between 3C and 4C covering the Kew Mae Pan viewpoint, the carpark and the area between kilometre markers 43 and 44 with frost.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40022974

Hidden temple tours light up again at abandoned wats in Bangkok Noi

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2022

A second tour of hidden temples was launched on Saturday, this time in the capital’s Bangkok Noi district, as part of Creative Economy Agency’s efforts to help reinvigorate tourism through its “Unfolding Bangkok” project.

Two abandoned temples – Wat Phumarin Ratchapaksi and Wat Dusidaram Worawiharn – are the focus of the latest tour, which started on Saturday and runs until December 18.

Both ancient temples had been central to the daily life of the communities around them, but were abandoned during Bangkok’s rapid development as local residents became disconnected from them, explained Wichit Werungkhabutr, deputy director of the state-run agency.

The tours will use light and sound shows to tell the stories of the temples and their histories, while local communities will be integrated into the shows and related events, Wichit said.

The tours will include visits to popular restaurants in the area, as well as cooking and handicraft classes focused on local dishes and handicrafts, Wichit said.

His agency is working closely with local residents on the tours. Other partners include Urban Ally, Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Architecture, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

The first hidden temple tours took place in Thonburi from November 12 to 20 to promote night visits to Wat Intharam Worawiharn, Wat Chataram Worawihan, and Wat Ratcha Khruet in the district’s Talad Plu.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40022958

Prayut welcomes this year’s 10-millionth tourist at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2022

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha showed up at Suvarnabhumi Airport on Saturday afternoon to personally welcome Thailand’s 10-millionth tourist – Hetham Almdlj and Njood Alkhuwaiter – for this year.

The couple had landed in Bangkok on Saudi Airlines flight SV846 at about 3pm.
Prayut said it was commendable that Thailand managed to successfully attract as many as 10 million tourists in the first year after the pandemic.
“Today we have welcomed more than 10 million tourists. We will not stop after this success and will underline Thailand’s popularity as a destination among international tourists,” Prayut said.
Apart from Prayut, also welcoming the lucky couple were Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn, and Suvarnabhumi Airport’s general manager Kittipong Kittikachorn.

The tourists, described as the “luckiest” under the Tourism Authority of Thailand campaign, were welcomed with garlands, gifts, free air tickets and gift vouchers from several hotels, hospitals, shopping malls and other businesses. They were then chauffeur-driven to their hotel on a limousine. The couple has said they will be spending the next 10 days in Phuket.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40022950

Cool temperatures and fog entice tourists north for long weekend

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2022

More domestic tourists will travel during this long weekend than last week’s, with cool and foggy weather in the North and Northeast pushing the regions’ occupancy rates to the top, according to a forecast by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

More people are choosing to travel during the Constitution Day long weekend because they chose to stay with their family on Fathers’ Day last weekend, the agency said.

It forecasts that the number of domestic trips from Saturday to Monday will reach 3.37 million and generate 12.620 billion baht in economic activity, and that the average occupancy rate will be 65%.

Occupancy rates will be higher in the North and Northeastern regions – 72% and 65%, respectively – the agency forecast, saying cool weather and foggy conditions in mountainous regions will draw tourists to the two regions.

Closer to Bangkok, the occupancy rate in the Eastern and Central regions is forecast to rise to 62% this weekend.

TAT’s list of the Top 10 provinces for domestic tourists during the Constitution Day long weekend puts Chonburi at the top:

1. Chonburi
2. Kanchanaburi
3. Chiang Mai
4. Nakhon Ratchasima
5. Rayong
6. Prachuap Khiri Khan
7. Chiang Rai
8. Phuket
9. Phang-nga
10. Nan

Chonburi topped the list due to its proximity to Bangkok and the abundance of natural sites it offers for one-day trips.

Chiang Mai is expected to have the highest occupancy rate, 81%, due to its cool weather.

Six of the eight other provinces on the list are major tourist destinations. Chiang Rai and Nan, which took the 10th spot, lack major cities, which are still a draw for domestic tourists, but their northern locations are still a draw during peak travel season.

According to its analysis of weekend tourism from 2018 to 2022, TAT found that long weekends are the most popular for domestic tourists and that the condition of the economy and purchasing power are the major factors in determining how far domestic tourists will travel.

When there is more than one long weekend in a month, domestic tourists generally select one for travel rather than take multiple long weekend trips, according to TAT research.

Related stories

• Thailand prepares to welcome 10 millionth foreign tourist this year
• TAT forecasts Thai tourism slump from Q2 next year
• Faster immigration queues as Thai airports prepare for high season

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40022949

TAT plans ‘clinics’ to guide Thai tourism industry on path to recovery

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2022

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will be holding special “tourism clinics” as part of its “Travel Thailand: More Amazing Than Ever” fair in Bangkok next week.

As part of its “clinics”, experts will be offering tourism operators advice on cutting down costs, boosting revenue and turning crises into opportunities. The seminars to be held include

• Tourism trends in 2023 led by TAT directors from Thailand’s five regions
• Business management ideas offered by the founder of Penguin Eat Shabu, Thanapong Wongchinsri
• Reducing expenses and helping the environment as per the “Sam Pran Model” presented by Suan Sampran’s managing director Arut Nawarat
• Using TikTok to improve brand image and market products presented by Digital Tips Academy founder Mantita Chinda.

Representatives of several financial institutions like Government Savings Bank, Bangkok Bank, Bank of Ayudhya, and Kiatnakin Phatra Bank will also be at hand to provide advice to tourism operators.

TAT will also hold a business matching activity for operators during the first three days of the travel fair and is planning a similar activity at Chiang Mai’s Empress Hotel on December 21.

Meanwhile, the “Travel Thailand” fair runs from December 15 to 18 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

Related stories

• TAT’s ‘Travel Now, Free Now’ fair to offer spectacular deals next week
• Thailand prepares to welcome 10 millionth foreign tourist this year
• TAT forecasts Thai tourism slump from Q2 next year