The regulation is expected to come into force this year.

CAAT director-general Chula Sukmanop said, “Now, more passengers prefer to travel abroad by foreign airlines and there have been flight delays. The CAAT cannot force foreign airlines to pay passengers compensation or take care of the passengers, as there is no law to the effect. We will now rush regulations that will protect the interests of passengers.”

The CAAT presently has the responsibility only of protecting the interests of both Thai and foreign passengers who are affected by flight delays involving Thai airlines.

The CAAT said it had continuously received reports from passengers about delayed flights that have impacted their travel schedules. Most of the delayed flights were Turkish and Russian.

The new regulation will apply the same standard of legal protection to passengers flying by a Thai airline. If a flight is delayed, an airline is required to pay passengers compensation at a determined rate as well as accommodation.

Chula said that if any airline does not abide by the regulation once it comes into effect could compromise the extension of its air operating licence, which would be another way to screen standardised airlines for flying in Thailand and protecting consumers.

The CAAT is considering air operator certificates (AOC) for Thai Summer airline, a Thai-Chinese joint venture, and Thai Eastern airline, a Thai-South Korean joint venture.

Meanwhile, Thailand’s aviation industry is ready for another round of inspections by the International Civil Aviation Organisation on operating standards after it found deficiencies in the past. The CAAT has already completed its standard inspection and AOC issuance for all 25 airlines operating in Thailand.

According to a Transport Ministry announcement on protection of passengers flying Thai-registered airlines on local routes, passengers will receive necessary care extending from food, beverage, communications and refund of air fare to flight changes in a case of delayed flights.

Meanwhile, Tourism and Sport Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said the ministry would send the Immigration Bureau a letter asking about the proposed extension of the free visa-on-arrival (VOA) scheme, which expires at the end of April, for citizens of 20 countries and one economy.

Earlier, the Tourism Authority of Thailand had proposed extension of the free VOA scheme for six more months, till the end of October this year.

The Cabinet did not discuss the matter at its meeting yesterday. Extension of this measure is expected to boost tourists from China, who are expected to travel to Thailand in bigger numbers, Weerasak said.

The ministry will also discuss with the Foreign Ministry an arrangement for a double-entry visa at an earlier rate of Bt1,000 per person, another measure to woo foreign tourists to Thailand. This planned visa arrangement had earlier been approved by the Cabinet in principle.

The chamber also expects the new government to take office by September and forecasts this year’s GDP growth at 3.5 per cent.

Thanawat Phonwichai, director of the Economic and Business Forecasting Centre of the chamber, said that during Songkran, total spending was expected to be Bt135 billion compared to last year’s Bt132 billion, a 2.78 per cent increase.

He said that 87.2 per cent of those planning to travel will do so within the country, with average spending at Bt5,232 per person.

The remaining 12.8 per cent will go abroad, mostly to Japan, Singapore, Korea and Hong Kong.

He said the smog problem in the northern region would affect tourism, especially in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Phayao provinces, causing tourism income to decline by Bt5 billion to Bt7 billion.

The top Songkran activity would be allowing elders to pour water on one’s heads, followed by parties, which is expected to increase from the past year. The politician most in demand to pour water on other people’s heads as part of the Songkran celebration ceremony is Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, followed by the leader of the Future Forward Party, Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, who has overtaken Thaksin Shinawatra in the popularity stakes.

“We hope that economic growth in the country would continue to progress. According to our forecast, if the new government is established by September, the new prime minister will be able to push for an annual GDP growth of 3.5 per cent.

“Meanwhile, if the GDP growth does not reach 3.5 per cent, it could be due to political unrest and the ongoing US-China trade war,” Thanawat said.

Meanwhile, Kasikorn Research Centre estimated that increased travel by both Thai and foreign tourists during the Songkran festival (April 11 to 17), will generate Bt28 billion in revenue for the tourism and related sectors, an increase of 2.2 per cent year on year.

Of the total estimated revenue, Bt12.2 billion is expected to come from Thais travelling within the Kingdom and Bt15.8 billion will be generated by foreign tourists visiting the country during the festival.

The bank’s research centre said various factors would affect the tourism industry, which will need to be monitored, such as whether it would be possible to extend the free visa-on-arrival scheme, which will end on April 30. Another issue is the global economic slowdown, which decreases the purchasing power of foreign tourists visiting Thailand.

The research centre has predicted that the number of tourists visiting Thailand throughout 2019 is likely to be more than 39 million.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported that during the first two months of the year, the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand grew 2.5 per cent year on year, totalling 7.29 million people.

Meanwhile, the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA) expects the strong baht to encourage Thais to travel abroad during the Songkran festival.

TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the haze problem in the northern region would have a direct impact on tourism levels in the North during the Songkran festival from April 12 to 16. It is expected that the number of tourists will drop by more than 10 per cent compared to last year. Hence, tourist groups are expected to adjust their travel plans and choose to travel to other areas in the Kingdom instead.

He expected overall hotel occupancy rate in the northern region during Songkran to be around 75 per cent. Hotels in areas affected by wildfires, such as Mae Rim, Chiang Dao and Fang districts of Chiang Mai province may have reservation rates under 50 per cent. Hotels in Mae Hong Son province may face the worst booking rate at under 30 per cent, making some hotels opt to close down for renovations.

“Due to the fallout from the downturn in the three northern provinces of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son, TAT expects tourism revenue during this year’s Songkran to reduce by Bt2 billion,” he said.

The TAT has predicted that the number of Thai tourists travelling during the Songkran festival at 3.11 million people, increasing by 3 per cent and generating 5 per cent revenue growth, amounting to Bt10.697 billion.

Some 546,000 foreign tourists are expected, an 8 per cent increase, generating an increase in revenue of 14 per cent, valued at Bt10.283 billion. In total, this is expected to generate an income spread of Bt20.98 billion, a 10 per cent increase year on year with a national average reservation rate of 75 per cent.

Most tourists visiting during the holiday season are predicted to be from nearby markets, such as Asean countries, China, Taiwan, and India, with the top three Asean tourists being from Singapore, increasing by 26 per cent; Malaysia, increasing by 24 per cent; and Vietnam, increasing by 22 per cent. Meanwhile, tourists from East Asian markets are also forecast to increase, with tourists from Hong Kong increasing by 26 per cent; from South Korea by 14 per cent; and from Japan by 5 per cent.

Supawan Tanomkieatipume, president of the Thai Hotel Association (THA), said that the rate of hotel bookings throughout the country during Songkran was not good yet.

At present, Chiang Mai has only a 60 per cent reservation level after being affected by haze problems. Bangkok and Pattaya have similar bookings at 60 per cent. The southern region has 70 to 80 per cent bookings.

A key cause of the low reservation rate is the global economic slowdown, which has yet to recover, she said.

“The hotel occupancy rate for Songkran this year is expected to decrease by 5 per cent year on year due to the impact of the smog crisis. This has led to lower reservations by foreign tourists compared to the same period last year,” she said. “Hotel operators hope to see more last-minute bookings in the days leading up to the Songkran festival.”

Vichit Prakobgosol, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), said that although the level of bookings of foreign tourists this Songkran was not comparable with last year, the reduction of tourist figures this year was not drastic. Due to the smog problem in the northern region, Chinese tourists, who usually visit Chiang Mai in large numbers during Songkran, may change their travel destinations to other countries such as Japan, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia.

On the other hand, the appreciation of the baht will lead to more Thais travelling abroad during Songkran, Yuthasak said.

Airports of Thailand Plc (AOT) reported that during this year’s Songkran period, an average of 40,000 Thais would travel abroad every day.

TTAA vice president Charoen Wangananont said that because 2019 has two consecutive holidays – Chakri Memorial Day and the Songkran break – Thais are more likely to make plans to travel for up to 10 days from April 6 to 15. This long holiday season makes Japan the most popular destination for Thais, followed by Europe.

He predicted that during this period, up to 300,000 Thais would travel abroad, spending at least Bt30,000 per trip, with a total spending of Bt9 billion.