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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021826

Chiang Mai will be Thailand’s Loy Krathong hotspot tonight: survey

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 08, 2022

Chiang Mai will be the hotspot for Loy Krathong celebrations this evening, according to a nationwide Suan Dusit Poll survey.

The polling agency asked 7,536 randomly selected men and women nationwide about their Loy Krathong plans, said Culture Minister Itthipol Khunplome, who commissioned the survey.

Interest in Loy Krathong events was strongest among respondents in three provinces:

– Chiang Mai, for the Yi Peng flying lanterns festival.

– Sukhothai, for the Candle-lit Loy Krathong festival.

– Tak, for the Loy Krathong river festival of 1,000 floating lanterns.

Itthipol did not give the percentage of respondents for each choice.

The survey also found that most respondents planned to float krathongs made from eco-friendly materials out of concern over environmental pollution.

Respondents favoured three types of environmentally friendly krathong:

– 63.59% favoured banana trunk and leaves with lotuses

– 44.49% favoured krathongs made from bread

– 37.75% favoured krathongs made from vegetables.

Asked why the Loy Krathong festival is important:

– 66.81% said to express gratitude to rivers, water sources and spirits.

– 61.49% said to promote and preserve Thai traditions.

– 44.73% said to promote cultural tourism.

Asked whether they would join the festival this year, 65.69% of respondents said yes while 27.24% were unsure and the rest said they would not.

Asked which Loy Krathong activities they were interested in joining:

– 49.30% said floating krathongs made of degradable natural materials.

– 44.24% said making merit and paying respect to Buddha images.

– 38.32% said visiting venues lit up with lanterns and dressing in traditional Thai costume.

The results showed that most Thais valued the ancient tradition of Loy Krathong and planned to make merit at temples today, the minister said.

He said he was also pleased that most people cared about conserving the environment by choosing eco-friendly krathongs.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021791

Tourists enjoy first sign of frost atop Doi Inthanon this year

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2022

A light dusting of frost on Monday morning atop Doi Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai marked the start of the cool season.

The first group of tourists who arrived at 7am were delighted by the sight of frost on green blades of grass near the Doi Inthanon National Park’s protection unit.

The temperature at the mountaintop was 4 degrees Celsius and 5ᵒC at the Kiew Mae Parn Viewpoint. The Doi Inthanon park office was warmer at 10ᵒC.

The entrance to the nature study trail at Kew Mae Parn was also popular among snap-happy tourists.

The park office said tourists are slowly returning to the area, with 3,637 showing up on Sunday.

Kriengkrai Chaipiset, chief of the Doi Inthanon National Park, said the temperature at the peak of the mountain was dropping and he expects the area to be covered by frost several times this year.

He said the first frost of the year heralds the arrival of tourists to the mountaintop for this winter.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021784

Chiang Mai tourists get high as Mon Mak mountain mists roll in for winter

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2022

Hundreds of tourists climbed Doi Mon Mak mountain in Chiang Mai’s Mae Chaem early on Sunday to witness the natural wonder that cloaks the forests of this northern district every cold season.

Crowds gathered at the summit of the 1,100-metre peak to watch the sunrise break through a sea of fog on the horizon. The panoramic view also revealed the iconic Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s tallest mountain, soaring 2,565 metres high.

Doi Mon Mak is in Tha Pha subdistrict, about 120 kilometres from downtown Chiang Mai. It was opened for tourists in 2019 as a new viewpoint in the northern province, offering unobstructed 360-degree views of the sea of fog, and has become increasingly popular despite the pandemic.

Last year Doi Mon Mak opened a campsite so visitors could spend the night and witness the sunrise early next day. The campsite, which is about 300 metres from the viewpoint, also features rental cabins.

Doi Mon Mak expects to see more visitors over the coming months, as Thais like the cool New Year temperatures and the Covid-19 situation is improving, said Mae Chaem district chief Phatthanan Phithakham.

Hotels and resorts in Mae Chaem have opened for the upcoming high season after being closed for more than two years during the pandemic, she said.

The district is also planning to build and upgrade tourism facilities at Doi Mon Mak, including roads leading to nature treks, car parks and campsite expansion to attract visitors all year round.

Related Stories

Thai city folk head up North to enjoy misty cool mornings

Tourism ministry wants pre-emptive measures to prevent ‘Itaewon tragedy’ during upcoming festivities

Tourists descend on Phu Kradueng National Park amid 12C temperature

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021767

Thai history illuminated at Muang Boran Museum

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2022

Muang Boran Museum in Samut Prakan is lighting up its outdoor tour of ancient Thailand with over 1,000 lanterns for Loy Krathong.

The Thailand International Lantern Festival is illuminating the 8-hectare Ancient City – Thailand’s largest outdoor museum – from 5.30pm to 9pm until November 13.

A big hit with visitors last year, this year’s festival is themed “Floating Krathong Beyond Time”.

The idea is to give tourists an authentic experience of the traditional Loy Krathong, enhanced by a futuristic light design.

Brightest among the constellation of 1,000-plus lanterns is the giant lotus krathong, helping to guide people on their tour through Thai history.

Visitors can also float their wish-laden krathong into the grace-giving arms of Phra Mae Khongkha, the goddess of water.

A traditional fireworks display will also be held from 8pm on Tuesday for Loy Krathong and again on Saturday (November 12).

Tickets for the Lantern Festival can be purchased at www.icvticket.com. Thai visitors pay 250 baht (170 baht for children) while foreign tourists pay 400 baht (280 baht for children).

Tickets for the fireworks display cost 350 baht/200 baht for Thais and 600 baht/380 baht for foreign tourists. Samut Prakan locals can show their ID card to receive a 10% discount.

Entry is free for children under 90 centimetres.

All-day tickets inclusive of the Lantern Festival cost 550/320 baht for Thais and 1,000/580 baht for foreign visitors. All-day tickets for the firework display cost 650/350 baht for Thais and 1,200/680 baht for foreigners.

For more info, visit Line account @icvticket or Facebook: Village of Illumination.

Related stories:

• Ancient City lights up the skies in Samut Prakan
• Visakha Bucha at the Ancient City
• Songkran draws visitors to new ‘ancient city’

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021753

Thai city folk head up North to enjoy misty cool mornings

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2022

Urbanites flocked to the North this weekend to escape city pollution and soak in cool temperatures.

The biggest attractions were Phu Chi Fa mountain in Chiang Rai and Phu Thap Buek in Phetchabun, which were covered in a sea of fog thanks to the mercury dropping as low as 12 degrees Celsius.

Phu Chi Fa, which is part of Phu Chi Fa National Park in Chiang Rai’s Thoeng district, is considered to be the province’s most beautiful point.

Hundreds of visitors climbed to the top of the 1,442-metre-high hill on Saturday morning to watch the sunrise break through a sea of fog on the horizon.

In Phetchabun, visitors scaled the 1,768-metre-high Phu Thap Buek mountain to enjoy the magnificent sunrise and a cool 14 degrees Celsius.

The cabbage plantations around the mountain offered a beautiful vista of green against the white sea of fog – a perfect backdrop for photographers.

A Chonburi resident, who was at Phu Thap Buek with some 25 family members, said the last time he was there was four years ago before the area was shut due to the pandemic. He added that he plans to book a cottage on the mountain for the New Year break.

“I keep coming back for the cool weather, which is a world away from the stuffy atmosphere of Chonburi,” he said.

A Bangkokian, meanwhile, said it was best to visit Phu Thap Buek on ordinary days as it is usually overcrowded during long weekends or public holidays.

Related Stories

Tourists descend on Phu Kradueng National Park amid 12C temperature

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

Tourism sector wants Prayut to raise Covid travel exemption for Chinese tourists with Xi

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021751

Thailand will meet its tourist target of 10m this year, 18m next year: Anucha

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2022

Thailand can expect to welcome some 18 million foreign tourists in 2023, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said on Saturday, citing an estimate from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

He said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was delighted by the uptick in tourist numbers and has thanked relevant agencies and citizens for their hospitality and friendliness.
Anucha quoted TAT as saying that Thailand can expect to earn 1.73 trillion baht from tourism next year – 970 billion baht from foreign arrivals and 760 billion baht from domestic tourists.
More than 7.56 million tourists arrived in Thailand between January 1 and October 30, and another 3 million are expected in the last two months of the year. Hence, it is likely that TAT’s target of 10 million will be met.
 

Meanwhile, some 15,778 flights are scheduled to land in Thailand in November and December, with the largest number of arrivals expected from India and Malaysia, at 85% and 68% respectively.

As of October 30, 4.1 million or 54% of all arrivals came from Asean nations, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, while visitors from East Asia exceeded 800,000, the spokesman said citing TAT figures.
“The prime minister is pleased that tourists still consider Thailand as their favourite destination, even though many other countries have also opened their doors to foreign visitors,” Anucha said.
He added that Prayut has instructed relevant agencies to make the immigration process quick and convenient for both Thais and foreigners.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021719

Make flights from Bangkok to Phuket more affordable, says tourism chief

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2022

Though foreign tourists are returning to Thailand, many local travellers are thinking twice before taking flights from Bangkok to places like Phuket.

Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, advisory chairman of the Phuket Tourist Association, said recently that many domestic flights were becoming unaffordable for travellers.

He said that though he sympathises with airlines, he also wants them to understand that cooperation is required for all sides to survive. He added that domestic airlines should make adjustments to fares despite higher fuel prices because the tourism industry needs a hand in recovery.

Bhummikitti also voiced concerns about small and medium-sized businesses suffering from a lack of funds and workers, as many members of the workforce have not returned to the island province yet.

However, he said, things should start improving soon, not just in terms of hotel bookings, but also in other services like infrastructure.

The association chief also said that more Russian tourists are landing in Phuket now that direct flights have resumed.

Russians topped the list of tourists to Phuket before the pandemic after Chineses.

He added that some 300,000 Indian nationals and 100,000 Australians are expected to land on the island, in addition to Europeans.

He said more arrivals from nearby countries Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam and Mongolia should bump the number of arrivals to pre-pandemic levels.

Bhummikitti also said that occupancy in beachside hotels is fast picking up, while bookings in other hotels are stable.

Related stories

• Russian tourists touch down in Phuket on first direct flight
• Phuket comes to standstill after flood damages 2 highways, Prayut urged to help
• Phuket hails return of mega cruise ships after 2 years in Covid doldrums

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021704

Switzerland woos more Thai tourists in winter

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 03, 2022

The best time to visit Switzerland is from June to August, but most Thai tourists travel to the country in April. This year marks the beginning of Switzerland Tourism’s campaign to attract more Thai vacationers to the Alpine nation in winter.

“Switzerland is not only for ski freaks,” said Batiste Pilet, director for Southeast Asia at Switzerland Tourism, in a media briefing for Switzerland’s season travelling campaigns, adding that travellers can enjoy the natural spots and “civilization of the country” on the same day.

Switzerland has long been a popular tourist destination for visitors from Southeast Asia due to the country’s abundance of jaw-dropping natural attractions, pleasant year-round temperature, picturesque landscapes, and must-see destinations like the Alps and Rhone.

Thai travellers are the largest number of visitors from Southeast Asia to the Alpine nation.

But during wintertime, Thai travellers are well behind Singapore, Malaysia, and others in the region because those countries usually enjoy extended Christmas breaks. But going by Thailand’s holiday season, April and May are the most popular months for Thai tourists to travel overseas.

In April, the number of Thai travellers account for one-fourth of the total number of 200,000 Thai visitors who fly directly to Switzerland in an entire year (not including Thais entering the country from neighbouring countries.)

Switzerland Tourism expects the number of tourists will fully recover to 200,000 or higher in 2023, said Martin Nydegger, CEO of Switzerland Tourism, on his visit to Thailand to promote the country’s winter campaign.

In 2022, the country started “Swiss Winter Camp Asia”, a skiing competition to draw more attention from Asia-Pacific tourists. But due to the travel restrictions earlier this year, the turn-out of participants from Thailand and elsewhere was lower than expected.

In 2023, the competition will resume from March 19-23 in Thailand in cooperation with the Ski and Snowboard Association of Thailand. The authority expects to attract more than 100 participants from all over Asia for the four-day programme.

“Swisstainable” is another strategy the country has launched to win over more tourists by positioning itself as the world’s most sustainable travel destination. The sustainability strategy focuses on getting people to have greater environmental awareness while using the resources responsibly.

“It’s not just a cool name. No one could copy that, and it’s not a marketing gag. The dilemma of people in the tourism industry is that tourism means mobility. You move people from A to B and most of the time by airplane and car,” said Martin.

The strategy, developed by the Lucerne University for Applied Sciences and Arts in partnership with Switzerland Tourism and travel agencies, originally aims to improve transparency for guests about activities and products in the field of sustainability. It will support the commitment of service providers towards a comprehensive sustainable development of Swiss tourism.

Related News

‘Water rugby’ makes a splash in Lake Geneva

Tourism tax: How does Thailand compare with other countries?

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Tourism sector wants Prayut to raise Covid travel exemption for Chinese tourists with Xi

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 03, 2022

The Thai tourism sector on Thursday called on Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to personally request Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease Covid travel restriction so that Chinese tourists could return to Thailand.

Sitthiwat Chiwaratanaporn, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), said Prayut should raise the issue directly with Xi when the Chinese president attends the Apec Summit on November 18-19.

“I would like Prayut to request the Chinese president about relaxing the rules for Chinese tourists to return to Thailand,” Sitthiwat said.

“But it would be require the art of negotiation because China is still enforcing its zero-Covid policy. If we ask them to allow tourists to visit us and if they reply “No”, we’ll be in a difficult situation. So, what we should tell them is that Thailand is waiting for Chinese tourists all the time.”

Meanwhile, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said so far the chance was slim for Chinese tourists to return to the kingdom because the Chinese government was enforcing the zero-Covid policy.

But, Phiphat said Prayut might hold talks on the sidelines of the summit on the tourism issue.

“We expect that during a meeting with Xi, we’ll ask the Chinese government to ease restrictions for certain provinces so that the Chines tourists could return to Thailand,” Phiphat said.

“I would like to urge the prime minister to raise this issue with Xi and I expect a positive result.”

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has predicted that if China reopens its country before the Chinese New Year early next year, Thailand will see about 30 million foreign arrivals next year. Without the Chinese, the number of foreign arrivals will be around 18 million.

Meanwhile, TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said a total of 7.613 million foreign tourists had visited Thailand from January 1 to October 31 this year.

He said the top five countries whose citizens visited Thailand during the period were:

Malaysia: 1,290,863 arrivals

India: 682,911 arrivals

Laos: 559,383 arrivals

Cambodia: 387,250 arrivals

Singapore: 377,282 arrivals.

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https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/tourism/40021680

Meta Thailand helps travellers experience various cultures via augmented reality

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 03, 2022

Tech giant Meta Thailand has teamed up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to transport Thais virtually to various tourist destinations using augmented reality (AR) technology.

Nine AR platforms by five Thai developers and creators under Meta’s “Rediscover Thailand” campaign are helping travellers experience the nation’s different cultures.

Visitors are able to experience culture from the North’s Bo Sang Umbrella Village to the South’s Menora performance via online interactive experiences.

The objective is to enhance tourism and economic recovery using creativity as Meta is determined to help businesses and local communities with digital tools, the company said.

Its platform can “reconnect people” and open opportunities for trading and tourism, the firm added.

According to Meta, 10.3 million Thais have shared posts and commented about tourism 38 million times on Facebook and Instagram in the past 90 days alone.

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the Covid-19 pandemic has affected tourists’ behaviour, so technological innovations are becoming important, especially virtual travel, which allows people to visit several tourist destinations without any limitations.

“The cooperation between TAT and Meta shows TAT is focusing on creating value and improving the tourism industry as it creates a fresh tourism ecosystem using new technologies,” Yuthasak said.

“This is aimed at developing Thai tourism and making it sustainable, as well as stimulating travel demand and creating a meaningful experience,” he added.

The campaign is on until November 30 (except Mondays) from 10.30am to 7pm at Bangkok’s Thailand Creative & Design Centre.

Related stories

• TAT eyes Malaysia, India and other Asian markets as China affirms zero-Covid policy
• Chiang Mai beckons with dazzling Loy Krathong celebrations
• TAT is simultaneously organising workshops for the “Super Host” project, NEW CHAPTERS, nationwide