Thailand tourism surging ahead

Thailand’s tourism industry, which was severely affected by major flooding late last year, is bouncing back, as seen from the countless tourists from various countries who have been flocking to the country.

The steady inflow of foreign guests is due mainly to various efforts launched by the Thai government to attract visitors immediately after the flooding — which killed more than 800 and covered nearly one-third of the country — subsided. 

Those efforts include, among others, New Year’s events in Bangkok and other cities across Thailand, Chinese New Year’s celebrations throughout the month and the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek horticulture exhibition in Chiang Mai until mid-March.

“While it was unfortunate that the recent floods affected many Thai people, it actually had a minor impact on the kingdom’s tourism infrastructure,” Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Sports Chumpol Silapa-archa said at a meeting with media representatives and tour agents from Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok in mid-December.

The key tourist destination affected by Thailand’s worst floods in almost 60 years was the famous Ayutthaya Historical Park, but the site has since been cleaned and tourists are returning, Chumpol said.

The Ayutthaya World Heritage site, filled with structures dating back to as early as the 14th century, was submerged during the flooding in Ayutthaya province along the Chao Phraya River, where some of the biggest Japanese factories, including Honda and Toyota, are located.

Barriers protecting industrial estates against the floods in the area failed, inundating historic sites and dozens of major factories and disrupting nationwide manufacturing supply chains. The provincial administration was also forced to evacuate thousands of its residents trapped in the flooding to safer locations.

Source - thejakartapost