Tourism council hopeful of limited impact

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Tourism council hopeful of limited impact
By Business Desk
The Nation 2011-03-30

The country's tourism council remains optimistic that the overall impact on the sector from the flood waters in the mid-South will be limited, despite transportation to and from much of the area having been paralysed in recent days.

To ease the situation, three airlines have increased the frequency of their daily flights between Bangkok and provinces adjacent to Nakhon Si Thammarat, the area most affected by the flooding.

Piyaman Techapaiboon, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), yesterday expressed optimism that the situation would not have a major impact on the tourism industry in the South beyond the near term.

"There will be a short-term impact that each province has to deal with. Next week, the situation should be back to the normal," she said.

Though the flood water covers 50-60 per cent of the mid-South, most of the main tourism destinations are on Koh Samui, where there are a large number of foreign tourists. The good news is that the airport on the island has only been slightly damaged as a result of the flooding, she said.

As to the overall affect on tourism, the TCT will produce a new forecast in May, when it will also take into account the effect on business of the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan.


Rail services from Bangkok to the South have been suspended because of the flooding, with trains only going as far as Chumphon for the time being. Passengers can, however, get a refund for unused tickets.

Information about the rail situation is available at www.railway.co.th, or by calling 1690.

Nok Air, Orient Thai Airline and Thai AirAsia have added more flights between Bangkok and provinces adjacent to Nakhon Si Thammarat to facilitate passengers, with Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport having suspended its services from Sunday in the wake of the flooding.

All seven daily flights serviced by the three carriers were suspended after the airport's closure. The airlines agreed to lay on extra flights to other airports after a meeting with the Civil Aviation Department on Monday.

Nok Air is adding one daily flight between Bangkok and Trang, while Orient Thai Airline will add a flight between Bangkok and Krabi and Thai AirAsia is laying on an extra Bangkok-to-Surat Thani flight.

In addition, the three airlines are providing free round-trip rides by bus between those airports and Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat's Twin Lotus Hotel.

However, passengers can postpone their planned travel dates to the area for up to 30 days, or alternatively change to new flights or get a refund without any extra charge.

The flood water at Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport reached 50 centimetres, inundating the runway and causing the airport to announce a suspension of all services. Full closure was decided upon as the electrical system was unable to function.

The Civil Aviation Department is expected to give details of the damage to the airport in the next three to five days.

Thai AirAsia has had to cancel its two daily flights between Bangkok and Nakhon Si Thammarat, but passengers can change their travel plans by using the alternative airport at Surat Thani.

The airline and Transport Co are providing passengers with a free shuttle service from Surat Thani Airport to Nakhon Si Thammarat for those returning home or visiting the area. The drop-off point in Nakhon Si Thammarat is the Twin Lotus Hotel.

Meanwhile, although the Anantara Bophut on Koh Samui is itself not flooded, the road outside is under deep water and the hotel is providing stranded tourists with special outdoor movie screenings inside the resort. Guests are also being served free meals.

The Rural Roads Department yesterday reported damage from the flooding in seven provinces, including Rayong, Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ranong and Trang. Twenty-eight rural roads under its responsibility have been affected, with 17 of them impassable. Initial damage is estimated at Bt685 million.

Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai yesterday instructed the Internal Trade Department to closely monitor the price of goods in order to protect against unfair trade practices, particularly in the South.

"We are worried that the price of essential goods will be adjusted unreasonably," she said.

Traders found hoarding or speculating on the price of goods will be punished with a maximum prison sentence of seven years and/or a fine of Bt140,000, she said, adding that consumers experiencing such unfair practices should call the department's 1569 hotline.