The first phase of Phuket’s renovated domestic terminal will open just in time for the upcoming holidays, Phuket International Airport General Manager Petch Chancharoen said at a press conference on Monday (Oct 9).

Most of the construction work has been completed and all of the building’s systems are now being tested so that it can open on Nov 28, as the high season for tourism begins, he told reporters at the event held in celebration of the airport’s 29th anniversary, the Phuket Gazette reported.

Work on the second phase is also expected to begin next month and be completed by June next year.

“This coming high season, we have about 300 flights per day landing in Phuket with an estimated 50,000 passengers, every day. There are 52 airlines in the airport, including 8 domestic, 36 international and 8 private airlines,” the Gazette reported Mr Petch saying.

” Compared to the number of passengers arriving at the same time last year, we’ll have a 10 per cet increase and we estimate that it will grow by another 7.2% next year as well.”

The plan is to boost the airport’s capacity to 18 million passengers annually from about 15 million at present, stretching its current capacity of only 12.5 million, he added.

A traveller pushes the baggage as taxis wait for passengers outside of the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Airport Authority of Thailand has earmarked 200 billion Baht ($8.2 billion). The next phase will add up to five more boarding bays, a pier building and an aerobridge connecting the domestic and international terminals as well as parking in front of domestic terminal.

“We are also preparing to be rated by the Airport Council International (ACI) as we have done some safety plan rehearsals to train the people working in the airport to be ready for any emergency situations,” Mr Petch said. “Apart from that, we also care and support the surrounding communities of the airport.”

Phuket International is Thailand’s second busiest after Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. It is expected to bring in 5.7 billion Baht this year, up 16 per cent increase from last year and hit the 6 billion Baht next year when the first renovations are completed.

During this month there will be a lot of small and larger changes as Thailand gets ready to bid a sad, final farewell to the much-loved and revered HM King Bhumibol who passed on October 13 last year.

Most of the changes will be around Bangkok, especially the Sanam Luang Park area around the Grand Palace. But there will also be changes in the way people dress, opening times at other attractions around the country and the cancellation or postponement of events scheduled for October.

China continues to dominate Thailand’s inbound tourist arrivals chart as the country enjoyed a bumper August with 3,133,411 visits up 8.6% on August 2016.

August was the fourth month, this year, that saw arrivals exceed 3 million, the second highest after January when visits reached 3,197,053.

Other peak travel months when visits exceeded 3 million were March and July.

Based on the current performance tourism officials are confident visits will exceed 35 million by the end of the year. In 2016 the country registered 32.6 million visits.

January to August arrivals touched 23,545,093, up 5.36%  over the same period last year. The figures are preliminary identified by a “P” on Ministry of Tourism and Sports data to indicate they could be revised at a later date.

“During August tourism spend was up 11.72% to reach THB163.48 billion,” the Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Pongpanu Svetarundra, told a press briefing earlier this week.

He fielded questions on the 8% surge in the value of Thai baht against the US dollar, stating it would have marginal impact on tourism earnings, for the remainder of the year.

Most Asian nations have seen their currencies strengthen against the US dollar and they are the main source for Thailand’s tourist arrivals.

August figures and those for the eight months so far, show China dominates Thailand’s travel supply chain.

If there was ever a blimp in that pattern it would drive the tourism industry to hit the panic button, as it did during last year’s crackdown on zero-dollar tours.

In August alone, China generated 982,212 visits up 10.30%. It was just short of half of all the visits from the top supply region, East Asia, that generated 2,260, 337 visits, up  9.56% on August 2016.

Second placed Malaysia, that used to be Thailand’s number one supply market for decades, generated 277,606 trips up 9.52%.

Other peak travel months when visits exceeded 3 million were March and July.

So where did tourists come from in August?

• China, 982,212 +10.30%

• Malaysia, 277,606 +9.52%

• South Korea, 164,001 +16.52%

• Japan, 162,703 +5.03%

• Laos,158,377 +4.18%

• India, 116,376 +14.77%

• Hong Kong, 93,136 +8.88%

• Vietnam, 90,502 +9.17%

• Cambodia, 82,776 +20.84%

• Singapore, 81,366 + 21.2%.

Most Asian nations have seen their currencies strengthen against the US dollar and they are the main source for Thailand’s tourist arrivals. January to August revenue reached an estimated 1.19 trillion THB, an increase of 7.47% over the same period last year. Tourism earnings represent 12% of Thailand’s total GDP.

August figures, and those for the eight months so far, show China dominates Thailand’s travel supply chain. If there was ever a blip in that pattern it would drive the tourism industry to hit the panic button, as it did during last year’s crackdown on zero-dollar tours.

In 2016 Thailand registered 32.6 million visits. Based on the current performance tourism officials are confident visits will exceed 35 million by the end of the 2017.

Thailand welcomed 3.13 million tourists in August, a record for the low season month, and there’s no sign that the strong baht is hurting an industry that’s been a rare bright spot for the economy.

Tourism accounts for 12 percent of Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy, whose growth has picked up after years of sluggishness but still lags regional peers.

The August arrivals were 8.66 percent above a year earlier and marked the first time visitors during that month topped three million.

The visitors in August generated 163 billion baht ($4.93 billion) in revenue, up 11.7 percent from a year earlier, Pongpanu Svetarundra, permanent secretary of the tourism and sports ministry, told a news conference on Tuesday.

“The August number is considered very high as it’s the low season,” he said.

During August, the number of visitors from East Asia increased 10 percent from a year earlier to 2.26 million, with nearly one million from China, up 10.3 percent.

Numbers from the Middle East rose 19.4 percent to 103,784 in August while those from Europe were flat, at 437,739.

For January-August, there were 23.55 million arrivals, up 5.36 percent from a year earlier. Revenue in the first eighth months rose 7.5 percent to about 1.2 trillion baht.

The government has forecast about 35 million tourist arrivals this year, up from 2016’s record 32.6 million

The baht’s strength has not yet affected tourism, Pongpanu said. The currency has risen by about 8.2 percent against the dollar this year.

“The baht is not yet an obstacle to tourism, unless it gets stronger,” he said, adding that he hopes the central bank will keep the currency from appreciating further.

A central bank official told the news conference that the baht’s strength had not impacted tourism as other currencies were also appreciating, and that the central bank was closely monitoring the market.

A representative from the Association of Thai Travel Agents urged the central bank to cut its policy interest rate by 25 basis points to help hold down the baht and lower costs for the tourist industry amid increasing competition.

The Bank of Thailand has left the rate unchanged at 1.50 percent, near record lows, since April 2015. It next reviews monetary policy on Sept. 27, and most economists expect no change.

“This is the first bike sharing initiative in Thailand and it uses a mobile application to search for a bicycle on the map and uses QR code to scan and unlock the bike. Everyone can share the bikes simply by searching for it, unlocking it, enjoying it and returning it.”

Phuket’s Governor chaired a meeting with Phuket City Development (PKCD), the Phuket Municipality and two bicycle companies who are sponsoring the initiative, aiming to launch the bicycle sharing project on September 20. The project hopes to help reduce the crowded traffic and parking space issues around Phuket Town.

“The project is organised by PKCD, a joint venture between government and private sectors in Phuket. The bike-share project is supported by Obike and Ofo, two bicycle rental companies, which have designed their bikes to travel from one destination to another within a distance of 1-5 kilometres,” says Governor Plodthong.

“This is part of Phuket’s future for transportation. It will help reduce the costs of transportation and help solve some of the parking space issues. The two companies are existing suppliers for share-bike projects overseas. This is the first bike sharing initiative in Thailand and it uses a mobile application to search for a bicycle on the map and uses QR code to scan and unlock the bike. Everyone can share the bikes simply by searching for it, unlocking it, enjoying it and returning it. The parking for the share-bikes will be provided by the Phuket Municipality.”

Meanwhile, Gan Prachumpan, President of the PKCD board, said that the share-bikes will be free of charge on its first month, starting from September 21. An activity called “Car Free Day” will also be held on September 24 to promote reducing the use of cars and encouraging people to use their bicycles instead.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) will launch the Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018 on November 1, which will highlight a calendar of international events and cultural elements that enhance the appeal of the country’s tourism.

The Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018 promotion will focus on seven distinct categories, including sports tourism, gastronomy tourism, maritime tourism, wedding and honeymoon tourism, medical and wellness tourism, community-based tourism and leisure destinations.

As well, key events will be given highlight for The Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018. These include:

– International Fleet Review, which will be hosted by the Royal Thai Navy to mark ASEAN’s 50^th anniversary since its founding. Over 40 modern warships and 10,000 crew members from 30 countries are expected to join the historic fleet display on Pattaya Bay from November 13 to 22, 2017;

– Air Race 1 World Cup Thailand 2017, which is scheduled from November 17 to 19, 2017 at the U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport. It will be the only international air race where multiple heats are flown at the same time;

– 4^th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, which is scheduled for May 2018 and will help support the TAT’s gastronomy tourism efforts by promoting Thai food and the country’s culinary potential on a global stage; and

– MotoGP World Championship superbike races, which will be hosted at Buri Ram’s Chang International Circuit starting from October 2018, following the recent signing of a three-year contract with MotoGP owner Dorna Sports.

The Phuket Hotels Association is encouraging locals and tourists to support a Hearts with Hands, Keep Phuket Clean beach clean up event on the morning of Saturday 16th September 2017

The Phuket Hotels Association’s Environmental & Sustainability Working Group launched the island wide initiative in support of the International Coastal Clean Up Campaign which will see millions of volunteers across the globe unite to fight ocean pollution.

The Phuket event is fully supported by the local government along with the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Member hotels are championing individual beaches by sponsoring equipment and supplies for volunteers. To keep thirsty helpers hydrated on the day, sustainable water suppliers Generation Water will provide environmentally friendly drinking water from a series of special beach stations.

“We are focused on three main areas: Phuket branding, local education and environmental protection. By cleaning up our beaches we are promoting Phuket as a global beach destination brand, we are also educating local communities, tourists and island businesses on the need to take care of the island’s natural assets, and we are preserving the environmental health of the ocean,” Anthony Lark, Managing Director and General Manager of Phuket’s award-winning luxury resort Trisara, said to explain how the clean up is part of the work of the Phuket Hotels Association.

Mr Lark, who is also President of the Phuket Hotels Association will be joined by Phuket’s Governor, Khun Norraphat Plodthong and the Director of Tourism Authority Thailand Phuket Office, Khun Kanokkittika Kritwutikon to officially open the event at Karon Beach where the clean up is being overseen by staff from Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket and Novotel Phuket Karon Beach Resort and Spa hotels.

Plastic is choking the world’s seas and putting marine life in danger. Some 46,000 items of debris now occupy every square mile of ocean and plastic is found in 62% of all sea birds and 100% of sea turtle species.

The Phuket Hotels Association recognizes the need for action and is lobbying local community groups, schools, residents, expatriates and tourists to join forces and clean up garbage from the beaches around the island before it reaches the sea.

Thailand expects to enjoy continued growth both in tourist arrivals and tourism revenue during the 3^rd quarter of this year.

International visitor arrivals are expected to grow by 5% to 8.7 million with tourism revenue increasing by 10% to 460 billion Baht (US$13 billion).

Arrivals from ASEAN grew by 7% to about 2.5 million tourists, while North East Asia remains the top inbound source market with 3.7 million visitors (2% increase). Visitors from Europe totalled 1.3 million tourists (up 8%), with arrivals from the Middle East (+14% to 340,000 tourists), South Asia (+11% to 390,000 visitors) and the Americas (+9% to 280,000 tourists); all showing strong growth.

Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor said, “The positive outlook is based on many favourable factors, including a surge in travel demands from the short-haul markets during school holidays and the month of Ramadan. A Chinese market recovery that started from May onwards also had a positive effect on Thailand’s overall tourism arrivals. At the same time, long-haul markets including the United States and Russia continue to grow steadily.”

New air access from Taiwan, Indonesia, China and Turkey is considered among the favourable factors contributing to the growth. This includes new flights from Taipei, Bali and Shenzhen to Bangkok; from Guangzhou to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai; from Changsa to Chiang Rai and from Istanbul to Phuket.

Thailand also ranked among ForwardKeys’ top destinations with a 4% share of overall future bookings. It measures future bookings based on the highest number of airline reservations secured during the months of June to August 2017.

Mr. Yuthasak said, “TAT’s aggressive tourism marketing activities are also playing an important role in Thailand being marked as a preferred destination among international travellers.”

TAT received positive results from its ‘Thailand Shopping & Dining Paradise 2017’ campaign (formerly known as the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale) organised from 1 June to 31 July. A ‘Women’s Journey Thailand’ followed in August for the second consecutive year, offering privileges and deals for women travellers alongside many special activities.

In the first half of this year, Thailand welcomed 17.3 million tourists, generating 876 billion Baht (US$ 25 billion) for the Thai economy. TAT targets Thailand to finish 2017, earning 1.81 trillion Baht (US$ 50 billion).

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site from reviews to bookings, revealed top inbound countries interested in Thailand, as well as the most searched destinations in the country, and interesting international travel behaviour.

According to recent TripAdvisor inbound travel data for Thailand, China continues to lead the way with the highest percentage increase in search traffic¹, with a year-on-year increase of 30%, outpacing the overall international average of 4%. India and Indonesia followed in second and third place, with year-on-year search increases of 16% and 12% respectively.

When examining the total inbound search traffic for Thailand, China tops the list followed by the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Russia. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), China and Russia were also two of the largest contributors to Thailand’s inbound tourism and inbound expenditure² in the first half of 2017.

Top five inbound countries by overall search traffic³:

“Thailand has something for every traveller with its tropical beaches, heritage towns, delicious food, and an ever cosmopolitan capital city,” said Grant Colquhoun, TripAdvisor spokesperson. “The inbound travel data that is available on TripAdvisor provides local hospitality businesses and service providers with insights on travel trends and consumer behaviours to help them more effectively capture and cater to a global audience of high intent travellers.”

He added, “We are also encouraged to see that accommodations in Thailand are becoming more engaged on TripAdvisor with 53% of them responding to travel reviews within the last month⁴.”

Leading Thai hospitality management company Onyx Hospitality is utilising these insights to drive business strategies.

“International travellers make up a significant percentage of our business and we constantly adapt to evolving behaviours and expectations that they have when they visit our hotels in Thailand,” said Chutima Fuangkham, Onyx Hospitality Group spokesperson. “Using TripAdvisor has allowed us to better understand the sentiments and behaviours of these travellers across all stages of their trips – from trip planning, duration and the behaviour they have in-destination – helping us to better shape our business strategy and make our offerings more relevant to our guests.”

Beach and island getaways ever popular with international travellers
Thailand’s tropical islands continue to pique the interest of international travellers, with the resort town of Krabi seeing the highest year-on-year increase in searches, at 41%, followed by Kathu and Nai Yang in Phuket, at 37% and 31% respectively. Cultural Chiang Mai and border city Hat Yai are tied at fourth with a 10% increase in searches. This is the first time that Krabi has appeared in the top destinations list registering the highest year-on-year search increase.

Top five Thai destinations with the biggest increase in international traveller interest⁵:
(Showing year-on-year growth)

*Exact percentages rounded to zero decimal points

Russian travellers take time to plan and spend more nights in Thailand
When it comes to trip planning and duration, TripAdvisor data showed that on average, international travellers visiting Thailand start planning their trip 65 days in advance⁶, and stay for almost five nights.

Out of the top five inbound markets by overall search traffic, Russian travellers take around 60 days to plan a trip but stay the longest with approximately 11 nights per stay. Chinese travellers on the other hand, have a planning lead-time of approximately 51 days and stay for nearly four nights. Travellers from United States, United Kingdom and Australia stay for an average of six nights and take the longest to plan, with lead-times of 108, 102 and 82 days respectively.

Continued interest from Chinese travellers in second tier cities
Amongst Chinese travellers searching for Thailand, there was a continued interest from those in the second-tier cities of Hangzhou, Dalian and Qingdao. The surge in interest comes as the China Tourism Academy (CTA) shared that second and third-tier cities in China are fast catching up as key outbound tourism markets⁷, due to increasing disposable income and improved flight connectivity to Southeast Asia.

Top five Chinese cities with biggest increase in traveller interest to Thailand⁸:
(Showing year-on-year growth)

*Exact percentages rounded to zero decimal points

¹ Based on year-over-year increase in unique sessions for Thailand on TripAdvisor, comparing July 2016 – June 2017 vs July 2015 – June 2016 with a min. session of 1,000,000
² The number of visitors to Thailand from January – June 2017 reached 17 million and created income of THB876 billion, in which the China market was the top generator followed by Russia and Malaysia
³ Based on total number of searches (unique sessions) for Thailand on TripAdvisor (excluding Thailand), July 2016 – June 2017
⁴ Based on TripAdvisor data as of 1 Aug 2017
⁵ Based on year-over-year increase in unique sessions from international travellers on TripAdvisor, comparing July 2016 – June 2017 vs July 2015 – June 2016
⁶ Based on TripAdvisor data of user markets looking into Thailand from 2015 to June 2017
⁷ Source: China Tourism Academy (CTA)
⁸ Top five Chinese cities based on year-over-year increase in unique sessions for Thailand on TripAdvisor, comparing July 2016 – June 2017 vs July 2015 – June 2016 with a min. session of 50,000