India budget carrier GoAir is launching its overseas operations with flights from Mumbai to Male in the Maldives as well as Phuket. The airline, owned by the Wadia Group, has been waiting for the delivery of its new generation Airbus 320 Neo planes before starting the overseas legs.

GoAir says it will start flights to Phuket in October. It’s the fifth largest airline in India and the GoAir flights will be the first direct Phuket to India flights available.

Nearby India remains one of the strongest growth markets for Phuket tourism, and the sheer size and scale clearly provide a sustainable opportunity.

Located just over 3,000 kilometers from Mumbai, flying time will be under four hours.

Tired of spending all day on the beach? Visit this fascinating and slightly macabre festival which takes place across the island of Phuket during August and September.

The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival, held at Chinese shrines and temples all over Phuket from August 22 – September 19, 2017 is an important annual merit-making event for the local Chinese. Special food dishes, flowers and candle offerings are placed on altars to “feed the ghosts”, which are restless and hungry after having been released from the underworld for the month. Two of the best places to see this event are the Seng Tek Bel Shrine on Phuket Road and the fresh market on Ranong Road, but it can be seen on a smaller scale at any other Chinese shrine on the island.

The offerings are meant to appease the hungry spirits and often come in the form of a red turtle cake. Turtles are symbolic of longevity so hopefully the person giving the offering will live a long life. The traditional merit-making ceremonies are accompanied by Chinese lion dances, magic shows, concerts, cabarets and, of course, plenty of delicious local food – what better reason to get up off your beach towel for a while.

See http://www.phuket.com/festival/por-tor-festival.htm for more information.

Thailand will focus on niche sectors, including gastronomy, as part of its latest tourism development plan.

Unveiled by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the 2018 marketing plan is aiming to promote the sustainable development of Thailand’s tourism industry. The plan will cover the 2018 financial year, which commences in October 2017, and includes both international and domestic tourism.

“TAT will use tourism to promote sustainable development with the community as the ultimate beneficiary. We believe this will pave the way for Thailand to be a preferred destination among international visitors,” said TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

In terms of international marketing, the TAT will place a greater focus on niche markets including weddings and honeymoons, female travel and luxury travel. The tourism board also singled out gastronomy tourism as a key area of focus, which it says will allow visitors to enjoy more “local experiences”.

“It is also one of the tools to boost the development of the country’s economy by adding value to products and services that are based on the unique Thai culture and ways of life,” the TAT said of its gastronomy.

Some of the F&B-based activities planned by the TAT in 2018 include the opening of the Michelin Guidebook Bangkok and the hosting of the UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism.

The TAT will continue to use its long-running “Amazing Thailand” brand slogan in 2018, plus the extended “Discover Amazing Stories in Amazing Thailand”. It will slightly change its marketing angle however, with the new “Open to the New Shades of Thailand” concept. This is aimed at showcasing unique Thai experience and helping to support “grassroots tourism sector players”, the TAT said.

In terms of the domestic market, Thailand will focus on increasing the travel frequency of several groups including the “silver age”, millennials, families and females. It will also aim to “decongest” popular tourist areas by promoting weekday travel.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) forecasts revenue of 3.1 trillion baht in tourism revenue in 2018 by attracting tourists from second-tier Chinese and European cities and focusing on tourist quality, says governor Yuthasak Supasorn.

The industry has remained sluggish during the last two quarters, but the plans are expected to lay the groundwork for continued growth in 2017 and 2018, Mr Yuthasak said. “Moving forward, the TAT will draw focus on increasing the number of quality tourists,” he said. “We project the tourism industry will bring in 3.1 trillion baht in revenue in 2018 — up from 2.7 trillion baht this year.”

While the TAT’s forecasts are strong, a number of economic and political factors can lower the estimates, Mr Yuthasak told the Bangkok Post. Starting this year, Thailand will see a decrease in average tourism growth rates. Regional competitors are part of the issue. Vietnam and Laos, for example, are stiffening their competition with Thailand by offering discounted travel packages. Hat Yai’s economy has been strongly hit by the decrease in Malaysian and Singaporean tourists.

“During the first six months of this year, tourism grew by only 4.3%, due to global and domestic economic slowdown in markets,” Mr Yuthasak said.

While growth has slowed down, international arrivals to Thailand are still growing. Close to 35 million people are expected to make their way to Thailand — up from 34 million in 2016 and 32.6 million in 2015, Mr Yuthasak said. Local tourists are expected to make 154 million trips in 2017, up from 145 million trips in 2016. The number is projected to increase further to 162 million trips next year.

The TAT is focusing on attracting first-time visitors from second-tier cities in Europe and China. China will remain the biggest source of arrivals this year, with 9 million visitors in 2017 or 27% of the total. Mr Yuthasak said the government allocated a budget of 7.08 billion baht to TAT this year, an increase of 2.4% from last year’s budget. The TAT is fine-tuning its marketing plan to bolster tourism during its meeting in Ratchaburi province.

Thailand expects to experience a sharp rise in its tourism revenues next year, as its drive to attract more “quality tourists” pays dividends.

Visitor arrivals to the kingdom have been sluggish in recent months, as the Thai government clamps down on so-called “zero baht tourists”. But the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says it is confident of achieving a significant rise in tourism revenues in 2018.

“Moving forward, the TAT will draw focus on increasing the number of quality tourists,” the tourism board’s governor, Yuthasak Supasorn, was quoted saying by the Bangkok Post. “We project the tourism industry will bring in THB3.1 trillion (US$90.8 billion) in revenue in 2018, up from THB2.7 trillion this year.”

If achieved, the 2018 total would mark a near-15% increase compared to 2017. Revenues from international tourism are expected to jump 17% to THB2.1 trillion, while domestic revenues are expected to rise 5% to THB1 trillion.

While the growth of Thailand’s tourism sector has slowed in recent months – partially as a result of the zero-baht crackdown and partially due to other factors, including economic issues – visitor arrivals to the country continue to climb. Governor Yuthasak also revealed that Thailand still expects to welcome almost 35 million international visitors in 2017, up from 34m last year, while domestic trips are forecast to increase from 145m to 154m.

The Bangkok Post also reported the TAT as saying that it will focus its marketing efforts on attracting “first-time visitors from second-tier cities in Europe and China”.

Thais and foreign residents will enjoy a three-day holiday break starting this Saturday thanks to two Buddhist celebrations that fall on Saturday and Sunday.

The Saturday, 8 July, marks the full-moon Asarnha Bucha Day, (15th day of the eighth month), while Khao Phansa (Buddhist lent) is celebrated, 9 July, when Buddhist monks are confined to their temples during the traditional rice planting and harvest months.

Monday 10 July is a substitute for Asarnha Bucha Day.

The long weekend will encourage people to travel, although the two religious holidays come with a total alcohol ban at bars and entertainment spots in tourist destinations. Most bars will close. Hotels can serve alcohol to their guests.

The Ministry of Public Health has urged Thais to abstain from alcohol during the three-month period. It has also recommended that bars and hotels suspend their happy hour promotions during the three months.

The Buddhist religious ceremonies are also celebrated in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, parts of India.

Thai Smile increased flight frequency on its Bangkok-Phuket route from five daily to seven daily effective 1 July.

The additional two daily flights offer a better choice of departure times for passengers flying to Thailand’s most popular island destination.

Thai Smile operates out of Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport using Airbus A320s.

Owned by Thai Airways International, the airline servers as a feeder carrier on domestic routes on routes that THAI no longer serves.

However, THAI does offer its own three flights daily to Phuket and continues to serve Chiang Mai.  

New project to allow travellers to cross peninsula between Koh Samui and Phuket.

A new railway line is being planned in Thailand, connecting the country’s Andaman and Gulf coasts.

The Bangkok Post reports that plans for the 77km-long line were unveiled at a public hearing in southern Thailand’s Surat Thani province on Friday, and the project is now under consideration by the Thai government’s Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning.

If approved, the new line will stretch from Surat Thani on the coast of the Gulf of Thailand, on the east coast of Thailand’s southern peninsula, to Phang-Nga province on the west coast. It will then connect with the planned Phuket light rail network, allowing passengers to access the popular resort areas on the Andaman Sea coast.

Surat Thani is also home to the ports that offer passenger ferry services to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan, whilst also connecting to Bangkok via the main north-south railway line.

“We will be able to link tourist attractions in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea”, the office’s deputy chief, Wilairat Sirisophonsin, was quoted saying by the newspaper.

The overall project will include a combination of existing rail tracks and a new line to be built in Surat Thani, connecting with new tracks in Phang-Nga province and the Phuket proposed tram network.

The plan to effectively connect Phuket and Koh Samui, two of Thailand’s top resort destinations, follows the recent launch of new direct ferry services between two of the country’s other main beach resorts, Hua Hin and Pattaya.