Thailand's tourism booms nationwide during Chinese New Year

BANGKOK, January 24 (TNA) - A number of tourists from Malaysia and Singapore have spent their Chinese New Year holidays in Thailand; while Chiang Rai Province in the Thai North has also been crowded with international visitors. A large number of Malaysian and Singaporean tourists have spent their Chinese New Year vacation in Thailand's southern Songkhla Province. Somchart Pimthanapoonporn, president of a hotels association in Hat Yai and Songkhla, told reporters Tuesday that about 10,000-20,000 Malaysian tourists have crossed the border to Songkhla's Sadao District daily during the ongoing Chinese New Year festival. Somchart said that the excessive arrivals have caused traffic congestion on a distance of over 10 kilometers on a Malaysian road leading to the Sadao border checkpoint and hotel rooms in Hat Yai have been fully occupied, acknowledging that more tourists are trying to book their accommodations but local hoteliers cannot meet their demand. In nearby southern Satun Province, Panapol Cheewaserichon, assistant chief of the Tarutao Marine National Park, confirmed that Thai, Malaysian, Chinese and Western tourists have visited the national park, prompting local business operators to have deployed more shuttle boats, which are fully loaded in every trip, to serve the international visitors. In Chiang Rai, on the other hand, a cold spell has continued with temperatures now being at about 10 degrees Celsius in low-lying areas; while those on mountaintops were latest reported at 3-7 degrees Celsius. The cold weather has attracted international tourists to the northernmost Thai province during the ongoing Chinese New Year festival, including the Mae Fah Luang garden, where beautiful flowers of warm climate are publicly displayed. (TNA)