Thailand prepares for Chinese New Year rush
Thailand is expecting to see a rise in visitors this Chinese New Year, with hundreds of extra flights scheduled to arrive in the kingdom from 9-14 February 2013.
According to Thailand’s Department of Civil Aviation, permission has been given for airlines to 633 more flights to Thailand’s international airports, consisting of 134,828 seats. Of this total, 400 flights are from mainland China (76,745 seats), 115 from Hong Kong (30,403), 35 from Taiwan (9,684) and 83 from Vietnam (17,996).
China is now Thailand’s biggest visitor source market, contributing 2.79 million arrivals in 2012 – 62% more than in 2011. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is now expecting Chinese arrivals to total 3.26m in 2013.
Meanwhile, a partnership between the TAT and China’s Ministry of Culture has seen 180 performers from seven Chinese provinces to travel to Thailand this Lunar New Year. After shows in Bangkok, the troupe will head to five Thai provinces – Songkhla, Nakhon Sawan, Ratchaburi, Suphanburi and Ayutthaya. In addition, an 11-person media team from China’s state television network, CCTV, has arrived in Thailand to cover the Chinese New Year festivities.
Thailand’s popularity among Chinese tourists has surged recently, following the 2012 release of the popular Chinese movie ‘Lost in Thailand’, which was filmed in the kingdom.