PUBLISHED : 1 Sep 2024 at 06:53
A surge in tourists to Thailand’s southern region during Malaysia’s National Day, known as Merdeka Day, was expected to contribute about 100 million baht to the local economy.
More than 13,000 Malaysian tourists passed through Songkhla’s Sadao checkpoint on Saturday, and about 5,000 others arrived via the Betong checkpoint in Yala to spend their long holiday in Thailand, according to local officials.
In response to the influx of visitors, two additional lanes at the Sadao checkpoint were opened to take the large number of travellers.
Apart from these immigration checkpoints, many tourists from Malaysia also entered Thailand through Padang Besar and Prakob checkpoints, said local officials. The increase in Malaysian tourists was expected to provide a significant boost to the local economy, amounting to around 100 million baht during their stay.
Songchai Mungprasitthichai, chairman of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, estimated that Malaysian travellers would spend 7,000-8,000 baht per person, generating about 100 million baht for the local economy.
However, he noted a significant decline in tourist numbers overall, observing that the current number of visitors during Merdeka Day was 10 times lower than a decade ago.
Witthaya Sae Lim, a local tour guide in Songkhla, said a large portion of Malaysian visitors were budget-conscious tourists who spent only as necessary and did not use tour guide services.
According to hotel operators in Yala’s Betong, about 95% of more than 4,000 rooms were booked ahead of the holiday, and the influx of tourists was likely to bring tens of millions of baht to the community.
