Thousands of Malaysians arrive in Songkhla and Yala to enjoy long weekend
PUBLISHED : 31 Aug 2024 at 20:01
A surge of Malaysian tourists to southern Thailand during the current Merdeka Day long weekend is expected to contribute about 100 million baht to the local economy.
More than 13,000 Malaysian tourists passed through the Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla on Saturday, and about 5,000 arrived via Betong in Yala to spend their National Day break in Thailand, according to local officials.
Two additional lanes at the Sadao checkpoint were opened to accommodate the large number of travellers. Many other tourists from Malaysia also entered the country via Padang Besar and Prakob, said local officials.
Songchai Mungprasitthichai, chairman of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, estimated that Malaysian travellers would spend 7,000 to 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 as much as 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 guide services.
According to hotel operators in Betong district of Yala, about 95% of the 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.