Air travelers flock to Thailand for Songkran celebrations

At least 2.69 million tourists are expected to arrive in Thailand on 16,000 flights during the water-splashing Songkran festival, according to the Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT).
Several airlines will increase flights to Bangkok April 9-18. Flights via Suvarnabhumi airport will be boosted from 802 flights/day to 844 flights/day through the Thai New Year festival, comprised of 682 international flights and 162 domestic flights.
Passengers using the airport during Songkran will increase from around 157,000 persons/day to 164,000 persons/day.
Don Mueang airport, which provides budget airline service, will be equally busy with 370 flights/day, up from the normal 320 flights/day.
Passenger traffic will rise to about 50,000 persons/day from the regular 45,000 persons/day, the AoT said.
Phuket airport in Thailand’s south will see 191 flights/day over the holiday period, an increase from the normal 170 flights/day, while passengers will increase from 27,000 persons/day to 30,000 persons/day.
At Chiang Mai airport in the north of Thailand, 128 flights will tread the runway each day during the festival. Normal traffic at the airport is 120 flights/day. Passengers will increase from 13,800 persons/day to 14,600 persons/day. (MCOT)
 

Survey: Thai consumer confidence index highest in 7 years

Thailand’s consumer confidence index in March escalated for the fifth straight month to 84.8, the highest level in seven years, an academic research centre announced last week.
The Economic and Business Forecast Centre of the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC) unveiled a rosy prediction of Thai and global economy - a positive trend for investment in Thailand with contributions from the government’s Bt2 trillion infrastructure development and improved exports and tourism.
The centre said consumers are, however, concerned with the risks of the global economic situation and surging cost of living.
If the government speeds up its budget spending to stimulate the domestic economic system, the kingdom’s economy should grow at a minimum of five percent, it said.
In its survey of 1,183 people nationwide on their consumption during the coming Songkran festival, 46.8 percent are optimistic that the annual event will be as joyful and fun-filled as ever, 66.5 percent plan to take trips to their home provinces or for holiday, 81.1 percent will travel domestically and overseas and 18.9 percent take trips to Hong Kong, China, Japan and South Korea.
An estimated Bt114.119 billion will be circulated during Songkran, an increase of 10.42 percent, according to the centre. (MCOT)

OTOP trading value grows 80% in a decade

The sales volume of Thailand’s grassroots products, valued at over Bt100 billion last year, has surged more than 80 percent since the inception of the project in 2002, the commerce minister said this week.
Boonsong Teriyapirom said the Commerce Ministry predicted the trading value of merchandise from the government-initiated One Tambon One Product (OTOP) project to double in the next five years.
OTOP goods currently represent 10-20 percent of the country’s total exports.
The ministry recently signed an agreement with the Thai Retailers Association to expand retailing channels for OTOP products, more of which will consequently be available at leading department stores nationwide.
Boonsong said the OTOP project is one of the government’s significant policies in supporting grassroots industries and upgrading them to small- and medium-scale enterprises.
The goal is to boost and improve community production of grassroots merchandise to be recognized in domestic and international markets, he said.
He said major retailers in Thailand have extended cooperation and advised small- and medium-sized manufacturers on trading channels. (MCOT)