Passenger Traffic in Thailand to Hit Record High by November 2011
According to Airports Authority of Thailand (AOT), a historical record number of 65 million passengers are expected to use Thailand's airports by November 2011. Mr Nirandra Theeranartsin, Senior Executive Vice President and Acting President of AOT, said that 418,000 flights are forecast - an 8% increase from the previous year. These are AOT's highest statistics to date.
Currently, AOT operates six airports in Thailand; Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Don Mueang, Hat Yai and Suvarnabhumi. Based on AOT's statistics, the passengers who use the six airports are mainly from Russia, South Korea and China. For the past eight months, the number of passengers had reached 44.77 million.
To accommodate the increasing passenger rate, AOT plans to construct an international passenger terminal at Phuket International Airport. Upon completion of the terminal in September 2011, the airport will be able to accommodate 7.96 million passengers as compared to its current 6.5 million capacity.
Prior to the unrest, many Russians favored Egypt as their holiday destination of choice; in February 2010 Egypt received 1,100,000 tourists compared with just 221,000 in February 2011, a decrease of 80%. Egypt holiday makers are now opting for safer destination like Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain and Thailand. Thailand will especially benefit as annually Egypt attracts around 2.8 million tourists from Russia alone.
Now that the political unrest in Thailand is under control and is considered safe, people are once again attracted to this beautiful country and especially the island of Phuket. The welcoming Thai hospitality, white powder sand beaches and Thai cuisine are of course some of the main reasons travelers flock to this part of Asia, as well as fantastic diving and snorkeling and a great all year round climate.
"The rise in passenger traffic will increase the demand for hotels in Phuket and boost tourism," commented Chris Comer, CEO of Castlewood Group, a commercial real estate developer based in Singapore.
The 8over8 hotel, a project by Castlewood Group, will be situated in Phuket, near the beautiful Bang Tao Beach and Laguna Resort. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2012, the opening of this highly anticipated Hotel will coincide with the launch of 8over8 Hotels in Bali and also Koh Samui, and more planned.
Currently, AOT operates six airports in Thailand; Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Don Mueang, Hat Yai and Suvarnabhumi. Based on AOT's statistics, the passengers who use the six airports are mainly from Russia, South Korea and China. For the past eight months, the number of passengers had reached 44.77 million.
To accommodate the increasing passenger rate, AOT plans to construct an international passenger terminal at Phuket International Airport. Upon completion of the terminal in September 2011, the airport will be able to accommodate 7.96 million passengers as compared to its current 6.5 million capacity.
Prior to the unrest, many Russians favored Egypt as their holiday destination of choice; in February 2010 Egypt received 1,100,000 tourists compared with just 221,000 in February 2011, a decrease of 80%. Egypt holiday makers are now opting for safer destination like Turkey, Bulgaria, Spain and Thailand. Thailand will especially benefit as annually Egypt attracts around 2.8 million tourists from Russia alone.
Now that the political unrest in Thailand is under control and is considered safe, people are once again attracted to this beautiful country and especially the island of Phuket. The welcoming Thai hospitality, white powder sand beaches and Thai cuisine are of course some of the main reasons travelers flock to this part of Asia, as well as fantastic diving and snorkeling and a great all year round climate.
"The rise in passenger traffic will increase the demand for hotels in Phuket and boost tourism," commented Chris Comer, CEO of Castlewood Group, a commercial real estate developer based in Singapore.
The 8over8 hotel, a project by Castlewood Group, will be situated in Phuket, near the beautiful Bang Tao Beach and Laguna Resort. Scheduled for completion by the end of 2012, the opening of this highly anticipated Hotel will coincide with the launch of 8over8 Hotels in Bali and also Koh Samui, and more planned.
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