Tourism in Thailand

Southern Thailand

The region is located on the Malacca Peninsula in the southern part of the country. In the east, the coast is washed by the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand , and in the west by the Andaman Sea . The axial part of the peninsula is occupied by mountain ranges, divided by small valleys, and the coastal territory has a flat relief. Most of the south is covered with wooded hills interspersed with plantations of tropical fruits and rubber trees .

The beginning of the development of the tourism industry dates back to the 1970s, when the first bungalows began to appear here, however, a real boom occurred in the 1990s , which spurred the development of the industry in this region. Today, the main resorts that specialize in mass tourism are located on the islands of Phuket and Samui , known for their white sand beaches, lagoons, waterfalls, coral reefs and coconut palms . The most famous beaches: Chaweng, Lamai, Nathon, Bophut, Taling Ngam, Menam, Big Buddha, Hua Thanon, Bang Po, Chöeng Mon, Bang Kao and Lipa Noi. Hua Hin , located relatively close to Bangkok , is gaining more and more popularity.

On December 26, 2004, the western coast of the peninsula, in particular the island of Phuket, was hit by a tsunami caused by an earthquake at the bottom of the Indian Ocean . Several hundred people died here, including foreign tourists. Almost all of the main beaches on the west coast, especially Kamala, Patong , Karon and Kata , were heavily damaged. Hotels on the southern beaches of the island were also affected. During the year, hotel owners were engaged in the restoration of their infrastructure and by 2005 the flow of tourists returned to the previous level.

Central Thailand

This region is located in the valley of the Chauphrai River, as well as the adjacent mountain belt along with part of the Malay Peninsula. A large part of the population is concentrated here, as well as major enterprises, major transport highways and historical and cultural attractions. The center of the region is the city of Bangkok - the capital of the Kingdom of Thailand. The city is surrounded on all sides by canals, towers and walls. Here are the palace of the king and vice-king, as well as numerous monasteries: Wat Pho (Temple of the Sleeping Buddha) is known for the image of the Buddha in anticipation of achieving nirvana, his largest image in this position (the statue reaches 46 m in length and 15 m in height ); nearby is Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), considered the most sacred place in Thailand; at Wat Ratchanadda Temple, there is the only iron building of Buddhist architecture in Bangkok. The tourist infrastructure of Bangkok is designed for a large number of vacationers, of various interests and affluence. Most hotels are located in the city center, including the oldest Orient Bangkok, built in 1887 . ^[one]

South of Bangkok is one of the most important Thai resorts - Pattaya . This small town is visited annually by up to 5.5 million tourists from Europe and East Asia. Almost the entire coastal strip is occupied by beaches, on which numerous hotel complexes are built. Not far from the city there are several crocodile, tiger, elephant farms, where various shows with the participation of animals are constantly arranged. There is also Madame Nong Nooch Botanical Garden with one of the most beautiful orchid park in Southeast Asia. Directly in the city is a park of miniature copies of the world sights of Mini Siam .

Northern Thailand

The north of the country and part of the northeast are mountains covered with forests and dotted with small lakes. Large areas are given under numerous national parks and reserves. The region is interesting primarily for those who come to Thailand to engage in active tourism: trekking, rafting , mountain climbing , etc.

Northeast Thailand

This part of the country is a mountain plateau of Korat , located at an altitude of 300 m above sea level, inhabited mainly by ethnic Lao . In economic terms, the provinces of Northeast Thailand are quite poor and practically do not participate in the mass tourism industry. The only recreational resources that attract tourists and travelers here are natural attractions and the culture of local residents, with their holidays, festivals, and crafts.

Thailand Tourism Authority

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has been operating since March 18, 1960. TAT was the first organization to actively engage in promoting Thailand in the global tourism markets. Currently, about 29 local offices of the Tourism Authority and more than 21 representative offices around the world work in Thailand. Since 2015, the head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand has been Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn.

The Moscow representative office of the Thai Tourism Authority ^[2] was opened in April 2008 with the aim of developing tourist ties between Thailand and the CIS countries, popularizing Thailand's tourism opportunities, after the entry into force of the Russian-Thai visa-free travel agreement (March 23, 2007), providing for the possibility of visa-free stay of Russians with tourist purposes in Thailand and Thai people in Russia for up to 30 days ^[3] . The representative office carried out its activities in the Russian Federation , as well as nine other post-Soviet countries ^[4] Since 2008, the number of Russian tourists visiting Thailand has increased tenfold, exceeding a million people in 2016 ^[5] .

Associations and government organizations

• The Thai Hotel Association (THA) was established in 1963. Currently, with a total of 778 members, hotels for rating purposes are classified into 11 groups depending on location.
• The Thai Association of Travel Agencies (Association of Thai travel agencies - ATTA) is a non-profit organization established in 1968 with about one and a half thousand members.
• The Thai Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) is the main organization representing participants in the exhibition business.
• Tourist police . To facilitate and assist foreigners, the Thai government has created a separate tourist police with branches in major recreation centers.

Tourism Information Resources and Travel Guides

Among the Russian-language information resources devoted to tourism in Thailand, one can note the official website of the Russian branch of TAT and the related website of the TAT Academy, aimed at tourism professionals, as well as a Sky-sea-sun guide directly to tourists in Thailand.

TAT Academy In May 2009, the Moscow office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand launched the TAT Academy project ^[6] , the purpose of which is to provide specialists with information about Thailand and its tourism infrastructure. Currently, the “TAT Academy” is an educational resource for specialists involved in the development of relations with Thailand, and provides the opportunity, after passing an online course of two three-month semesters, and passing the test, to receive a TAT certificate.

The beginning of mass tourism in Thailand can be traced back to the 1960s, when the country played the role of the rear for the American soldiers who fought in Vietnam . Large military bases were located here, as well as vacation spots for US military personnel.

Since the late 1960s, mass construction of hotels, bars, massage parlors, and related tourism infrastructure began in the south of Thailand . At the same time, numerous travel agencies began to open, which arranged excursions to the most important sights. The soldiers who returned home after the war returned to Thailand with their families and spent their holidays here.

Today, Thailand is one of the main tourist centers in Southeast Asia . The number of tourists visiting the country increased from 400 thousand in 1967 to 32.5 million in 2016. According to the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The ten leaders in the direction of tourists to Thailand in 2016 included:

• 1. China - 8 874 887 people
• 2. Malaysia - 3,525,018 people
• 3. The Republic of Korea - 1,475,520 people
• 4. Japan - 1 438 850 people
• 5. Laos - 1,402,444 people
• 6. India - 1,182,521 people
• 7. Russia - 1,059,388 people
• 8. Great Britain - 1 004 689 people
• 9. Singapore - 972 184 people
• 10. USA - 964 074 people

The average length of stay of foreign guests, as of 2016, was 9.5 days, while tourists brought an income of up to 48 billion US dollars.

The main competitors are countries such as Vietnam , China, India, Malaysia. The peak of activity falls on the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Tourists from Russia prefer the southern part of Thailand with its beaches and islands, as well as Pattaya, Koh Samui. A feature of tourism in Thailand is the ever-increasing number of people coming from the northern latitudes for a long-term “wintering”. Usually they stay in Thailand from November to April, that is, the most climatically favorable season.

• Halal tourism

  Travel Guide Thailand at Wikiguide

• The official website for tourism in Thailand
• Tourism Authority of Thailand (Neopr.) . The Russian representation of the Thai tourist organization . Date of treatment November 16, 2017.
• From today, visas to Thailand for Russian citizens have been canceled (neopr.) . Newspaper.Ru (March 23, 2007). Date of treatment July 25, 2014.
• In Thailand, according to the results of 2016, a million tourists from Russia are waiting (neopr.) . Interfax (09/23/2016). Date of treatment November 16, 2017.
• Website of Thailand Association of Hotels
• The impact of the political crisis on tourism in Thailand 04/23/2009 (German)