The TAT and PBTA will try to drive Pattaya’s
economic revival by focusing on bringing Chinese and Russian tourists back to
the city.
Jetsada Homklin
The Tourism Authority of Thailand will try to drive Pattaya’s economic
revival by focusing on high-end hotel offerings, golf and festivals to bring
Chinese and Russian tourists back to the city.
Speaking at the Pattaya Business & Tourism Association’s Nov. 12 meeting, TAT
Pattaya Director Suladda Sarutilavan said targeting the high-end of the market
will do the most to bring revenue to the city.
Key to attracting tourists, she said will be events over the next year like the
International Fireworks Competition, Pattaya Countdown, Songkran and the Pattaya
Grand Sale.
“These events are the festivals that can attract foreign tourists into Pattaya,
which will generate an enormous amount of income for Thailand,” she said.
PBTA board member Thanes Supornsahatrangsi suggested that TAT spend more time on
strengthening the Indian and Thai tourism markets. He also said more needs to be
done to win back the Asian and Russian tourists from Vietnam and neighboring
countries, which have gained at Thailand’s expense.
PBTA President Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn said Russian tourists increasingly
have gone to Vietnam, Cambodia and other countries due to Thailand’s turbulent
politics, crime against Russians in Pattaya and overall economics.
He said a way to win back their business was to promote high-end hotel products,
golf tours and events.
Banglamung District Chief Sakchai Taengho suggested what Pattaya and the PBTA
needed was a good website that people liked and could book inexpensive hotel
packages online easily.
