Boats ahoy! Thailand gets ready to welcome more cruise ships
Thailand is working on improving existing ports and building new ones to attract more cruise ship traffic.
Citing the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s data, government spokesman Anucha Buraphachaisri said on Tuesday that cruises are becoming very popular among travellers.
"Some 1,800-2,400 tourists arrive in Thailand on cruise ships, during the October-March high season every year,” he said. Most of these travellers arrived in Thailand on a one-day trip, he added.
Anucha went on to say that records show people travelling on cruise ships spend up to 10 times more than normal tourists. This group of travellers like marine activities, Thai food, spas, cultural performances and shopping for souvenirs, he said.
“To attract more cruise ships, Thailand has set up more ports for the ships to dock,” he said. “We are confident this will generate lots of revenue for Thailand.”
Thailand currently has four main ports where cruise ships can dock. They are Laem Chabang in Chonburi, Phuket, Bangkok and Koh Samui. The government launched a 10-year plan in 2018 to further develop ports and prepare Thailand for cruise ship traffic.
These developments include improving facilities, boosting security as well as amending related laws and regulations.
Anucha, meanwhile, said that Thailand on average generated more than 4.84 billion baht annually from cruise-ship travellers before the pandemic brought things to a standstill.
Apart from opening the country up to cruise ships, Anucha said the government was also targeting the film industry, cultural tourism and soft power.
He said the authorities have collaborated with Netflix to make a travel film under the concept “Uncover Thailand: A Creative Travel Guide”.
“This film will show off-the-beaten-track attractions as well as venues where local and international films and television series had been filmed,” he said. “We believe this film will bring filmmakers and film buffs to Thailand.”
He said the Netflix film will also be a new channel to publicise Thailand and its culture.
Anucha said such all-out promotion of Thailand and its culture will also give people new business opportunities.
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