Thailand News

Thailand News

Worst Flooding In Nearly A Decade

Chiang Mai Is Back In Business After Suffering From The Worst Flooding In Nearly A Decade 

On the night of September 27th, 2011, Thailand's second largest city was affected by some of the worst flooding seen in almost a decade. The Ping River overflowed it's banks flooding the surrounding areas with the water reaching nearly 2 meters high in the Night Bazaar area as well as Nong Hoi. Many of Chiang Mai's most prestigious hotels were forced to evacuate guests, ferrying people in and out of the hotel using small boats. The legendary bar district at Loi Kroh was flooded halfway down the street, the rumor is that the rising water levels were causing some of the bar girls to dance on tables, however apparently none of the customers complained, they simply carried on as if this was business as usual.

It will take a lot more than a little water to dampen the spirits of the local people 

The following day it became clear that there was significant damage caused by the floods, not only financial damage but also 4 people tragically lost their lives when their village was hit by flood waters from a nearby hillside run-off. The estimated cost of the damage incurred to local businesses including lost revenue is expected to exceed one billion THB. Despite the flooding in the heart of the city, the mood remained upbeat, with people carrying on with their lives and acting as if it was all in a day's work. Chiang Mai is no stranger to floods, over the years The Ping River has breached it's banks on many occasions, but this has been the worst flooding the city has seen since 2000. 

It will take a lot more than a little water to dampen the spirits of the local people. Thailand is known as "The Land Of Smiles", and when you see the way Thai people remain strong in the face of adversity, picking up and moving on, all while keeping that beaming smile on their face, you can really understand where the slogan comes from. While the areas around Ping River and the Night Bazaar in the center of the city remained flooded for almost 3 days, the local people never missed a beat, children playing in the waist deep water, vendors selling their goods from makeshift tables in front of their flooded shops, all the while everyone kept a smile on their face. 

On September 30, 2011, the flood waters receded, and before the last drops of water had dried, the Night Bazaar was open for business. The street vendors were wheeling out their carts, hotels were cleaning out their lobbies, restaurants and shops were sweeping their storefronts and life slowly began to get back to normal in Chiang Mai. Now more than a week later, floods are affecting cities and provinces around the country, however the city of Chiang Mai is moving on, business as usual, with the water levels back to normal and cleanup underway, Chiang Mai is back in business. 

The strong will and resilience shown by the people of Chiang Mai is likely to be repeated by Thai people in the towns and provinces that are now dealing with floods that are forcing people from their homes around the country. The way the people have joined together to help each other and look after the interests of the community is a testament to what it means to be Thai. The country of Thailand can be proud of the way that the citizens of Chiang Mai have shown strength and determination in dealing with this natural disaster. 

Foreign Investors Gain Confidence

Foreign Investors Gain Confidence In Thailand's Growing Political Stability

Despite the well documented political turmoil in recent years, Thailand's economy has held it's own. Amidst a firestorm of political unrest and violent clashes between protesters and government troops, Thailand's currency remained rock solid. Foreign investment in property has remained strong, and with the seemingly encouraging signs of growing political stability, looks to be gaining momentum. Thailand enjoyed overwhelming economic success during the tenure of the controversial prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, with one of Southeast Asia's strongest economies averaging growth of 5.7% GDP per year. 

With the growing uncertainty in the euro-zone, investors may find Thailand and Southeast Asia a more attractive place to invest

In July of 2011, Thailand elected their first ever female prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra the sister of exiled former leader Thaksin. There are plenty of reasons for optimism regarding Thailand's future, with a stable political climate an increase in growth is expected. The Thai stock index surged shortly after the election, with investors showing confidence in what appears to be a stable democratically elected government. Now a few months after the election, the belief is that the current government will spur a rise in foreign investment, and economic growth. 

Thailand's property market is on the rise in 2011, with the price of detached homes up by over 12%. The value of residential land has also been on the rise, with an increase of more than 13%. Condominiums located on or near mass transit routes are expected to rise modestly in value by just 5% in 2011. There has also been a significant increase in demand for rental property in Pattaya. Political stability could spell a positive future for property development and real estate prices in Thailand.

With the growing uncertainty in the euro-zone, investors may find Thailand and Southeast Asia a more attractive place to invest. The future looks bright for Thailand, and despite the troubles in Europe and The United States, Thailand's economy remains strong. The current government is expected to bring peace and stability that will encourage overseas investors, and bring the economy back to where it was during the reign of Thaksin. In the early days since Yingluck's victory in the July election, all signs seem to indicate that Thailand is emerging stronger than ever, however only time will tell.

There are still plenty of questions looming, the potential return of exiled former prime minister Thaksin, is a sensitive issue that his sister Yingluck will have to tackle carefully. The rumors of Thaksin's return have been floating around even prior to the election, and even some of Yingluck's supporters feel that it might be best for Thailand that Thaksin remain in exile. It is unlikely for Thaksin to return unless a deal is reached that won't have a negative impact on Thailand's political future and stability of government. While issues such as royal succession and a potential return of Thaksin threaten to rock the boat, it is more than likely that the economic future of Thailand will remain strong. The current government enjoys strong support from the people, and all indications are that the political climate will remain stable for the near future. 

Amazing Thailand

Amazing Thailand Set To Become 'Miracle Thailand' - TAT Predicts 30 Million Annual Visitors

The Tourism Authority Of Thailand (TAT) has announced it's new campaign "The Miracle Years of Amazing Thailand," an aggressive marketing scheme designed to double the amount of annual visitors by 2014. At first glance, many have suggested that indeed it would require a "miracle", in order to achieve such a bold prediction. When you look at the past success of the "Amazing Thailand" campaign, through years of political unrest and several challenging setbacks, perhaps there is reason to be optimistic about the chance of them achieving their target.

It won't require a miracle for Thailand to see a dramatic growth in annual visitors

Despite dealing with issues such as the 2004 South Asian Tsunami, SARS, a global financial crisis in 2008,and years of violent political protests, the number of annual tourist arrivals has gone from just over 10 million in 2003, to over 15 million in 2010. The TAT is expecting that expanding markets such as Chinese and Russian tour groups will result in as many as 30 million annual visitors by 2014. With what appears to be a more stable political climate, it seems that a significant rise in tourism numbers is more than likely.

With a budget of over 16 million USD, the TAT is sponsoring world events such as Formula One, the Sao Paolo Snow Festival and the Australian Open golf championship. They will also continue the policy of waiving visa fees for selected countries in order to promote more visitors. Thai holidays and festivals such as Songkran and Loy Krathong will also be aggressively promoted to draw more tourists. Such strategies have yielded success in the past, and Thais seem to be firm in the belief that "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".

It remains to be seen if the TAT can reach their target number of 30 million visitors, however even if they were to fall short of their expectations, the tourism industry of Thailand is poised to enjoy tremendous success in the coming years. The affordable accommodation and relatively low cost of food and entertainment combined with world renowned nightlife is unrivaled by other countries in Southeast Asia. Thailand is only gaining in popularity, and there is no end in sight when it comes to the increase in annual visitors.

With what is considered to be some of the world's best beaches, friendliest locals and a warm climate year round, Thailand will look to be the most popular destination in Southeast Asia for the years to come. Vietnam is perhaps Thailand's stiffest competition, with equally beautiful beaches and an even more affordable cost of living, however Vietnam is at least 20 years behind, and Thailand has much more to offer to most tourists. It won't require a miracle for Thailand to see a dramatic growth in annual visitors, barring a catastrophe, it seems to be inevitable.