Sueksit Suwandissakul, president of the Thai Hotels Association (Southern Chapter), said recently that hotels in Phuket reported about 40 per cent occupancy rate in the first six months of the year. However, he said only half of the 1,500 registered hotels and rental properties are actually open for business.
“Most hostels and small hotels are still shut as they target mostly foreign visitors, but this group has only bounced back by 20 per cent compared to before the pandemic,” he said.
Sueksit believes hotel occupancy in the South will rise in the second half of the year, though foreign arrivals may not increase significantly. This is because China is still prohibiting its citizens from travelling overseas, except students and those for whom it is necessary.
“As the economy starts recovering in the second half, I hope to see more hotels reopening. This will also be a good time…
