Malaysians flock to southern Thailand for holidays, spend estimated RM36mil
KOTA BARU: The Merdeka Day and school holidays have drawn Malaysians to southern Thailand, with an estimated RM36 million expected to be spent there over five days.
During the Malaysian national holidays and school break, an estimated RM36 million is projected to be spent by Malaysians in southern Thailand over five days, according to the Thailand-Asean Halal Trade and Tourism Association (Tahta) president Aida Oujeh. Around 60,000 Malaysians are expected to cross into the region from August 29 until the following day.
Based on an average spending of RM600 per person, Malaysian tourists are expected to contribute roughly RM36 million to the local economy through shopping, dining, accommodation, and leisure activities. Popular destinations include Hat Yai, Phatthalung, Satun, Betong, Bangkok, and Krabi. Hotels in these areas are nearly fully booked, indicating a high demand from Malaysian tourists.
The busiest entry points are Danok, Padang Besar, Wang Kelian, and Betong. Despite a recent incident involving 17 Malaysian motorcyclists who received traffic summonses in Hat Yai, the strong tourist flow has positively impacted businesses in southern Thailand, including hotels, restaurants, shopping outlets, and tourism operators.
This indicates that a recent call for a boycott following the incident did not significantly deter Malaysian travel to Thailand during the holiday season.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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