Rapid recovery from flooding sees Bangkok attractions bustling again

Written/Reported by Liu Jiawen

 

The flooding had minimal impact on Thailand’s tourism infrastructure. Only certain areas of the World Heritage Site in Ayutthaya, central Thailand, were affected and required reconstruction. The floods in Ayutthaya subsided in early November, and the site has since reopened to visitors. During the flooding, the Chao Phraya River’s water level reached 2.55 meters, but it has now returned to normal. Along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, various types of passenger boats can be seen navigating as usual, carrying tourists to enjoy the scenery. The outskirts of Chatuchak Weekend Market were flooded during the crisis, but the market itself was completely unaffected, and it continues to draw large crowds of shoppers.

This flooding had very little impact on Thailand’s tourism infrastructure. Only certain World Heritage landscapes in Ayutthaya Province, central Thailand, were affected, with some areas requiring rebuilding. The floods in Ayutthaya receded in early November, and the area is now open to tourists again. During the flooding, the water level of the Chao Phraya River reached 2.55 meters, but it has since returned to normal. Along the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, various passenger boats can be seen cruising as usual, just like before, carrying tourists to enjoy the scenery. The outer areas of the Chatuchak Weekend Market were flooded during the crisis, but the market interior remained entirely unaffected, and it continues to attract large numbers of shoppers.

Tourist attractions in other parts of Thailand, such as Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, and Chiang Rai in the north; Phuket, Koh Samui, and Krabi in the south; and Pattaya and Hua Hin in the central region, remain unaffected by the flooding and are operating as usual. Visitor numbers remain high. For example, at Phuket International Airport in southern Thailand, arrivals in the first three weeks of November 2011 increased by 30% compared to the same period last year. Additionally, to provide better services for passengers entering and leaving Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, the Tourism Authority of Thailand will implement several new measures from January to August 2012. Key initiatives include deploying 70 staff members working in three daily shifts to reduce immigration queue times, offering customs declaration forms in Chinese, Japanese, and English, arranging 10 golf carts to assist elderly and mobility-impaired travelers within the airport, and providing free Wi-Fi for tourists to access travel information. These efforts aim to make entry and exit procedures smoother for everyone.