The Ministry of Maritime Affairs has chosen Pattaya for the construction of Thailand's first cruise terminal. With an estimated budget of 6 to 7 billion baht, the project will strengthen the country's maritime tourism capacity. The plan, financed through a public-private partnership, has already gone through local and provincial referenda and various rounds of consultation. The future government will ultimately decide on the realization of the project.
The Thai Marine Department confirmed today that the Dutch cruise ship Westerdam has not yet applied for permission to enter Thailand. The ship has previously been denied entry by three other countries due to fears of coronavirus infections on board.
Update Coronavirus (7): Passengers Dutch cruise ship are not allowed to disembark in Thailand
The passengers of the Dutch cruise ship Westerdam are not allowed to disembark in Thailand for fear of the corona virus. The Westerdam left Hong Kong on 1 February. The cruise ship was previously refused in the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan for fear of contamination. It then sailed to Thailand and wanted to dock in Chon Buri, but the cruise ship is not welcome there.
Cruise ship runs aground at Pattaya
Strong winds have recently hit the coast on the Gulf of Thailand. People were advised not to go into the sea at Sattahip. And on ships it was recommended to wear life jackets. A curious advice, because the latter would already be mandatory.
Phuket wants to make money from cruise ships docking
Cruise ships are attractive to boost tourism and Phuket therefore wants them to dock in the ports. The ship's 2.000 to 3.000 passengers spend an average of 6.000 baht a day once they're ashore, according to a study by the National Institute of Development Administration's (Nida) Graduate School of Tourism Management.
Thailand wants to attract more luxury cruise ships
The Thai government wants to attract more luxury cruise ships. Especially the passengers are interesting because they are on average wealthier than other tourists and therefore also spend more money ashore. Cruise ship passengers spend an average of 6.174 baht per day compared to 4.000 baht for normal tourists.
13 killed in cruise ship disaster near Ayutthaya
A cruise ship with mostly Muslims on board sank in the Chao Phraya River near Ayutthaya yesterday after hitting a concrete pile. Thirteen people died and 39 were injured. An unknown number of people on board are missing.
Cruise ships from Thailand
More and more cruise ships call at Thailand. There are also opportunities to make cruises from Laem Chabang, near Pattaya. Between December and March there are regular cruises on the beautiful AIDAbella ship.
More and more cruise ships call at Thailand
More and more international cruise lines see Thailand as an emerging destination, presenting a great opportunity for the tourism and service industry to offer Thai hospitality in this relatively new segment.