Pattaya planned to be Asia’s marine tourism centre

PATTAYA, CHON BURI, Sept 22 (TNA) -- Authorities plan to develop Pattaya to be Asia’s marine tourism hub as the 6th Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show will be organised here expectedly to generate about 2 billion baht of tourism-related income. Nithee Seephrae, tourist product promotion director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said Pattaya had the potential to be a marine tourism hub because it stood in the Gulf of Thailand, conveniently connected to neighboring countries and could welcome visitors all year long. Besides, yachts can be docked in Pattaya for up to a year. With the quality, Pattaya was likely to be Asia’s marine tourism hub to promote national tourism and distribute income to local residents. Mr Nithee said that in the first half of this year Pattana welcomed about 8 million visitors whose spending rose 15% year-on-year. Theerachai Pipitsupapol, managing director of Ocean Property Co, said more Thai tourists were chartering boats. In the first half of this year about 18,000 tourists left the Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Pattaya for islands every month. The traffic rose by 20% year-on-year, he said. He hoped that the 6th Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show would promote the Gulf of Thailand as a destination of luxury boats and generated at least 2 billion baht of tourism income in the East. The boat show will gather yachts of leading brands priced at 1-200 million baht as well as marine tourist services and related products. Free yacht trips will be available there. The show is set at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club on Nov 23-26 and expected to draw about 6,000 local and international visitors. (TNA)