Year in Review
MORE VISITORS are coming to Phuket on the decks of classy cruise ships, even if one of the destinations the passengers really enjoy most is Patong after dark.
Some even larger numbers are being predicted for 2008 with the advent of larger cruise liners that will be visiting for the first time.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Carnival Cruise Lines will be docking in Phuket, along with P&O bringing visitors from Europe.
The Tourist Authority of Thailand says 2007 is producing a record number of visitors to Phuket arriving by sea, even higher than the 142,636 who came in 2006.
Adding others who arrived on boats of different sizes took the total of by-sea arrivals for 2006 to 199,690.
Each Thursday, Superstar Gemini docks in Phuket with a cargo of between 400 and 500 consumers.
The Superstar Virgo docks every Tuesday, bringing between 1000 and 2000 people a week.
High season cruises also bring high-rollers galore on cruise ships that include the Funchal, Astor, Silver Shadow, Silver Sea, Marco Polo, Crystal Symphony, Star Flyer and Seaborne Spirit.
About 40 percent of the visiting ships dock off Patong. The rest use the deep sea port.
The director of the TAT, Southern Office, Suwalai Pinpradab, said that tourism by cruise ship was rising every year, and that was encouraging for the promotion of high-end travelers.
The average cruise ship passenger spent about 3500 baht a day, she said.
Phuket was proving to be an increasingly popular destination port, she said. So was Krabi, with its scenic splendor. Most cruises now allowed two days and one night for the region.
Day trips were an economic spin-off because cruise ship passengers usually liked to move around once the ship docked.
Passengers, once generally in retirement or heading that way, were now younger and often included families, she said.
MORE VISITORS are coming to Phuket on the decks of classy cruise ships, even if one of the destinations the passengers really enjoy most is Patong after dark.
Some even larger numbers are being predicted for 2008 with the advent of larger cruise liners that will be visiting for the first time.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Carnival Cruise Lines will be docking in Phuket, along with P&O bringing visitors from Europe.
The Tourist Authority of Thailand says 2007 is producing a record number of visitors to Phuket arriving by sea, even higher than the 142,636 who came in 2006.
Adding others who arrived on boats of different sizes took the total of by-sea arrivals for 2006 to 199,690.
Each Thursday, Superstar Gemini docks in Phuket with a cargo of between 400 and 500 consumers.
The Superstar Virgo docks every Tuesday, bringing between 1000 and 2000 people a week.
High season cruises also bring high-rollers galore on cruise ships that include the Funchal, Astor, Silver Shadow, Silver Sea, Marco Polo, Crystal Symphony, Star Flyer and Seaborne Spirit.
About 40 percent of the visiting ships dock off Patong. The rest use the deep sea port.
The director of the TAT, Southern Office, Suwalai Pinpradab, said that tourism by cruise ship was rising every year, and that was encouraging for the promotion of high-end travelers.
The average cruise ship passenger spent about 3500 baht a day, she said.
Phuket was proving to be an increasingly popular destination port, she said. So was Krabi, with its scenic splendor. Most cruises now allowed two days and one night for the region.
Day trips were an economic spin-off because cruise ship passengers usually liked to move around once the ship docked.
Passengers, once generally in retirement or heading that way, were now younger and often included families, she said.
