CHINESE New Year is set to boost Phuket's business this year, and flower sellers are happy to have Valentine's Day as part of the Year of the Tiger celebrations.
As a bonus, one of Phuket's most sophisticated resorts, the Andara Resort and Villas in Kamala, is holding its grand opening on Saturday night.
It's an event that may be a little different in tone to the first of a series of Patong beach parties, scheduled to run from 7pm until 2am.
The beach parties on Patong, to be held every month from now on, are likely to rekindle complaints about late night noise from nearby residents.
This weekend, an influx of tourists looking to enjoy their four-day getaway is seen as a sorely needed bonus for Phuket before the low season arrives in April.
The regional Tourism Authority of Thailand office believes it will be worth 500 million baht.
Koreans and Japanese have made a beeline for the JW Marriott at Mai Khao, where Marketing Communications Manager Chantanut Kaewphet reports that the resort is close to 100 percent occupied.
Rates start at 7000 baht a night and rise to 17,000 baht.
Further south at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa in Karon, Marketing Communications Manager Nampetch Tipaxsorn said: ''It's definitely better than last Chinese New Year.''
The island's largest resort, with around 700 rooms available, will be hosting guests who are mostly from Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
As with many other resorts, the Hilton was planning on indulging visitors who wanted to enjoy the best of the new year, mixed with the romance of Valentine's Day.
At Absolute Patong Ville, in the island's tourist heartland, Marketing Manager Chanjira Sawangwit said they expected some special requests from guests for Valentine's Day and would be happy to help where they could.
Bookings were running at 50 to 60 percent, she said, an improvement on Chinese New Year in 2009.
All three florists in a Phuketwan survey agreed that requests for Valentine's Day were running above last year - and the flowers were more expensive, too.
One flower seller, Boonchai Saithun, of Florist Shop, in Thepkasattri Road, Phuket City, reported sales that were already 10 times those of last year.
Orders are up, agreed Malai Porn and Catreeya Florists, also in Phuket City.
Andara, Smooth as Silk and a Cut Above the RestAs a bonus, one of Phuket's most sophisticated resorts, the Andara Resort and Villas in Kamala, is holding its grand opening on Saturday night.
It's an event that may be a little different in tone to the first of a series of Patong beach parties, scheduled to run from 7pm until 2am.
The beach parties on Patong, to be held every month from now on, are likely to rekindle complaints about late night noise from nearby residents.
This weekend, an influx of tourists looking to enjoy their four-day getaway is seen as a sorely needed bonus for Phuket before the low season arrives in April.
The regional Tourism Authority of Thailand office believes it will be worth 500 million baht.
Koreans and Japanese have made a beeline for the JW Marriott at Mai Khao, where Marketing Communications Manager Chantanut Kaewphet reports that the resort is close to 100 percent occupied.
Rates start at 7000 baht a night and rise to 17,000 baht.
Further south at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa in Karon, Marketing Communications Manager Nampetch Tipaxsorn said: ''It's definitely better than last Chinese New Year.''
The island's largest resort, with around 700 rooms available, will be hosting guests who are mostly from Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
As with many other resorts, the Hilton was planning on indulging visitors who wanted to enjoy the best of the new year, mixed with the romance of Valentine's Day.
At Absolute Patong Ville, in the island's tourist heartland, Marketing Manager Chanjira Sawangwit said they expected some special requests from guests for Valentine's Day and would be happy to help where they could.
Bookings were running at 50 to 60 percent, she said, an improvement on Chinese New Year in 2009.
All three florists in a Phuketwan survey agreed that requests for Valentine's Day were running above last year - and the flowers were more expensive, too.
One flower seller, Boonchai Saithun, of Florist Shop, in Thepkasattri Road, Phuket City, reported sales that were already 10 times those of last year.
Orders are up, agreed Malai Porn and Catreeya Florists, also in Phuket City.
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