SMALL PHANG NGA HOTELS ARE THROWING IN THE TOWEL

       More than 100 small hotels and resorts in Phang Nga are up for sale, while many in the area and other parts of the South have already closed down following the lack of visitors, says Phang Nga Tourism Association president Krit Srifa.
       The Casuarina Hotel in Patong, in Phuket province, has already been bought by a new investor, and the downturn has spread to tour operators, he said. While the Andaman Princess, the best-known cruise liner in the country has stopped running, Sea Tran Travel is temporarily halting operations.
       "The problem is they [the operators] cannot obtain loans from banks, which are concerned about non-performing loans and the risk of natural disasters. Many hotels are disappointed with the government's assistance measures," Krit said, adding that since the December 26, 2004 tsunami, Khao Lak had never been rebuilt as a world-class destination.
       Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA) president Surapol Sritrakul said small tour operators had been forced out of business, due to a lack of visitors. The luckier ones are selling out to bigger operators.
       "ATTA members are close to the market, and they know inbound tourism will not recover this year, so they're unable to stay in business," Surapol said.
       The ATTA expects tourist arrivals to fall from 14 million last year to 11.5 million this year.
       Many hotels and tour operators are hoping to generate business at the Discovery Thailand Fair, which runs from Thursday until Sunday in the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok.
       The Thai Hotels Association also plans to host a seminar tomorrow and Wednesday entitled "A Bright New Future: The Vision for Asean Hospitality". Experts will speak about tourism strategies.
       Marketing Association of Thailand president Somboon Prasit-jutrakul yesterday said the Kingdom's tourism industry had already declined more than 70 per cent year on year. He said it would be very difficult for the industry to recover, because there were so many negative factors, including political unrest.