The Growth of Golf In Thailand
By Jason Bobby Butler
The dramatic growth of Golf tourism in Thailand shows few signs of abating, with Tourism Authority of Thailand forecasts for the current year suggesting that some 3% of total inbound visitors - around 600,000 visitors - will arrive on Thai shores in search of a golfing fix at the Kingdom's premier golf destinations; Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
With golfers spending on average three times more than their fellow visitors, the boost to the local economy is dramatic, driving the value of inbound golf tourism to Thailand towards the landmark US $2billion mark.
External political factors and natural disasters that have put pressure on the industry in the past, have been removed from the equation, leaving the golf industry free to harvest the fruits of its combined efforts.
And harvest it has. The Kingdom's leading golf courses have all reported higher year-on-year bookings for 2012 to date and if the trend continues, last year's golf related tourist arrival figure of 500,000 visitors will be eclipsed by an additional 100,000 visitors, sinking an extra 3 billion Thai baht into the local economy.
"There has been a dramatic improvement (in tourist arrivals)," said Prasertchai Phornprapha, managing director of Siam Country Club, near Thailand's coastal resort city of Pattaya.
"When there is peace in Thailand it is the destination of choice because of its culture and value for money," he added before going on to claim that the course has budgeted for 50,000 foreign golfers during the current year, half its total fee-paying guests.
Thailand's foothold as the premier golf destination in Asia will be further strengthened and the increase in arrivals will bring global market leader Spain - with 100 million golf tourists a year - into sight. Competitive pricing and guaranteed year-round golf are just two of the factors that have extinguished the treats of traditional golf 'powerhouse' destinations of the US, Ireland, Australia, England and even the home of golf Scotland.
Nationals from these countries have continued to overlook their home market and head for the warmer climes of Thailand. The strong Aussie dollar has encouraged an influx of Australian visitors during their winter months - coinciding with the local off-peak tourist season - while the faltering European economies has had little impact on visitors from Europe - who favour visits during the November to March high season.
And this pace of growth shows little sign of abating. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Sport, Chumpol Silpa-archa, has targeted to double foreign inbound arrivals in the next 3 years, to reach a figure of 30 million foreign inbound tourists by 2015, with an expected income generation of US $450billion.
A fair slice of this will no doubt find it's way into the local golf industry.
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Eco-Tourism In Thailand
By Pauline Go
Eco-tourism has become popular all over the world with people demanding that countries do more to preserve nature and environment. Thailand is not far behind in eco-tourism and many activities popular in Thailand fall under that category.
Thailand is very popular with tourists looking for adventure in the wilderness, and is mainly because of the abundance of natural resources that Thailand has to offer its visitors. Mountain biking, whitewater rafting, camping and trekking, scuba diving, bird watching and rock climbing have become the done thing in natural tourist areas. All these activities are available all over Thailand, especially in the south, west and the mountainous regions of the north. The most popular of all these activities being offered to tourists are trekking, bird watching, scuba diving and mountain biking.
The government and private organizations are making sure that there are many back-to-nature activities for eco-tourism seekers. Most national parks in Thailand come under the purview of the Royal Forest Department and they have trekking trails for nature lovers. Many camping sites are also present in these national parks.
Neither trekking nor camping is a new activity in Thailand. They have been present for decades. However, eco-tourism has ensured that the activities are better managed now than before. Thailand is paying more attention to preserving its natural resources as it has come to realize that the tourists will come as long as the natural resources are unspoilt and off-the-beaten areas are better equipped to cater to tourists without disturbing the environment and the natural flora and fauna.
Check Out More Articles:
Thailand Travel Information, Thai passport requirements, Bangkok Tourist Attractions,
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How to Save Money on Surgery - Try Medical Tourism
By Arthur P Hanson
How would you like to cut your surgical expenses in half? Medical costs in the U.S. can be staggering: US$ 100,000 for hearty bypass surgery, US$ 50,000 for hip replacement surgery. But it is possible for patients to save ten's of thousands of dollars on medical procedures such as these. All it takes is the willingness to travel abroad and a bit of research.
The thought of medical tourism can give people pause. They worry about the quality of the healthcare they will receive. If the medical facilities will be clean and modern and mostly if it is safe. It might be surprising to learn that not only can you receive treatment by western trained and internationally certified doctors in state of the art facilities overseas, but that many times the quality of the care and facilities surpasses anything that you can receive at home.
As the Michael Moore film 'Sicko' pointed out, the American healthcare system just doesn't work for many people. Spiraling medical costs, long waiting times for surgery and under-staffed hospitals leave many people searching for an answer. Several hundred thousand people pack their bags each year and head overseas for medical treatment. They go for just about every type of medical procedure, covering everything from addiction recovery in Antigua, Dental surgery in Mexico to heart bypass surgery in Thailand.
There are more benefits then just the cost savings. Often the savings are enough that the patient can enjoy holiday time before or after the medical procedure. Often the quality of the facilities and level of professional care is actually better then you can get back home.
Just How Much Money Can Be Saved?
How does tens of thousands of dollars sound! The actual cost savings depends on the type of medical procedure being done. The more expensive the surgery, the larger the cost savings can be. There is a huge range of potential savings; ranging anywhere from 50 to even 80 percent depending on the procedure and where you go to have the surgery.
In addition, the costs of the flights and hotels have to be factored into the costs. As a general rule of thumb, any procedure that costs more then US$ 6,000 in the U.S. would be a good candidate for having done overseas. Lower then this and it is difficult to break even because of the added costs of the airfare and hotel costs.
More expensive surgeries are obviously the most viable options for medical travel. Here are some sample costs savings:
Hip replacement surgery: Normally costs around US$50,000 in the U.S. but can be done for around US$10,000 in India.
Heart bypass surgery: Costing around US$100,000 in the U.S. it can be done for around $12,000 in Thailand.
Heart valve replacement surgery: US$200,000 but can be done for about US$10,000 in India.
Where to Go?
Many countries now actively promote medical tourism; at last count there were approximately 30 countries actively involved in medical tourism. The two leaders in the field are Thailand and India and get the most tourist arrivals each year. They both have very low surgical prices, internationally recognized hospitals with excellently trained staff and high quality facilities.
Closer to home; Mexico and Costa Rica are popular for dental tourism. Argentina, Brazil, Malaysia, Panama and South Africa are also popular destinations.
Is it Safe?
As long as the proper research is done, the quality of care should not necessarily be a cause for concern, especially if you book through a reliable agency. Research should be done on the country, hospitals and doctors before committing to any surgery. Many of the doctors are western trained, getting their medial degrees in the U.S. or Europe. Facilities at many internationally recognized hospitals are also world-class.
Using a reliable medical tourism company in the U.S. can cut down on the risks as the company will research the hospitals and staff themselves, and even personally examine the hospitals themselves. They can also advise the patient on such things as travel costs, post operative care and the best destinations for the surgery the patient is considering.
How to Start?
If you are considering medical tourism then you should first have the initial diagnosis done in the U.S. After finding out what procedure is required, you can ask the approximate cost and then use this for comparisons from the overseas hospitals. Don't forget to factor in the flight and hotel costs.
If you are looking for more information, click medical tourism which is an informational and reference source. You can also Google for "Medical Tourism Companies" which is a good starting place for companies that can assist patients that are interested in medical tourism.
There is no single type of medical tourist. There used to be a stereotype of the wealthy Beverly Hills jet-setter flying overseas for cosmetic surgery but this is no longer the norm. Now all types of people, from all walks of life and all income levels are jumping on the bandwagon. In these difficult economic times it is hard to argue with the cost savings that medical tourism can provide, especially when people realize that they can actually get a better quality of care abroad.
Discover Medical Tourism is a free information site for patients to research and learn about medical tourism. Covering most of the major countries specializing in medical, health and dental tourism including Thailand Medical Tourism.
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