Now that Thailand Pass is resting in peace, thousands of Laotian travellers are heading to the Kingdom. On Friday, the day Thailand Pass was scrapped, about 3,618 Laotians crossed the Thai-Lao friendship bridge into the northeast city of Nong Khai. About 710 cars with foreign licenses were driving into Thailand there.
Last month, a government spokesperson said the Nong Khai checkpoint was the fourth most popular entry point into Thailand. Laotians were reportedly travelling to Thailand for shopping and fun, but also for cheaper fuel prices. The Bangkok Post reported that many cars from Laotians had visited petrol stations in Nong Khai to fill their tanks before heading back to Vientiane.
The head of customs control at Nong Khai Customs House said that 30,000 foreigners crossed the Nong Khai border checkpoint from May 9-31. Following the demise of Thailand Pass, the Kingdom awaits to see how many more Laotian travellers will arrive.
Laotians are just one of a few groups of foreign travellers to arrive in Thailand in the thousands by land, following the Thailand Pass scrap. On the day Thailand pass met its end, the country also welcomed about 5,000 Malaysian tourists arriving on land. They had driven across the border to the southern province of Songkhla. Before Thailand Pass was scrapped, the number of people crossing Sadao checkpoint each day had been averaging 1,000-1,500.
Time will tell which group of tourists comes to Thailand by land in the biggest numbers this year.
SOURCE: The Pattaya News