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New planes for Bangkok Airways means 189,000 more airline seats. Massive shopping mall at Chaweng will change face of Koh Samui.

Chaweng beach, the biggest beach on Koh Samui (Source: Wikipedia)

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Tourism

Record 2012 hotel occupancy in Samui

13 Mar 2013
Online Reporters

Map of Koh Samui (Source: Wikipedia)

Hotel occupancy in Koh Samui was at an all-time high of 68% overall for 2012, compared with 59% in 2011, thanks to new direct international flights and aircraft upgrades, according to consulting firm C9 Hotelworks.

C9's managing director Bill Barnett said a key catalyst of change .... has been Bangkok Airways' ongoing upgrade of its fleet, which has had a domino effect in providing more than 189,000 additional airline seats for Koh Samui travellers.

One leading economic indicator on the island is the development by Thai-listed Central Group of a massive retail shopping complex on 48,000 square metres of land in the tourism area of Chaweng.

"Hot on the heels of a rising Asian middle class and the resurgence of the .... group travel segment is the trend of Thailand's resort markets becoming urbanised playgrounds. It's not just about the beach anymore as shopping and attractions are gaining momentum as strong demand catalyzes," he said.

Chaweng City on the main street as it currently looks like (Source: Wikipedia)

While a gradual shift of demand is seeing more Asian visitors and families, the top three source markets were Germany, the U.K. and Thailand which contribute a combined 27% share. Rising fast ... are Russian travellers. Using nearby Phuket as a trend of things to come, last year 15% of total visitor arrivals were from the Russian Federation.

On the supply side, 459 new rooms will be added to the island's present total inventory of 17,479 over the next two years.

"As Koh Samui's primary air carrier is continuing to modernise its fleet with new Airbuses, and phase out older ATR 72 propeller planes, which is helping hotels fill beds, the ominous restriction on total daily flights to 36 is a non-moving ceiling," said Mr Barnett.

Local industry leaders remained tuned into Bangkok Airways' efforts to raise the environmental restriction on the daily flights to 50, he added.

(Source: Bangkok Post, Tourism, Record 2012 hotel occupancy in Samui, 13 Mar 2013, Online Reporters, link) 

Tourism Sector Vocabulary 

Runner on Chaweng beach, Koh Samui (Source: Wikipedia)

Koh Samui - an island off the east coast of Thailand near the mainland town of Surat Thani, "Thailand's third largest island after Phuket and Ko Chang, with an area of 228.7 km2 and a population of over 50,000 (2008) attracting 1.5 million tourists per year. Ko Samui has abundant natural resources, white sandy beaches, coral reefs and coconut trees"  เกาะสมุย (See Wikipedia)

Chaweng Beach - the largest and most popular of Koh Samui's beaches (See Wikipedia & KohSamui.com)
Bangkok Airways - (See Wikipedia)

boom - when something suddenly becomes very popular and some businesses becomes very profitable
tourism boom
Koh Samui tourism boom

occupancy - 1. the percentage of total units (offices, apartments) that have someone renting them in a building; 2. when a business or individual uses real estate (renting and living in an apartment or renting and doing business in an office or shop)

hotel occupancy - the percentage of rooms in a hotel that have a guest staying in them
record 2012 hotel occupancy in Samui

at an all-time high - the highest amount ever, a record
hotel occupancy in Koh Samui was at an all-time high

international -  between countries ระหว่างประเทศ
international flights - airplane flights from one country to another country

direct - a flight without stops
direct flights
direct international flights

upgrades - to improve something
aircraft upgrades

consulting - giving expert advice on a subject (for example: how to run a business or how to build a building)
firm - a business or company บริษัท
consulting firm - a company that provides expert advice in some area to people who need it

Hotel occupancy in Koh Samui was at an all-time high of 68% overall for 2012, compared with 59% in 2011, thanks to new direct international flights and aircraft upgrades, according to consulting firm C9 Hotelworks.

catalyst - something that causes change
catalyst of change

key - important คนสำคัญ
a key catalyst of change

upgrade - improve; make new, modern, and up-to-date
fleet - a group of ships (or airplanes) ขบวนเรือ
upgrade of its fleet

ongoing - happening now, currently happening; continuing อย่างต่อเนื่อง ไม่หยุดยั้ง, ต่อเนื่อง
the airline's ongoing upgrade of its fleet

a domino effect - when one event causes a whole series of events to happen one after the other; a chain reaction ปฏิกิริยาลูกโซ่

C9's managing director Bill Barnett said a key catalyst of change in trading conditions has been Bangkok Airways' ongoing upgrade of its fleet, which has had a domino effect in providing more than 189,000 additional airline seats for Koh Samui travellers.

development - the gradual growth and formation of something

complex - an area that has several parts
shopping complex - a big shopping mall, shopping center

retail - to sell directly to the public for their own use ขายปลีก
retail shopping complex

massive - very large มหาศาล ใหญ่โต
massive retail shopping complex

indicator - a measure or number that shows or describes a condition or situation (See glossary)
economic indicator - an economic statistic or number that tells people what is happening in the economy (See Wikipedia)
leading economic indicator - tell you what will likely happen in the future because they "usually change before the economy as a whole changes" (See Wikipedia)

the development by Thai-listed Central Group of a massive retail shopping complex


One leading economic indicator on the island is the development by Thai-listed Central Group of a massive retail shopping complex on 48,000 square metres of land in the tourism area of Chaweng.

hot on the heels of - following something very closely

middle class - ชนชั้นกลาง
a rising Asian middle class

segment - a separate part of something ตอน ส่วนต่างๆของสังคม
market segment - a group of customers with the same income, age, habits who like to buy the same kinds of products (example: young married people with their first baby)

group travel segment - people who like to takes tours to places with other people (not travel alone)
prolific - there are many of something

resurgence - a new increase of activity or interest in a particular subject or idea which had been forgotten for some time การฟื้นคืน, การกลับสู่สภาพ
the resurgence of a prolific group travel segment

urban - related to cities
urbanised - made into a city
playgrounds - a place where you do things to have fun
urbanised playgrounds

trend - a gradual change or development that produces a particular result ทิศทาง แนวโน้ม
the trend of Thailand's resort markets becoming urbanised playgrounds

momentum
gaining momentum

demand - the need and desire to buy goods and services by households and businesses
strong demand catalysts

shopping and attractions are gaining momentum as strong demand catalysts

"Hot on the heels of a rising Asian middle class and the resurgence of a prolific group travel segment is the trend of Thailand's resort markets becoming urbanised playgrounds. It's not just about the beach anymore as shopping and attractions are gaining momentum as strong demand catalysts," he said.

gradual - moving slowly
shift - to change or move from one place to another เคลื่อนย้าย

source - the place or person something comes from or starts at, or the cause of something ต้นกำเนิด, แหล่งกำเนิด
source markets (for international tourism) - the countries where the tourists visiting another come from

contribute -  giving or providing something (one of many) ให้ (เพื่อช่วยเหลือ)
share - a part of something  ส่วน, ส่วนแบ่ง, ส่วนร่วม
contribute a 27% share

the top three source markets were Germany, the U.K. and Thailand which contribute a combined 27% share

While a gradual shift of demand is seeing more Asian visitors and families, the top three source markets were Germany, the U.K. and Thailand which contribute a combined 27% share. Rising fast on the horizon are Russian travellers. Using nearby Phuket as a trend of things to come, last year 15% of total visitor arrivals were from the Russian Federation.

inventory - things that you have to sell to customers (such as the products kept in a shop or warehouse) สินค้าที่จัดเก็บในสต๊อก
inventory of hotel rooms 

On the supply side, 459 new rooms will be added to the island's present total inventory of 17,479 over the next two years.

primary - first and most important
air carrier - an airline
primary air carrier

modernise its fleet - buy new planes and make the planes the company owns more modern
modernise its fleet with new Airbuses

propeller - a device which causes a ship or aircraft to move, consisting of two or more blades which turn round at high speed ใบพัด
propeller planes

phase out - stop doing something or stop using something gradually
phase out older ATR 72 propeller planes

ominous - something that shows or indicates something bad will happen in the future, threatening ที่เป็นลางร้าย, ที่เป็นลางบอกเหตุ
restriction - a rule, action or situation that limits or controls someone or something การจำกัด, การควบคุม
ominous restriction

ceiling - an upper limit เพดาน ขีดจำกัด
the ominous restriction on total daily flights to 36 is a non-moving ceiling

"As Koh Samui's primary air carrier is continuing to modernise its fleet with new Airbuses, and phase out older ATR 72 propeller planes, which is helping hotels fill beds, the ominous restriction on total daily flights to 36 is a non-moving ceiling," said Mr Barnett.

restriction on the daily flights
the environmental restriction on the daily flights

efforts - the work done towards achieving some goal; people trying to accomplish something, achieve a goal ความพยายาม
Bangkok Airways' efforts to raise the environmental restriction on the daily flights

tune into - watching or listening to something closely to see what happens (when it happens) 
Local industry leaders remained tuned into Bangkok Airways' efforts to raise the environmental restriction on the daily flights to 50, he added.

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