2011-08-15
Recovering slowly
Thailand has suffered some setbacks to its tourist trade in the past two years. First there were the riots in Bangkok which put many people off going in 2010, and then this year the region suffered from some of the worst flooding in a generation. The floods which were covered by the BBC swept away many people and stranded tourists up and down the country. The region has since recovered, but only to find itself in the middle of one of the worst recessions in years.
Tourism has been one of Thailand’s core economic staples for decades. With the world’s economy teetering on a knife edge, the tourist trade is down everywhere and Thailand is no exception. Travelling around the country this season has shown a noticeable drop in the amount of visitors compared with last year. Aside from the flooding and instability in the region one thing more then any other has put visitors off from coming to Thailand: the cost of using their phones and the internet.
Traditionally roaming charges have always been high wherever you go, but following Thailand’s natural disasters and the recent government instability, prices have climbed. This has been off putting to not only the tourist trade, but also to business travellers visiting the country. Finding good global roaming international 3G mobile broadband services is challenging at the best of times, but finding them in Thailand has become something of a Mecca like quest.
Fortunately there are some niche companies who are fast becoming major players in the roaming sector that most large mobile companies have been ignoring. The recent rulings by Ofcom in the UK, and the Regulatory Commission covering Europe has meant that roaming rates have come under increased scrutiny in terms of their fairness and accessibility to the consumer. For the rest of the world however, prices have remained consistently high. It is natural therefore for niche companies to step in and offer something that their older brothers cannot.
Flat rate charges and pay as you go allowances are two of the methods being adopted by several companies to lure customers away from their usual service providers. In Thailand it means access to broadband is not as expensive as it would be with a standard ISP like Orange or 3. The only issue with the flat rate charge in Thailand is that because of the recent floods, a lot of the infrastructure is still being rebuilt. Phone masts that were destroyed or damaged beyond repair have meant a loss of signal in some areas of the country disabling access to the net through broadband. However, with the country strongly determined to get back on its feet sooner rather then later, infrastructure should be back up before the end of the year.
similar posts:
The Streets of Shanghai : Shanghai - China’s most...
Traveling And Writing – Not Easy : I have been so obsessed with...
Khao San Road Adventures : One of the reasons that I adore Khao...
Find Your Perfect London Holiday Getaway : Although London is...
