European tourist arrivals in Thai North surge

BANGKOK, February 11 (TNA) - The tourism industry in the Thai North has received a windfall from this year's harsh cold spell in Europe, as the number of European tourist arrivals in the country's northern region has kept rising. Cruise tour operators in the Thai North said that over 80 per cent of their recent customers were European tourists, mainly from France and Italy. Many of the European tourists travelled to Thailand for their New Year's celebrations and have extended their stays in the Kingdom due to the current cold snap in Europe. Other thousands of European holidaymakers have also fled the cold spell at homes for their recreational trips in Thailand. The ongoing harsh freeze across Europe has sent scores of European tourists to Thailand's northern resort provinces, namely Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, and other popular winter tourist destinations in the Thai North. (TNA)