A view of Hat Yai city from Hat Yai Municipal Park on Khao Kho Hong hill at night in December last year. Nutthawat Wichieanbut
Amid a slump in Malaysian tourists and an uneven recovery from last year's severe floods, Songkhla tourism operators are calling for stimulus measures such as soft loans, land tax cuts, new tourism events, and eased entry at land checkpoints, with the cabinet set to convene in the province in June.Sitthipong Sitthiphataraprabha, president of the Hat Yai Songkhla Hotels Association, said the tourism sector has not fully recovered from last year's inundation, although there have been measures to help operators, such as the 49,500-baht housing assistance scheme.
With the roaming cabinet meeting scheduled for Songkhla next month, he said the association plans to propose a 40-million-baht soft loan scheme for each business with a 1.5% interest rate, starting with a one-year grace period for principal and interest payments.
The group also wants a full suspension of land and property tax payments for one year to help affected businesses.
To lift the domestic tourism market, local operators hope the government launches a tax incentive for visiting or hosting meetings in Songkhla as soon as possible, while also initiating new festivals and events in the area.
