KHIRI Asia has opened an office in downtown Bangkok to service rising demand from Asian visitors, especially the Indian market, to Thailand and Indochina, bringing the number of its offices across the region to nine.
The new Bangkok office, located in the Charn Issara II Tower in Petburi Road beside Thonglor, has three full-time staff, two of Indian origin. “We now have a completely separate unit closer to our customers in Bangkok,” said Ashok Kapur, CEO of Khiri Asia.
According to PATA head office statistics, 790,000 Indians visited Thailand last year, an increase of 29 per cent over 2009. Since 2006, Thailand has averaged an annual increase from India of 14.5 per cent.
Khiri Travel Group co-founder Willem Niemeijer said Thailand could boost demand from India further with a few minor service adjustments. “I’d like to see a little bit more flexibility from hotels in food catering for Indian guests.”
Cambodia received about 13,500 Indians and Laos around 3,000 or so in 2010, though the increase in Indian traffic to both destinations has averaged about 10 to 11 per cent over the last five years.
Niemeijer said Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam needed to create awareness campaigns in India to really lift numbers.
