The recent New Year holiday and bookings for the coming Chinese New Year have not helped the dormant, damaged tourism sector. The Chinese New Year holiday in Malaysia falls on Feb 17 and 18, according to the official calendar. The hotel association president said only a handful of shops and restaurants had fully reopened as Hat Yai had yet to fully recover from the flood. He said November-December was normally a happy time for hoteliers, a time when tourists from Malaysia spend their holiday in Hat Yai. "What worries us is that they will not come here this coming November and December, to avoid possible flooding," Mr Sitthipong said.

Source: Bangkok Post January 19, 2026 06:40 UTC