Thailand offers best value for British travellers (Daily Telegraph 5th January 2009)

Jan. 19, 2009 - PRLog -- British holidaymakers will find that their pounds stretch further in long-haul destinations such as Thailand and South Africa, according to new research.

A combination of lower living costs and better exchange rates, together with an increase in the number of flight and accommodation deals has made far-flung destinations more affordable to British travellers, according to the Post Office's Holiday Costs Barometer Survey.

The survey, which compared the cost of everyday purchases such as evening meals, suncream and a cup of coffee, found that many tourist items were up to 50 per cent cheaper in a selection of long-haul destinations than the eurozone.

Thailand, which topped the poll of affordable destinations, was found to be 41 per cent cheaper than Spain, where a bottle of mineral water was almost three times more expensive than in the Far East. In second place was South Africa, where a bottle of suntan lotion was less than half the price of those in Italy.

Andrew Spice, of Post Office Travel Services, said: "Despite its recent troubles, Thailand remains a great prospect for UK holidaymakers. The Thai baht may have strengthened against sterling but prices remain very low in the country and the discounts now available to top resorts like Phuket and Hua Hin will make Thailand unbeatable value."

Other countries offering good value to British tourists were Kenya, where a cup of coffee (£2.01) was nearly 40 per cent cheaper than in Greece (£3.26), and Malaysia, where a bottle of beer (£2.56) was 31 per cent cheaper than in France (£3.72).

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