Tourists’ safety my priority, says Thailand’s new Tourism and Sports Minister

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Tourists’ safety my priority: new minister

 

 

Newly appointed Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakijprakan says ensuring the safety of tourists is his most urgent task.

 

Pipat said on July 18: “Thailand needs to give tourists the confidence to visit the country.”

 

He vowed the incoming administration would do its utmost to make all tourists feel welcome but stressed that all policies depended on the view of the

 

Prime Minister. This included any special steps to encourage visitors from China, which provides the highest number of tourists. 

 

 

“Personally I think that our country is one of the world’s top destinations and we will try to invite tourists from countries with strong economies to visit Thailand,” he said. 

 

“We will spread our efforts on many groups, not any particular group. I would like to provide the best convenience to tourists but we’ll have to listen to the policy from the Prime Minister first.”

 

Pipap said he had set himself twin goals: to boost the country’s tourism, and therefore important revenue, but also to help turn promising junior athletes into senior successes.

 

“I think many people from around the world want to come to Thailand and we should stage big sports events here as it would help generate additional income for the country,” he said.

 

On the sports side of his ministerial role, he said he hoped to attract more world-class events to the country.

 

“Right now we already have the Moto GP, and the Prime Minister has mentioned the possibility of holding a world-level trail running event [a sport that combines running with hiking], as well as e-sports” said Pipat

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30373201

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-07-18

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[darksidedog]

8 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Pipat said on July 18: “Thailand needs to give tourists the confidence to visit the country.”

Well good luck to him with that one! Being new to the job, he might have missed more than a few disasters and tragedies, which have befallen oh so many travelers here. Will be tough to even know where to begin. Especially since those at the coal face so to speak, are very likely to ignore anything he says, which might cost them money.

[FarFlungFalang]

9 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Personally I think that our country is one of the world’s top destinations and we will try to invite tourists from countries with strong economies to visit Thailand,

 

9 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

We will spread our efforts on many groups, not any particular group

You just singled out a particular group "the strong economies" group,the group that you money hungry thieves can fleece and fill your ever deepening pockets. 

[CLS]

Seeing only his photo I would say a perfect undertaker.

Neither charismatic nor athletic.


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[ThreeEyedRaven]

13 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

we should stage big sports events here

Why not go for the Soccer World cup? Thailand is perfectly qualified to make the under the table payments necessary, which seems to be the way Qatar got it. 

[FarFlungFalang]

16 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

I think many people from around the world want to come to Thailand and we should stage big sports events here as it would help generate additional income for

...filling our pockets with!" end quote.

Edited July 18, 2019 by FarFlungFalang
Add Text

[soalbundy]

Well I think it's nice of him to say so even if it should obviously be a priority to look after your guests (I think there is a new priority now though, stop ripping off the tourists)

[Hayduke]

 

Looks like a fun sort of guy....my tourism confidence is restored.

 

 

 

Edited July 18, 2019 by Hayduke

[sammieuk1]

He vowed the incoming administration would do its utmost to make all tourists feel welcome but stressed that all policies depended on the view of the

 

Prime Minister. This included any special steps to encourage visitors from China, which provides the highest number of tourists.

 

The special steps should include not killing them and defiantly not on mass as it can surprisingly put tourists off????

[Fex Bluse]

42 minutes ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

special steps to encourage visitors from China, which provides the highest number of tourists.

Keyword is China. 

 

Thais are not suddenly caring about tourists. 

 

They care about money and are trying principally to get the Chinese back. 

 

Nothing else to see here. 

[Fex Bluse]

Why don't they just print out a few signs? That's what they normally do. 

 

We Safe Thailand Safe 

 

[rumak]

lighting those candles and incense is surely the way to get the ball rolling.........

[trainman34014]

Why not give all arrivals an Amulet to protect them from Evil Spirits and Brake Failures !

Edited July 18, 2019 by trainman34014

[Traubert]

13 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

He vowed the incoming administration would do its utmost to make all tourists feel welcome but stressed that all policies depended on the view of the

 

Prime Minister. This included any special steps to encourage visitors from China, which provides the highest number of tourists.

 

The special steps should include not killing them and defiantly not on mass as it can surprisingly put tourists off????

Oddly enough, the biggest backlash by Chinese tourists within Asia didn't happen to Thailand, it happened to Vietnam, the new Mecca for visa dodgers.

 

On one of the pages in a Chinese passport, the security print is of the Spratley Islands. As is common knowledge, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines are in dispute about territory there.

 

A Chinese tourist exiting Vietnam presented her passport for stamping and when she got it back the IO had written 'f*** you' in English on said page and stamped over it. Unfortunately, her English was competent. This went postal on the Chinese internet and Vietnam tourist numbers out of China plummeted. Even the Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on it, rebuking his opposite number.

 

So for all you Sinophobes who aren't yet on the list for persecution from Thai immigration, have a word with your friendly local IO and slip him a few baht to come up with a similar scheme.

[cerox]

That is settled then, put the signs everywhere within 7 days - problem solved.

[mike787]

FULL of BS!

[worgeordie]

They have just realised that they have well and truly F^c&ed up the  

the tourist industry,now you have the PM saying don't rip off the

tourists, and the new guy ,saying Tourists will be safe in Thailand,

too little ,too late, the rot has set in.

regards worgeordie

[Chelseafan]

From a Brits perspective, not too hard to improve is it.

 

[Cadbury]

1 hour ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Newly appointed Tourism and Sports Minister Pipat Ratchakijprakan says ensuring the safety of tourists is his most urgent task.

 

Safety?? What's he talking about. Bullshit artist.

Safety on the roads, safety on tourist boats, protection of western women being raped and murdered on resort islands.

Safety from scammers, cheating taxi drivers, mini van drivers and the list goes on. Safety from crooked cops. 

In Thailand death can be just around the corner for those tourists prepared to risk it.

[Justgrazing]

2 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Right now we already have the Moto GP, and the Prime Minister has mentioned the possibility of holding a world-level trail running event [a sport that combines running with hiking], as well as e-sports” said Pipat

Bit of a gap that 'tween the blue riband class of bike racing and people with spikey shoes running in the rain with rucksacks ..

E-sports .! Why go to Thailand to play FIFA 19 .. 

Edited July 18, 2019 by Justgrazing
Sp

[alfalfa19]

nonsense.  malarkey.  balderdash.  rubbish. 

[inThailand]

Tourists’ safety my priority: new minister

 

right after democracy

[Sticky Wicket]

He's just a proxy for his wife Natee Ratchakitprakan, a Bhumjaithai party candidate, who was disqualified and banned from politics for five years!!

Failed to disclose assets and debts.

All should be banned using that barometer !!

[Emdog]

How much clout does tourism and sports authority have with RTP? Somewhere between zero and none?

[Curt1591]

Just because the Western press is obsessed with violence, "safety" is not what sours tourists - it's the rampant ripoffs, by both the citizens and government itself.

[eggers]

It seems the Thai Gov'tonly has eyes for Tourist money, how about taking care of 100s of 000's of Expats living here!!! 

A number of Expat friends are considering if will stay or leave due to increasing Gov't/ Bureaucratic interference almost daily,  w/ latest stupid imposition of TM 30 requirement.

Time PM Prayut & ministers Gov't, realise how much money Expats spend in this country..... Day in, Day out ....

Year in, Year out.... Billions & Billions of Baht!!

Fine take care of Tourists , but forget about US at  YOUR peril!! 

[Moti24]

13 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

He vowed the incoming administration would do its utmost to make all tourists feel welcome.....

As a tourist, i'd reserve judgement until it happens.

 

As an expat, of all the places I've been in the world, I've never felt as unwelcome as I do here.

 

 

[animalmagic]

13 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

“I think many people from around the world want to come to Thailand and we should stage big sports events here as it would help generate additional income for the country,”

It's a huge task to catch up with Singapore and HK who already stage world class sporting and entertainment events and have efficient transportation, good hotels and safe stadia conforming to accepted international standards. 

[30la]

Good luck, minister, it's a lot of work waiting for you and I personally don't think you'll make it!

[Peterphuket]

More safety to the tourist he say???

Ah...now I understand why he need my 10 fingers when I come to the LOS, but forgive me to say,  I got strong feelings it's because the Thai government is thinking we farangs are all criminals.

Otherwise he have to explain me why I have to give the fingers and his own people not, maybe a bit racism to??