Anna goes thai

[george]

Iconic global babe and sporadically-pants ball-thwacker Anna Kournikova is set to snaffle another huge pile of moolah - this time from the Thai Tourist Authority.

The Ruski uber-beaut will be able to slip a six-figure sum into her traffic-stopping micro-shorts in return for promoting the Thailand resort of Pattaya.

Australia's news.com gurgles excitedly: "The flaxen-haired beauty will star in a video guide and play an exhibition match at the resort with local top seed, Tamarine Tanasugarn, in November."

Oh, she does still play tennis, then. Of a fashion.

Which reminds us...lovely hair...killer bod...fabulous legs...

Anyway, where were we?

Phwoarnikova's role as a tourist ambassador is already attracting controversy.

The city of Pattaya has in recent years become key in Thailand's notorious sex industry with Ananova explaining: "Pattaya was known for its beaches but in recent years has developed a seedy reputation."

But the news service adds: "Kournikova will...appear in 'Unseen in Thailand' - a promotional video on lesser known places of interest in and around the city."

Not that some of your dodgepot middle-aged male tourists in baseball caps will be that fussed about crumbling old temples or whatever.

[mrentoul]

Iconic global babe and sporadically-pants ball-thwacker Anna Kournikova is set to snaffle another huge pile of moolah - this time from the Thai Tourist Authority.

George, if this is an example of the ''freelance content'' you want writers to provide on your site, please count me out. Way too florid for my taste.

[Marshy]

Iconic global babe and sporadically-pants ball-thwacker Anna Kournikova is set to snaffle another huge pile of moolah - this time from the Thai Tourist Authority.

George, if this is an example of the ''freelance content'' you want writers to provide on your site, please count me out. Way too florid for my taste.

Florid--------hmm had to look it up.   flowery, rosy, highly ornate.  I kinda like those descriptions. alot better than dull, drab or boring. :laugh:

[markt]

Regardless, she's still a babe.

[wolf5370]

Here#'s what the British Daily Mail (Monday 18/08/2003 Page 26 - for non-Uk'ers the Daily Mail is a middle class and slightly right of centre national non-broadsheet) said about the visit.

RUSSIAN tennis star Anna Kournikova is to promote the seedy Thai resort of Pattaya. Anna, 22, famous for skimpy outfits, is getting £250,000 for starring in a video guide and playing an exhibition match there. But the video won't show the darker side of the resort - now a multi-billion-dollar hub for Thailand's sex industry

Mmmmm, maybe Taksin's got a point about Thailand's image overseas.

[lordsux]

She has an Isaan nose

[Dexlowe]

This is pretty much normal marketing practice and I don't have a lot of objection to it (though I do hope the TAT remembers to point out to Anna where Thailand is on the world map). But what kind of connection Anna has to Thailand is very dubious. Patch-up marketing, if you ask me -- I mean, if Las Vegas used Andre Agassi, I could understand because he's a native of that place. Kind of makes you realise that Thailand has no real personalities with which to impress the world's tourists. Shame really, because Thailand is not short of talent -- it's just that they are non-marketable to the world at large. For the tourism authorities, the hard facts are that the dramatic increase in tourist arrivals in the past 10 years revolves around 3 things: the country's incredible beaches, its value for money and its nightlife (read free and easy ways). Smart business people learn to stick to their strengths.

Dex.