Thai Finance Ministry, Tourism Council To Develop Long-Term Plan For Tourism

[webfact]

Finance Min, Tourism Council to Develop Long-term Plan for Tourism

BANGKOK: -- The Finance Ministry has joined hands with the Tourism Council of Thailand to craft a national long-term plan for the tourism industry.

Meanwhile, the independent tourism agency is looking to put forward four recommendations to the prime minister regarding Thai tourism following the advent of the ASEAN Community.

Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said the ministry will work with the tourism sector in planning a national, long-term tourism strategy, in a bid to raise the country's competitiveness and boost the tourism sector's contribution to the country's overall growth rate.

Korn offered Europe as an example of a region with a very strong tourism sector, particularly France, where tourism accounts for 6.8 percent of the the country's economic growth and provides more than 1.5 million jobs.

He added that Spain's figures are even more impressive, with tourism contributing 10 percent to the nation's gross domestic product and creating more than 2 million jobs that are sustained by tourism.

As for Thailand, the minister said tourism contributes 6 percent to the GDP annually, and pointed out that approximately 15 million international tourist will arrive each year.

Meanwhile, President of the Tourism Council of Thailand, or TCT, Kongkrit Hiranyakit, said his agency is planning to submit four recommendations for how the Thai tourism industry should adapt to the changes and the increasingly competitive environment that will result from the establishment of the ASEAN Community.

He went on to say that the council will support the prime minister's national reconciliation road map by promoting transparency and fair practices among tourism operators.

The TCT president observed that the political instability is unlikely to have a great impact on tourism, unless it results in violence.

He said that as long as the government can ensure safety and order in the country despite political tensions, foreign tourists will continue to come.

-- Tan Network 2010-08-10

[Oberkommando]

He said that as long as the government can ensure safety and order in the country despite political tensions, foreign tourists will continue to come.

They can't ensure safety though. Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Britons (and I believe Australians now) by some margin.

[dumpling]

hhmmmmmm long term tourist plan "need more of them" not difficult.

[RedNIvar]

He said that as long as the government can ensure safety and order in the country despite political tensions, foreign tourists will continue to come.

They can't ensure safety though. Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Britons (and I believe Australians now) by some margin.

Avoid joining local Thai riots and demonstrations, and avoid designated danger zones. Do not meddle with and let the Thai's fix the Thai issues, and you should be safe, Brit, OZ or any other nationality.

You are correct, I too think the current government has a difficult job to ensure stability. Too many issues lingering around and the overall situation is very volatile. Even with a state of emergency there had been a number of gathering both by the PAD and the reds.

Political Stability is the only way to draw in both tourist and foreign investors. The Thai's should stop this pissing contest and get their act together. I have no clue how they are going to achieve this, but they should figure it out fast.

[whybother]

He said that as long as the government can ensure safety and order in the country despite political tensions, foreign tourists will continue to come.

They can't ensure safety though. Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Britons (and I believe Australians now) by some margin.

I could think of a couple of places more dangerous than Thailand. Australia and Britain do come to mind, or anywhere in Africa, or South America, or Eastern Europe, or India.

What is so dangerous about Thailand?

[Phuket Stan]

He said that as long as the government can ensure safety and order in the country despite political tensions, foreign tourists will continue to come.

They can't ensure safety though. Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Britons (and I believe Australians now) by some margin.

I would like to see some actual reliable figures on that statement...particuarly about Australians

[surayu]

What is so dangerous about Thailand?

..it's going to be too late when you will find out

[Ricardo]

hhmmmmmm long term tourist plan "need more of them" not difficult.

I would add, make it easier for those tourists who do come here, to stay for longer ? Time to bring-in 90-day visa-on-arrival, like Malaysia, or 10-year retirement-visas, like erm ... Malaysia again, and stop 90-day reporting for longer-term residents, and so-on and so-on.

The Finance & Tourism-related parts of the government need to get their Immigration-colleagues on-side. But nobody I know, is holding their breath, sadly.

[Oberkommando]

I could think of a couple of places more dangerous than Thailand. Australia and Britain do come to mind

You just have to look at the road accident statistics and the murder rate (Thailand's is four or five times that for Britons in Thailand than in the UK I believe) to know that is just nonsense.

I would like to see some actual reliable figures on that statement...particuarly about Australians

British tourists are more likely to be killed in Thailand than any other destination, according to new figures released today.

Motorbike accidents are the main reason why 269 Britons died there last year, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The figures mean that Thailand has the highest rate of deaths in proportion to the number of British tourists of any country worldwide. In the year to March, an estimated 860,000 British tourists visited Thailand.

This figure also makes Thailand the country where, proportionately, British tourists are most likely to end up in hospital, according to the organisation’s British Behaviour Abroad report, released today.

The majority of 324 reported hospitalisations in Thailand were due to motorbike accidents, says the FCO, and a high proportion are fatal.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article6809524.ece

There are many more, just Google.

[salty]

A long term strategy. I thought a long term strategy here amounted to some crackdown or other which was forgotten about in a few weeks.

[rubl]

I could think of a couple of places more dangerous than Thailand. Australia and Britain do come to mind

You just have to look at the road accident statistics and the murder rate (Thailand's is four or five times that for Britons in Thailand than in the UK I believe) to know that is just nonsense.

I would like to see some actual reliable figures on that statement...particuarly about Australians

British tourists are more likely to be killed in Thailand than any other destination, according to new figures released today.

Motorbike accidents are the main reason why 269 Britons died there last year, according to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

The figures mean that Thailand has the highest rate of deaths in proportion to the number of British tourists of any country worldwide. In the year to March, an estimated 860,000 British tourists visited Thailand.

This figure also makes Thailand the country where, proportionately, British tourists are most likely to end up in hospital, according to the organisation’s British Behaviour Abroad report, released today.

The majority of 324 reported hospitalisations in Thailand were due to motorbike accidents, says the FCO, and a high proportion are fatal.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article6809524.ece

There are many more, just Google.

I think it a bit unfair to blame the motorcycle deaths to Thailand being dangerous. More likely safety precautions which may come natural back home are easily forgotten in the sun, with a few drinks, no helmet, nice girl (AND crazy Thai drivers). No idea about the murder rate, but again sometimes people drop their guards being in this nice country full of smiling people.

[animatic]

He said that as long as the government can ensure safety and order in the country despite political tensions, foreign tourists will continue to come.

They can't ensure safety though. Thailand is the most dangerous tourism destination for Britons (and I believe Australians now) by some margin.

Avoid joining local Thai riots and demonstrations, and avoid designated danger zones. Do not meddle with and let the Thai's fix the Thai issues, and you should be safe, Brit, OZ or any other nationality.

You are correct, I too think the current government has a difficult job to ensure stability. Too many issues lingering around and the overall situation is very volatile. Even with a state of emergency there had been a number of gathering both by the PAD and the reds.

Political Stability is the only way to draw in both tourist and foreign investors. The Thai's should stop this pissing contest and get their act together. I have no clue how they are going to achieve this, but they should figure it out fast.

I don't remember the previous three governments doing it well for the same reasons.

[animatic]

rubi's points are well taken.

Yes, we know Brits don't get a handle on the Asian driving style too fast,

even if they have the benefit of driving left side at home.

And of course they are not the only ones, but notable in this discussion.

I think and even greater problem is Pub Culture drinking,

added to vacation disease. We are on vacation and can do as we please,

no work in the morning, and no thoughts about dealing with the locals on their terms

not your home land customs. I have seen people who look like they normally can think

act like utter fools on vacation, and if you don't know the lay of the land, it makes it dangerous.

But you can't blame any of the Thai governments for how farangs act when they come.

But this is only one small aspect of tourism promotion.

Cost of living and currency conversion are even more germain to this discussion.

If they don't control the baht in some logical fashion they will price more people out of their market,

than they can entice to come with ANY promotional roadshows or national deals.

Edited August 11, 2010 by animatic