Phuket Tourism: Thailand Fan Club launched

PHUKET: -- The Tourism Authority of Thailand is setting up the Thailand Fan Club in Europe to help draw tourists to Phuket and other key destinations in the Kingdom, including Bangkok.

"The TAT feels confident the club will encourage tourists from Europe to return to Thailand this peak season," TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni said yesterday.

More than 5,000 tourists from major source countries including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Norway have already joined the club, he said.

These countries have traditionally been major sources of tourists to Phuket, with Scandinavians in particular having been drawn to the island in numbers beyond expectations for their populations.

The TAT's offices in London, Paris and Rome are helping to invite more participants.

Following a significant downturn in European visitor numbers to Thailand over the past two years, TAT statistics show that Europeans are now returning to the Kingdom for their holidays.

However, many are going directly to Phuket and other destinations in the South, Suraphon says, which is cutting the average length of stays in Bangkok.

The TAT is also planning to establish similar clubs in other markets such as the Far East, Australia and the United Sates.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-08-25

Hum... Another fine waste of money by TAT! The amazing Tourism Authority of Thailand is at it again! It's right up there with their "call center" or where they Skype numbers set up in several countries to answer tourists questions.