Bangkok Targets To Retain World’s Best City Title Next Year

[webfact]

BMA targets to retain World’s Best City title next year

BANGKOK, Oct 27 -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will launch six measures to promote the status of the tourism industry in Bangkok, including marketing plans, improved safety measures and improved facilities for tourists in a bid for the 'City of Angels' to retain the World’s Best City next year, according to Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra.

The Thai capital was named by Travel+Leisure magazine as the World’s Best City 2010 for living and travelling in a survey conducted among its readers and the Bangkok governor himself in July flew to personally receive the award in New York City.

Bangkok Governor Sukhumbhand said the ambitious measures include marketing promotion plans, both domestic and international, with road show activities in potential markets such as England, Germany, India and China.

Tourism operators in Thailand will be invited to join the road show to build confidence among foreign markets regarding the Thai economic, social and political stability.

City Hall will also foster cooperation with the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) regarding the MICE market -- business organisations whose market segments comprise meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions -- to promote Bangkok as the top centre for MICE events and activities in the region, he said.

Other measures will promote the arts, culture and well known festivals such as Songkran, Loy Krathong, and the World Food Festival, as well as developing and promoting the quality of tourism-related businesses such as food services and mass transportation.

Safety measures for visitors will also be priority to make travellers feel safe and sound and infrastructure to facilitate the tourists as well as tourist information which would be available to visitors to access more easily.

The Bangkok governor also gave assurance that the measures would help promote the tourism industry in Bangkok and could keep Bangkok as the World’s Best City in the years ahead.

Gov Sukhumbhand announced the measures when he welcomed Ed Kelly, president and CEO of American Express Publishing Corporation, publisher of Travel+Leisure magazine, who visited Thailand to congratulate the governor for the award.

Ranked top in both the World and Asia, scoring 90.30, Bangkok shot to the top of the reader survey based on a time frame before this year's political disturbances, followed by Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai.

Samui and Phuket islands in the South were ranked fourth and the fifth respectively among Best Islands in Asia.

Travel+Leisure, a leading worldwide travel magazine, held its annual World’s Best Awards Readers’ Survey for the 15th consecutive year.

Readers were asked to help define excellence in travel by rating airlines, hotels, travel destinations and more. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2010-10-27

[Berek]

Worlds best???? How much did they pay to get that title? Certainly in the running for worlds most interesting city....

[sgiandubh]

Best city in the world ??????????

One can only but wonder how the assessors missed the crumbling pavements, the hoards of street vendors blocking the sidewalks, the unrelenting traffic flow, the corrupt police force, the child pornography, the inefficient local government, the prostitutes, the smiling but back stabbing inhabitants and of course, the duel pricing at major hospitals and institutions to name but a few things.

I suppose there is the Paragon centre and the BTS that are worthwhile.

Bangkok - the worlds best city - I wonder who paid who to get this title.

[DP25]

Bitter old farang incoming

[Berek]

My first bitter middle aged westerner posting thank you very much.

And Brisbane is much better as a city

[brahmburgers]

I can think of many cities that top Bangkok. Perhaps there was a home-grown campaign to get as many Thais as possible to place a vote in favor of Bangkok. Or perhaps the criteria for best city includes some of the following:

>>> no bicycle routes

>>> very few walking areas with grass and trees.

>>> very few parks, and those that exist are at least half concrete and asphalt

>>> a rowdy crowd barricading downtown with petrol soaked tires and sharpened bamboo staves for 1/5 of the year

>>> decrepid buses belching black smoke

>>> pseudo cops who harass and bust innocent visitors for the tiniest alleged infraction, but don't do a thing about serious issues all around them.

Travel and Leisure magazine lost credence from my view.

Edited October 27, 2010 by brahmburgers

[lee68]

Is it april the first already?

[richard_smith237]

Really, one doesn't have to travel very far to find cities that offer much much more than Bangkok.

But what Bangkok does offer is plenty of value for Money... I wonder how much happier I'd be in New York, London, Tokyo or Hong kong when so much money would inevitably be washed down the drain on many of the things I consider normal in Bangkok; such as eating out, drinking, cost of housing, inner city driving, parking, golf and other recreational activities...

Bangkok best city in the World - No way, not by a long shot, but I think it's up there with regards to value for money.

[EyesWideOpen]

Best city in the world ??????????

One can only but wonder how the assessors missed the crumbling pavements, the hoards of street vendors blocking the sidewalks, the unrelenting traffic flow, the corrupt police force, the child pornography, the inefficient local government, the prostitutes, the smiling but back stabbing inhabitants and of course, the duel pricing at major hospitals and institutions to name but a few things.

I suppose there is the Paragon centre and the BTS that are worthwhile.

Bangkok - the worlds best city - I wonder who paid who to get this title.

I saw this thread and after having been in Thailand for ten years, had to do a double take. The guy above has it about right. Maybe there was a secret criteria ??  " The city with the best looking girls that are available to tourist" ???  I actually like Bangkok, but the city has some serious issues to deal with. Unfortunately the money needed to deal with these issues has long since been sucked away by corruption. They could start with the sidewalks, which would seem to me to be a fairly basic product needed by tourists......... 

[David006]

BKK was not rated worlds most livable city...just as a tourist/convention whatever.. destination..certainly not a "boring" city.., NY was also in the top ten so it is all rather subjective. Great places to visit I would agree, wouldn't want to live there though...

Good luck to them anyways will help keep the tourist dollars coming one assumes.

[junglist]

Best City 55555555 not until they get rid of all the dogs crapping on every street. Half the city smells like Dog Sh#@....

[alstaxi]

Very funny story, belongs next to the crossword puzzle though.

[HC82]

I love Bangkok and this will probably be my home until I die - but World Best City?

haha I think not...

I'd probably give the nod to Paris.

[mstribling]

I was wondering how long it would take people to complain about the sidewalks. 5555 old people crack me up.

[hardy1943]

Best city in the world ??????????

One can only but wonder how the assessors missed the crumbling pavements, the hoards of street vendors blocking the sidewalks, the unrelenting traffic flow, the corrupt police force, the child pornography, the inefficient local government, the prostitutes, the smiling but back stabbing inhabitants and of course, the duel pricing at major hospitals and institutions to name but a few things.

I suppose there is the Paragon centre and the BTS that are worthwhile.

Bangkok - the worlds best city - I wonder who paid who to get this title.

I saw this thread and after having been in Thailand for ten years, had to do a double take. The guy above has it about right. Maybe there was a secret criteria ??  " The city with the best looking girls that are available to tourist" ???  I actually like Bangkok, but the city has some serious issues to deal with. Unfortunately the money needed to deal with these issues has long since been sucked away by corruption. They could start with the sidewalks, which would seem to me to be a fairly basic product needed by tourists......... 

I love living in Chiang Rai. However one day in Bangkok every years is one day to many. Been in Sidney, Vancouver Canada, Seattle , Berlin Germany, Paris just to name a few far out class Bangkok .

[Igor]

"World’s Best City 2010 for living and travelling"

As long as you don't breathe the air.

As long as your idea of sightseeing is memorizing all the license numbers of the other cars in the traffic jam.

As long as you don't try to walk anywhere. Between the sidewalk vendors and the motorcycle taxis it can be trying.

Maybe once they get the Bangkok Eye, all the hassles will be worth it. -sigh-

[EODghost]

Never been to Brisbane, but I've been to Bangkok. I'm betting you're right, Mate

My first bitter middle aged westerner posting thank you very much.

And Brisbane is much better as a city

[OliverPludra]

For me, bangkok is worlds best city for living and as you can see, i am not the only person thinking like this :jap:

[mstribling]

I agree BKK is a fantastic city.

[SkyHigh]

improve footpath. install more light. get rid of those scammers. build more public transportation.

Then BKK can take that rank.

Edited October 27, 2010 by SkyHigh

[KeyserSoze01]

I was wondering how long it would take people to complain about the sidewalks. 5555 old people crack me up.

How do you know the ages of the people responding to this thread?

Yep, one of the worst things about Thailand are the young, skinhead, tattooed, farang lager-louts out looking for trouble and making uninformed, asinine comments about things they haven't a clue.

See how easy it is to make broad generalizations.

As far as the OP, I can name at least 10 cities that are far superior to Bangkok across the entire spectrum of ranking criteria. It's a bullshit award which means nothing, except to the Thais which only care about face.

[jonclark]

What gets me is not the the Bangkok Best City bit, but the fact that the TAT, government and various other government agencies needs this almost constant comforting, petting and reassurance from top ten listing and ranking agencies, who no one cares about, in order to feel good about themselves.

Makes me think Thais have an image problem

Edited October 27, 2010 by jonclark

[scudman]

What gets me is not the the Bangkok Best City bit, but the fact that the TAT, government and various other government agencies needs this almost constant comforting, petting and reassurance from top ten listing and ranking agencies, who no one cares about, in order to feel good about themselves.

Makes me think Thais have an image problem

Bang, the nail is hit right on the head.

[anterian]

One can only assume that the readership that voted for Bangkok don't get around much, just come to Bangkok once a year for cheap booze and bunk-ups. It is better than Manil though:lol:

[rstrauss]

Bangkok the best city for living? hel_l no! Somebody must be thinking through his dick.

[webfact]

2 ALL CAPS posts deleted.

[rubl]

I was wondering how long it would take people to complain about the sidewalks. 5555 old people crack me up.

Remember also motorcyclists complain about the uneven, cracked sidewalks; and the annoying pedestrians of course.

PS with some luck you'll get to being 'old people' yourself, even if it takes a few more decades

(edit: sidewalks versus footpaths ?)

Edited October 27, 2010 by rubl

[crusader79]

What gets me is not the the Bangkok Best City bit, but the fact that the TAT, government and various other government agencies needs this almost constant comforting, petting and reassurance from top ten listing and ranking agencies, who no one cares about, in order to feel good about themselves.

Makes me think Thais have an image problem

Exactly, that's what made me laugh too, the focus on 'retaining' the best city ranking! Having won in a year in which civil war erupted on the streets of central Bangkok how hard could that be

[Thai at Heart]

What gets me is not the the Bangkok Best City bit, but the fact that the TAT, government and various other government agencies needs this almost constant comforting, petting and reassurance from top ten listing and ranking agencies, who no one cares about, in order to feel good about themselves.

Makes me think Thais have an image problem

Exactly, that's what made me laugh too, the focus on 'retaining' the best city ranking! Having won in a year in which civil war erupted on the streets of central Bangkok how hard could that be

Next year should be a stroll in the park.

[hayden5650]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Ohhhh this must be a joke.

How could Bangkok beat out places like Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Sydney, Auckland, Tokyo, Nuremberg.

What a load of <deleted>.