TAT And LG Credit Card Co To Issue New Credit Card

[Jai Dee]

THAILAND FORGES COOPERATIVE MARKETING PARTNERSHIP WITH LG CREDIT CARD, KOREA’S LARGEST CREDIT CARD ISSUER – LG ‘SAWASDEE THAI CREDIT CARD’ LAUNCHES IN JUNE 2006

Acting Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr Pracha Maleenont, and Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Mrs Juthamas Siriwan, Thai Ambassador to South Korea, Mr Vasin Thiravejjayan with Mr Park, Hae Chun, President, LG Credit Card Co., Ltd., with senior executives

The Republic of Korea is an important source market for travellers to Thailand. In the first quarter of 2006, South Korea accounted for 230,000 visitors to Thailand, representing an 89 per cent growth over the same period in 2005. Thailand is also the most popular destination among Korean honeymooners. The Korean outbound travel and tourism market offers much potential for growth in terms of quality of tourists as well as volume.

In a pro-active step to boost travel to Thailand, TAT has entered into a co-branded credit card and co-operative tourism marketing partnership with LG Credit Card Co., Ltd., the largest credit card issuer in Korea. LG Credit Card has over nine million credit cardholders with high disposable income and averages some 800,000 new cardmembers per year.

Acting Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr Pracha Maleenont, and Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Mrs Juthamas Siriwan, were in Seoul, Korea, during May 2-5, 2006 for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony to officially mark the launch of the LG Sawasdee Thai Credit Card.

By partnering with Korea’s LG Credit Card, it is hoped that the launch of the LG Sawasdee Thai Credit Card will spark increased interest in Thailand as a travel destination and encourage more of LG’s nine million affluent credit cardholders to take trips to Thailand; increase Thailand’s tourism revenue and increase Thailand’s share of LG VISA cardmember spending in 2006. (LG VISA cardmember spending in 2004 was 1,070,456,735 baht and 1,094,043,528 baht in 2005.)

The official launch of the co-branded credit card and co-operative tourism marketing partnership with LG Credit Card in June 2006 is well-timed. The peak season for Korean outbound travel to Thailand is July-August.

Launch of the LG Sawasdee Thai credit card also reflects efforts by both TAT and the Korean travel industry to jointly promote travel to Thailand. TAT is currently working with tour operators in both Korea and Thailand to develop special Thailand travel packages for LG Sawasdee Thai credit cardholders. TAT head-office is also coordinating a range of travel and tourism-related service providers in Thailand who specialise in the Korean inbound travel market to develop special privileges and value-added offers for LG Sawasdee Thai credit cardholders. These include airlines, hotels, golf courses, restaurants, shopping centres, spas, medical services, tourism attractions, transportation operators and others. Meanwhile, TAT Korea is negotiating special discounts with Thai restaurants in Korea as additional local benefits.

The LG Sawasdee Thai Credit Card will be promoted by TAT and LG Credit Card through online channels and new media as well as traditional offline channels. Media coverage via LG Credit Card’s online channels consists of communication and promotion via e-mail marketing, 16 million online invoices, the home page banner and online shopping mall. LG Offline channels offers coverage via some eight million direct mail invoices, digital invoices, news releases, magazine advertising insertions and monthly LG CRM campaigns.

Co-operative advertising, promotional and PR campaigns will lead to greater coverage and increased penetration of the Korean consumer market and generate significant PR mileage for Thailand.

By year-end, the total number of Korean visitors to Thailand is expected to reach 970,000 persons, with an average length of stay of 5.77 days, generating 27.50 billion baht in tourism revenue for the country. Average spend per visitors is forecasted at 4,918.30 baht per day.

Source: TAT Newsroom - 17 May 2006

[Backpack_thailand]

Available to expats...???

I presume it will be the usual routine...

1. "Yes, of course, anybody can have one"

2. "Please send 10 million pieces of paper as proof of work, company, permit etc.

3. "We will send you your card in 3-4 weeks"

3-4 MONTHS later...

NOTHING!

T.I.T