Tourist Spots In 19 Provinces Will Be Developed To Draw More Visitors

[Jai Dee]

Tourist spots in 19 provinces will be developed to draw more visitors

The Tourism and Sports Ministry will spend about 63 billion baht developing tourist destinations in a bid to increase tourism income by 20%.

Permanent-Secretary Sakthip Krairirksh (ศักดิ์ทิพย์ ไกรฤกษ์) said investments would be made under a 4-year plan to promote tourism in 19 provinces in the central and eastern regions.

Mr. Sakthip said the ministry plans to turn Thailand into a natural and cultural tourism center in Southeast Asia through 61 tourism-related projects to be implemented in those 19 provinces.

The objective is to make tourists with high purchasing power stay longer in Thailand, he added.

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 18 May 2006

[jdinasia]

eastern regions? yes ... Pattaya needs more 'cultural' tourists

<just teasing Mobi!>

[sriracha john]

criminy... that's a HUGE pile of money to be spent seeking these

"Elite Card-like" tourists... and it seems like these efforts have never paid off...

except to the "chosen few" recipients of such governmental windfalls...

case in point... TAT's venture with Capital OK (a Thaksin company) promoting the use of their credit card at resorts.

[ovenman]

criminy... that's a HUGE pile of money to be spent seeking these

"Elite Card-like" tourists... and it seems like these efforts have never paid off...

The way this story reads, it sounds like they want to develop new, previous unseen tourism locations. So, does this mean we can expect some five-star resorts in places like Singburi and Ang Thong?

[[email protected]]

TIT

[womble]

How about some roads and decent sewer systems for Samui then. Why don't they address important issues that quality tourists demand? It's not more beauty pageants that are needed to draw in the tourists.

[WISteve]

Investment in infrastructure is an expensive and not very glamous thing to do. Sometimes politicians would rather have FLASH pageants and parades that make good headlines, but really don't address the most urgent needs in present or potential resort areas.

Besides, the biggest question is: are there enough Cambodian illegals available to really get the work done?

~WISteve

[gharknes]

I have seen some beautifull places in Thailand that would have been better suited to tourism than places like Pattaya, apart from the rising crime rate pattaya beaches are a health hazzard, in all the time i have lived here I have never once put so much as a toe in the water in Pattaya or Jomtien, the island is cleaner but it's a boat trip away, although I must say I do like the day out in Koh Larn

[Johpa]

Tourist spots in 19 provinces will be developed to draw more visitors

The Tourism and Sports Ministry will spend about 63 billion baht developing tourist destinations in a bid to increase tourism income by 20%.

I am sure that the always squeaky clean Tourism and Sports Ministry is quite happy to have 63 billion baat to "spend" in the obsurity of these outer provinces. I am sure the money will indeed go to incease the bids at locations even more remote from Bangkok. Good bye 63 billion baat of taxpayers money. See you at the bidding tables of Macau and Las Vegas.

[ovenman]

I am sure that the always squeaky clean Tourism and Sports Ministry is quite happy to have 63 billion baat to "spend" in the obsurity of these outer provinces. I am sure the money will indeed go to incease the bids at locations even more remote from Bangkok. Good bye 63 billion baat of taxpayers money. See you at the bidding tables of Macau and Las Vegas.

Perhaps one could then argue that the end result of this governmental largesse will truly be Unseen in Thailand? Ties in beautifully with the TAT campaign.

[ratcatcher]

If it hasn't already happened, it soon will. Thailand is becoming passe to the really wealthy tourists that the T.A.T. is aiming at. These people have a very keen sense of what the exotic is all about and Thailand in this day and age is hardly exotic. "Been there, done that" Interesting, yes, but exotic? There are many places on earth where the idle rich prefer to vacation and no matter how many "Elite" come-on's are offered they will not pay attention. Unless Thailand wants elite well heeled football louts and mafia types.

As for the 63 billion baht budget, I expect that will come out of Pol.Lt.Col,Dr.,P.M.in absentia Thaksin's own bank account. That will still leave him with at least 10 billion baht left over from the Temasek sale and he had billions before that influx of cash. No problem there as he would be giving something back to his grass roots supporters and helping to eradicate poverty as promised.

So let's look positively on stunningly beautiful places such as At Samat and Buriram getting 5 Star, Spa resorts and work for the peasants.