Bangkok vows to reclaim top tourist destination title
By Digital Content



BANGKOK, July 7 -- The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is trying to restore confidence to reclaim its role as the top tourist destination title from Kyoto, Japan.

Deputy Bangkok governor Amorn Kitchawengkul said Bangkok lost its top tourist destination championship to Kyoto and fell to the third position in a survey by the Travel + Leisure magazine this year because of continuing political demonstrations.

Bangkok's city hall will discuss efforts to restore confidence among tourists with operators of five-star hotels whose client numbers have dropped by half, he said.

The BMA will join with concerned organizations in government and private sectors to restore confidence. It will explain Thailand's local situations to participants in international conferences in Bangkok including those in the International Publishers Association Congress that was postponed from last year to September this year due to the political situation, the 3rd Lower Mekong Tourism City Mayors’ Summit this November and the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) next February.

In addition, city hall will organize activities to promote tourism, especially annual activities in the winter including music-in-the-park and fashion street events. It will also organize food festivals because Thailand is well-known for its food.

Such activities are likely to woo tourists back to Bangkok, Mr Amorn said. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2014-07-07

Dream on ...what next Patong world heritage site?

In addition, city hall will organize activities to promote tourism, especially annual activities in the winter including music-in-the-park and fashion street events. It will also organize food festivals because Thailand is well-known for its food.

Yep i can see all the wealthy booking their tickets now ...all that amazing street food

Good luck with that!

Well take away the drugs, hookers, fakes,

Well take away the drugs, hookers, fakes,

ha ha, then see who comes here for the wats and the beaches

Is it smart to start with a roof of 10 000 thb for imported taxfree goods?

There are just a few problems to be resolved before the tourists will start flooding back.

They have a lot of work to do.

How can they reclaim that which, in the real world, they never had ?

Well take away the drugs, hookers, fakes,

Yeah, do that and then you have shut down 75% of the business, hotel and other rip off's in BKK, Pattaya, Phuket, etc,

No one left but serious tourists and back packers.

reclaim top tourist destination title ?

beginning with clamp down on visa runners, and then imposing a 11000 baht limit from goods brought in from overseas.

serious vetting of who can operate a tuk-tuk and taxi, give them smart uniforms with some medals, make them more presentable, ban the top heavy looney buses and stop all the double pricing nonsense at the national parks/monuments that's based on the bizarre concept that the farang with rucksacks are richer than the Thais in there new 4 wheel drive gridlocking gas guzzling fandango rant rant rant

Mmmmm

reclaim top tourist destination title ?

beginning with clamp down on visa runners, and then imposing a 11000 baht limit from goods brought in from overseas.

I thought the baht limit was for Thais returning to Thailand from overseas

As long as Thai Air is cutting coconuts on empty planes, its gonna happen for sure.

badly tarnished by the jetset monk and suthep it could take a while to reverse the damage

badly tarnished by the jetset monk and suthep it could take a while to reverse the damage

NO, NO! Those are minor unimportant faux pas.

To reverse the damage Junta and company (TAT) are employing self deception; recognized as a happiness generating device. A very Thai thing.

It did not take long to destroy the title of top destination, but it will tale a long time to get it back ( for real, not crapola in some travel magazines)

badly tarnished by the jetset monk and suthep it could take a while to reverse the damage

NO, NO! Those are minor unimportant faux pas.

To reverse the damage Junta and company (TAT) are employing self deception; recognized as a happiness generating device. A very Thai thing.

Of course PTP were marvelous for tourists. Nightly indiscriminate grenade and shooting attacks. No arrests from the keystone cops but plenty of rhetoric from the drunk in charge of them.

Still, there was some novelty value visiting a country governed by a convicted criminal fugitive via Skype and social media. And their idea of selling rice at the airport as take back gifts - priceless.

It did not take long to destroy the title of top destination, but it will tale a long time to get it back ( for real, not crapola in some travel magazines)

Always the same - years to create a brand / reputation and seconds to loose it.

badly tarnished by the jetset monk and suthep it could take a while to reverse the damage

NO, NO! Those are minor unimportant faux pas.

To reverse the damage Junta and company (TAT) are employing self deception; recognized as a happiness generating device. A very Thai thing.

Of course PTP were marvelous for tourists. Nightly indiscriminate grenade and shooting attacks. No arrests from the keystone cops but plenty of rhetoric from the drunk in charge of them.

Still, there was some novelty value visiting a country governed by a convicted criminal fugitive via Skype and social media. And their idea of selling rice at the airport as take back gifts - priceless.

Non sequitur. .Consequence of OCD

And how exactly does Bangkok intend to that....... more temples, more shopping malls, more smiles, more bar girls?

No. Improved safety and treating the tourists as guests and not cash cows might be a start.

Perfect time for an immigration crackdown...on tourist visas.

The Thais are "vowing" so it must be so. You can bet on it. The Thais are to be taken seriously. And just think Kyoto does it with no girlie sex bar trade.

Great idea. Supporting the effort is the new rules on visas for genuine tourists who'd like to hop over to Myanmar, Vientiane, Luang Prabang and Angkor Vat. Oh I forgot, going in and out various times has been made IMPOSSIBLE, sorry. Stay home or just visit Lao, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, but do NOT use Thailand as a base for those trips.

As long as Thai Air is cutting coconuts on empty planes, its gonna happen for sure.

But the aircraft is empty...

I tend to agree with those that are saying there is a problem that wont go away easily. The 10,000 thb issue may have been minimised and restated to exclude the strip searching of all visitors but the cat is out of the bag. The clamp down on the "famous" night-life means not so famous any more. Inflation has doubled the price of street and many other foods and the F1 race has vanished. Now smoking is to be banned in all public places?

It will be tough to reinvent itself.

If they were serious they would at least be cognisant if not address the fact that allot if people want to come to Thailand but because its official under a military ' junta" rule no travel insurance company will issue policies and this is a huge concern when you are planing a vacation

You can't blame people for not wanting to travel uninsured and the lure of a few more som tam carts in the streets just doenst do it , Im afraid

Dirty trashy city, terrible airport and throw in the regular demonstrations and coups and the place is the worst in the world. Thailand is a great place when many beautiful destinations but Bangkok brings the country down. They need to nurk the place and start again

......and then on the other hand Thailand is clamping down on people crossing the borders, overstaying, etc. All these people are spending money in the country.