Tour de Where? French organizers dismiss claim famous race coming to Thailand
By Coconuts Bangkok


Photo: Richard S. Marks

Have you heard the one about the Tour de France breaking a century of tradition to move to Thailand next year? No, seriously.

BANGKOK: -- A day after tourism authority headlines unequivocally asserted "Tour de France to be held in Thailand next year," the race's organizers were forced to publicly repudiate the claim.

"There are talks indeed but not to bring the Tour to Thailand," a spokesman for the Amaury Sport Organisation responded to Reuters about the Tourism Authority of Thailand's announcement.

Understandably tourism officials are desperate for some good news to buoy the kingdom's wounded image, but the line between optimism and inventing something out of whole cloth really isn't that fine.

"The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is in talks with Paris-based Amaury Sport Organisation for the possibility of staging the world’s biggest cycling race, the Tour de France, in Thailand in 2015, the year when the entire Southeast Asian region will integrate under the ASEAN Economic Community framework," read yesterday's news release.

Full story: http://bangkok.coconuts.co//2014/10/03/tour-de-where-french-organizers-dismiss-claim-famous-race-coming-thailand-0


-- Coconuts Bangkok 2014-10-03

related topic:

TAT targets Tour de France for Thailand

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/765191-tat-targets-tour-de-france-for-thailand/

Another Foot in Mouth outbreak.

Walter 'Somchai' Mitty strikes again!

It was such a big & proud moment during the announcement by TAT.....how dare the french ruin it for the hub of the world.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is in talks with Paris-based Amaury Sport Organisation for the possibility of staging the world’s biggest cycling race, the Tour de France, in Thailand in 2015, the year when the entire Southeast Asian region will integrate under the ASEAN Economic Community framework," read yesterday's news release

Not a day goes past without something surreal slipping out from our newly happy nation. Can't wait for ASEM and Milan ...

Another Foot in Mouth outbreak.

How many times do the idiots here insist on quoting other countries, organisations etc without any authority to do so ?

Oh my god, I can see the trouble already ahead, from French citizens being refused entry to Thailand now.

How about the F1 race in Bangkok planned and approved for next year ?

Do these people actually believe the b.s. they spout on a continual basis?

I think they got run over by F1 & Formula E all going into the same hole in the road.

What??? No TdF in Thailand? How can that be???

1 out of 2 ain't bad,after all the French did give Thailand FARANG.

"There are talks indeed but not to bring the Tour to Thailand," a spokesman for the Amaury Sport Organisation responded to Reuters..."

OK, so <deleted> ARE they talking about?!!?

Another Big Loss of Face for TAT AGAIN

The TAT apologised for the confusion over the Tour de France but said that talks with the organizers over moving the Iditarod to Roi Et were " looking positive"

Thailand really is a parallel universe sometimes.

These people are shameless when it comes to blatant lies.

Like no one would find out the truth.

Fail.

TAT never lets the truth get in the way of a good promotion. It's amazing that outsiders do not have to worry about making Thai officials looks like horse's butts, they are perfectly capable of doing that on their own. Way to go TAT!

There is a vast number of people who should be credited with spinning tall tales and some even write ''fairy tales'', but the Thai press seem to take it upon themselves to pass this along as crediable as the source of much of the info is on the government payroll.

To put this into the proper prespective, we should be reminded with each press release that is published, the story is as suspect as the the actions of the many officials who are acknowledged to have given the info, as corrupt, unusually wealthy, involved in drugs, tax evasion, cover ups for family/cronies, money laundering, smuggling, human trafficing ,murder, encroachment on public land, etc

So after being caught red handed about the lying, he decides to improve his staement with an even bigger lie. What was that new TAT slogan again?

After saying yesterday he expects "Thailand to play the perfect host to this esteemed and prominent cycling race as early as in 2015," authority Governor Thawatchai Arunyik walked the claim back in the Reuters report:

"We are still talking with Tour de France organisers but we are looking at next fiscal year. So 2016, not 2015," he said. "We’re not sure yet how many stages we will hold whether it is one or two stages or the whole competition. This is something that still needs to be discussed."

So after being caught red handed about the lying, he decides to improve his staement with an even bigger lie. What was that new TAT slogan again?

After saying yesterday he expects "Thailand to play the perfect host to this esteemed and prominent cycling race as early as in 2015," authority Governor Thawatchai Arunyik walked the claim back in the Reuters report:

"We are still talking with Tour de France organisers but we are looking at next fiscal year. So 2016, not 2015," he said. "We’re not sure yet how many stages we will hold whether it is one or two stages or the whole competition. This is something that still needs to be discussed."

"Since the Tour de France thing didn't play out, we are talking to Jim Henson to hold a muppet race through Lumpini Park. We are still in discussions..."

So after being caught red handed about the lying, he decides to improve his staement with an even bigger lie. What was that new TAT slogan again?

After saying yesterday he expects "Thailand to play the perfect host to this esteemed and prominent cycling race as early as in 2015," authority Governor Thawatchai Arunyik walked the claim back in the Reuters report:

"We are still talking with Tour de France organisers but we are looking at next fiscal year. So 2016, not 2015," he said. "We’re not sure yet how many stages we will hold whether it is one or two stages or the whole competition. This is something that still needs to be discussed."

"Since the Tour de France thing didn't play out, we are talking to Jim Henson to hold a muppet race through Lumpini Park. We are still in discussions..."

Hey....leave the muppets out of this....I love Miss Piggy & Kermit, they don't tell lies.

The tour the France is coming to Thailand!

It will be just after Thailand will release the first effective medicine for ebola and a complete cure for HIV, somewhere next week.

Quite right. There are enough crooked cheating foreigners on drugs here as it is without bringing any more in.

no Tour de France? really?

nevermind, at least thailand will organize the next american SuperBowl, in january....

Breaking News

"The Muppets de Lumpini is now in doubt after Gonzo has admitted to taking performance enhancing substances.

He claims he was manipulated by others."

All that Lycra is going to drive a lot of people nuts. I hope the organizers be prepared to warn the TdF participants in Thailand about proper dress code during the race. ABSOLUTENLY NO sexy outfits allowed.

They would need to get rid of all the holes in the road and a few hundred thousand soi dogs hanging about first.

And the risk of enraging Jatuporn and his mates by having a yellow shirted cyclist pedalling over the countryside just isn't worth it.

Thailieland, laughing stock of the world, do you have no shame?

Thainess @ its highest level!