PM to launch 'Discover Thainess' campaign
SUCHAT SRITAMA
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is set to kick off the "Discover Thainess" national tourism campaign, aimed at boosting arrivals by 13 per cent, after authorities said visitors would drop by 8 per cent this year.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Thawatchai Arunyik said last week that the premier had confirmed he would preside over the launch of the tourism campaign and the Thailand Tourism Festival at Lumpini Park, which will run from January 14-18. TAT would hold a press conference for the event on January 7 at Centara Grand, CentralWorld.

The five-day fair will be the first mega-event in the new year after the government declared 2015 as the year of Discover Thainess, with the objective of accelerating national economic and social development under His Majesty the King's sufficiency economy model to achieve a more sustainable form of growth.

Prayut will be the third PM to come and help christen a national campaign. In 1982, Prem Tinsulanonda, now a privy councillor, celebrated Visit Thailand Year and the 200th anniversary of metropolitan Bangkok as part of tourism promotion.

In 1987, the Visit Thailand Year campaign was reintroduced to global markets. Chartchai Chuhawanat presided over the send-off of the highly effective campaign.

Another global campaign, Amazing Thailand 1998-99, was a great success for Thai tourism. The Amazing Thailand brand and perception are very strong in overseas markets.

The government and tourism authorities hope that the new campaign would bring greater success for the entire industry throughout the coming year. To build campaign awareness, TAT called on all stakeholders to showcase Thainess or the distinct character of the Thai people and unique culture, as Thailand is part of the Asean Economic Community.

Thawatchai said the country would miss this year's international targets for both arrivals and revenue. The authority has revised downward arrivals from 25 million to 25.5 million predicted early this year to 24.6 million, down 7-8 per cent down from last year. Revenue from foreign tourists is also expected to drop by 5 per cent to Bt1.15 trillion. However, local travellers and revenue will continue to see 7-per-cent growth over last year. Local trips are projected at 138 million and revenue at Bt700 million.

For next year, international arrivals are expected to increase by 13 per cent to 28 million and revenue from foreign visitors by 16 per cent to Bt1.35 trillion.

Local trips are expected to rise by 9 per cent to 151 million and local revenue by 14 per cent to Bt800 billion this year, driven by greater air access and tax deductions.

SupawanTanomkieatipume, vice president for marketing at the Thai Hotels Association (THA), said Thai tourism may continue facing slow growth through the first three months of next year as economic problems in some key markets such as Russia and Japan have not been resolved.

However, hotel operators in most major tourist destinations and secondary cities would enjoy higher occupancy, but would return to facing difficulties after the New Year season. Business travellers will not book meetings and conferences next quarter.

"Business travellers normally come just after general tourism recovers. And it seems that we could see meetings and conferences from overseas in the second quarter," she said.

Budget airline Thai AirAsia confessed that its passenger count would reach about 12.1 million for this year, short of the projection of 13.6 million, while its average load factor will drop from the target of 83 per cent to 80 per cent. The airline last year carried 10.3 million passengers and targets 14 million passengers next year.

"Political unrest in Thailand is the key factor for the decline," said. TassaponBijleveld, chief executive officer. To encourage foreigners back to the country next year, the association would ask the government to consider granting multiple visas for tourists, especially those from Europe and Eastern Europe.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/PM-to-launch-Discover-Thainess-campaign-30250850.html

-- The Nation 2014-12-29

I think the problem is that the world has already discovered "thainess" (so stupid btw), and that is the reason for less tourists. Soooo, good luck with the campaign lol.

This is nice. 'Discover Thainess' Campaign.

It coincides with the POLICE STOP - SEARCH - PISS TEST campaign.

Notice in the leaflet how the passport photo portrays the foreigner as the DEVIL.

Discover Thainess

and

Visit Thailand

are very different concept

Who would be interested in Frenchness, USness, Spanishness (major tourists destinations)?

People want to visit France USA or Spain.

Just ask a few expats, what Thainess means!

My hope is that the Thai would discover un-Thainess.

The PM's generosity knows no bounds, now the gift of Thainess to the world.

This will go down like a popcorn fart in church.

Edited December 29, 201411 yr by khwaibah

what is thainess? ...to me its mostly negative, as in stupidity ignorance and out right idiotic?

Thainess: Speak 2 words, 3 of them are lies!

This is 1 of those "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" situations my mother told me about as a kid right?

This is 1 of those "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" situations my mother told me about as a kid right?

If you're referring to commenting on this thread, I'd say yes.

Certainly going to be what I do.

fortunately for them most tourists visit the thai tourist bubble which insulates them from thainess

why expose them to thainess and ruin their holiday?

I would think a domestic "Discover Reality" campaign would be more apt.

Thainess , a word used to cover up idiocy or incompetence.

Words to the wise, discover 'Thainess' before coming here and go holiday somewhere else...

'Discovering' Thainess is easy. Just interact with any Thai on any level and you'll soon be scratching your head saying, "That's amazing".

'Understanding' Thainess is impossible. I just accept that 'This is Thailand' and they don't do things here the way we would back home.

PM to launch 'Discover Thainess' campaign

I read the article three times and never read where it explained what Thainess is or how they wanted tourists to 'discover' it. If I were TAT, I'd be very selective in the kinds of 'Thainess' I let the tourists discover.

Prayuth & TAT & Thainess in the same OP!!

Doesn't get much worse!!

Reading the posts up to now, I do believe that the racists in this country are NOT the Thais but the farangs posting this kind of rubbish.

Keep it up members, you are showing your real selves.

Oh the irony!!

Prayuth is going to launch this new campaign!!

Don't TAT realize that the general is one of the reasons for the lower tourist numbers??

The good news about being a military leader is that he can order Thainess to be spread.....if not, he could open re-education camps to better explain it to people.

Racist comments?... Lol

Reading the posts up to now, I do believe that the racists in this country are NOT the Thais but the farangs posting this kind of rubbish.

Keep it up members, you are showing your real selves.

We all know, that you have sold your soul!!

Keep up the good work!! Prayuth is very proud of you!!

If someone put out a story stating that one political/religious viewpoint was correct, you people would batter them with a multitude of varying opinions.

With this story we are singing in the same choir.

Its nice to belong once in a while.

Reading the posts up to now, I do believe that the racists in this country are NOT the Thais but the farangs posting this kind of rubbish.

Keep it up members, you are showing your real selves.

Could it be that an other idiot statement from the Junta leads to these remarks?

Edited December 29, 201411 yr by kalbo123

But no foreigner (and no YL supporter from Isan or Northern Thailand) can possibly understand 'Thainess' !!

Thainess: Speak 2 words, 3 of them are lies!

Interesting proposition.

I think perhaps you might have missed the exact nature of 'Thainess'.

It would be nice to hear from members about their view of exactly what 'Thainess' means them.

Personally, I can't decide if it's the dual pricing or rampant racism. That screams Thainess to me.

Edited December 29, 201411 yr by Manbing

The trouble is too many people are now discovering what "Thainess" means, judging by the dramatic increase in Brits being hospitalised or dying. I hear Koh Tao is a great place to discover Thainess.

Reading the posts up to now, I do believe that the racists in this country are NOT the Thais but the farangs posting this kind of rubbish.

Keep it up members, you are showing your real selves.

Instead of having a go at your fellow posters, why not enlighten us, living in our racist darkness, and tell us exactly why the generals new campaign is such a great one??

Do you honestly believe, him opening his gob, will increase tourist numbers by 13% ?

Naivety must be a Greek word!!

Oooohhhhhh noooo ..............not another bloody campaign targeted at tourists

Thailand Hub of 3-a-day tourist Campaigns