Showing 1 - 3 of 3
Tourism needs clear direction from above
Published on 19/09/2013
» The government’s plan to achieve 2.2 trillion baht in tourism revenue in 2015 depends on clear action and policies, according to tourism-related experts. Dr. Naligatibhak Sangsanit, head of DASTA (Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration), said that simply relying on bigger numbers doesn’t necessarily lead to bigger revenue on the scale anticipated.
Warning about Thai tourism
Published on 03/09/2013
» The Thai Chamber of Commerce has warned that Thailand is in danger of losing out to Malaysia and Singapore in the battle to attract tourists. Aat Pisanwanich, a director, said that other ASEAN countries had improved their tourist and hospitality profiles while Thailand appeared to be standing still. “Foreign visitors are less satisfied than they once were with the Siamese Smile,” he said whilst adding that some front-line staff tended to look displeased. He suggested that the service industry in Thailand should concentrate on improving staff attitudes or risk losing many visitors in the future. Other suggestions were to improve the language skills of staff, not only in English but in Japanese and Chinese as well. If these improvements were made, the Chamber concluded, Thailand could well draw up to 34 million tourists a year by the end of this decade with their revenue of 1.65 trillion baht contributing over 11 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Currently Malaysia attracts slightly more than the 22 million visitors to Thailand at 25 million with Singapore next at 14 million.
Ministry chugs ahead with trains
Published on 29/07/2013
» Whilst the 2-trillion baht borrowing bill is still proceeding through parliament, officials in the Transport Ministry are ploughing ahead with feasibility studies and environmental impact assessments on the electric train project involving four routes. The proposed route from Bangkok to Rayong, starting at Bang Sue and stopping at Chachoengsao, Chonburi and Pattaya, is estimated to cost 101 billion baht. A consultant has been hired to conduct the planning studies. Critics of the scheme say that high-speed trains never break even in any country which has them and require heavy subsidies. The proposed Bangkok-to-Rayong route is one of the less controversial as there is a widespread feeling that the Eastern Seaboard city needs a direct and speedy link to the metropolis. Also the expanding U-tapao provincial airport would benefit enormously from a direct high-speed connection to both Pattaya and Bangkok.