Thread: Thailand : Tourism budget proposed

Tourism budget proposed
13 October 2008

Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, disclosed he has prepared to seek approval from economic ministers for budget to develop the tourism industry with cooperation from the Board of Investment (BoI).

BoI, he said today (October 13), was asked to help rehabilitating tourists' destinations, such as Phuket, Pang-nga, and Krabi provinces.

Toursim promotion plans, he said, called for relevant authorities' hosting for promotional activities both at home and overseas. Chinese tourists would be main target of attraction as total Chinese population were ample.

State-owned financial institutions would also be encouraged to extend loans to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) running tourism business in the provinces. International film festival would also be hosted.

Mr. Weerasak reiterated that the ministry would revive tourism to strengthen local market as well as to restore foreign tourists’ confidence, in particular China, South Korea and England, since these tourists were wealthy.

He added that relevant officials would clarify to tourists that the political tension only happened in limited areas. They would not be affected. Their safety could be warranted.

The minister also said that he would propose at Tuesday's Cabinet that Thailand would host arts of self-defence competition, Asia's first of its kind, in April 2009.

thainews.prd.go.th

Originally Posted by Mid

International film festival would also be hosted.

That could be a nice little earner

Cracking down the transportation mafia in the South (esp. Phang-na !) and improving infrastructure might be a better way to spend the money than trying to convince the Chinese that what they read in the newspaper is not true.

Chinese tourists would be main target of attraction as total Chinese population were ample.

yes, but the ample population has little money.

Mr. Weerasak reiterated that the ministry would revive tourism to strengthen local market as well as to restore foreign tourists’ confidence, in particular China, South Korea and England, since these tourists were wealthy.

I wonder if Thaksin will be a tourist with his new British passport

Originally Posted by Mid

He added that relevant officials would clarify to tourists that the political tension only happened in limited areas.

I think they could make some extra cash by offering football hooligans in the Uk, Holland and Germany package deals to come and join in with the "demonstrations" ( thats riots to you and me).