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More Bullshit From The Tourism Authority Of Thailand

By admin on October 11, 2011 in TAT, Thailand / no comments / 406 views

It never ceases to amaze me that no one ever questions what the Tourism Authority of Thailand does or is going to do.

The Bangkok Post is now reporting that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is going to promote Ayutthaya heavily once the flood crisis is over. Which means, that Ayutthaya is now doomed.

Ubolratana Dam

The article in the Bangkok Post, TAT pumps Ayutthaya, shows that the Tourism Authority of Thailand is up to its collective eyeballs in Bullshit.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced a major push to promote post-flood Ayutthaya in domestic and key international markets such as Japan.

The Thai people won’t go until it is totally cleaned up and Japan is not key – China is.

Sansern Ngaorungsi, the deputy governor for Asia and the South Pacific, said the TAT is closely monitoring the situation in Ayutthaya and nearby provinces and constantly updating its offices across Asia.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is not closely monitoring anything. Their TAT news site posted “information” about the flooding in Ayutthaya on 7 October 2011 that was erroneous, filled with false data, and tried to paint a rosy picture of a dire situation saying that tourists were still visiting and having a grand time – all the while – Ayutthaya was evacuating. Today is the 11th of October and there have been no further updates

To top it off, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, on their Amazing Thailand Facebook page, posted a link to this same article on Sunday, 9 October, as the situation and flooding worsened. Complete idiots.

The TAT will increase its promotion and advertising budget to organise familiarisation trips for Japanese media to visit attractions in the province once the crisis is over.

Typical – throw more money at it. The Tourism Authority of Thailand would be better off inviting Chinese media. Oh, and they might want to wait for the flood waters to recede, people to clean up the area, and for UNESCO to also come in with support to assess the damage at the ancient capital of Thailand.

Three countries so far — Japan, the US and Belgium — have issued travel advisories for their citizens planning to visit flooded areas in Thailand.

As well they should. About 25 provinces are flooded and the worst is yet to come. Next week, from 16-18 October, Bangkok faces possible flooding from more rain, run off from dams in the north and northeast, and high tides that will make pushing water out to sea much more difficult.

Mr Sansern said the TAT will also promote other destinations such as Khao Yai National Park and Hua Hin in Asia-Pacific markets.

So. This is not news. It is the responsibility of the Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote Thailand – but – these two areas are primarily promoted to local Thais.

High-end Chinese tourists will be targeted at the China International Travel Mart (CITM) 2011 in Kunming from Oct 27-30. A total of 38 tour operators will attend the event to promote medical and wellness tourism in Thailand.

I wonder if the Tourism Authority of Thailand has done anything to get their media translated into Chinese. I have only seen one shitty video – mainly a love song – that does more to promote Bird Thongchai than it does to promote tourism in Thailand.

The TAT has also spoken with that country’s National Tourism Administration about promoting special Thai package tours after the CITM ends.

This would be very nice especially if the Tourism Authority of Thailand would promote to other foreign markets, but, most likely, they will have some kind of fair at the Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok for the elite Bangkokians.

Mr Sansern said the standard price of a package tour starts from 4,800 yuan (23,300 baht) for travel from Shanghai or Beijing and 3,300 yuan from Guangzhou.

And, no mention of what the special package would be. Khun Sansern would be better off educating staff and hotel operators about what the typical Chinese tourist wants to see and doing something to get workers in Thailand to learn the Chinese language.