My buddy Tom at Isaan-Live sent me an email with a link to an article from the The Nation entitled “TAT takes online initiative” which has quite a few glaring omissions and a number of outright lies. The Governor of TAT, Suraphon Svetasreni, makes it sound like they are just doing everything so perfect and wonderful online and with their new phone apps, he fails to see it from the perspective of an outsider.  He only knows what his staff tell him and they would never tell him anything that he didn’t want to hear.

I will pick through the article and point out what is incorrect.

The agency is to increase its budget for promotions via online channels to 40 per cent of its total marketing budget.

The 2011 TAT budget is 5.24 BILLION Baht, so 40% would be almost 70 million dollars.  I need to get some of that action.

Facebook is free.  Twitter is free.  The Tourist Authority of Thailand website can’t have cost more that $100 to set up (domain name and hosting) and then adding some occasional data.  Where is the $70 million dollars going?

Part of it went to develop their app for Smartphones.

Recently, the agency unveiled its official application for smart phones, called “Amazing Thailand”.

What they fail to mention in the article is that a company called 23 Perspective developed the application.  The TAT Governor makes it sound like TAT developed it. Hah!  I don’t know who has to keep it current, but if it is anything like TAT’s Facebook page, it will be out of date in a matter of months.

This is where I almost spit out my Pepsi -

The result is that, these days, tourists get information about events three months in advance.

On TAT’s Amazing Thailand Facebook page, one gets information about events hours before they happen, days after they happen, or not at all.  Once in a blue moon, if it serves their interests, TAT will post something in advance.

For example, there is a big Buddhist holy day coming up – Makha Pujha – and TAT is only promoting it in Nakhon Si Thammarrat when most Thais will be going to That Phanom (by the tens of thousands).  Why?

TAT is more interested in posting stupid photos and stupid little sayings that have little or nothing to do with attracting tourists. Here are a couple of screen shots of the Amazing Thailand Facebook page.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Facebook Page

Tourism Authority of Thailand Facebook Page

Knowing what a stupid little doll had for lunch will really attract tourists.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Facebook Page

Tourism Authority of Thailand Facebook Page

More wasted posts.  Facebook and Twitter could be powerful for TAT if used properly, but they won’t. Yes, they have a lot of followers, but from where?  Mostly Thailand.

Today, I received an Event Notification from Amazing Thailand about an event in Ban Chiang – which started 3 days ago.  Great timing TAT.

And here is a shot of the local Khon Kaen TAT office’s page.  Really looks like they are trying to attract foreign tourists with all of their posts in the Thai language.

Tourism Authority of Thailand Khon Kaen Facebook Page

Tourism Authority of Thailand Khon Kaen Facebook Page

All posts in Thai and if you ask for a translation, they will whine and moan, and maybe provide a translation.  A good example is they are running a photo contest of pictures of dinosaurs in Isaan.  The initial posting was only in Thai and only when I questioned them if the contest was only for Thai people, did they tell me that anyone can enter and sorry for no English.  Really looking out for us foreigners.

Ask a question to either office, and maybe one out of ten will get answered.  And one of those out of ten may actually be correct. We tried to get the start time and location of the Khon Kaen International Marathon and were given incorrect info.  We asked for info on start time and location of the Khon Kaen Annual Silk Festival Parade.  Same thing – incorrect information.

But, the best is saved for last.  TAT Governor also stated:

Along with its drive to attract foreign tourists, TAT is not forgetting the locals. It aims to increase domestic tourism from 87 million trips to 90 million trips this year.

Considering that the only promotions I see are geared toward local Thais, this will probably happen.  But, tourism from Europe, America, Australia, and the rest of the West will definitely go down (although I am certain that it will be reported that tourist numbers will be up again this year ).  This is where the focus should be.

But, no, TAT will promote locally, send their staff on tours of local areas – 40 million baht worth.  Over $1 million in field trips for staff.  By locally, only to local Thais – not local expats.

And, the kicker is, in 2012, the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s budget will be increased to 6 BILLION baht.

I wonder who’s pocket all the money that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) gets annually goes into?

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