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Reimagining travel: Thailand tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic

Thailand’s economy is reliant on international tourism, a once-flourishing sector that has been impacted by pandemic restrictions. But there have been continual government efforts to boost domestic travel, and measures to support returning international demand after Thailand began reopening to vaccinated international travelers from 63 countries on November 1, 2021. 1 Pasika Khernamnuoy and Katie Silver, “Thailand reopens to vaccinated tourists from over 60 nations,” BBC, November 1 2021, bbc.com. Even as the world addresses emerging variants of the virus, Thailand’s lessons can act as a guide for other tourism-dependent countries facing similar dilemmas as they prepare for the resurgence of international travel.

A heavy blow, adjustments needed to support recovery

In 2019, Thailand ranked eighth globally in international tourist arrivals, with China being a key source market. 2 United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Thailand recorded a high of 40 million visitors in 2019, with the top three spending categories for inbound visitors that year being in accommodation (28 percent), shopping (24 percent of spending), and food and beverages (21 percent). 3 “Summary of tourism income and expenses from foreign tourists entering Thailand in 2019,” Ministry of Tourism & Sports, October 28, 2020, mots.go.th. Furthermore, the Thai tourism sector created 36 million jobs between 2014 and 2019. 4 “Dashboard SME big data,” Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion, accessed October 2021, sme.go.th.

Unfortunately, the pandemic and related restrictions have hit travel particularly hard, as international travel plunged. Passengers on international flights to Thailand dropped by 95 percent in September 2021, compared to the previous year. Hotels, in turn, only filled 9 percent of their rooms (Exhibit 1).

This decline in visitors had an outsize impact on tourism spending, as international travelers spent significantly more than their local counterparts (Exhibit 2). For instance, in 2019, international travelers made up 33 percent of overall travelers in Thailand yet accounted for almost 60 percent of all tourism spending—international tourists spent $1,543 per traveler on average, compared to $152 by domestic travelers. 5 “Tourism statistics 2019,” Ministry of Tourism & Sports, accessed October 2021, mots.go.th. This drop in expenditure undoubtedly caused a ripple effect on Thailand’s food and beverage retail industries, which include 1.2 million small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs). 6 “How to start business,” Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion, accessed October 2021, sme.go.th.

Recovery appears to be on the horizon for Thailand. Assuming virus recurrence, slow long-term growth, muted world recovery, and minimal changes to global tourism strategies, Thailand’s tourism sector could only recover to pre-crisis levels by 2024.

Given that Thailand’s GDP relies significantly on foreign tourism income, the domestic tourism market alone is not sufficient to bring the nation’s tourism revenue back to 2019 figures; the sector’s recovery would depend on a resurgence in international travel (Exhibit 3). Globally, this recovery scenario would likely reshape the landscape of the world’s travel industry and create a strong imperative for both the public and private sectors to act to ensure the industry’s survival.

Efforts to stimulate tourism

Thailand has deployed various efforts to compensate for the loss of inbound tourism. Given that for most of the first quarter of 2020, Thailand saw less than 1,000 daily COVID-19 cases nationwide, with cases not rising above 4,000 until November 2020, domestic tourism was still a viable option for travelers. The Thai government’s attempt to boost domestic travel took the form of providing subsidies for hotel stays and flights for travelers. The government also rolled out measures to stimulate international travel to Thailand’s beach destinations and attract high-end travelers from international markets.

Travel together—stimulating domestic tourism

In August 2020, the Thai government launched the Rao Tiew Duay Gun (We Travel Together) program, where it set aside a budget of $640 million to help boost domestic tourism. 7 “Thailand approves domestic tourism package worth 22.4 billion baht,” Tourism Authority of Thailand Newsroom, June 17, 2020, tatnews.org.

The government subsidized a total of six million nights of hotel accommodation at 40 percent of normal room rates. The subsidy was capped at 3,000 baht ($100) per night for up to five nights. Subsidies for other services, including food, were capped at 600 baht ($20) per room per night. This subsidy was initially limited to facilities outside tourists’ home provinces, but that restriction was lifted in the second phase of the rollout in December 2020. In addition, domestic tourists traveling by air would qualify for a government refund of 40 percent of the ticket price. This was capped at 1,000 baht ($32) per seat, with a quota of 2 million seats.

The program reached its total quota of six million hotel-room nights in February 2021, seven months after its launch. 8 “FPO reveals the money we travel together, 20,000 million,” Bangkok Business News , January 4, 2021, bangkokbiznews.com; “‘We travel together’ the parade has already reserved 6 million rights. But there are still 1.35 million rights left!” Bangkok Business News , February 8, 2021, bangkokbiznews.com. During that time, at least $1 billion had been added to the Thai economy. 9 “NESDB-TAT has not yet knocked on ‘we travel together, phase 3,’” Thai PBS News , March 16, 2021, news.thaipbs.or.th.

Many operators grasped this opportunity, shifted their focus to the domestic market, and attracted local travelers by promoting flights and hotels in collaboration with the We Travel Together campaign. Destinations that once served mainly international visitors welcomed more local travelers, which has helped their economies wade through this difficult period. Many luxury hotels offered deep discounts and attractive promotions to capture the medium- to high-spend domestic-tourist segment.

These efforts to stimulate domestic travel were temporarily paused as COVID-19 cases reached a new high in July 2021. Domestic air travel in and out of red zones, including Bangkok, was banned during July to September 2021 in response to the nation’s effort to control the spread of the Delta variant. 10 “Domestic flight bans in force,” Bangkok Post , July 21, 2021, bangkokpost.com. Phase three of the We Travel Together campaign was paused during the same period, but resumed in October 2021.

Bringing back international travelers with the ‘sandbox’ approach

Despite promotional efforts for domestic travel, Thailand’s total revenue from domestic travel still saw a significant dip. The country’s revenue from domestic travel dropped from $34.5 billion to $15.4 billion in 2020. An increase in domestic spending alone would not compensate for the impact of the pandemic on the Thai economy. The country has largely been dependent on international markets, which represented about $62 billion or 60 percent of total tourism spend in 2019. 11 “Tourism statistics 2019,” Ministry of Tourism & Sports, accessed October 2021, mots.go.th.

In response, Thailand launched the “Phuket Sandbox” in July 2021, an effort to recapture demand from international travelers. The initiative offered fully vaccinated travelers (between 14 days and one year before their travel date) exemption from quarantine, provided they remain in Phuket for at least 14 days before traveling to other parts of Thailand. 12 “General information—Phuket Sandbox,” Tourism Authority of Thailand Newsroom, October 1, 2021, tatnews.org. Additionally, travelers’ stay in Phuket was restricted to accommodation establishments that have been certified by the Safety & Health Administration of the Thai government. Visitors staying in Phuket for less than 14 days were permitted to leave Phuket only if their destination was outside of Thailand.

The model hoped to draw visitors during the year-end season in Asia, Europe, and America—all key origin markets for Thailand. Several other reopening plans followed, including the “Samui Plus” and “Andaman Sandbox” plans. 13 “Samui Plus plan to generate B180m,” Bangkok Post , July 18, 2021, bangkokpost.com; “‘Adaman Sandbox’ next on govt agenda,” Bangkok Post , July 21, 2021, bangkokpost.com. Together, the schemes created a network of reopened destinations, which hoped to position Thailand as an attractive destination for international and domestic travelers alike.

The economic uplift from the Phuket Sandbox were moderate. In the period from July 1 to August 31, Phuket welcomed about 26,400 visitors, who were estimated to have spent at least $48.8 million while staying on the resort island (Exhibit 4). 14 “Phuket Sandbox generates B1,634m in two months,” Bangkok Post , September 5, 2021, bangkokpost.com.

A nationwide rise in COVID-19 infection rates in the same period meant that the government had to reconsider social distancing and other measures to minimize risk to visitors.

In any case, Thailand has gathered its learnings from the “sandbox” approach and proceeded to reopen the country to receive international travelers. As of November 1, 2021, the Thai government commenced a phased reopening of the country, allowing fully vaccinated tourists from 63 low-risk countries to visit with one day of quarantine, provided they pass a COVID-19 test upon arrival. The government has also replaced the slow-paced Certificate of Entry (COE) system with the Thailand Pass System, in an effort to make the documentation process of travelers entering Thailand more efficient than the COE application. 15 “Thailand pass,” ThaiEmbassy.com, accessed on November 1, 2021, thaiembassy.com.

The program also expanded the number of provinces open to international visitors to 17, including major tourism destinations such as Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Subject to readiness, additional major provinces are expected to reopen from December 2021 onwards. To ensure visitor safety, some COVID-19 measures remain in place, although most businesses have been allowed to reopen and nighttime curfews have been lifted in almost every province. The reopening has welcomed tourists globally, with top visitors coming from Thailand’s key source markets—the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom (Exhibit 5).

Attracting ‘quality’ travelers, with an eye on new markets

Pre-COVID-19, China was one of the main contributors to Thailand’s tourism income, accounting for more than 27 percent of 2019 tourism receipts. 16 “Tourism statistics 2019,” Ministry of Tourism & Sports, accessed October 2021, mots.go.th. Given the current prudent approach of the Chinese government toward international travel, the road of return for Chinese visitors to Thailand will be a long one. China’s international-flight seat capacity and passenger numbers remain down by 95 percent  compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, and stringent public-health measures for international travel remain in place. Thailand, therefore, needs to reimagine its strategy and try to capture new sources of international travelers in markets where there are more rapid recoveries of international travel demand.

The situation may change rapidly, particularly in these volatile times; closely monitoring the revival of these top source markets, particularly around the country’s stance towards viral control measures, will help industry players plan their recovery efforts and capture untapped value.

Recognizing these shifting traveler trends, and the resilient nature of premium traveler groups, the Thai government is striving to attract “quality” travelers from these source countries. Measures include revisiting and relaxing certain regulations—such as yachting regulations and taxes on personal belongings and luxury goods—to improve and stimulate the premium travel experience.

Taking this a step further, the Thai government is preparing to launch a long-term residence program to attract foreigners to the country through new Long-Term Resident (LTR) visas (up to ten years), tax and investment incentives, foreigners’ residential property ownership relaxations, and more. The program will target four key personas: the wealthy global citizen, the wealthy retiree, the work-from-Thailand professional, and the high-skilled professional. The country’s ambition is to welcome over one million of these target personas and generate over 1 trillion baht in domestic spending in the next five years, beginning in 2022.

Emerging from the storm: Actions for travel and tourism

Thailand has put innovative measures in place to help its vitally important travel and tourism sector wade through the COVID-19 crisis. As new variants of the coronavirus emerge, health and safety should remain the foremost priority as countries contemplate their travel programs. Once it is safe to do so, there are actions that stakeholders can take to steer into and thrive within the next normal.

Adjust offerings and pricing strategy to meet market needs. Hotels, tour operators, restaurants, and transport providers could look to explore opportunities to offer services and products that meet new travel demands.

Bundle products, such as hotel and flights, offer upselling and cross-selling opportunities as well as a diversified revenue stream.

Travel companies could also devise and deploy targeted pricing strategies to drive long-term loyalty and stickiness for when international travel fully returns. Given the phased reopening of popular provinces in Thailand, and the inclusion of more visitors from select countries on a quarantine-exemption list, travel companies can leverage data on traveler behaviors to set the right prices and conduct targeted campaigns by country of origin and destination.

Explore opportunities within the mass-affluent traveler segment. Focusing on premium travel experiences may be a viable strategy in some markets, but it may have limited impact in Thailand. Given that the top three inbound visitor-spending categories in 2019 were shopping, accommodations, and food, targeting the high-end market would only benefit a small segment of travel companies and would not contribute to the country’s economic recovery across all relevant sectors.

By promoting more differentiated travel experiences and attractions such as ecotourism and cultural tourism, which are naturally location based and sought after by younger mass-affluent travelers, operators could contribute to greater aviation and transportation use in Thailand.

Form partnerships across the travel ecosystem. As a result of the government’s We Travel Together program, which subsidizes travel through a digital redemption mechanism (the Pao Tang app), the country has seen an estimated 30 to 40 million users join and use the platform. 17 Krung Thai Bank equity research, April 2021. This has created an opportunity for domestic consumer data to be collected and analyzed to provide more personalized tourism offerings that consumers are more likely to consider spending on.

Taking this a step further, tour operators, restaurants, and shopping malls might link up, creating a connected ecosystem where a traveler could be strategically engaged through multiple personalized services, products, and loyalty programs along their journeys.

Expand the network of destinations. There is an opportunity to offer travelers a wider variety of destinations in first- and second-tier cities, such as Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chiang Rai, Nakhon Nayok, Ratchaburi, and Loei. These locations have been able to sustain visitor numbers at a relatively low rate of decline, largely due to domestic travelers looking for new places to visit during international travel restrictions.

With a boost in promotion and appropriate infrastructure investment, tourism will not only contribute to the survival of the industry in these cities, but it could also lead to enduring tourist appeal that extends beyond domestic traveler groups, especially with the gradual return of international visitors. For example, the Tourism Authority of Thailand is collaborating with airlines to offer direct flights to alternative second-tier tourism destinations.

Leverage digital to connect, attract, and retain travelers. Travel companies can digitalize the customer journey from check-in through payment, including the provision of maps and information. Traveler preferences can be tracked in real time to design better and more relevant offerings, while digital booking channels can target different customer segments. Digital marketing can also entice visitors to return and to share their experiences on social media.

For instance, the Tourism Council of Thailand is working with Singapore-based IsWhere to deploy a digital-marketing platform for tourism business operators to better connect and engage with a potentially sizeable number of domestic and international travelers; the platform’s prior partnership with a major tech company has enabled it to reach 600 million digital customers worldwide.

Reimagine support needed by industry players. In the short term, industry players would need stimulus, support, and guidance on health and safety policies from the government. In the medium term, small and medium-size players would benefit from the government’s support in adjusting to online travel services and digital marketing, such as a one-stop digital platform to connect industry players with international travelers.

As such, the Tourism Authority of Thailand announced its plan to establish a private digital firm to work on creating a digital infrastructure for tourism, utilize big data in the industry, and potentially introduce blockchain-based e-vouchers and nonfungible tokens to provide tourism operators with more options for reaching travelers online and offline.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism recovery in Thailand will be gradual and complex and requires varied strategies from both industry and government. As the world eagerly prepares for the eventual revival of international travel, Thailand and other countries can draw important lessons from its experience during this difficult interim period.

Steve Saxon is a partner in McKinsey’s Shenzhen office; Jan Sodprasert is a partner in the Bangkok office, where Voramon Sucharitakul is an associate partner.

The authors wish to thank Margaux Constantin , Kamila Dolinska, Steffen Köpke, Alan Laichareonsup, Jason Li, Georgie Songsantiphap, and Jackey Yu for their contributions to this article.

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Thailand proposes easing quarantine rules in a bid to lure New Year tourists.

A new plan would lift travel restrictions for vaccinated travelers from 10 countries, including the U.S., provided they test negative for the virus.

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By Richard C. Paddock

• Published Oct. 12, 2021 Updated Nov. 1, 2021

Fully vaccinated travelers from low-risk countries, including the United States and China, would be allowed to visit Thailand without undergoing quarantine starting Nov. 1, under a plan announced by the country’s prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Health officials are expected to approve the plan, which calls for the lifting of restrictions for tourists from 10 countries. It would be the first step in a phased reopening strategy that would lead to the resumption of service at entertainment venues as early as Dec. 1, he said in an address Monday evening.

Before the pandemic, Thailand’s economy was highly dependent on tourism and attracted nearly 40 million tourists in 2019, with more than a quarter coming from China. Bangkok, the capital, often ranks in surveys as the world’s most visited city. Thailand was among the most successful countries in containing the virus last year. But it was slow in procuring vaccines and has seen a surge of cases this year .

The prime minister said that Thailand must learn to live with the virus, noting that other nations were already taking steps to reopen to tourists, and that Thailand must act quickly to lure millions of visitors for the New Year holidays.

Under Mr. Prayuth’s plan, fully vaccinated visitors from the 10 countries would be required to show proof of a negative PCR test before departure, and to take another test upon arrival. After testing negative, they would be free to travel around Thailand. Visitors from countries not on the list would still face quarantines and other restrictions.

A ban on restaurants serving alcohol — a rule widely flouted in Bangkok — would remain in place until at least Dec. 1, he said.

In July, Thailand began allowing vaccinated tourists who tested negative to visit the island of Phuket under a program called the Phuket Sandbox . After 14 days, they were allowed to travel freely in Thailand. That period has since been reduced to seven days. Thailand has increased its vaccine supply in recent weeks and launched an aggressive inoculation campaign, vaccinating as many as 1 million people a day.

“The time has come for us to ready ourselves to face the coronavirus and live with it as with other endemic infections and disease,” Mr. Prayuth said.

Richard C. Paddock has worked as a foreign correspondent in 50 countries on five continents with postings in Moscow, Jakarta, Singapore and Bangkok. He has spent nearly a dozen years reporting on Southeast Asia, which he has covered since 2016 as a contributor to The New York Times. More about Richard C. Paddock

Klook Plans Partnership with Thailand as the Country Skyrockets in Popularity

Jesse Chase-Lubitz , Skift

April 25th, 2024 at 2:33 PM EDT

Thailand remains a strong destination post Covid. Tour operators are flocking to the country and playing a significant role in how travel evolves.

Jesse Chase-Lubitz

Klook, a leading platform for travel experiences in Asia, signed a letter of intent with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to boost experiences in the country. The company is hoping to double the number of bookings it has for tourism packages to Thailand this year.

Klook says it is focusing on events, from Muay Thai matches to music festivals to Michelin visits and river cruises. The collaboration should have a particular impact on ticketing, as it allows the company to offer an integrated booking experience to major festivals and top attractions. 

Klook is also planning to promote the less obvious attractions and support small to medium operators by providing digitalization tools that can bring offerings online and showcase them to a global audience. 

Thailand Gaining in Popularity

Thailand is a long-time travel favorite and it bounced back strong after COVID. Klook says the country has had a 44% growth in foreign tourist arrivals over the past year and a Travel Pulse survey shows that travelers are looking to increase their target budgets for Thailand in 2024 by up to 50%. 

The Tourism Authority of Thailand conducted its own survey echoing these results . They found that tourists are spending more on luxury accommodations despite higher airfares and that the use of online platforms for travel arrangements is rising, with tour operators “still playing a significant role.”

Other tour operators, such as EF World Journeys, which offers educational tours, say Thailand is a growing favorite for North American travelers and that it remains one of the top three most popular destinations in Asia. 

“Year-to-date, EF Go Ahead Tours has realized nearly 60% year-over-year growth in bookings to Thailand, adding several new tour offerings in the country to meet the demand in the region,” says Heidi Durflinger, President of EF World Journeys which operates two of their offerings.

“Based on our trending destinations data, which is based on thousands of demand indicators amongst younger adult travelers (18-35), tours in Thailand have been a consistent top 5 destination for bookings during Spring Break, but we are also seeing strong demand for Thailand from travelers seeking international beach vacations all year round,” said Heather Leisman, President, EF Ultimate Break.

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Photo credit: Klook & Thailand Tourism Authority Tuk Tuk at Wat Ratchanadda and the Loha Prasat, Buddhist temples in Bangkok. Source: Klook

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Thailand expects wave of tourists during golden week.

The estimated number of arrivals is about 29% higher than the statistics from last year, said Chattan Kunjara Na Ayudhya, TAT Deputy Governor for Asia and South Pacific markets.

He said foreign tourists during this period would generate around THB32.2 billion (US$870 million) for local entrepreneurs, a jump of 35% year-on-year.

Chattan said about 230,000 of the 996,000 will be Chinese, attributing the surge to a visa waiver deal between Thailand and China, which allows their citizens to stay for a maximum of 30 days.

Another factor will be the additional flights to Thailand being offered by various airlines during the May Day holiday, he added.

Online travel platform Agoda, meanwhile, announced that its survey of Japanese tourists found that Thailand is in second place among popular foreign destinations during the Golden Week. The Republic of Korea (RoK) ranked first while Taiwan, the US, and Vietnam take third to fifth place, respectively.

According to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the Songkran Festival, from April 1 to 21, generated a total income of THB140.335 billion, higher than the ministry’s previous estimate of THB132 billion.

Over 1.92 million foreign tourists visited Thailand during the festival, up 37.54% against the same period last year.

The top 10 sources of foreign tourist arrivals during the festival were mainland China, Malaysia, India, Russia, the RoK, Laos, the U.K., Taiwan, the U.S. and Indonesia.

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ITE HCMC 2024: Pioneering Sustainable Tourism for a Creating Future

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam , April 25, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As the only travel expo in the region featuring an International Buyers’ Program The 18 th edition of the International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC 2024), is expected to attract 220 international hosted  buyers  from 40 countries and territories , facilitating over 10,000 business appointments . This initiative underscores the event’s commitment to offering unparalleled opportunities for direct B2B engagements between international and Vietnamese tourism businesses.

ITE HCMC is set to take place from September 5th to 7th, 2024 , at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Center (SECC) in District 7. Under the theme “Responsible Travel, Creating Future” , ITE HCMC 2024 is dedicated to promoting sustainable tourism practices and showcasing innovative tourism products and services that meet the rigorous and diverse demands of the international travel market.

Embracing the Digital Transformation in Tourism

Recognizing the imperative of digital transformation in the tourism industry, especially in the wake of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the significant impact of the pandemic, ITE HCMC 2024 aims to lead the charge in integrating digital solutions. The event will feature a blend of traditional in-person exhibitions and online components, including 2D virtual booths equipped with interactive functionalities such as live chat, email, and appointment scheduling, thereby catering to the high demand from exhibitors and trade visitors alike.

Expanding Reach and Enhancing Collaboration

The scale of ITE HCMC 2024 is set to surpass previous editions, with an anticipated participation of over 500 exhibiting companies and brands . These will include international tourism promotion agencies, local tourism bureaus, travel agencies, accommodation providers, airlines, and transportation companies, among others.

A Hub for High-level Dialogue and Innovation

ITE HCMC 2024 will host a series of conferences, forums, and workshops, acting as a nexus for high-level discussions between government officials, tourism experts, business leaders, and other stakeholders. The focus will be on strategic, policy, and technological innovations to drive sustainable and responsible tourism development. Highlighting this year’s agenda is the High-Level Tourism Forum with the theme “Responsible Travel, Creating Future,” expected to draw participation from over 200 delegates.

Enhancing the Visitor Experience

Aiming to optimize attendee experience, ITE HCMC 2024 will thoughtfully arrange functional zones, including areas dedicated to local experiences such as handicrafts, coffee, and folk art, thereby creating distinctive cultural highlights. This organization ensures that visitors can efficiently navigate the expo, discovering and engaging with the rich diversity of tourism offerings.

Commitment to Sustainable Tourism  

Mrs Bui Thi Ngoc Hieu , Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism , expressed, “With the esteemed participation of estemmed  ministry of tourism, promotion &  management agencies and renowned tourism experts, both domestic and international, ITE HCMC 2024, themed ‘Responsible Travel, Creating Future,’ promises to be a forum rich in practical solutions and groundbreaking initiatives. It will play a crucial role in raising awareness and commitment towards sustainable tourism, affirming the expo’s status as the leading event in the region.”

Source : ITE HCMC 2024: Pioneering Sustainable Tourism for a Creating Future

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Tourism Authority of Thailand soft opens new office in Chicago

Tat’s 3rd office in the america region, joining existing offices in los angeles and new york..

Chicago, 25 April 2024 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has soft-opened its newest overseas office in Chicago, in a warm ceremony joined by the Team Thailand, Chicago.

The TAT’ Chicago Office is located at the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Chicago. It is scheduled to be fully operational on 1 August with an opening ceremony planned for September. It is the TAT’s third office in the America Regions, joining existing offices in Los Angeles and New York.

Together with the Team Thailand, Chicago, TAT commits to expand the ‘Friends of Thailand’ community in the US.

Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, TAT Governor, said “The TAT Chicago Office would play a pivotal role in helping to boost the number of travellers from the Americas Region to Thailand to reach 1.43 million visitors, generating a revenue of 105.53 billion Baht. This would contribute to this year’s target of 35 million visitors from all markets and an income of 1.92 trillion Baht.”

The TAT Governor also highlighted a strategy to promote Thailand’s tourism offerings with a primary focus on five inspirational concepts to create a perfect journey: 1) It begins with our People 2) Our product is diverse 3) We offer wellness beyond Massage 4) Sustainability is our lifestyle 5) And this is why when you come to Thailand, your stories will never end with 5 Must Do in Thailand.

Conceptualised under the government’s vision to ‘Ignite Tourism Thailand,’ the 5 must-do activities are: Must Beat (Muay Thai), Must Eat (Thai food), Must Seek (Thai culture), Must Buy (Thai fabric), and Must See (Thai shows).

The soft-opening event of the TAT Chicago Office on 23 April was marked with a religious ceremony. In coincide with Songkran or the traditional Thai New Year, the Song Nam Phra ritual of purifying a Buddha image with scented water as a way of paying respect to the Lord Buddha and bringing good fortune to the person and the Rot Nam Dam Hua ritual were also held as part of the Thai soft power promotion in the US.

Present at the event were Mrs. Katanawadee Kalayanamit, the Consul General of Thailand in Chicago, Mrs. Natnapang Damrongsoontornchai, Deputy Consul-General of Thailand in Chicago, and Mrs. Suprattana Gamolvej, Thai Trade Center in Chicago, as well as officials and staff of the Team Thailand, Chicago (the Royal Thai Consulate-General and the Thai Trade Office, Chicago).

From the TAT, executives included Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor, Mr. Siripakorn Cheawsamoot, Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas, Mrs. Titiporn Maneenate, Executive Director for the Americas Region Department, and Mrs. Malinee Nitikasetsunthorn, Deputy Executive Director for the Americas Region.

Also attended the ceremony were the Honorary Advisor and the President of the Thai American Association of Illinois as well as strategic partners in the tourism industry and local media.

TAT Newsroom

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