Tourists visit the Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.(Photo: AFP/VNA)
Bangkok (VNA) - Thai cabinet has approved a new tourist promotion campaign and formed a committee to oversee pandemic-related obstacles for the sector.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn said the cabinet on November 16 endorsed the ministry's proposed campaign - "Visit Thailand Year 2022” - in line with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's target of reviving the tourism industry.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand would oversee the campaign to draw foreign visitors to travel in Thailand using a budget drawn from both the government and private sector, Pijat said, adding that the campaign would concentrate on Chiang Mai, Phuket, Nakhon Ratchasima and Ayutthaya provinces.
TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the goal of the campaign is a hotel occupancy rate of 50 percent in targeted provinces, adding that they would focus on the Middle East and Indian markets in the coming year.
Earlier, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) approved on November 12 the establishment of a new Centre for Tourism and Sports Situation Administration, chaired by Chote Trachu, permanent secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry, to focus on easing difficulties encountered when travelling during the pandemic.
The centre will help visitors with Covid-19 prevention procedures in order to travel to each province, he said.
Tourism contributed 3 trillion baht (91.7 trillion USD) to the Thai economy in 2019, accounting for 18 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP), of which 2 trillion baht came from foreign tourists. Last year, the number of foreign tourists to Thailand only reached 6.7 million, generating revenue of about 300 billion baht.
Yuthasa𒉰k said that the tourism sector is expected to rebound and meet a targeted recovery of 50 percent of 2019 revenue levels, or 1.5 trillion baht, by next year. It is forecast to reach 80 percent of that same level, or 2.4 trillion baht, in 2023./.
The Thai Government is planning to reopen border checkpoints in the deep South by December 16 to promote tourism amid the reducing daily COVID-19 infection number.
Thailand’s economy contracted 0.3 percent year on year in the third quarter with hopes for a gradual tourism-led recovery, announced the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) on November 15.
The Thai Cabinet on November 16 approved the reopening date for entertainment venues, pubs, bars and karaoke joints across Thailand on January 16, 2022, said its deputy spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek.
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) and related operators have recently tested the new dual-track rail service from Rayong province’s Map Ta Phut station to Tha Na Laeng station in Laos.
The forum, which involves global experts and creative leaders from across 14 cultural sectors, aims to expand Thailand’s presence on the world stage through innovation and cultural exchange.
In his article, Oscar Sanchez Serra highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s founding of the Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper on June 21, 1925, which marked the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary press rooted in a bold and far-sighted vision.
Several ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place in Port Dickson this September, including the Senior Officials' Meeting (SOM) for ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the 15th ASEAN Maritime Forum, and the 13th Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum.
Thailand's Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has ordered the urgent implementation of a national policy to crack down on all forms of call centre scams, online fraud, and illegal gambling, which are now considered threats to national security.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto and EAEU Trade Minister Andrey Slepnev jointly declared the conclusion of FTA talks on the sidelines of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF 2025), according to the statement.
The article stressed that throughout his revolutionary career, the founder of modern Vietnam consistently regarded the revolutionary press as a vital part of the Vietnamese Party’s and nation’s revolutionary struggle.
Pichai said the trade talks with the US are important and need to move forward professionally, without regard for any political changes in Thailand, believing that Thailand has clear principles, guidelines and procedures in place.
The tax adjustment supports the Malaysian Government’s strategy to reduce reliance on foreign food supply chains and to assist domestic farmers, a finance official has said.
The proposed venue is located in the Chatuchak area of Bangkok, featuring eight public sites, including Krungthep Aphiwat Central Terminal and several nearby parks.
Connectivity is expected to improve further with the completion of the fifth Laos–Thailand Friendship Bridge by the end of 2025, facilitating logistics and agricultural exports to Vietnam, Thailand, and China.
Two naval gunboats intercepted a fishing vessel carrying 1.5 tonnes of methamphetamine hydrochloride off the coast of the main island of Luzon just before dawn, in a joint operation with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
In the today context of socio-economic development and growth, the professionalism of Vietnam’s revolutionary journalists continues to rise, guided by exemplary mastery of new information technologies and the modernisation of their founding principles to preserve the enduring values of revolutionary journalism.
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
Tourists visit the Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand.(Photo: AFP/VNA) 
