Bangkok, March 17, 2016 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Los Angeles and New York Offices partnered with Williams-Sonoma for once-in-a-lifetime culinary experience sweepstakes to Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket, Thailand.

Williams-Sonoma debuted a new line of Thai inspired housewares and food products earlier this year in their 244 stores throughout the United States and Canada.  To coincide with the product launch, TAT sponsored a culinary trip for two to Thailand that was open to citizens of the United States and its territories.

Mrs. Pataraporn Sithivanich, TAT’s Executive Director for the Americas Region said, “We were thrilled to partner with Williams-Sonoma on the ‘Taste of Thailand’ product launch. They showcased Thailand at its best, and we look forward to a long-term relationship that highlights Thailand’s wonderful cuisine, inspired fabrics and housewares.”

To promote the product launch and sweepstakes, the TAT’s offices in Los Angeles and New York City hosted in-store cooking demonstrations with Thai celebrity chef Arnold Myint.  Myint created a Thai lettuce wrap that incorporated several of the new food products.  TAT also presented attendees at the demonstrations with beautiful Thai porcelain and pottery gifts.

See more at: TATNewsroom

https://www.hospitalitynet.org

Thailand Convention and Exibitions Bureau or TCEB plays a significant role in promoting Thailand as a premier MICE destination to serve a growing demand for local and international business events. The MICE industry is a contributor to economic growth proven by revenue which has successfully reached 220 billion baht. Thailand boasts a wide array of distinctive destinations, each with their own exciting allure, numerous business opportunities backed by government support, accommodations, and modern infrastructures, as well as experienced professionals. TCEB officially announces the 2017 new campaign, entitled: “THAILAND CONNECT – Your Vibrant Journey to Business Success.”

Mrs. Supawan Teearat, Vice President, Strategic and Business Development, TCEB said that “MICE industry is recognized as the driving force for economic development as it is capable of generating huge revenues for the country up to 220-billion-baht last year and offered large opportunities for 164,000 employments. Besides that, the government can gain 10,400 million baht from taxing related to MICE activities. Beyond economic benefits, MICE industry presents opportunities for investment networking, branding, and industrial skill sharing. MICE industry has become on of the key industries being emphasized in the 20-year National Strategy (2017-2036).

Read More at TCEB site: https://www.businesseventsthailand.com/mice-destinations/mice-destinations/

It is no secret in the travel industry that business travel is where the money always has always been. The moniker MICE is only the most recent name for the golden ring for travel providers: Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions.

Already proven to be the most popular destination in the world for leisure travelers, Thailand Authority for Tourism (TAT), and the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) are showing some real marketing savvy by beginning to put MICE at the very top of their marketing agenda.

Strategically located in the hub of the ASEAN region, Thailand boasts a strong reputation within the Meeting, Incentive, Convention & Exhibition (MICE) industry. The unique blend of historical cultures, modern world capability, a broad spectrum of meeting venues, exhibition centers, and accommodation options, makes Thailand an ideal destination of choice for business meeting planners.

It is interesting to note that Expedia is placing big bets on its new subsidiary Egencia, to harness the efficiencies of online books for the corporate segment. Egencia will focus on the rapidly growing MICE business segment (meetings, incentive travel, conferences, and exhibitions) long understood to be a primary source of revenue for major business hotels which here-to-fore had to be booked through one-on-one contacts.

The potential of mechanizing routine internet bookings of hundreds of group room nights at a click dwarfs present business and leisure traveler traffic. Expedia already has a major Southeast Asian Office in Bangkok.

see also:

https://www.tceb.or.th/mice-destinations/mice-destinations/

https://www.businesseventsthailand.com/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/digital-brochure/thai-venues/Venue_Collection_2016_Thailand.pdf

A super informative introspective on the travel industry for the eyes of travel industry professionals!

Thailand Embarks on a New Era

October 14, 2016 | 00:45 GMT

Thailand is entering a new chapter in its history. The country’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej died Thursday after a long battle with illness, ending his 70-year reign as the ninth king of the Chakri dynasty and opening a new era of profound uncertainty for Thailand.

During his time on the throne, King Bhumibol witnessed the development of modern-day Thailand and the emergence of Southeast Asia from the tumult of the Cold War. He wielded power sparingly, focusing primarily on preserving the delicate balance of power among the monarchy, the military, and the political classes. In doing so, the king managed to maintain his popularity and sway — and that of the Chakri dynasty — in his country, even as royal families across the globe saw their own influence wane. It would be difficult to overestimate the place King Bhumibol holds in the modern Thai psyche.

The king was a singular figure who embodied the delicate role of royal power in the modern age. When he took the throne in 1946, the Thai monarchy was in crisis. Revolutionary fervor was just beginning to sweep across the region. For decades prior, sequential military governments had suppressed the Thai monarchy, and Bhumibol’s ascension followed the mysterious death his brother, the young King Ananda Mahidol. Over the decades of his rule, though, the king’s carefully cultivated image of royal infallibility restored the role of the monarchy as guardian of Thai culture and values, defending the traditional establishment against the regional spread of communism. This helped him to secure support not only from his country’s military but also from outside powers such as the United States, which poured resources into the nation and fueled its economic rise.

His successor, expected to be the widely unpopular Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, will face considerably different challenges than his father did. The paramount struggle will be finding a way to amass and wield royal power without the esteem that his father enjoyed while the country acclimates to a monarchy that will almost certainly be weak. For now, however, the king’s death will likely keep unrest at bay in Thailand. A yearlong state-mandated mourning period has been declared, and the military junta, which has tightened its grip on power since taking over in the 2014 coup, is poised to enforce stability and prevent majo disruptions in the capital. The next general election — currently scheduled for mid-2017 — will almost certainly be delayed. Most important, junta leader Gen. Prayuth Chan-ocha’s announcement that the crown prince will assume the throne has allayed some of the concern that a destabilizing power struggle would ensue after the king’s death.

Still, a smooth transition is not guaranteed. An unexpected shake-up in the military and unusual maneuvering in the palace over the past few months indicated that the prince’s enemies in the royalist establishment had not given up their efforts to thwart his ascension. An emergency National Assembly session concluded Thursday evening without a formal invitation for the crown prince to take the throne, and speculation and perhaps dissent over the next king will likely continue. A contentious transition, even one that plays out primarily behind the scenes, could lay the groundwork for a return of the deep political fractures, regional rivalries and military divisions that paralyzed Thailand for much of the past decade. Even if the succession proves orderly, Thailand will face a longer-term problem: an erosion of royal prestige during a time of stark social, political and strategic challenges for the kingdom. The crown prince will likely never gain the reverence that his father did, and the main players in Thailand’s deeply divided political scene will be left to determine the monarchy’s future role.

Since the turn of the 21st century, Thailand’s political scene has become increasingly split between the poor rural population and the Bangkok- centered political establishment — a combination of bureaucrats, the military and the monarchy. More and more, the rural masses, eager to challenge the elites’ rule, are countering the establishment that once dominated the country’s political economy. Their newfound electoral clout precipitated the rise of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, whose populist ambitions have been at the center of the protests, occasional military and judicial interventions, and frequent power transitions that have characterized Thai politics since the mid-2000s. Now that the monarchy’s role as ultimate arbiter is fading in the wake of King Bhumibol, the political stability in Thailand will be severely tested if these warring political factions fail to reach a compromise. At the same time, the royal succession could provide an unprecedented opportunity for reconciliation.

Thailand is also at a turning point in its history as a leading power in Southeast Asia. The country has benefited from its central location in Indochina and its relatively unified ethnic makeup throughout history. In fact, the country’s influence once reached from northeastern Myanmar to Laos, instilling a strong sense of national pride in its people. This gave Thailand the flexibility to withstand external shocks — colonization, communist revolution and the violent internal turmoil that plagued most of its neighbors throughout the 20th century — under the nimble leadership of its successive monarchs.

But the turmoil caused by King Bhumibol’s succession has compelled the kingdom to turn its focus inward, while the rest of mainland Southeast Asia looks out. After decades in isolation, Thailand’s ancient rival, Myanmar, is embracing the international community. Vietnam’s relatively stable government hopes to replicate Thailand’s path to development and has started chipping away at its competitor’s business opportunities, as have Cambodia and Laos to a lesser degree. On top of that, the competition over the Asia-Pacific region is heating up among countries such as China, the United States, Japan, and India. The longer the balance of power in Thailand’s political sphere goes unsettled, the more these events will test Bangkok’s ability to defend its position in the hotly contested region.

https://www.stratfor.com/geopolitical-diary/thailand-embarks-new-era?id=be1ddd5371&uuid=2a2362f5-e24f-4b17-8b3b-d03eecdc79cf

(CNN) Bangkok’s back!

The Thai capital has bounced to the top of an annual list of the world’s most popular travel destinations after spending several years in the wilderness (of second place).
Its return to the throne came at a cost to London which, after occupying pole position for two years, is trading places with its Asian rival.
Bangkok is projected to host 21.47 million “international overnight visitors” this year, according to the 2016 report by financial services corporation MasterCard.
That figure is more than two times the city’s population of about 10 million.
Bangkok’s 2014-15 fall from the top was largely put down to political instability in recent years. Its return comes despite 11 bombings in August that hit five provinces in a day and left at least four dead and dozens including foreigners injured.
But there’s no escaping Bangkok’s allure: a vibrant urban and culinary scene and proximity to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and islands.

REUTERS, Published Bangkok Post 22 Sept. 2016

Tourists take a selfie at a department store in Bangkok on Wednesday. (Reuters photo)

Bangkok has beaten London to be crowned the world’s most popular travel destination this year, according to an annual ranking by global payments and technology company Mastercard released on Thursday.

Tourism has been one of the rare bright spots for Thailand, which has grappled with weak consumer confidence and exports after a 2014 coup.

Last month’s wave of bomb blasts in southern Thailand, which police have blamed on Muslim separatists, appears to have had a limited impact on tourism.

Bangkok topped the 2016 isting of 132 cities, beating London, Paris and Dubai to become the city most visited by international travellers in the MasterCard Index of Global Destination Cities.

“It isn’t a flash in the pan. Bangkok is in a strong position to be the top destination city for a long time,” Yuwa Hedrick-Wong, MasterCard chief economist, told Reuters.

“There’s the value for money, especially for visitors coming from high-income countries.”

Thailand expects to welcome a record 33 million visitors this year, thanks to a jump in the number of Chinese tourists.

Sprawling Bangkok is projected to receive 21.47 million international visitors in 2016, just ahead of second ranked London, with 19.88 million visitors.

“The pollution makes it a less than ideal city to stay long term, but the food is second to none,” James Donnelly, 31, a tourist from Britain who was visiting the city on his way to Vietnam, told Reuters.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Japanese city of Osaka has shown the strongest growth in international visitors over the past seven years, attracting tourists from neighbouring countries, particularly China and South Korea, said MasterCard.

The British capital topped the 2015 ranking of global destinations, but MasterCard did not say why some of its shine had rubbed off for travellers this year. The two cities have topped the ranking for most of its history.

We find this to be an excellent article that merges perfectly with our vision of the potential value of the services we offer at amerthai:

Thailand 4.0 “…aims to enhance the country’s standing to become a high-income nation through developing it as a knowledge-based economy. With an emphasis on research and development, science and technology, creative thinking, and innovation.”

Thailand Business News
By Olivier Languepin
September 15, 2016

The Thai government is working hard to promote “Thailand 4.0” as a new gimmick and economic model aimed at pulling Thailand out of the middle-income trap, and developing it as a high-income country. If you don’t know what is “Thailand 4.0”, don’t blame yourself. A survey by the Centre for Economic and Business Forecasting showed that slightly more than half of the businesses knew little about Thailand 4.0. When asked to rate their understanding on Thailand 4.0, 55% admitted they had little knowledge about it and only 1% responded that they knew it comprehensively. In between, 27% of the respondents said they somewhat knew what it meant and 17% said they knew it pretty well.

Why Thailand 4.0 ? In the first model, “Thailand 1.0,” emphasis was placed on the agricultural sector. The second model, “Thailand 2.0,” focused on light industries, which helped upgrade the country’s economy from the low-income to middle-income status. In the third model, “Thailand 3.0,” the country is currently emphasising heavy industries for continued economic growth.

During this period, Thailand has become stuck in the middle-income trap and faces disparities and imbalanced development. “

What is the middle-income trap?

The “middle-income trap,” is a situation in which a country’s growth slows after having reached the middle-income levels. Middle-income countries like Thailand are squeezed between their low-wage competitors that dominate the mature industries on one side. And the rich-country innovators that dominate industries of rapid technological change on the other side. In other words, Thailand is moving on from a country with abundant cheap, unskilled labour to an innovation “value-based economy” to climb to the next step of the ladder.

Thailand 4.0, towards a value-based economy

Thailand 4.0 focuses on a “value-based economy,” as the country needs to deal effectively with disparities and the imbalance between the environment and society. Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha explained that Thailand 4.0 has three elements, which mark a significant change in the country’s economy and production.

Become a high-income nation

The first element aims to enhance the country’s standing to become a high-income nation through developing it as a knowledge-based economy. With an emphasis on research and development, science and technology, creative thinking, and innovation.

Move toward an inclusive society

In the second element, Thailand will move toward an “inclusive society” with equitable
access to the fruits of prosperity and development.

Focus on a sustainable growth and development

The third element focuses on “sustainable growth and development,” in order to achieve economic growth and sustainable development without destroying the environment.

Ban Huai Sai Tai Muslim Community and Ban Lat Community

During a press trip organised by the Public Relation Department of theForeign Office, members of the press were invited to witness a rural community as an example of Thailand 4.0.

Located in Cha-am district, Phetchaburi province, the Ban Huai Sai Tai Muslim Community is a royally initiated project, inspired by the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy as a way of life.

Local residents stand on their own, without relying on financial support from commercial banks.

Agricultural residue is used as energy by turning “lead tree” branches, normally used as goat food, into a biofuel

This community is interesting, as it has been selected by Silpakorn University as a model community for the development of Phetchaburi into a creative city. The Silpakorn University researchers began their study on developing agricultural residue as energy by turning “lead tree” branches, normally used as goat food, into a biofuel. The lead tree seeds can also be used to produce pieces of jewellery.

The goat meat is being processed into various forms of food, while the goatskin has fetched a higher price through an environmentally friendly tanning method. The Ban Huai Sai Tai Muslim Community reflects peaceful coexistence enjoyed by people from different cultures. The local residents are engaged mainly in raising dairy cattle and goats.

As for Ban Lat, this community possesses a strong agrarian lifestyle in the form of a cooperative. This enables local residents to stand on their own, without relying on financial support from commercial banks. Local people here make their living by growing and exporting Gros Michel banana (kluai hom thong). The solar dome technology has been used as one of the alternative techniques to help create a variety of products from this kind of banana.

“less for more” vs “more for less.”

The Thailand 4.0 new model will change the country’s traditional farming to smart farming. Traditional SMEs to smart enterprises, and traditional services to high-value services, under the concept of “less for more” rather than “more for less.”