The Mministry outlines the main priorities they are going to work on with the major focus put on visitors' safety and environmental protection.
Smoking ban has been already introduced on several beaches and within one year smoking will be prohibited on all the beaches in the country.
Neither plastic bags nor foam containers are allowed from now on in national parks country wide. Those who travelled to Koh Samet during the last couple of months have already appreciated the positive impact of this ban on the environment and overall cleanness of the island.
Notable transportation improvements are well unnder way all throughout the country with better connectivity available between major and secondary airports.
The Ministry of tourism are widely promoting 55 secondary destinations in Thailand and encourage guests to step off the beaten track and visit, among others, Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Song provinces in the north, Phatthalung and Nakhon Si Thammarat in the south, Surin and Buriram in the Isan, where special itineraries have been worked out to attract more visitors.
2018 is the first year when limits for visitors numbers on certain islands have been set and already brought some positive results.
A very affordable travellers insurance is now offered for visitors staying in Thailand not more than 60 days to ensure they get a proper medical help in case of necessity.
Finally, some visa relaxation measures for tourists have been recently announced with the Cabinet asked to approve a multiple-entry visa for border-crossings as well as a double-entry visa category with a six-month validity.
Thailand Commits to Better Manage, Balance and Distribute Visitor Numbers
News in Asia
With 35 million of tourists accounting for a half of the country's population, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports faces a challenge to better balance, manage, and distribute visitor numbers and preserve the quality of tourism destinations – and accepts it.