'I want foreign tourists to stay longer and spend more'

[reader]

NOTE -- If he's serious about wanting tourists to stay longer, it's not rocket science. Granting longer stays on arrival, and making it far less bureaucratic to extend stays, would accomplish that. But trying to persuade visitors who enjoy Bangkok or Pattaya that Hua Hin or other destinations will satishy their tastes doesn't sound like a winning strategy.

From The Nation

Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin outlined a shift in his tourism policy to promote second-tier provinces and boost spending by foreign tourists in a meeting at Government House on Wednesday.

The premier told Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) chief Thapanee Kiatphaibool and ministry executives that the goal is to sustain a year-round high tourism season and boost per head, per trip spending by foreign visitors.

He said tourism promotions should also shift from traditional destinations like Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi and Hua Hin.

The premier told the meeting that Thailand should be a high-season destination all year round, instead of just during winter months.

He added that TAT should be able to provide information to foreigners in all languages, adding that the focus should not just be on the number of arrivals but also on spending per head.

“I want foreign tourists to stay longer and spend more,” he said.

While acknowledging that the number of Chinese arrivals did not meet expectations, she expressed optimism about high arrivals from other countries. She also said that she will seek government approval for tourists to be allowed to stay for longer than 30 days per trip.

In a bid to boost the tourism industry, the government approved a temporary exemption for a 30-day stay for Chinese, Indian and Kazakhstan nationals in September. The scheme, which was scheduled to end in February next year, has been extended to May 2024 and now includes Taiwan and Russia nationals.

[fedssocr]

good luck with that. Unless they can start controlling the weather it will be a tough sell for most people from temperate regions to visit when it is a billion degrees and the air is full of pollution or when there's a lot of flooding.

Although I think there are probably plenty of people who would prefer the quieter locales over the crowded cities if they had the right kind of infrastructure support