Thailand, country of varieties and value for money

Thais celebrate Sakhon Nakhon Festival at Sukkasem Road during Christmas. / Courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand

TAT to promote Chiang Rai as next popular destination for Koreans

By Kim Jae-heun

Siriges-a-nong Trirattanasongpol

For years, Thailand has been a favorite tourist destination for Koreans for their food and golf courses. Over 1.7 million Koreans traveled to Thailand last year, ranking third following Chinese and Malaysians.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has also named Korea as the most important market for their country apart from China.

Now that many Koreans have made their first visit to Thailand, TAT hopes to bring them back for second and third visits by developing a new tourist destination and promoting Thailand to Koreans living outside Seoul.

The director of the TAT Seoul Office, Siriges-a-nong Trirattanasongpol, says Chiang Rai, the northernmost province of Thailand, will be the next tourist destination for Koreans who love hiking and art.

“Chiang Rai is a mountainous province with many things to see and do conveniently and with easy access. We can say Chiang Rai is a perfect destination for all who love culture, nature and arts,” Trirattanasongpol said during an interview with The Korea Times.

Korea and Thailand are working on establishing direct flights from Incheon to Chiang Rai starting this winter at the earliest, hoping to accommodate 3 million tourists between the two countries by 2020.

Q. Please introduce yourself and your posting to Korea.

A. My name is Siriges-a-nong Trirattanasongpol. I am the director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand Seoul office. I have been working in Seoul since Feb. 1, 2016. It has been more than two years. TAT is a state enterprise tasked with encouraging people to visit Thailand.

Q. Thailand has been one of Koreans' favorite tourist destinations for a long time. What do you think has attracted Koreans the most about Thailand?

A. Thailand offers a variety of attractions and activities to tourists with value for their money. This is the key point why Thailand is a popular destination all around the world. The varieties from nature to culture, from indoor to outdoor, from serene to energetic, from luxury to budget and from street food to Michelin-star restaurants, Thailand can serve every single need.

The most attractive points of Thailand are varieties and value for the money. Value for the money does not mean a cheap destination, but you get the best value for what you pay.

Q. Since when and what efforts have the TAT in Seoul done to promote Thailand?

A. TAT has opened its branch office in Seoul more than 20 years ago to promote Thailand to Korean people as a destination.

Thais celebrate Surin Elephant Round-up every November in Surin town center in Thailand. / Courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand

Q. Please introduce one of the popular promotional events or recent activities your organization has hosted in Seoul to promote your country.

A. We have been doing many promotional events with our trade partners. A good example of our success is the promotional scheme for incentive groups. In the past we did not promote this segment seriously. Since 2017, we have created a benefit scheme to attract more incentive groups to Thailand and we have had a very good response. We will continue the benefit scheme and develop it to be more attractive every year.

We also create online events regularly to have more engagement between TAT Seoul and our customers. The latest online event is 'Welcome Our Old and New Friends to Thailand' to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Korea and Thailand. The next online event is '60 Shades of Thailand' with many prizes, including air tickets to Thailand, will be launched soon. Moreover, in collaboration with Team Thailand, we will organize a Thai Festival from May 2 to 6 at COEX to promote Thailand to Koreans.

Q. What was your first impression of Korea when you first visited here? What did you like and dislike the most about Korean culture?

A. My first visit to Korea was in November 2015. My first impression of Korea was the ambition of the Korean people to develop the country. About 60 years ago, Korea was rarely mentioned in world society. What we had heard about Korea was the Korean War. But with the strong intention and ambition of the Koreans to develop their country, Korea has become one of the top countries in the world. Everyone knows about Korean products both tangible and intangible. K-culture is now spreading worldwide. Electronics, health and beauty products from Korea are also very popular with their good quality.

I can say what I like most about Korean culture is the ambition, strategically, and “ppali-ppali” (quickly quickly) culture. So far, I cannot find anything I dislike about Korea. The only thing about Korea that is difficult for me is using the metal chopsticks because I am not good at using chopsticks no matter what material they are made of. But metal chopsticks are the most difficult.

Tourists enjoy sunbathing on a beach in Phuket, Thailand. / Courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand

Q. What elements of Korean culture are popular among Thais and what are some of the things you see that could possibly attract Thai tourists to Korea?

A. All of K-culture is very popular with Thais. Not only entertainment (K-drama and K-music) but Korean food and style are also popular with Thais. From aristocratic to contemporary drama, I think Thais know more about Korean history and culture than they know about Thailand. With this influence, Thais come to Korea more and more every year. Even though the number of Thais to visit Korea is less than the number of Koreans visiting Thailand, I think Thais spend a lot more than Koreans because they love Korean culture and products and they buy a lot of premium goods every time they come. I strongly believe Thais are some of the biggest fans of Korean culture.

Q. Please introduce new tourist destinations and activities in Thailand that you think Koreans would like.

A. Nowadays, Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and Chiang Mai are the main destinations for Korean tourists in Thailand. But Thailand has many more destinations. One of those I want to introduce is Chiang Rai, the northernmost province of Thailand adjacent to Chiang Mai. Chiang Rai is a mountainous province with many things to see and do with convenient and easy access. We can say Chiang Rai is a perfect destination for all who love culture, nature and the arts. One of the most beautiful temples, Wat Rongkhoon or White Temple, located in the heart of the city, was designed and built by a national artist named Chalermchai Kositpipat. Chiang Rai also has The Black House Museum created by another national artist, Master Thaval Dutchanee. Not just cultural and arts attractions but Chiang Rai also has many natural attractions that are well-suited for hikers and eco-tourism with a lot of fun activities for the whole family at Singha Park and Doi Tung. Moreover, tourists can enjoy crossing the border to Myanmar and Laos when visiting the Golden Triangle in Chiang Rai. For golfers, Santiburi Country Club is one of the best-designed golf courses in the world by Robert Trent Jones Jr. The golf course is championship caliber, yet it is playable and enjoyable for golfers on every skill level. The accommodations in Chiang Rai range from five-star to budget. Tourists will also be surprised with the very low cost of living in Chiang Rai.

Q. What do you hope to achieve at the end of your post in Korea?

A. We hope we can offer more destinations to Koreans as we are trying to introduce Chiang Rai as a new destination.