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Published on February 22, 2008

The minister is scheduled to talk with the Transport, Agriculture, Commerce, Industry and Finance ministries.

He will ask agencies to help tourism by developing economic systems and transport infrastructure to encourage more investment and also improve general public services such as toilets and road signs.

"The government has announced 2008-2009 as period of tourism and investment, so I will encourage investment in the tourism sector," Weerasak said.

"Private investors will probably be more interested in small projects, while big projects need to be done by the government, '' he said

He planned to discuss with Airports of Thailand and the Immigration Department ways to improve customs services at Suvarnabhumi Airport and other international airports in the provinces. He was also concerned about the safety of tourists.

Weerasak visited officials at the Tourism Authority of Thailand during his first two weeks in office when he outlined the future direction for tourism, which is a focus on high-quality tourists.

One measure to encourage international visitors is combining Thailand's attractions with attractions in neighbouring countries such as Laos, Burma, Vietnam, Indonesia and India.

He said the tourism industry had become one of Thailand's most important foreign exchange earners and job creators. "The ministry and all related agencies are looking at how to draw more high-spending visitors rather than mass-volume traffic," said Weerasak.

He said the ministry needed the public and private sectors to work together on trust and respect along the principles of good governance and transparency, with a strong level of public accountability.

Furthermore, they should clarify various issues such as convenience, hygiene, safety and the needs of tourists, which would all help to encourage more people to travel.

He said that a strong and efficient travel and tourism industry would benefit everyone and allow all stakeholders to get their fair share of resulting business. This would be enhanced by conducting an inventory of Thailand's tourism products and destinations with a SWOT (strength, weakness, opportunity and trend) analysis.

The selected attractions will be classified into five categories - provincial, cluster, national, regional and world class.

The minister supported the continued promotion of Thailand as a destination for producers of documentaries, advertising clips and feature films.

Weerasak is one of the youngest members of the Cabinet and because of his legal background has a very clear and precise sense of direction about what needs to be done.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation