Thailand shot down

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is tackling a growing scandal surrounding a series of video clips they say damaged the country's tourist-friendly image.

Chairman of TAT's board Weerasak Kowsurat says a foreign video-production company hired locals to shoot eight short travel shows in Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and other popular destinations.

'Sleazy and run-down'

Most featured information on how to get places and the sights to see, but the TAT thinks the shows threaten tourism by portraying a sleazy and run-down image of destinations.

Some of the clips have already gone out on cable in London and other European cities.

Weerasak has asked three agencies to tackle the problem, with the Sport Ministry's Office of Tourism Development commissioned to find out whether the production company had shooting rights and if they broke any laws in filming. Meanwhile, the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has been asked to urge tour operators at all major tourist destinations to improve their quality of service to avoid similar incidents. The Foreign Ministry will provide clarification about issues brought up by the clips to the public in countries where the clips are being shown.

In a related development, Phuket Jet Ski Operator Association chairman Anusorn Saleh said all operators would meet tomorrow to discuss how best to improve their service after a spate of complaints from customers.

Asked whether he thought the adverse publicity from the travel shows had hurt his business, Anusorn said, "We haven't seen much negative impact yet. But it's low season, so there are few tourists around anyway".