Bangkok (Thailand) – July 14, 2015 – Thailand's tourism future clearly lies in quality, not quantity. This is one of the key messages of a speech given by Thai Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul to members and guests of Skal International Bangkok.

The minister, who was welcomed by Skal International Bangkok Dale Lawrence, stated that she would promote a policy that, from 2016 onwards, would focus on attracting higher-spending international visitors to Thailand – thus abandoning the annual policy of simply aiming for a larger number of tourists than the previous year without adequately considering length of stay and average daily spending.

The minister added that tourism revenues of around 2.2 trillion baht were expected for 2015 and that a key component of government policy was to achieve a fairer distribution of wealth within local communities. "I want tourism revenues to benefit the community much more," she said.

The minister also promised to improve the multiple-entry visa system and offer better immigration services at key arrival points such as Suvarnabhumi Airport. She acknowledged the need to combat the widespread tourist scams in Thailand, which have been widely discussed in the media, and stated that measures were already being taken.

Khun Kobkarn acknowledged the concerns of Skal members regarding the planned dolphinarium in Phuket and announced that she would discuss the matter with her government colleagues. The minister, aware of her dual role as Minister of Tourism and Sport, stated that Pattaya and Phuket were designated as centers of sporting excellence.

In a separate meeting with Dale Lawrence, President of Skal Bangkok, and members of the Skal Executive Committee, Khun Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul assured the association of her full support for its bid to host the 2017 Skal World Congress in Bangkok. The vote will take place at the end of October during the 2015 World Congress.

Caption: From left to right: Somsak Kiratipanich, Vice President of Skal Bangkok; Dale Lawrence, President of Skal Bangkok; Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul; Stephen Morton, Director of Young Skal; and Brinley Waddell, International Skal Councillor.

Contact details – Skål International Bangkok: Dale Lawrence, President – ​​Skål International Bangkok Email: [email protected]