webfact Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 148 Tourism Information Centers to open in PTT gas stationsBANGKOK, 10 February 2016 (NNT) – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP), the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank), the Department of Community Development and PTT Public Company Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding for the setting up of 148 Tourism Information Centers in PTT gas stations throughout the country.The centers were designed to support and promote sales of locally-made products and local tourism as well as to distribute incomes to communities under the government’s civil state policy.TAT Governor Yutthasak Suphasorn said after the signing ceremony TAT will provide a 148 million baht budget for the setting up of all 148 shops with a belief that they will raise domestic incomes related to tourism industry and definitely reach a target of 850 billion baht in revenue.-- NNT 2016-02-10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shirtless Posted February 9, 2016 Share Posted February 9, 2016 You wont need them , Chinese market comes with their own tour guides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Great idea! Let's see how this works out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramrod711 Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Great idea! Let's see how this works out. I agree, PTP seem to be everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawk Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Great idea! Let's see how this works out. I agree, PTP seem to be everywhere. So millions of tourists are roaming around the country on motorbikes or in private cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deckape Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Bwahahaha!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pib Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Great idea! Let's see how this works out. I agree, PTP seem to be everywhere. So millions of tourists are roaming around the country on motorbikes or in private cars. Busloads of tourists stop at key PTT stations usually to buys snacks/foods and use the restroom because it common for PTT to be like a mini mall in having a bunch of venders/shops at the station. Most PTT stations make a real effort to turn their stations into combo shopping/food and fuel stations. I see it all the time at PTT stations near to me here in western Bangkok where I fill-up my private vehicle with fuel....busloads of tourists stop to take a pee-break and buy something to eat...and maybe buys a souvenir or two. And as already mentioned PTT does seem to be everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aladdin Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Great idea! Let's see how this works out. I agree, PTP seem to be everywhere. So millions of tourists are roaming around the country on motorbikes or in private cars. Yes, and if you bother going to the neighbour countries you see a lot of Thai cars and motorcycles. I even saw 2 beautiful Thai girls in Vang Vien on a Scooter with Bangkok plates. Doesn’t mean that they drove from Bangkok, but you never know. A lot of adventures Thai people and I have meet a lot of them. So I can easy think of millions of cars and motorcycles with tourists on the roads, go to any National park during the weekend. Or any of the popular tourist places/ beaches and there is mostly Thai tourists Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluespunk Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 "TAT Governor Yutthasak Suphasorn said after the signing ceremony TAT will provide a 148 million baht budget for the setting up of all 148 shops with a belief that they will raise domestic incomes related to tourism industry and definitely reach a target of 850 billion baht in revenue." Definitely? That's quite a bold total to claim will be achieved no matter what... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixdoglover Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 Funny. When I drive around Thailand, I encounter thousands of shops, food carts, and roadside vendors. I'm sure all those small business owners will be delighted with this State funded initiative to provide them with competition at PTT stations. The phrase "robbing Peter to pay Paul" comes to mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveat Emptor Posted February 10, 2016 Share Posted February 10, 2016 "TAT Governor Yutthasak Suphasorn said after the signing ceremony TAT will provide a 148 million baht budget for the setting up of all 148 shops with a belief that they will raise domestic incomes related to tourism industry and definitely reach a target of 850 billion baht in revenue." Definitely? That's quite a bold total to claim will be achieved no matter what... I'm sure even if the target isn't actually reached it will have if you see what I mean. TAT and the ministry aren't into negativity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact Posted February 10, 2016 Author Share Posted February 10, 2016 PTT petrol stations to turn tourism information centresBANGKOK: -- PTT Plc's 148 petrol stations will now become more than fuelling stations but tourism information centres after five state owned and state agencies agreed to cooperate in making them more useful to motorists.The five agencies comprise the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the SMEs Promotion Office, the SME Bank, the Community Development Department and PTT Public Company Limited.Yesterday they signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the establishment of tourist information centres.Under the MoU, information centers, “Pracharat Suk Jai Shop”, will be setup at 148 PTT’s petrol stations across the country.Unlike normal convenient stores in petrol station, visitors visiting the “Pracharat Suk Jai Shop” can get information related to tourism and shop for certain products that are indigenous and made by local people.Tags: Business, Community Development Department, convenient stores, fuelling stations, MOU, Pracharat Suk Jai Shop, PTT petrol stations, PTT Public Company Limited, SME Bank, SMEs Promotion Office, tourism, Tourism Authority of Thailand.Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/150364 -- Thai PBS 2016-02-11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KimSamui Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Of coarse English Language will be spoken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAG Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Should go down really well in the adjacent markets which specialise in selling " indigenous products"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracker1 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Were they not also made lottery venders not so long ago ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klauskunkel Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 "Visitors can...get information and shop for products that are indigenous and made by local people in China..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratcatcher Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Of coarse English Language will be spoken. But being Thailand, rather coarsely of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thian Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 850 billion baht is 21 billion euro.....sure mate! The OTOP shops are all very expensive, don't think it works. And tourism info centre's usually only sell maps or give free info to tourists. Normally the locals sell their produce along the roads, what's wrong with that if they provide good parkinglots? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madmitch Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Funny. When I drive around Thailand, I encounter thousands of shops, food carts, and roadside vendors. I'm sure all those small business owners will be delighted with this State funded initiative to provide them with competition at PTT stations. The phrase "robbing Peter to pay Paul" comes to mind. The so-called competition has been there for years. I assume you've been to a PTT station with its 7-Eleven, food court, food stalls and stands selling OTOP products, KFC, Black Canyon, etc. The small business owners won't see any change at all, I'm sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 This is a good idea. About 30 years too late, but a good idea. In Macau, they have tourism ambassadors who welcome you at the airport and on the streets. Many other countries offer a host of services for tourists, and actually treat them as if they are people of value to the nation. It would almost appear that Thailand has gone out of it's way to ignore the tourists for decades, providing as little in the way of service, and spending as little money in this pursuit as possible, making them feel disregarded and of no regard. Does the term "kee know" come to mind? Does the term incompetent come to mind? Does the term arrogant and nationalistic come to mind? It is never too late to acknowledge a huge error, and attempt to correct it. Let us hope there are a few competent people within the administration and the tourism ministry that can pull this off, and that is becomes something more than a place to sell bus tickets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Just do it. Stop jawboning, and just do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Anything Thailand can do to aid and assist tourists will be considered an incredible improvement over the indifference tourists have been facing for decades. I have always found the Thai people to be kind and helpful. But, the government? Never. Not once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spidermike007 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Many of us are hopeful. When I first visited Thailand nearly 40 years ago, I was surprised at the lack of government sponsored facilities, and information counters, that were not connected to an operation that was trying to sell something. That continues to this day. Perhaps someone with actual talent is working for the tourism ministry now? Even just to suggest something like this is radical, by Thai standards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenixdoglover Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Funny. When I drive around Thailand, I encounter thousands of shops, food carts, and roadside vendors. I'm sure all those small business owners will be delighted with this State funded initiative to provide them with competition at PTT stations. The phrase "robbing Peter to pay Paul" comes to mind. The so-called competition has been there for years. I assume you've been to a PTT station with its 7-Eleven, food court, food stalls and stands selling OTOP products, KFC, Black Canyon, etc. The small business owners won't see any change at all, I'm sure. Yes I have. So the question is, with the commercial aspects of tourism so well supplied by established businesses, why does TAT include that in their plan? Why not just stick to the tourism information sharing and promotion that is their primary mission? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arrowsdawdle Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 There they go advertising Thailand to Thais again and calling local travelers tourists. True inbound tourists that actually contribute incremental revenues to the economy rarely drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 Great idea! Let's see how this works out. I agree, PTP seem to be everywhere. So millions of tourists are roaming around the country on motorbikes or in private cars.Yes. Also on buses. And most, at some point, stop at a station. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigt3365 Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 There they go advertising Thailand to Thais again and calling local travelers tourists. True inbound tourists that actually contribute incremental revenues to the economy rarely drive.Domestic tourism here is huge. Inbound tourists may not self drive. But they travel around a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred Kubasa Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 About 2 years ago they said all 7 - 11's would be converted, in part, to Help Centers plus a place to get airline tickets and, as expected, that and this, will never happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuckBee Posted February 13, 2016 Share Posted February 13, 2016 What about the new booths they built & furnished on silom road & never been staffed ! They had note saying sorry not open due to no power but that bu11 as street vendor nearby taps the booths power :-) Real reason is funds wasted running TAT big wigs off to japan to see their japanese noi's ... know that as fact as was involved in a 3 way chat with TAT big wig few years back, they milk expenditure big time & that leaves real TAT services lacking funds ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thian Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 I once saw a booth from the tourist-info somewhere downtown, i asked the lady something but she couldn't speak english.... oh well, what else is new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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