BANGKOK, 13 June 2012 – The Thai tourism authority is set to join the country’s railway operator in starting a new transport service project to boost the local travel business.
Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said on Tuesday that the TAT is collaborating with the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), the Ministry of Interior’s Community Development Department, travel business operators and the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) to plan a new project called the OTOP Train Service.
Mr. Suraphon said that the new scheme is intended to help promote Thailand’s One Tambon One Product (OTOP) initiative, as called for by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
He added that all related agencies are brainstorming to draw conclusions on the details of the project, including the routes, which are to further endorse the OTOP concept among holidaymakers.
According to the TAT Governor, 5 routes have been suggested, with two of them under the TAT’s supervision and the other three to be managed by the SRT.
Mr. Suraphon said that the new train service will be equipped with all facilities and decorated with OTOP items.
He said that prospective destinations are Kanchanaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan and Ayutthaya, due to these provinces’ vicinity to Bangkok, while the main target of the project will be families of Bangkok residents and those in neighboring provinces.
The TAT chief expects the new service, likely to need 1-2 million baht to start, to be officially launched within 3 months, with a special working committee set up to oversee the implementation.
