Thailand, March 9, 2012 — The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has organised a two-day fam trip for a group of 20 Thai tour operators and travel media to check out the new products of Kanchanaburi province, home to the historic World War II site of the Bridge over the River Kwai.
The primary focus of the trip was to test both existing and emerging ecological and adventure tourism products in the densely-forested province, located only 140 kilometres from Bangkok.
Ms Benjawan Sunatevorakul, Executive Director of Product Promotion Department Division, TAT said, “Kanchanaburi province is easily accessible from Bangkok by a four-lane highway. Its strategic geographic location on the border with neighbouring Myanmar is a major competitive advantage.
“Aside from the famous Bridge over the River Kwai and the World War II cemetery, the province boasts pristine forests, mountains, caves and waterfalls, which can be visited all year round. In recent years, the province has seen a marked improvement in the quality of accommodation,” she said.
Popular natural adventure activities in Kanchanaburi are trekking, camping, kayaking, exploring caves, biking, elephant riding, visiting waterfall, rafting, etc. The reservoirs of Sri Nakarin Dam, Vachiralongkorn Dam and the Mae Klong Dam are also capable of supporting ecotourism and adventure travel activities.
The province boasts two award-winning resorts, the River Kwai Jungle Raft Resort and Hintok River Camp Resort on the River Kwai Noi, which won top honours in the 2011 Thailand Boutique Awards in the “conservation of nature and environment” category.
In the years ahead, Kanchanaburi will emerge as a major geographical link between Thailand and India after the completion of the Asian Highway that will run through Myanmar, linking the Tak border town of Mae Sot to the city of Moreh on the Indian side of the border.
Operated between 8-9 March, the TAT fam trip took the group to Hell Fire Pass Memorial Museum, the Hintok River Camp Resort, a river rafting trip to the Jungle Raft Resort, the Resotel resort, and visits to the Lawa Cave to see the stunning stalagmites and stalactites. The trip also included a campfire dinner.
TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said, “There is little doubt that Kanchanaburi will prove to be a very popular province in future as transportation links grow between Thailand and Myanmar. It will help us broaden the base of domestic destinations and also go a long way towards enhancing the appeal of the Greater Mekong Subregion.”
The TAT is targeting more ecotourists and adventure travellers as part of its strategic objective to promote sustainable and environmentally-conscious travel.
The TAT’s 7 Greens concept has been specifically designed to promote travel and tourism to the country’s natural attractions in a way that can be fun, challenging and exciting, without causing any harm to the environment.
