Thailand to start tourism campaign highlighting kingdom’s martial law

World Today

The Tourism Authority of Thailand says it is preparing a campaign to encourage tourists to visit their Kingdom highlighting that the country is under martial law. According to the Director of the TAT, martial law is beneficial to tourism and ensures that visitors are safe 24 hours a day. Tony Cheng reported this story from Phuket, Thailand.

The campaign is aimed at stemming the dip in tourism that the country has faced since violent political protests ultimately led to military rule.

Tourists have returned to the beaches of Phuket which have been freshly cleaned by the military government. After years of political instability, the government wants to reassure tourists Thailand is safe, hence the campaign.

While it may seem a strange strategy to win confidence, authorities said they’re convinced it will work.

“We have soldiers. We have police to look after or to take care of the people in our country, but its not the image of like carrying the gun everywhere, No you cannot see it,” Anoma Vongyai, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand in Phuket said.

However that’s not entirely true. Since the coup, the military have been very active pushing illegal vendors off the beaches and ensuring their presence is felt.

And the police have hardly excelled. The murder of two young Britons was poorly handled as the Thai authorities missed evidence, ignored leads, and failed to detain the suspects. Eventually two migrant workers from Myanmar were charged, but the suspicion they are being framed has done little to inspire confidence.

Increasing competition from Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar is also tempting visitors away from Thailand. The Thai government says its goal is to attract higher quality visitors who stay longer and spend more.