Pita accepts invitation to become global ambassador for Thai tourism
Prime ministerial candidate Pita Limjaroenrat on Saturday accepted an invitation from the Tourism Council of Thailand to become its brand ambassador, saying that after assuming office, he will travel overseas to meet leaders of foreign governments and promote Thailand as a destination.
Pita met with the council’s president, Chamnan Srisawat, and other executives at the Rama Gardens Hotel to discuss ways to increase the number of foreign tourists to Thailand, particularly those from China.
He noted that the number of foreign tourists visiting Thailand remains 30-40% lower than the pre-pandemic level, and that the drop in Chinese tourists was particularly steep.
Before the pandemic, they accounted for 20% of all foreign visitors, but now they represent just 2%, he said.
“We will try to draw back as many tourists as possible to Thailand,” said Pita, who leads the Move Forward Party.
After its shock victory in the May 14 election, Move Forward swiftly formed an alliance with seven other political parties in a bid to form the next coalition government with Pita as prime minister.
Pita said that as Thailand’s tourism brand ambassador he will serve “both as an executive and a communicator”.
“When we become government, I will travel to meet leaders in other countries. And I will use the opportunity to learn from those countries about tourism and adapt it [for Thailand],” he said.
Pita called for “seamless collaboration” between the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to draw foreign tourists back to the country.
He also called for efforts to encourage foreign visitors to travel outside the five most popular destinations, which he said account for 75% of all visits by foreign tourists.
Thailand needs an integrated strategy to ensure sustainable tourism, he said.
Pita was upbeat about the future of Thailand’s tourism industry, saying that if all issues were addressed, the industry would be more robust than it was before the pandemic, as well as more sustainable.
Chamnan, the tourism council’s president, called for tourism to be a national priority and asked Pita – whom he referred to as the “would-be prime minister” – to chair the meeting.
Pita was accompanied by Move Forward MPs.
Chamnan said that the discussion with Pita significantly raised his hopes for Thailand’s tourism industry.
“I am so excited to have this opportunity to exchange ideas,” he said.
Although Pita’s party won more MP seats in the general election than any other political party, many analysts say they see only a slim chance for him to become Thailand’s 30th prime minister.
This is because the Senate joins the House of Representatives to vote for the next prime minister.
Pita’s eight-party coalition has 312 MPs in the 500-seat House of Representatives. The Senate has 250 members. Consequently, Pita needs at least 64 more votes to gain a majority of the 750 votes from both Houses when they hold a joint session to select Thailand's next prime minister.
As it is unlikely for Pita to gain support from parties outside his coalition, his hopes rest with the Senate. Several senators have publicly said his support in the upper House is insufficient for him to become prime minister, and some have publicly mocked his chances.
