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It took three years, but Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, is once
again the world’s most visited city, according to MasterCard’s
2016 Global Destination Cities Index annual report.
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Bangkok’s number one ranking does not come as a
surprise, as it has been in the top three most visited cities since
MasterCard started this report. However, this rise came from a thirteen
percent jump in traveler arrivals between 2015 and 2016. The
only other top ten city to post a greater jump in arrival
percentages was ninth ranked Tokyo.
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Tourism has remained a strong point for this vibrant Southeast Asian
country and appears to be virtually unfazed by the 2014 military
coup. This year, Thailand has achieved 2.4 trillion baht of income from
tourism, nearly 5% above the targeted of 2.3 trillion baht.
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This increase in arrivals has been heavily influenced by the
Government’s support of the tourist industry through tourism promotion
campaigns on various destinations around the Kingdom and changes towards
tourist visas – free or reduced visa fees, along with extending the
long stay visa from one year to ten years.
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To accommodate the steadily growing number of visitors, Airports of
Thailand Plc, plans to spend 194 billion baht over the next 15 years to
expand its six airports to serve 150 million passengers, against the
current 71.5 million. There are also plans underway to connect
Don Muang Airport to Bangkok’s mass transit lines, linking it to Suvarnabhumi Airport.
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To help Thailand’s tourist industry, the government has recently
begun aggressively tackling the rise in illegally registered tour
companies that specialize in ‘zero-dollar tours’, however, this has had a
minimal effect on the overall visitor arrival numbers.
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Even with the Thai Baht strengthening against many of the major world
currencies, visitors still find outstanding value in Bangkok.
Of the top five cities visited, Bangkok has the accommodation costs, allowing visitors to spend their money in other sectors.
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While Bangkok is notorious for its gridlocked traffic, especially
during rush-hour and after sudden rain storms, its taxi fares remain
very good value for such a major city, costing about ten percent
of remains one of top ranked Zurich. Furthermore, taxis can be
found anywhere, and with virtually no wait. If traffic is an issue, then
the BTS and MRT offer convenient transport to many popular attractions
in the downtown area.
Visitors to Bangkok can enjoy Thailand’s exotic and often spicy
cuisine at a fraction of the price found in their home countries. Thai
food vendors are found on every street; a dish of grilled chicken,
sticky rice and spicy papaya salad may cost three Euros. To help find
a street food vendor, the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Ministry of
Foreign Affairs have recently launched an app, “Street food Bangkok”, to
help visitors find famous food vendors around the capital.
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Bangkok is the top ranked global city destination, but it is often
only a starting point for the 33 million visitors expected to arrive in
Thailand this year. The Kingdom offers world class beaches full of
sunbathers, or secluded little beaches, all overlooking the
clear turquoise blue water of the Andaman Sea and Gulf of
Thailand. The mountainous north of Thailand offers a completely
different experience from the south’s beaches. Travelers travel
to Chiang Mai, where they can take day trips to see hill tribe people,
go trekking in the mountains, or visit its numerous temples.
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With so many visitors taking advantage of the government’s strong
support tourism, its many attractions and central location, Thailand is
hopeful that it can retain its crown as MasterCard’s Global Destination
Cities Index in 2017.
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By David Smith A part – time lecturer at Devawongse Varopakarn Institute of Foreign Affairs.
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Sourse: TheNation
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