City Hall, TAT plan festivals for capital

City Hall is working with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to promote tourism in Bangkok and revitalise the economy with a plan afoot to organise a variety of festivals in the capital to attract tourists all year round.

Speaking after yesterday’s meeting with the TAT, Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said they discussed an initiative to boost tourism in the capital.

Tourism will be a driving force for Bangkok’s economic growth, spurring consumer spending and creating jobs for workers in Bangkok, Mr Chadchart said. In 2019, Bangkok raked in up to 800 billion baht in tourism revenue, he said.

Since City Hall has no expertise in tourism management, the TAT must take the lead in the initiative, he said.

City Hall will act as a facilitator and provide support in terms of utilities and infrastructure, he said, adding the two sides have agreed to set up a joint working panel to handle the matter.

Mr Chadchart said the plan includes promoting the unique cultural characteristics of each of the 50 districts of Bangkok and organising 12 festivals for each month.

They include boat racing, flower and outdoor cinema festivals, he said, adding festivals organised by the TAT include the Amazing Thailand Marathon, which could be promoted as a global event.

“These activities will be filled with fun and help stimulate the economy, using the soft power at our disposal. This will make Thailand become the world’s No.1 tourist destination and boost people’s income,” he said.

He said a plan is also in the pipeline to develop Chatuchak Weekend Market into a world-renowned destination, and a project will also be launched to make Bangkok the “Venice of the East” again with plans to improve the capital’s canal networks.

With the increasing number of visitors from India, City Hall and the TAT also discussed a marketing campaign to satisfy their tourism needs and attract more of them, he added.