It’s one of our favourite holiday destinations and now there’s a new face leading the promotion of tourism to Thailand in Australia.
Mr Pichaya Saisaengchan is the first male Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Oceania in 14 years. He brings with him a wealth of experience, having worked for TAT for more than 30 years.
In an exclusive interview, Khun Pop (his chosen nickname) sat down with Traveltalk to outline his goals for his three-year term, including fighting for the tourism suppliers who currently don’t have access to the Australian market.
“The bigger Thai suppliers get a very good share of the tourism cake because they can come here and meet agents, buyers and consumers,” he said.
“But there are lots of individuals, small scale and medium enterprises who are just as passionate about tourism. They have beautiful, excellent, fantastic products but they don’t know how to get access to the market.
“They know almost nothing about modern marketing and they don’t know how to get interest from Australian tourists.
“So I will focus on getting a fair share for those who lack the opportunity to get into the industry, particularly those with high quality products.”
Khun Pop said the Australian market was “very diversified” and offered great opportunities across the board for Thai suppliers.
“There are markets in this country for sustainable travel, alternative travel, responsible travel, luxury and health and wellness. I’ve been to other countries and they don’t have some of these markets but here you have them all. So this is a big opportunity for us.
“Thailand still wants to have high-yield tourists – those who spend more and are categorised as luxury. I have no problem with that, but we have got to get a fair share of those at the other end of the scale too.”
Another key focus for Khun Pop during his tenure is to get Australians to visit outside the two most popular destinations.
“For many years we have never been able to overcome the challenge that is to make Australians go beyond Bangkok and Phuket.
“We have always had a belief that Chiang Mai is a great place for them to go and explore the north of Thailand and the islands on the east coast are underrated.”
Sustainability is also high on Khun Pop’s agenda as Thailand continues to move towards a more eco-friendly future.
“We want to let the world know that we are green. We are trying to be green and the goal is to be known as a green destination, rather than for the destination itself.”
Speaking about tourism in his homeland, the new director discussed the implications of relying too much on income from overseas visitors.
“Fifteen per cent of Thai GDP comes from tourism and it sustains four million jobs. That’s huge, but what happened during COVID taught us something. Anything can happen.
“According to the UNWTO, a country cannot and should not rely too much on tourism for the economy and that is something to be concerned about.”
While Khun Pop has only been in his new role for a month, he’s not a complete stranger to life in Australia. He spent a year living in Queensland and was here where Sydney hosted the Summer Olympics.
“This is a laid back country full of laid back people and I like it. This is utopia and the country is just beautiful.”
Commenting on the enduring appeal of Thailand to Aussie tourists, Khun Pop said his country offered an affordable choice.
“Thailand is a popular destination for Australian tourists. According to our research, prices is the number one reason, people number two and then food, culture and tradition. Thai people are also rated among the most friendly and hospitable people for Australians.”
“We love Australians because they are funny people, they are laid back and they are easy to like. You don’t have to read their minds and they say what they think. Thai people love that kind of honesty.”
So what does he hope will be his legacy when he hands over in 2027?
“I have three years here and I hope to make a dent in the universe. If I cannot do anything, I will regret it for the rest of my life.”
https://amazingthailand.com.au/
