Tag Archives: Pichaya Saisaengchan

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced the reopening of its borders to travellers from the Middle East with the introduction of the ‘TR’ tourist visa which enables tourists to visit Thailand up to 60 days. The updated TR tourist visa aims to revive Thailand’s international tourism following its successful launch of domestic travel within Thailand, as well as the recently launched STV long-stay tourist visa. “After taking all the necessary precautions to mitigate the pandemic, we are finally ready to welcome back visitors from the Middle East,” said Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Dubai and the Middle East. “With the unwavering support from our public and private sector partners in Thailand, we believe we have elevated the Kingdom’s tourism standards, taking into consideration the health and safety of our visitors from the region.” The visa enables citizens and residents from the Middle East to visit Thailand for the purpose of tourism and must comply with the Kingdom’s COVID-19 control and preventive measures. This includes undergoing a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, holding the required medical and travel insurance and a bank statement providing proof of income in the last 6 months equivalent to USD 16,336 (500,000 Baht) . A medical insurance policy with coverage of at least USD 100,000 or about 3.16 million Baht for possible COVID-19 treatment is among the official documents required from foreign visitors planning to visit Thailand. After completing the 14-day quarantine and testing negative for COVID-19, TR visa holders are free to travel anywhere around Thailand. Travellers looking to visit the Thailand from the Middle East can reach out to the Thai Embassy or Consulate in home country with the …

To welcome visitors back this winter, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced a fresh redesign of their Thailand Muslim Friendly App.  With a redesigned interface the app has now expanded its offering, adding 110 new restaurants, 70 new mosques, 75 new hotels, 10 healthcare facilities, 19 education centres, 20 shopping locations, 17 travel destinations, and five additional video clips. Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Dubai and the Middle East said, “In 2019, Thailand welcomed over 550,000 visitors from the Middle East and we are excited to introduce a modern version of the Thailand Muslim Friendly App. As we prepare to reopen our borders for tourism, we want to ensure that our Muslim visitors from the Middle East are able to enjoy a vibrant stay in Thailand in accordance with their faith as we continue to develop halal tourism in the Kingdom.”

Maiden virtual roadshow ‘Amazing Thailand’ received one of the highest number of buyers from the GCC; UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain. The event kicked off at 10am with over 350 buyers, Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand Dubai and Middle East welcomed the guests and partners at the Amazing Thailand Virtual Roadshow 2020, which this year was a virtual B2B platform which connected travel professionals across the GCC to hospitality to tourism establishments in Thailand. “It comes as no surprise that our industry has experienced an unprecedented shift in the last six months due to the current pandemic. The tourism industry is adjusting to a set of new norms as travel restrictions start to ease and our collective efforts to adapt and reinvent our offerings have been adamant, taking into consideration new health and safety protocols. Today, we are joined by 48 tourism stakeholders from Thailand, including hotels and resorts, health and wellness, shopping establishments, attractions, tour operators, and DMCs. The Amazing Thailand Virtual Roadshow 2020 provides a great opportunity for our travel partners in the GCC to connect with tourism providers in Thailand to discuss the current measures in place to ensure the health and safety of visitors to the Kingdom, as well as the new offerings travellers can expect to experience during their visit to Thailand once we are ready to welcome them back.” He further reiterated, “Thailand welcomed over 38 million visitors in 2019, of which 550,000 visitors were from the Middle East, and we look forward to welcoming travellers back to our shores as our travel partners in the GCC are enabled with the necessary tools and information to highlight our vibrant destination.”

Thailand tourism will host its first virtual event on Wednesday 9th September 2020 from 10am to 6pm (UAE standard time). This event will be the annual B2B event that the tourism board promote before ATM but due to Covid – 19, it will be held virtually so that it is more convenient for the participants. Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai & The Middle East Office shared, “We aim to promote Thailand for leisure in GCC Market since more than 75% of total middle east visitors came from this region. 60 Thai sellers with GCC buyers will do one-on-one meetings via VDO call. The first session will comprise GCC Buyers Group A, while the second session will have participants from GCC Buyers Group B. For both groups, 10 minutes will be allotted per appointment.60 Thai sellers will be registered via TAT Website (ThaiTravelMart.com) and for those 180 GCC Buyers will be registered via our travel trade partner – TravTalk Middle East at www.halathailandvirtualmart.com” Thai sellers & GCC Buyers will get to know each other during 10min session of each meeting slot (total 48 slots x 8 hours meeting), in order to create special holiday packages with the NEW NORMAL to Thailand for GCC travellers.

One of the most visited destinations by the GCC and Middle East has been Thailand for various many reasons. Thailand tourism will host its first virtual event on Monday 10th August 2020 from 11am to 12 noon. Join in and learn at the webinar some vital information about the destination. Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai &The Middle East Office shared that The Middle East is home to a youthful population, and millennials in the region are some of the highest spenders globally. As a result, they are constantly developing their tourism offerings in order to move away from mass tourism and encourage sustainable tourism in order to attract millennials. The webinar, ‘Arab Millennials in Amazing Thailand’, sheds light on the Kingdom’s latest tourism offerings to our partners in the region to cater to the growing demographic – including dining, shopping, and off-the-beaten-path regions to visit.

The much loved destination of the GCC and Middle East travellers, Thailand tourism will host its first virtual event on Monday August 10, 2020 from 11am to 12 noon. At a recent interaction with Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai &The Middle East Office shared that The Middle East is home to a youthful population, and millennials in the region are some of the highest spenders globally. As a result, we are constantly developing our tourism offerings in order to move away from mass tourism and encourage sustainable tourism in order to attract millennials. The webinar, ‘Arab Millennials in Amazing Thailand’, sheds light on the Kingdom’s latest tourism offerings to our partners in the region to cater to the growing demographic – including dining, shopping, and off-the-beaten-path regions to visit.

Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai & The Middle East Office shared, “As part of our efforts to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and accelerate recovery in the travel and tourism sector, we have introduced the ‘Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration: SHA’ certification which aims to elevate the country’s hospitality industry standards and develop confidence among tourists, including visitors from the Middle East as well as to prepare Thai tourism operators for the return of tourism while travel restrictions continue to ease. 3,808 tourism establishments and entities in Thailand have been evaluated or were participating in the Amazing Thailand SHA certification so far.”

TravTalk Middle East’s second virtual conclave will take place on Monday July 20, 2020 from 11am until 1.15pm. To participate please contact Crisna de Guzman at crisna.deguzman@ddppl.com or call +971505074618, +971554704200. The main theme of the Digital conclave is Building and enabling trust in the travel and tourism sector. It will be conducted as two sessions; each will be for one hour. The first session will begin by 11am and end by 12 noon with three key speakers in the Middle East region; HE Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), Raki Philips – Chief Executive Officer Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority and Suman Billa – Director Technical Corporation and Silk Road Development UNWTO. As the UAE has open to international visitors, this is the perfect opportunity to find out the many efforts undertaken by the relevant tourism boards and the UNWTO. The second session will commence after a 15 minute break at 12.15pm and end by 1.15pm; this session will take into account outbound travel with three key national tourism boards with the most number of visitors from the UAE and GCC region. Speakers will be Daniel Rosado Bayon – Director of the Spanish Tourism Office in Abu Dhabi; Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai &The Middle East Office and Yamina Sofo – Director, Sales & Marketing – German National Tourist Office, Gulf countries.

For international tourists throughout the Middle East, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) outlines a number of ways travellers can support independent Thai brands, social enterprises and community projects to ensure a sustainable future for all. “More than 21% of Thailand’s GDP comes from tourism revenue, meaning that the current worldwide travel restrictions has had a significant impact on the Thai economy, with many independent businesses suffering and individuals left out of work,” said Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand for Dubai and the Middle East. “TAT is keen to support local and shed light on how tourists can continue to back grassroots businesses, despite not being able to visit ‘Amazing Thailand’ at the moment. Assisting independent makers, creators and services is the key to maintaining the long-term sustainability of the tourism industry and shows the strength of our community to emerge stronger than ever before.” The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has introduced a number of initiatives to help small businesses generate revenue during the lockdown period, including the launch of online marketplace, ‘Amazing Market’. With over 20,000 members, the platform connects shopper to sellers, offering a free place for local communities, entrepreneurs and restaurants to promote their products such as fruits and vegetables, textiles and accessories, and encouraging locals and residents to support local.

Strategies to protect the ecosystem and wildlife for the long-term sustainability of the country are at the core of Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) commitment to responsible tourism, with the tourism board introducing the Responsible Thailand Awards in 2019. “Thailand is one of the top tourist destination in the world and welcomes over 39 million visitors annually, of which over 500,000 come from the MENA region,” said Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand for Dubai and the Middle East. “In order to preserve the natural habitat, wildlife and traditions of the Kingdom, it is our responsibility to ensure that we regulate the impact of mass tourism on the ecosystem and engage with our local partners to ensure responsible tourism that is sustainable”. Thailand benefits from a number of esteemed wildlife initiatives and conservation programmes that contribute towards the greater good of Thailand, yet have been affected by the impact of COVID-19 with regards to funding and volunteering. “The impact of the global pandemic has left a funding gap for the world’s wildlife initiatives, many of which rely on tourism for their revenue streams. We would like to support them by highlighting legitimate organisations and initiatives that are doing great work in the Kingdom, and how tourists can continue to support them whilst travel is restricted”, confirms Pichaya.