THAILAND is hoping to sign in June this year a tourism deal with the Philippines that would jumpstart the “two-country, one-destination” initiative.
Thailand Ambassador Tull Traisorat said under the concept, the two governments will ramp up promotions and encourage foreign tourists visiting either of the two states to have the Philippines or Thailand as their second stop.
He said the document could be signed by June during the Philippine-Thailand tourism ministerial meeting or “even before if there’s a high-level visit.”
Thailand and the Philippines will mark their 75 years of diplomatic relations on June 14.
Given the distance between the two neighbors, Traisorat also emphasized the need to work on establishing a direct flight between the two states’ popular destinations.
Currently, the envoy said stakeholders are in talks for a possible direct flight between Cebu and Phuket.
Once established, Traisorat said the Philippines could get a share of Thailand’s steadily growing number of foreign tourists.
In 2023 alone, Thailand received about 28 million international travelers, eight to 10 million visited Phuket via the more than 100 weekly direct flights from Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and China.
On top of arrivals, Traisorat also mentioned the growing presence of Thai brands in Philippine hospitality such as the Dusit Thani./PN
