Songkhla opens city tram services to attract tourists

BANGKOK, March 3 (TNA) - City trams have officially been introduced in Thailand’s southern Songkhla Province, aimed to promote local tourism. Nakhon Songkhla Mayor Peera Tantiseranee announced that the city tram services are now ready to serve international tourists between 9am and 4pm, from March 3 onward, noting that the city trams will help international visitors learn local history, cultures and people’s ways of life. According to the mayor, the trams were set to take the international visitors to the city’s landmarks and attractions, including the Songkhla National Museum, the Old Quarter of the City, Nakhon Nai Road, Nang Ngam Road, the City Pillar Shrine, the Chalatat Beach, the symbolic Nagas statue, the statue of late His Royal Highness Prince Chumporn and Tang Kuan Mountain. Furthermore, Peera said, the Nakhon Songkhla Municipality will organize tourism-related activities on March 23, 2012 to mark the two-year anniversary of its “Walking Street, Authentic Songkhla Food, Old-time atmosphere Festival”, aimed to also promote local history, cultures, nature and tourism. Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports Suwat Sitlo has met ambassadors of European countries in Bangkok to convince their governments to lift travel advisories against Thailand. Thai Tourism and Sports Ministry Spokesman Watchara Kannikar said that at the meeting on Friday, Suwat assured the top envoys of Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands and the European Union (EU) of Thailand's safety for international visitors. According to the spokesman, the meeting also discussed security measures for international tourists, provided by the Immigration Bureau, the Royal Thai Police and leading operators in the Thai tourism industry. (TNA)