Thailand to expand tourism market to Latin America

BANGKOK, January 23 (TNA) - The state-run Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to expand the Thai tourism market to the potential Latin American region. TAT Director for the North American market Jureerat Khongtrakul told journalists on Thursday that tourist arrivals in Thailand from countries in Latin America, like Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Columbia and Mexico, have grown by 20 per cent annually although their number remains in five figures. According to the TAT director, about 36,000 visitors were from Brazil, 21,000 from Argentina and slightly over 10,000 each from other countries in the Latin American region. The TAT director noted that tourist arrivals from Latin America have been increasing because people from the part of the world love to experience joyful activities and Thai cultures serve their demand. Thailand will be then the first member country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to get into the tourism market of Latin America.(TNA)