Troubled southern Thailand gets help from neighboring countries

eTN/Aiming to "drum up" tourism, Thailand has entered a deal with Indonesia and Malaysia to stage an international travel fair in a city that has generated security concerns. Indonesia-Malaysia and Thailand, which make up the IMT Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) countries, will hold an international travel fair in the Thai southern city of Songkhla from January 11-20 next year.

The travel fair is expected to boost confidence in the region's tourism industry which has plummet in the strife-torn southern Thai states due to religious and factional violence in the last four years. "This is only one of many programs to be held in the three countries," said Thai IMT-GT Joint-Business Council (JBC) chairman Somkiat Anuras, at the end of the 23rd JCB meeting held in Ipoh, Malaysia recently.

The Songkhla provincial government, added Anuras, will be spending US$1 million to host and promote the fair, which is expected to draw 100,000 international visitors from the three member countries.

In addition to cultural performances from its three member countries, the travel fair will feature indigenous multi-sports competition common in the region, including bull and cock fighting, and bird-singing contests. "We are expecting an increase of up to 30 percent in tourism volume in the three countries following the travel fair," added Anuras.

The fair will feature some 120 booths promoting tourism products from sellers in member countries, half of which will be from Thailand.