Department of Tourism promotes safe and ethical tourismduring upcoming festive season Department of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism and Sports, urges tourists during the upcoming festive season of Thai New Year, or the popular Songkran festival, to look for the 'Merry Elephant' tourism standard emblem for tourism-related services in order to assure themselves of standard and quality services.
As the Songkran festival is the most popular tourism high season of Thailand where all Thai and foreign tourists prepare for a trip around the country, the Department of Tourism is rushing to issue an advice and warning for tourists to fend off substandard tourism-related services and unlicenced tour agencies. The department also promotes the 'Merry Elephant' tourism standard emblem affixed to a wide range of tourism service providers and shops around the country. The standards as set by the department are categorised in a large selection, for example, hotel, resort, guesthouse, food, public toilet, tourist attraction, health tourism, historical tourism, and ecotourism site standards.
“Additionally, the department has released another service channel for tourists and that is they can receive tourism-related services in a mobile phone application. The 'TTS Explorer' application offers information on a wide range of shops nationwide. Tourists with the app installed on their phone will be entitled to discount and privilege simply by member registration. The registration is free of charge and the application can be downloaded from Google Play Store on Android smartphones,” Director General of the Department of Tourism, Acting Second Lieutenant Arnupap Gaesornsuwan said.
At present, the department has finalised the total number of almost 50 standards. It has also given the 'Thailand Tourism Standard' emblem to about 2,000 entrepreneurs around the country, with an aim to upgrade the quality of service among tourism-related service providers in Thailand to get the country ready to be the regional tourism hub.
“We urge all tourists who are now preparing themselves for the Thai New Year trip to be familiar with the 'Merry Elephant' tourism standard emblem and they will be assured that they will be given the services that are up to the standards,” added the Director General.
He also warned tourists not to purchase any tour package that are suspiciously too cheap. He also advised tourists to keep all documents, receipts, photocopied vouchers, and photos of their trip as evidence presentable when lodging complaint if the tour is not
correspond with the agreed itinerary. For this, tourists are advised to verify their validity of licence number and expiration date at Department of Tourism 24-hour Call Centre at 02 401 1111.
