New Thai tourism minister pledges to make tourist safety a priority


Skift Take

The minister is right to get Thailand’s rising crime under control as a dangerous reputation can have a lasting impact on a country’s tourism revenues. Just look to Colombia’s efforts to overcome its past or India’s recent drop in tourism.

Somsak Pureesrisak, the new tourism and sports minister, says tourist safety will take priority under his watch. "If Thailand is not a safe destination in the eyes of foreign tourists, it is useless to invest hundreds of billions of baht to promote Thai tourism," he told a group of reporters as he marked his first official day