Newsfeed

 The Tourism Council of Thailand has asked the government to approve multiple-entry visas for tourists travelling to Thailand regularly.

It was expected the move would result in a boost in arrivals, particularly families, individual tourists and business travellers, the TCT president Ittirit Kinglake said after meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan yesterday.

The TCT also proposed that the government prepare safety and security prevention measures to make tourists feel safer when travelling in the Kingdom.

Prawit met with 20 business representatives including representatives from the Thai Chamber of Commerce, the Federal of Thai Industries (FTI), the Thai National Shippers’ Council and the Tourism Council of Thailand to present the country’s economic information and what the government is doing to boost the economy.

Supant Mongkolsuthree, FTI chairman, said that the body had proposed the government urgently come up with measures to mitigate falling crop prices, increase corporate involvement in state mega-projects’ supply chains and increase industry involvement in the government’s hiring and procurement process.

PTT cuts 5-year budget

PTT has cut its five-year investment budget from Bt327 billion to Bt290 billion due to volatile oil prices.

Chief Financial Officer Wirat Uanarumit told reporters that PTT also aimed to sell a 12 per cent stake in oil refinery Bangchak Petroleum in the second quarter.

Tourist arrivals up

The Tourism and Sports Ministry yesterday reported that 2 million tourists visited the country from March 1 to 24, an increase of 25 per cent compared to the same time last year.

Top three inbound countries were China, Malaysia and Laos.

The ministry said that the average occupancy rate at hotels in major destinations in February was 78 per cent, a 6 per cent increase year on year.

The ministry predicted people would spend Bt20 billion during a coming Songkran Festival.

Thai commercial banks plan to waive ATM fees during Songkran.