Thai tourists warned to brush up on Japan culture before trips
The Thai ambassador to Japan suggests that Thai tourists take some time to learn about Japanese regulations and culture before travelling there in order to ensure a good image for Thai people and to encourage two-way tourism.
Ambassador Sihasak Phuangketkeow made the remark after some reports about bad behaviour of Thai tourists in Japan.
He said most Thai tourists were welcomed in Japan, but because the cultures of the two countries are very different, unwanted incidents can occur if people don’t familiarise themselves with Japanese customs before making their trip.
He said that since Japan exempted Thais from requiring tourist visas, the number of Thai visitors to Japan jumped significantly, from 200,000 in 2012 to more than 670,000 last year. This year, the number of Thai travellers to Japan is expected to exceed 700,000. In the first four months, their numbers rose by more than 20 per cent year on year.
Sihasak also believes that with the stable political situation in Thailand, more Japanese will visit the Kingdom this year, after last year’s political |problems kept many of |them away. Another negative factor for Japanese travellers was the weakness of the yen and |relative strength of the baht, |but that problem too has been easing.
About 1.2 million Japanese travellers visited Thailand last year.
