The Thailand Fanclub Paris community for the French tourist market was established by the TAT Paris Office in 2011, and currently has about 46,000 members from all over France.
Bangkok, 13 June, 2017 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) staged the 5th Thailand Fanclub Paris dinner party for 300 fans of the kingdom from France. This is the second time the annual gathering has been held in Bangkok with the first three events organised in Paris.
Mr. Tanes Petsuwan, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing – Europe, Africa, Middle East and Americas said, “Members of the Thailand Fanclub Paris in France are avid fans of Thailand, and are passionate about sharing their memorable trips in the kingdom with their families and friends.
“We organise this annual party to provide the latest updates in Thailand’s tourism scenes for our fans as well as offer the opportunity for them to get acquainted and to share their unique Thai local experiences among each other.”
Each year, the Thailand Fanclub dinner party will showcase the different unique aspects of Thailand’s tourism. This year, the event highlighted the Northeastern Region or Isan, which was recently named by CNN as one of the top 17 places to visit in 2017.
French fans of Thailand got the chance to see famous Isan arts and crafts through live displays of Ban Chiang pottery painting by a craftsperson from Udon Thani and local style Mon Khit pillow making by artisans from Yasothon. Stage performances included performing folk arts, also from Yasothon, and a Thai silk fashion show by Thai designer, Thira Chanthasawat.
To give a little taste of some of Isan’s charms and attractions, a video presentation was shown. Last but not least, the party highlighted one of the most popular elements of the Northeast, the food. French fans of Thailand were able to enjoy authentic Isan dishes while learning all about the food’s nutritious health benefits.
Mr. Tanes said, “We believe that our fans from France would feel inspired and that they would continue to share their enjoyable experiences of Thailand to their peers via word of mount both personally and via social media networking. As a result, Thailand can expect to welcome more French travellers, both new and repeat visitors in the many more years to come.”
The 5th Thailand Fanclub Paris dinner party in Bangkok has received support from TAT’s strategic partners, including Etihad Airways, offering special airfares; France’s leading tour operators, CFA Voyages, Climats du Monde and Karavel, promoting special packaged tours to Thailand; and over 80 Thailand-based tourism products and services, lending their support in collaborations and lucky draw prizes.
In 2016, Thailand recorded 732,492 French visitors, a year-on-year increase of 7.54 per cent, generating tourism revenue of 51.8 billion Baht, up 11.57 per cent from 2015. From January to April this year, the number of French travellers has reached 330,500 (up 2.96 per cent).
