April 17, 2005
BANGKOK (Manager Daily) – Thailand will soon become a centre for the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) for tourism, infrastructure and human resources development projects.
According to Sasithara Pichaichannarong, director-general of the Office of Tourism Development (OTD) under the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the GMS had taken a major step forwards by agreeing to set up the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) in Bangkok.
The grouping comprises Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the People's Republic of China’s southwestern Yunnan province.
Since 1992, the six countries and region had entered into a program of Sub-regional Economic Cooperation, designed to enhance economic relations within the region. The parties have since been working at developing tourism along the Mekong for many years.
The cooperation has yet to be improved, mainly because of a lack of new tourism developments plans along the river, a lack of marketing campaigns and sparse human resources.
As a result, the six members of GMS resolved to set up a working centre to help maintain GMS’ goals and make it successful.
In starting up each country will contribute an initial budget, an equivalent of THB600,000, to support the office.
The OTD chief said the MTCO office was to become the coordination centre for 27 tourism projects planned for the region.
GMS members will work on emerging projects, such as rebuilding tourism along the Andaman Seacoast. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is contributing to help Thailand and Burma recover their tourism industries along the coastline following last year’s devastating tsunami.
The group will also concentrate efforts on the development of “Emerald Triangle”- which spans the conjunction of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, she said
GMS will also be involved in the East-West Economic Corridor development project. The 1,500-kilometre highway begins in Myanmar’s Mawlamying port, stretching across Thailand, Laos to Vietnam’s city of Danang.
BANGKOK (Manager Daily) – Thailand will soon become a centre for the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) for tourism, infrastructure and human resources development projects.
According to Sasithara Pichaichannarong, director-general of the Office of Tourism Development (OTD) under the Tourism and Sports Ministry, the GMS had taken a major step forwards by agreeing to set up the Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) in Bangkok.
The grouping comprises Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, and the People's Republic of China’s southwestern Yunnan province.
Since 1992, the six countries and region had entered into a program of Sub-regional Economic Cooperation, designed to enhance economic relations within the region. The parties have since been working at developing tourism along the Mekong for many years.
The cooperation has yet to be improved, mainly because of a lack of new tourism developments plans along the river, a lack of marketing campaigns and sparse human resources.
As a result, the six members of GMS resolved to set up a working centre to help maintain GMS’ goals and make it successful.
In starting up each country will contribute an initial budget, an equivalent of THB600,000, to support the office.
The OTD chief said the MTCO office was to become the coordination centre for 27 tourism projects planned for the region.
GMS members will work on emerging projects, such as rebuilding tourism along the Andaman Seacoast. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is contributing to help Thailand and Burma recover their tourism industries along the coastline following last year’s devastating tsunami.
The group will also concentrate efforts on the development of “Emerald Triangle”- which spans the conjunction of Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, she said
GMS will also be involved in the East-West Economic Corridor development project. The 1,500-kilometre highway begins in Myanmar’s Mawlamying port, stretching across Thailand, Laos to Vietnam’s city of Danang.