Bangkok--17 Apr--TAT
Mr. Pongpanu Svetarundra, Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTs) highlighted the safety and security measures during the Songkran's festival that there usually are numerous road accidents during this festival; therefore, he assigned related organisations and departments namely, Tourist Police Division and Tourist's Friend Centre, to fully take care of the tourists during the Songkran's festival
The Permanent Secretary of MOTs added that the Ministry has the department in charge of helping tourists all over the country which is "Tourist Assistance Centre: TAC," founded in 2012. There are 16 TACs in 15 provinces and in Bangkok which include 191 officers on duty under the administration of Bureau of Tourism Safety Standard. The Bureau of Tourism Safety Standard has its role to facilitate tourists in several aspects e.g. counseling on tourism, preventing dangers and harms in tourism, receiving complaints and emergent requests, and cooperate with related organisations to provide assistance to Thai and foreign tourists. TAC also has the officers who can communicate in many languages which are English, Russian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, French, Spanish and Laos, etc. on duty in every TAC centre. For the statistics of tourists' assistance from TAC from January to December 2016, there were 3,507 tourists receiving help in many aspects i.e. receiving money, mediation, lost and found (person and belongings), interpreter and consulter providing in general issues.
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports also launches the campaign "Safe Drive" in Songkran's Festival to guide the tourists to drive carefully in the water festival in 2017 in order to call for actions from Thai and foreign tourists to know, realize and understand traffic regulations better. This campaingn is implemented in the main tourist attractions in Thailand. Moreover, the Ministry may wish to highlight that the tourists should carefully check information and make sure with everything before purchasing any tour package. The Ministry has already announced that there are 874 companies with their licenses terminated, and the tourists can check out at www.tourism.go.th or call centre 02 401 1111. If the tourists should require emergency assistance, they can give a call to the Tourist Police Dividion at 1155 or the Police Tourist Centre around the country in the main tourist attractions, which are available at:
Suvannabhumi International Airport 02134 4077
Don Mueang International Airport 0 2535 3431, 0 2535 3433, 08 3131 2267
Chiang Rai 053 793 043, 053 792 854, 053 152 034
Chiang Mai 053 281 438, 053 281 439
Sukhothai สุโขทัย 055 610 222
Chon Buri 038 054 199, 038 410 044
Kanchanaburi 034 520 266, 034 511 285, 093 124 4682, 085 666 5981, 093 124 4682
Ayuthaya 035 245 417
Prachuabkirikan 032 611 543, 095 575 4213
Ubonrajathani 086 361 4291, 091 072 4546
Udonthani 042 347 130, 093 068 9456
Suratthani 077 953 105, 077 456 979, 077 310 870, 084 383 9398
Phuket 076 327 100
Songkla 097 248 3636, 074 230 772, 083 001 8198
Krabi 075 663 246 ต่อ 201, 075 701 493, 075 637 208
Phang - nga 064 029 9429