Talk:Thai Tourism Minister applauds the Chiang Mai Charity Calendar

Original Reporting Notes
I have tried to comply with instructions given in recreating this page, and hope to have achieved some level of input acceptance.

I personally attended this event concerning the Chiang Mai Charity Calendar and also had the opportunity of talking to the Minister who was educated in the UK, speaks perfect English, and graduated with a doctorate from Boston University. His presentation outlined the problems facing Chiang Mai's tourism - i.e. a short length of stay (average 2 nights) and a sharp seasonal decline in low season arrivals from May to October, a period which required more intensive promotion by hotels and travel agencies.

He remarked that the city had grown from a small provincial town into a large city with a great number of attractions, and deserved to lose its reputation as being a 'stop on the way to somewhere else' and was now a travel destination in its own right.

Much of his talk centred on green education issues and raising environmental awareness amongst local people - including encouraging the use of cotton shopping bags instead of the plastic variety, and discouraging the burning of forest, which is done to promote the growth of mushrooms, and vegetables, and contributes to the haze which seriously affected the air quality earlier this year. He also outlined the importance of promoting domestic tourism, and encouraging Thai people to visit other provinces in the Kingdom.

He also talked about the importance of 'backpackers' in both establishing tourism destinations, and being very often serious travellers interested in local culture, traditions, etc.

He was sent a copy of the Chiang Mai Charity Calendar by the volunteer creator of the project, Mrs Ramlah Jafri, inviting him to attend the launch, which he accepted. The party consisted of:

H.E. Dr Suvit Yodmani – Minister of Tourism & Sports Khunying Songsuda Yodmani – spouse Mr Suvongse Yodmani – Son of the Minister Mr Weerawuth Thapinta – H.E. Personal Secretary Mrs Churdchom Srivardhana Kibreab – Secretary to Minister Mr Saeri Tantemsapya – Advisor to Minister Mr Niti Vongvichasvadi – Coordinator

I hope this forms a useful background to the article submission

Chowringhee 09:39, 12 October 2007 (UTC)
 * This is a good set of OR notes, I hope you did a Thai version of the story on http://th.wikinews.org. --Brian McNeil / talk 14:05, 13 October 2007 (UTC)


 * There's been little to no activity on that language since May. It would be nice if you could have a translation for that site, Chowringhee, to try and reattract attention to the TH Wikinews project. --  Zanimum 14:31, 13 October 2007 (UTC)