Roles of Administrators of the TAT
and the TAT in the Tourism Industry

The tourism industry has played a significant role in the country's social, economic and political development. Ever since Thailand has paid particular attention to the promotion of this industry, it has yielded concrete benefits to the nation, ten of which can be regarded as great achievements as follows.

1. The tourism industry provides income in the form of foreign currencies. Since 1982, it has become the highest source of the country's income, when compared to other exports.

2. The income in the form of foreign currencies cons tributes to the stability in the balance of payments, and helps solve the problem of deficit in other trade areas.

3. The income from tourism can be extensively distributed to a larger number of people, who can benefit from jobs related to this industry. Those directly involved with tourism are, for example, tour companies, restaurants, souvenir shops and tour guides, whereas those indirectly involved are producers of folk handicrafts, agriculturalists and laborers.

4. Tourism initiates production and the fullest use of the country's natural resources. Tourist spending on accommodations, food and shopping create a complete cycle of production, in comparison with other industries.

5. The number of consumers in the tourism industry is not limited but will steadily increase due to the rise in the number of the world's population. At the same time, advanced and convenient means of transportation helps promote traveling, resulting in tourists of all social levels being able to travel for pleasure.

6. The tourism industry does not really have production limitations since, unlike agriculture, it does not depend on weather conditions. What it can offer to tourists is beautiful, natural scenery, human creations in the form of exquisite architectural structures, ancient customs and traditions that have been handed-down, and a way of life-all of which need to be preserved to last forever.

7. The tourism industry helps promote the preservation of cultures and traditions, which attract tourists' attention. Thailand, a country of long history and cultural heritage, will have a chance to publicize what has been preserved and restored to tourists.

8. The tourism industry enables progress to reach other regions and tourism investment creates income distribution in local areas.

9. The tourism industry contributes to the safety and security in local areas. Evidently, and local area being developed to become a tourist site will be promoted in its safety and security.

10. The tourism industry plays a role in creating relations and understanding among people of all nations, eventually leading to world peace.

Though this industry can yield great benefits to the country, in the past there was no particular government unit to be responsible for it, causing the country to lose profits. Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat, Thailand's Premier at that time, was fully aware of this fact, so he established "The Tourist Organization of Thailand."

Throughout these past thirty-six years, the tourism industry in Thailand has progressed rapidly due to knowledge, competency, experience and "leadership" of administrators in the management team during each period. This also co-incised with support and collaboration from the private sector. During these years, the TAT has been under the management of four governor, namely,

1. Lt.General Chalermchai Charuvastr (1960-1976)
2. Col.Somchai Hiranyakit (1976-1986)
3. Mr.Dharmnoon Prachuabmoh (1986-1994)
4. Mr.Seree Wangpaichitr (1994)

Each governor contributed to the stability of Thailand's tourism industry. Policies and strategies on tourism have continually been implemented and developed, resulting in an increase in the number of foreign tourists in Thailand. In 1960, the number was 81,340, creating an income of 196 million Baht for the country. In 1993, 6,166,496 tourists visited Thailand and the income from this industry was 145,211 million Baht. This shows that the tourism industry is continuing to grow. Projections also indicate that in 1995, Thailand will be visited by 6,700,000 tourists and 1996, the year of the golden jubilee of the present reigning monarch, the number will reach 7,200,000.

The administration of the TAT during the thirty-six years of operation can be divided into three phases.

The First Phase (1960-1981) : The emphasis was on the development of services which were basic factors of the tourism industry so as to respond to the main objectives of tourism promotion. This could be seen in the co-operation between the TAT and the Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, in organizing the first tanning program for professional tour guides in 1960. Later, training programs of this kind were organized with other academic institutions throughout the country. The reason was the tour guides were considered to be the country's representatives who could create and disseminated correct information to tourists through understanding. In terms of hotel service, the TAT sought co-operation from academic institutions-both domestic and overseas, and from hotels to organize training in hotels service from basic to executive levels. Side-by-side with organizing training in various forms, the TAT tried to publicize Thailand worldwide.

The Second Phase (1982-1990) : This was the period when the TAT launched strategies, by collaborating with the private sector, to promote marketing overseas. These activities included sales promotion in major markets worldwide, participation in international seminars or in international tourism exhibitions, organizing agent educational tours so as to let these tour agents view products in Thailand, organizing Thai Food Festivals-all of which aimed at attracting more tourists to Thailand. To respond to different needs of tourists, the TAT played a leading role in opening more natural tourism areas throughout the country. Roads to those areas, infrastructure and basic facilities were developed and improved.

The Third Phase (1990-present)-This is when the TAT aims at developing sustainable tourism and quality marketing programs so as to preserve tourism areas and to attract more quality tourists to visit the country and to stay longer. Rules and regulations on immigration were changed, allowing tourists from fifty-six countries to remain in Thailand for thirty-days without a visa. The country is also promoted to be a gateway to the economic hexagon of the region.

Another important role played by the TAT's administrators is their participation in various international tourism organizations. They have held key positions in those organizations, being president, vice-president, executive director, managing director, members of the sub-committee as well as ordinary members. All of these positions have made Thailand better known in the international scene, and thus been beneficial to its tourism development.

Some of these international tourism organizations/associations are
1. World Tourism Organization--WTO
2. East Asia Travel Association--EATA
3. Pacific Asia Travel Association--PATA
4. American Society of Association Executive--ASAE
5. The American Society of Travel Agents--ASTA
6. Universal Federation of Travel Agents Association--UFTAA
7. Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus--AACVB
8. Thailand Incentive and Convention Association--TICA

The TAT governors who held important positions in international tourism organizations/associations are, namely

Lt.General Chalermchai Charuvastr
1. Chairman of the organizing committee of the 1969 Annual Conference of Pacific Asia Travel Association--PATA
2. Life member of PATA
3. President of East Asia Travel Association (EATA), 1972.

Col.Somchai Hiranyakit
1. Chairman of the organizing committee of the 1982 Annual Conference of PATA
2. Life member of PATA
3. President of EATA, 1981.

Mr.Dharmnoon Prachuabmoh
1. Vice-President of PATA, 1988.
2. President of PATA, 1989.
3. Life member of PATA
4. President of ASEAN SCOT (Sub-Committee on Tourism) 1992-1993
5. President of EATA, 1994.

Mr.Seree Wangpaichitr
1. Member of the Board of Directors of PATA, 1995-1996.
2. Member of the Executive Management Committee of Pacific Asia Travel Association--PATA, 1995-1996.

Important meetings and conferences hosted by the TAT are, for example.
1. The Seventeenth IUOTO General Assembly at Sala Satithum, Bangkok during November 3-14, 1962
2. A meeting of directors of Tourism Organization from five Southeast Asia countries during July 27-31, 1967.
3. The Ninth PATA Technical Conference in Chiang Mai during January 23-24, 1969.
4. The Eighteenth PATA Annual Conference in Bangkok during January 27-31, 1969.
5. The Third Conference of the ASEAN Committee on Tourism in Chiang Mai during June 23-25, 1971.
6. The Twenty-First Meeting of the Board of Directors and the Sixth EATA Annual Conference in Chiang Mai during April 9-12, 1972.
7. A seminar on "PATA Pacific Marketing Development" in Bangkok during August 16-17, 1973.
8. The Twenty-Fourth Annual meeting of Association of French Travel Agents in Pattaya, Chon Buri during October 4-8, 1978.
9. A conference on "PATA Tourism and Heritage Conservation" in Bangkok during November 4-7, 1979.
10. A meeting of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) on American tourism, held in Bangkok during November 1-13, 1981.
11. The Thirty-First PATA Conference in Bangkok during February 15-19, 1982, and the General and Technical Conferences in Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
12. The Fourteenth Annual Conference of UFTAA Secretary General in Bangkok during April 25-30, 1983.
13. The Thirteenth Annual Conference of Hong Kong Association of Travel Agents-HATA in Bangkok during March 23-26, 1984.
14. The following events were held :

ASEAN Tourism Forum 1985--ATF'85 during April 7-11, 1985, in Bangkok.
ASEAN Tourism Forum 1990--ATF'90 during January 13-18, 1990 in Pattaya.
ASEAN Tourism Forum 1995--ATF'85 during January 7-13, 1995, in Bangkok

15. The ICCA General Assembly in Bangkok during October 27-November, 7, 1985.
16. A seminar to promote the sales of tours with special offers for travel agents from the North American region, held in Bangkok on January 21, 1988.
17. An EATA Conference in Chiang Mai during June 6-8, 1988.
18. Thailand Travel Mart 1988 for the North American Region during June 11-18, 1988, and for the European Region during July 2-9, 1988. In Bangkok, the following events were held :

Travel Mart Southern Thailand, during January 28-31, 1991 in Songkhla.

Thailand Travel Mart, during November 19-20, 1991 in Chiang Mai, and during April 9-10, 1992 in Bangkok.

19. A conference on "Development of Facilities for Marine Touring" on December 3, 1993 in Bangkok.
20. A seminar to promote the sales of tours with special offers for Italian sportswear companies, held in Pattaya during January 18-25, 1992.
21. ASEAN Travel Show at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, during August 21-23, 1992.
22. Thailand International Travel Show--an annual event at queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, since 1993.
23. A conference to enhance the relations between Thailand and China by a touring caravan and friendship car races in Thailand, Myanmar and China during December 2-10, 1993.

Success in the tourism industry during these thirty-six years has been the result of the work of the TAT--its initiative measures, administration and co-operation with the government and private sectors in the field of tourism. The personnel in the field of tourism and Thai people in general take pride in this success, which paves the way for greater achievements in the future. It is expected that all people involved shall co-operate in pushing the Thai tourism industry to the highest position in comparison with other countries in this region.

The year 1996 marks an auspicious occasion of the golden jubilee of HM the King's accession to the throne, and it is a golden year for the Thai tourism industry since Thailand is going to host five international conferences on tourism as follows.

1. The First Mekong Tourism Forum organized by PATA in co-operation with the Asian Development Banks and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) at the Royal Cliff Hotel, Pattaya on April 15, 1996.

2. The 1996 PATA Annual Conference and Travel Mart at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok during April 21-25, 1996, and Travel Mart and PATA Chapters World Congress to be organized in Pattaya during April 16-18, 1996.

3. The 1996 American Society of Travel Agents World Congress at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center during October 6-11, 1996.

4. The 1996 Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations World Congress at the Royal Cliff Hotel, Pattaya during October 13-18, 1996.

5. The 1996 Skal World Congress at the Imperial Queen's Park during November 3-8, 1996.

All the afore-mentioned works suggest how people involved in the field of tourism are proud of their participation, with the TAT, in bringing progress to the country's tourism industry. The thirty-sixth anniversary of the establishment of the TAT should be celebrated by having its works recorded in a written form.