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Tackling Tourism with a Thai Tipple... is a long shot!
When tourism has taken a self-inflicted beating, the temptation for those in the leisure industry might be to have a drink... or three!
But here in Thailand the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) has invented a new national cocktail, which it hopes will help visitors forget the hangover from the disastrous airport shutdowns, coups and political confusion which entertained us all living here during last year.
The Siam Sunray is intended to give tourists and others thinking about this mad Asian state an instant taste of Thailand's charms.
It's the latest in a long list of losing schemes to attract people here although it will probably be more palatable than the insane 'Elite Card' scam foisted on an unsuspecting public a few years back.
The Siam Sunset is a shot of vodka, coconut liqueur, a dash of chilli pepper and sugar, lime juice, a few slivers of lemongrass and ginger, with the whole mixture shaken then strained into a glass with ice and soda water.
Thailand's tourism authority formally rolled out the drink yesterday, grandly styling the concoction "Thailand in a glass: the new punch in Thai tourism."
But as fun as this event sounded, the 'punches' seem to be self inflicted these days as the tourism authorities lurch from one stupid move to the next in an attempt to alienate the tourists ever further and further into the more welcoming arms of it's neighbors such as Viet Nam and Cambodia.
"Thailand's new signature drink is based on very Thai ingredients," said the tourism authority. "Successful signature drinks are one way to fast-track holiday destinations on to the world tourism map."
One wonders if this child like enthusiasm for drinking their way through a crisis will resonate well with the more well heeled family orientated tourists that the TAT has been gunning for in the past...
To be honest; I think that the ambitions of the TAT and it's home spun concoction of ideas to resurrect the tourism industry and it's imaginative and complicated libations to ease the pain are something of a long shot!
Cheers...
Stogie (20th February 2009)
When tourism has taken a self-inflicted beating, the temptation for those in the leisure industry might be to have a drink... or three!
But here in Thailand the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) has invented a new national cocktail, which it hopes will help visitors forget the hangover from the disastrous airport shutdowns, coups and political confusion which entertained us all living here during last year.
The Siam Sunray is intended to give tourists and others thinking about this mad Asian state an instant taste of Thailand's charms.
It's the latest in a long list of losing schemes to attract people here although it will probably be more palatable than the insane 'Elite Card' scam foisted on an unsuspecting public a few years back.
The Siam Sunset is a shot of vodka, coconut liqueur, a dash of chilli pepper and sugar, lime juice, a few slivers of lemongrass and ginger, with the whole mixture shaken then strained into a glass with ice and soda water.
Thailand's tourism authority formally rolled out the drink yesterday, grandly styling the concoction "Thailand in a glass: the new punch in Thai tourism."
But as fun as this event sounded, the 'punches' seem to be self inflicted these days as the tourism authorities lurch from one stupid move to the next in an attempt to alienate the tourists ever further and further into the more welcoming arms of it's neighbors such as Viet Nam and Cambodia.
"Thailand's new signature drink is based on very Thai ingredients," said the tourism authority. "Successful signature drinks are one way to fast-track holiday destinations on to the world tourism map."
One wonders if this child like enthusiasm for drinking their way through a crisis will resonate well with the more well heeled family orientated tourists that the TAT has been gunning for in the past...
To be honest; I think that the ambitions of the TAT and it's home spun concoction of ideas to resurrect the tourism industry and it's imaginative and complicated libations to ease the pain are something of a long shot!
Cheers...
Stogie (20th February 2009)
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