Sawasdee kha and Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to extend our warmest welcome to you all. This year is a very significant one for us because we are commemorating the Celebrations on the Auspicious Occasion of His Majesty the King’s 80th Birthday Anniversary on 5th December 2007. His Majesty is widely revered in Thailand for his leadership, wisdom and compassion, all of which have played a role in steering Thailand to progress to where it is today. We are happy that you are all here to join us this year in wishing His Majesty a long and healthy life.

Let me just give you a quick update of the many important developments in the Thai travel and tourism industry.

ABOUT THE SHOW
Ladies and gentlemen,
This is the first year that the event will bring together the Thailand Travel Mart (TTM) 2007 Plus Amazing Gateway to Greater Mekong Subregion and Thailand Tourism Festival 2007 (TTF 2007).

As such, this is also making it the largest event to be ever held in the country utilizing a total area space of 60,000 square metres.

We have combined the trade and consumer components, which benefits everyone. Sellers get an opportunity to expand their business prospects by reaching out to both the international trade as well as the growing number of Thai travelling consumers. In turn, buyers get an opportunity to do business as well as to see some of the fun and festivities that are an inherent part of the Thai and Mekong tourism product.

The 325 seller organisations participating this year include 231 hotels, 5 airlines, 8 ecotourism and adventure operators, 16 other services, 6 NTOs, and 30 travel agents and tour operators, as well as 29 companies from the Greater Mekong Subregion. We also have a total of 508 buyers and trade visitors from around the world. Buyers from our major markets include those from the U.K., France, Russia, Scandinavia, and the Americas, as well as emerging markets such as Morocco, Tunisia, the Middle East, Estonia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Brazil, and the CIS countries.

The Thailand Tourism Festival 2007 (TTF 2007), the annual travel and tourism showcase event targeting Thai and expatriate residents, will be held during 7th-10th June in Challenger Hall 1 and 2 of this venue. The Festival will include many activities relating to Thai culture, traditions and local lifestyles. Special traditional parades from each of the four regions will be held, along with stage performances of local folklore, plays, Thai puppet performances, Khon dance, etc.

Over 300 exhibitors at the Festival including tour operators, travel agents, diving schools and equipment, spas, hotels and accommodation, airlines, golf courses, car rental, souvenirs, local handicrafts, local foods, and entertainment suppliers are expected to participate.

I hope you have a chance to check out this wonderful range of exhibitors and products and find lots to write about.

THAI TOURISM SITUATION
Allow me now to give you a few details on our tourism performance. In 2006, we met the target of 13.82 million visitor arrivals, which is an increase of 20.01 percent over 2005. The top five markets for the country were Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China, and the U.K.

This was conducted through continued emphasis on our traditional marketing activities and the active support of our many industry partners, including the airlines and the private sector.

In January – April 2007, international visitor arrivals at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport totalled 3,413,197, an increase of 2.61 percent over the same period of 2006. This figure only includes those who arrived in Bangkok as the first point of entry and not those who flew directly to other points in Thailand, such as the popular beach resort island of Phuket. Many tourists are now flying directly to Phuket thanks to the increasing number of direct flights from many regional cities that is also seen from our statistics in which for the first quarter of this year saw an increase of 21.31 percent over 2006 for the same period. These include arrivals from Sweden, South Korea, Australia, the UK, and China, and we expect this figure to continue its upward trend for the remainder of the year.

AMAZING THAILAND
Ladies and gentlemen,
We have set a target of 14.8 million international visitor arrivals in 2007 which will help generate estimated revenues of 547.5 billion baht (about US$ 14.5 billion). The domestic tourism target is for 82 million domestic trips with a projected revenue of 377.8 billion baht (about US$ 10 billion).

In terms of marketing and promotions, we have gone back to the Amazing Thailand slogan that proved so successful in 1998-99. Many people in the industry still remember it fondly. It does underscore the image of Thailand as a peaceful, hospitable country, and a year-round tourism destination with high quality of value-for-money products and services.

Various markets are being targeted because there is adequate seat capacity, liberal visa-free access, a strong image of Thailand and good future potential, thanks to relatively strong economies and a rising middle class with a propensity to travel.

NEW DEVELOPMENTS
To expand our global marketing reach, TAT is planning to open offices in Dubai, Moscow and Ho Chi Minh City by the end of 2007.

We are also working actively on the Chinese market. Last year, we signed an agreement with the Beijing Tourism Administration to combine Beijing and Bangkok as dual destinations.

The goal is to boost passengers from Europe and America to travel to Bangkok or Beijing, before or after the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

At the same time, Thai Airways International and Air China have joined forces to launch joint holiday opportunities that combine a trip to the Olympics with a visit to Bangkok. Visitors can fly with THAI from any of the eight key cities in Europe and North America via Bangkok to Beijing, then return home direct with Air China, or they can travel with either airline in the reverse order. Both airlines are offering attractive special packages for this unique vacation plan.

Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe that we will achieve our targets for this year. Our continued upgrading of infrastructure and onset of new products like shopping centres, convention and exhibition halls, boutique hotels, as well as health and wellness facilities means that we will continue to attract a broad range of customer segments from across the world.

CONCLUSION
Before I conclude, let me inform you of some major events in Thailand this year.

The first of these is the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale that is now under way, and I urge you to take full advantage of. The sale is packed with world-class shopping, special discounts, and promotional offers throughout Bangkok. It is a great opportunity to pick up some gifts and souvenirs for family and friends back home.

During July 19-29, our capital city will host the Bangkok International Film Festival at the brand new SF cinema in Central World, Thailand’s newest shopping complex. Held for the fifth consecutive year, this is one of Asia’s premier film festivals, with over 100 films from around the world to be screened. There will also be a gathering of some of the biggest names in show business, educational workshops and seminars, the highly productive Bangkok Film Market in Paragon Hall of Siam Paragon, and classy gala events throughout the 11-day event.

Then in August, our country will host the 24th Universiade here in Bangkok that will see student athletes from around the globe coming to compete against each other.

Other sporting events, which are internationally known within their respective field, are the Thailand International and Traditional Thai Long Boat Races in mid-September, and the iron men’s Laguna Phuket Triathlon and Bangkok Marathon in November.

November is also the month of the “Festival of Lights” or “Grand Loi Krathong Festival” that is one of the oldest and best preserved Thai traditions celebrated nationwide.

And in December, we will host the 24th SEA Games that are to be held in Nakhon Ratchasima, the “Gateway to the Northeast”, Bangkok, and Chon Buri and Rayong. This event will see the best of the best in Southeast Asia striving to prove their athletic finesse.

In 2008, TAT will host major conferences such as ASEAN Tourism Forum during 18th-26th January and the PATA Annual Summit in April, and we look forward to welcoming you all again at TTM Plus 2008 which will be held between 5th-8th June here at the same venue.

Ladies and gentlemen, these are only some of the many events being held this year, so in concluding, may I thank you for your strong support. I wish you have a fruitful and productive TTM Plus 2007.

I will be happy to take a few questions.

Thank you very much and Sawasdee-kha.