ID :
171530
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 10:33
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/171530
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Thailand prepares for liberalisation of service sector
BANGKOK, March 29 (TNA) - Thailand is preparing for the liberalisation of its service sector, including organising a meeting between Thai Commerce Ministry officials and executives of private tourism-related businesses to discuss and exchange in-depth information relevant to the opening up of the Thai tourism market.
Srirat Ratthapana, Director-General of the Thai Ministry of Commerce's Department of Trade Negotiations, chaired a roundtable meeting with executives of local tourism-related businesses on Tuesday--where private firms were encouraged to prepare for the liberalisation of the Thai tourism sector, as part of the country's full-scale opening up of its overall service market when the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is formed by 2015.
Ratthapana told the private firms that their preparations should include raising their tourism-related services to internationally recognised standards covering tour guides and employment regulations, seeking effective approaches to maximize benefits offered by the regional service trade liberalisation and implementing tourism-related strategies in accordance with the tourism masterplan of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
According to a senior Thai official, Thailand and nine other ASEAN member countries are obliged to propose liberalisation plans of their tourism-related businesses to the ASEAN Secretariat by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the meeting on Tuesday was viewed as a continuation of previous meetings held between Thai-tourism-related businesses. Most participants represented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who discussed and shared their views and information on the liberalisation of the Thai tourism sector over the next four years. They focused on the proposals of setting up of Thailand's professional travelling services council who will take care and supervise all Thai tourism-related businesses as well as a national tourism services fund as a reliable bank guarantee for local tourism-related firms when they take part in an international conference. (TNA)
Srirat Ratthapana, Director-General of the Thai Ministry of Commerce's Department of Trade Negotiations, chaired a roundtable meeting with executives of local tourism-related businesses on Tuesday--where private firms were encouraged to prepare for the liberalisation of the Thai tourism sector, as part of the country's full-scale opening up of its overall service market when the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is formed by 2015.
Ratthapana told the private firms that their preparations should include raising their tourism-related services to internationally recognised standards covering tour guides and employment regulations, seeking effective approaches to maximize benefits offered by the regional service trade liberalisation and implementing tourism-related strategies in accordance with the tourism masterplan of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
According to a senior Thai official, Thailand and nine other ASEAN member countries are obliged to propose liberalisation plans of their tourism-related businesses to the ASEAN Secretariat by the end of this year.
Meanwhile, the meeting on Tuesday was viewed as a continuation of previous meetings held between Thai-tourism-related businesses. Most participants represented small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) who discussed and shared their views and information on the liberalisation of the Thai tourism sector over the next four years. They focused on the proposals of setting up of Thailand's professional travelling services council who will take care and supervise all Thai tourism-related businesses as well as a national tourism services fund as a reliable bank guarantee for local tourism-related firms when they take part in an international conference. (TNA)
