PATTAYA – Pattaya is hoping to pivot away from its image as beach and nightlife destination with a new focus on community-based tourism.
Thai government agency DASTA (Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration) has plans to introduce new community-based tourism experiences that spotlight its “authentic communities”, Dasta director-general Thaweebhong Wichaidit said in a Bangkok Post report.
The agency is expected to ink a memorandum of understanding today (Nov 18) with the Tourism and Sports Ministry and the Tourism Authority of Thailand to help promote community-based tourism.
Across Thailand, there are some 34 communities that are ready to accept tourists.
The agency expects the introduction of new routes to lengthen tourist stays in Pattaya, which currently averages four days, and help generate more tourism income for local communities.
Three new routes will be promoted as part of PATA Destination Marketing Forum 2019 from Nov 27-29. The tours are expected to bring 250 conference participants, including foreign tour agencies.
On the first route, tourists can visit the Sak Ngaew community, which opens to tourists on Saturdays. Each year, an average of 6,000 travellers visit the area and spend about 500 baht (US$16) per person.
Another route will bring tourists a coconut garden in Takien Tia community, where they can try their hand at traditional Thai handicrafts from Puang Mahotara (traditional hanging bouquets made from colourful paper) to folding pandan leaves into flowers.
On the third route, tourists can see traditional agriculture in action at the Nong Prue community and traditional khon performances in the Nong Palai community, which is known for its mixture of Thai, Chinese and Islamic cultures.
Tourists can experience traditional rice farming processes such as ploughing the field, seeding and harvesting during the rice season from June to December.