Thailand Shopping & Dining Paradise 2017 offering amazing bargains and discounts
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) on 2 June launched this year’s Thailand Shopping & Dining Paradise 2017 campaign with the theme “Dining, Shopping and Travelling” on the “world’s longest shopping route” in Bangkok. The two-month campaign, formerly known as the Amazing Thailand Grande Sale, is being held from 1 June to 31 July, 2017.
H.E. Mrs. Kobkarn Wattanvrangkul, Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sports said, “The Thailand Shopping & Dining Paradise 2017 will be introduced to shopping aficionados, both local and foreign visitors, through a series of special events in Bangkok and four other cities in Thailand’s Special Economic Zone. Now in its 19th year, the re-named Thailand Shopping & Dining Paradise is bigger than ever, reflecting the huge popularity of Thailand as a destination for people who love great shopping, delicious food and unbeatable bargains.”
The opening event in Bangkok, which took place on 2 June, celebrated the fact that Bangkok is home to the world’s longest shopping route, starting at the Siam Paragon shopping mall, and taking in the CentralWorld and EmQuartier shopping complexes.
Mr. Noppadon Pakprot, Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business said, “The Thailand Shopping & Dining Paradise 2017 highlights seven types of products and services from 2,000 participating partners, including hotels and accommodation; transportation (airlines/yachts); dining; entertainment and theme parks; department stores and malls; health and wellness and beauty centres; jewellery and accessories shops, etc. They are offering promotions to encourage local and international visitors to shop, dine and travel domestically with discounts of up to 80 per cent on some products and services. ”
Special promotional events in four other Thai cities are expected to help boost the numbers of intra-ASEAN tourists and revenue as well as strengthen Thailand’s position as an ASEAN retail hub. The opening ceremony and event in Tak’s Mae Sot district (near Myanmar) will take place at the Robinson’s Department Store from 30 June to 2 July. Over in Sa Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet district (bordering Cambodia), there will be activities on 16-17 June at Syamindra Plaza. In Songkhla’s Hat Yai district, special events will take place on 10 June at the Hat Yai walking street. Finally, in Khon Kaen’s Mueang district, shopping fun and activities will take place from 1-2 July at Central Plaza Khon Kaen.
There are more special promotions and discounts on offer from credit card providers; such as, VISA, Mastercard and UnionPay. Thailand-based airlines like Thai Airways, Thai Smile, Nok Air, Thai Air Asia, Bangkok Airways, and Thai Lion Air are also offering special privileges during the two-month shopping and dining season. In addition, passengers travelling to Thailand with these airlines will get a BTS One-day pass and on-top discounts on food and souvenirs at participating shops and restaurants when showing their boarding passes. Hotel reservation site, Booking.com is also taking part in the campaign by offering 15 per cent discounts for bookings in any 3-5 star accommodation in Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Samui, Phuket or Hua Hin.
According to the latest figures from the influential Mastercard Asia-Pacific Destinations Index 2017, Bangkok has retained its place as the Top Destination in terms of Visitor Numbers out of 171 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. For more details, read: Bangkok remains most visited Asia-Pacific destination in Mastercard Index 2017.
