Travel and Tourism
Visa Thailand has launched an innovative campaign to encourage Thai residents to see the country through the eyes of a local by sharing photographs on social media platforms.
Thailand is the most popular travel destination in Southeast Asia and one of the most popular travel destinations in the world.
There are many places to visit in Thailand, and many places to visit in Bangkok, the nation’s capital. So what are the best vacation destinations?
There are the well-known Thailand tourist spots such as Chaweng Beach in Koh Samui, the best Phuket beaches, the temples and shrines in Chiang Mai, and the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
The best restaurants in Bangkok, meanwhile, are on par with the top eateries of New York, Paris, and Tokyo.
Thai cuisine is world-renowned, and Bangkok street food is highly regarded. But there is also no shortage of fine dining French restaurants or American style fast food.
Not a Tourist
Some of the best Thailand places to visit are off the well-trod tourism track.
More than 28 million international travelers visit Thailand each year, and Visa Thailand wants them to experience the country not as a foreign tourist, but through the eyes of a local.
Thai residents are asked to share photographs of places to go in Thailand as well as what food to eat, what restaurants to try, and what kind of things to do onsocial media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram with the following hashtags:
#VisaThailand
#NotATourist
With these hashtags, the photos will appear on a dedicated website that has been set up for the campaign: Visa-Promotions.com.
A panel of judges will then select the top 10 photos and create a total of 100,000 postcards, which will be distributed by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Visa around the world.
There will also be lucky draw for participants at the end of each month within the activity period.
“This is an opportunity for people of Thailand to share unique aspects of the country for visitors looking to venture off the beaten path,” says Suripong Tantiyanon, Visa Country Manager, Thailand.
“Visa recognizes the changing expectations of today’s travelers and their reliance on social media when visiting new places. The #notatourist platform will help unearth new ways to discover hyper-local experiences.”
The campaign is part of Visa’s #notatourist initiative, launched globally this year. As one of the most popular travel destinations in the region, Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to run this platform.
“This is our chance to redefine how Thailand will look to visitors in the next 10 years, and we at Visa are excited to open this up for everyone to participate,” Suripong says.