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Comment by OVEPI on February 8, 2024 at 8:07pm

A Dispersed Creative Network

The Sakon Hed festival illustrates how a dispersed network of creatives can come together and build creative capital through active collaborations and connections. This network is unique, in that it is still very much grounded by a commitment to the place and its tradition, and shows that the creative life of a place doesn’t necessarily need to be permanently situated to bring about a rich creative milieu. While there is an increasing number of creatives – particularly fashion designers – returning to open new indigo-related businesses in the city, there are also many more returning creatives who use the Sakon Hed festival as an opportunity to draw inspiration and bring new ideas back into the creative life of Sakon Nakhon.

The festival is an example of a collaborative creative endeavour sustained by Sakon Nakhon’s creative diaspora.

Importance of Family Bonds and Networks

Family bonds and family-like networks have been key to the revival of indigo-dyed products, and continue to sustain the creative ecosystem of Sakon Nakhon. Generational businesses such as Mae Teeta or Kram Thong and Mann Craft highlight the importance of not just drawing on
traditional craft knowledge, but also joint family resources to support the development of new ideas.

The Sakon Hed network is very much established and reliant on blood ties and family-like bonds. For example, Teeta Janpengpen (of Mae Teeta) is the grandmother of Gypsy Janpengpen, a key member of the network. Gypsy Coffee Drip is located next to the Mae Teeta shop in Dong Mafai village. Other members of Sakon Hed may not be related to each other but have nonetheless developed family-like bonds through years of childhood friendship. External visitors such as Chamroen Studio from Bangkok are connected through Mr Gypsy, who consider him as a ‘brother’. These family-like bonds explain the ability of the network to attract many external organisations to participate, calling on goodwill that only family-like relationships can rely on.
Diversifying a Creative Ecosystem

The indigo dyeing and weaving industry have been the dominant driver of Sakon Nakhon’s creative ecosystem. Prolonged investment and support from various government initiatives has undoubtedly helped revive it and contributed to its success.

However, we have seen evidence of other creative activities emerging in the past few years that have diversified and strengthened Sakon Nakhon’s creative ecosystem. New creative businesses ranging from indigo-related products to sustainable agriculture and farm produce have illustrated how a creative district can continue to grow and evolve even without significant government support. Sakon Nakhon’s example shows how a creative district can build and extend on existing resources to achieve a more diversified and self-sustaining creative ecosystem

(Source: Creative and Cultural Districts in Thailand; May 2020; britishcouncil.or.th)

Comment by OVEPI on February 14, 2023 at 9:59am

「泰」開心：泰國盼中國遊客回歸助旅遊業復蘇

「這是新冠疫情後第一次出國旅遊，非常興奮，也非常開心，來的路上一切順利，到泰國後處處都能感受到當地人的熱情和對中國人的歡迎。」正在泰國旅行的中國遊客劉玲玲興奮地告訴新華社記者。劉玲玲一家四口來自武漢，今年選擇在泰國度過中國農曆春節。

隨著中國不斷優化疫情防控政策、有序恢復公民出境旅遊，泰國水清沙白的海灘、華麗輝煌的寺廟、現代時尚的購物中心正迎來中國遊客回歸。

(Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

春節期間，泰國首都曼谷唐人街張燈結彩，節日氣氛濃厚。曼谷幾大購物中心的春節裝飾也各具特色，吸引眾多遊客拍照留念。除了曼谷，普吉、北欖、宋卡和叻武等多地也舉辦了春節慶祝活動。

「每年春節都是旅遊旺季。中國遊客一直是我們的主要客源。今年中國遊客回歸了，我們為春節做了充足的準備，相信今年生意能恢復到疫情前。」曼谷唐人街一家酒店的廚師納塔蓬說。

旅遊業是泰國支柱產業之一，而中國遊客是泰國旅遊業的重要客源。疫情暴發之前，中國遊客占泰國全年入境遊客總數逾四分之一。然而，疫情給旅遊業造成了巨大沖擊，泰國經濟和就業承受巨大壓力。相關從業者期盼更多中國遊客回歸，為旅遊業和經濟復蘇增添動力。

1月9日，泰國副總理兼公共衛生部長阿努廷等官員專程前往機場，打出「中泰一家親」標語，為中國優化出入境防疫政策後首批抵達泰國的旅客送上鮮花和紀念品。

「經歷疫情後，我們更加意識到中國遊客的重要性。」泰中旅遊總商會副理事長差那班在接受新華社記者專訪時說，中國遊客為泰國經濟、社會注入了活力。如今中國遊客的回歸是「大好喜事」，旅遊和服務機構正在做各方面準備，包括精耕細分市場、提升產品品質和服務質量、提升服務人員服務水平等。

差那班預計，後續還會有更多中國遊客赴泰旅遊觀光。

按泰國政府估算，今年將會有700萬至1000萬中國遊客入境。泰國央行貨幣政策委員會25日發布報告指出，隨著中國遊客回歸，泰國旅遊業將呈現加快復蘇態勢，而旅遊業和居民消費的持續恢復將支撐泰國經濟增長。（2023-01-31 新華社曼谷 1月30日電 [記者王亞光、郭鑫惠] 來源： 新華每日電訊7版）

感受泰国魅力，更多精彩照片藏在这里～

Comment by OVEPI on January 20, 2023 at 10:28am

中國解封了，泰國樂瘋了

中國開放國境，樂壞了泰國，難怪出動了三位部長到機場迎接久違的客人。

去年尾，泰國預測，他們今年的經濟增長會達到3.2%。

可是，隨著中國宣布1月8日全面開放，第一批中國遊客在1月9日就飛到了曼谷。政府也立即把經濟增長上調至3.7%。

在2019年，新冠肺炎疫情尚未爆發，泰國吸引了1千1百萬中國遊客。

（同一年，訪馬的中國遊客不及3百萬，遠遠落在原定的7百萬目標後。）

過去三年，原給泰國貢獻了11.9% GDP的旅遊業可說淒風苦雨。

中國遊客開始重返，泰國政府信心滿滿說，旅遊業有望最終為他們帶來25%的GDP。

更多信息請瀏覽「愛墾旅游」

Comment by OVEPI on January 19, 2023 at 10:54pm

2023泰國旅遊年「中國遊客受到真誠歡迎」

光明日報 | 2023年01月17日 14:05:00
原標題：「中國遊客受到真誠歡迎」

1月9日，泰國曼谷素萬那普機場洋溢著歡快喜悅的氛圍，伴隨著陣陣歡呼與問好，泰國迎來了自新冠疫情暴發以來首批中國遊客。泰國副總理兼衛生部長阿努廷、交通部長薩撒揚、旅遊與體育部長披帕等泰政府官員親自到機場迎接，讓從廈門飛來的269名首批中國旅客體驗了一把「國賓級」禮遇。


阿努廷摘下口罩，面帶微笑地用「你好」向中國遊客問好，親切地與遊客自拍，並送上象征吉祥的花環與旅遊禮包。而機場工作人員更是手舉「中泰一家親，神奇泰國熱情依舊，永遠歡迎中國家人們」的橫幅，讓中國遊客感到賓至如歸。

從政府官員到街頭商販，泰國上下都熱切期盼中國遊客的回歸。在這個以「微笑的國度」「黃袍佛國」著稱的旅遊勝地，旅遊業早已成為其支柱產業。2019年來自外國遊客的收入占到了泰國GDP的11.9%，在當年入境泰國3980萬人次的外國遊客中，中國遊客就達近1100萬人次，成為泰國旅遊市場最大客源。

近三年的新冠疫情，讓泰國旅遊業遭受重創，國民經濟也持續走低。2022年5月起，泰國開始逐步解封迎接遊客，采取多種措施吸引遊客恢復旅遊業。2022年10月1日，泰國政府頒布全面重新開放旅遊政策，取消所有疫情管控措施，歡迎所有國際遊客的到來。

放鬆管控後，泰國旅遊業復蘇雖有起色，但缺少中國遊客仍顯乏力。中國宣布1月8日調整防疫措施放開出境的消息傳遍了泰國大街小巷，泰國媒體都將其作為頭條，泰國上上下下喜出望外，久違的中國遊客終於要來了。

在日韓等國針對中國遊客實行歧視性入境新冠檢疫措施之際，泰國政府堅定表示，誰都不可以歧視或區別對待中國遊客，中國遊客入境泰國不必檢測隔離，世界各國遊客來泰的標準都一樣。

阿努廷在采訪中稱：「我一直在關注中國防疫動態。自中國1月8日放寬旅行限制以來，中國遊客入境泰國的人數持續增加，讓我們非常欣喜。泰國在旅遊上的優勢得天獨厚，包括美味的食物、優質的服務和一流的便利設施，而旅遊業是我們經濟復蘇的關鍵。泰中情誼深厚，泰國經濟復蘇離不開中國遊客，我們已為迎接中國遊客做足了準備，將充分保障來泰遊客的安全與旅遊體驗。泰國平等對待全球遊客，絕不會針對中國遊客另行入境管控措施。」

Comment by OVEPI on January 19, 2023 at 10:54pm

談到中泰關係，阿努廷回憶道：「疫情剛暴發時，在旅泰中國遊客中發現了病例，我們對他們及時進行治療，並幫助他們回家。在泰國遇到困難時，中國也第一時間伸出援手，為泰國提供迫切需要的新冠疫苗。泰中情誼深厚，有目共睹，這也是中國遊客願意繼續來泰的原因。自1月9日首批中國遊客入境以來，沒有發生任何事故，中國遊客受到真誠歡迎。」

當前，根據泰國國家旅遊局規定，泰國將繼續執行在2022年10月1日頒布的全面重新開放旅遊政策，抵達泰國的國際旅客不需要出示疫苗接種證明，也不需要出示抗原自測或核酸檢測結果。

作為全面重振旅遊業的舉措，泰國還將為所有入境遊客提供延長簽證服務，將擁有免簽證權入境國遊客的簽證時間從原來的30天延長到45天，將申請落地簽入境的遊客停留時間從15天延長到30天。

針對部分民眾對疫情的擔憂，泰國疾病控制中心表示：「更多中國遊客抵達泰國不會引發新的新冠感染人數激增。」當前，泰國日均感染人數在900例左右，重症病例也在減少。

為吸引更多中國遊客，泰國旅遊局準備發起「泰中是手足」活動。泰國旅遊局局長育塔薩表示：「我們將重點通過中國在線平臺推廣泰國旅遊產品和服務，計劃邀請藝人通過直播來推廣泰國旅遊產品和服務。此外，還計劃允許泰國企業家在春節後到中國推廣其旅遊產品和服務。」

春節將至，曼谷唐人街將舉辦「歡樂春節」彩燈展等慶祝活動，普吉島的九天宮內外都已掛上喜慶的大紅燈籠，年味十足。今年2月，泰國旅遊局也將在上海、廣州和成都舉行路演，組織120家中泰兩國旅遊機構進行商務洽談，推廣來泰旅遊項目。

為助力經濟復蘇，泰國政府已製定政策全面發展旅遊業。泰國旅遊局發布了2023年戰略方向，將以「2023泰國旅遊年：神奇新篇章」為主題，用全新面貌盛情邀請全球遊客來泰體驗豐富多彩的旅遊活動，全年境外遊客有望超過2500萬人次，帶來2.38萬億泰銖（約合4850億元人民幣）收入，預計將有500萬中國遊客到訪泰國。泰經濟機構認為，中國遊客的到來將提振泰國旅遊業，為餐廳、酒店、購物等旅遊產業鏈相關業務帶來更多收入及就業。

因此，泰國開泰研究中心將2023年泰國經濟增長預期由原來的3.2%上調至3.7%。

1月3日，泰國內閣還批准了未來的五年旅遊業發展藍圖，計劃通過數個旗艦項目推動泰國成為世界頂級健康目的地之一。泰政府副發言人黛素麗表示，內閣批准了2023—2027年第三個國家旅遊發展計劃，該計劃將作為國家和地方各級相關機構製定旅遊發展行動計劃的指南。

該計劃的關鍵績效指標包括旅遊業對GDP的貢獻率至少達到25%，每年至少有3000個旅遊企業和旅遊景點獲得認證。其他指標包括旅遊消費每年增長5%，以及泰國在聯合國可持續發展目標中名列前35名。


該計劃包括四項戰略：

一是強化旅遊業的復原力，采取措施將旅遊收入分配到所有可能的地區；

二是發展旅遊業的基本面，努力提高旅遊質量，例如提高安全和衛生水平，升級數字和信息基礎設施，支持利用旅遊經濟數據製定相關國家政策；

三是利用技術和創新來吸引優質遊客；

四是促進可持續旅遊業，例如支持保護自然環境和旅遊目的地以及保護泰國文化的努力和傳統。此外，關鍵績效指標包括每年溫室氣體排放量減少2%。（本報曼谷2023年1月16日電 本報駐曼谷記者 王思成）

Comment by OVEPI on October 11, 2022 at 5:29pm

Thailand’s creative industries showing steady growth

Creative industries are a promising component of Thailand’s economy and national development strategy, while the government expects those industries to expand by 3.5 percent next year and earn over $100 billion.

Recognizing the value of arts and innovation, the Thai government has established the Creative Economy Agency. It counts 15 sectors in its portfolio that contribute roughly 10 percent to Thailand’s gross domestic product (GDP). Agency Chief Apisit Laistrooglai said that the growth of the creative economy was higher than that of total GDP during the past year.

Thailand’s 20-year national strategy named Thailand 4.0 relies on fostering creativity, innovation, and research and development to proper the Kingdom’s economy and society to a more advanced level of development.

Economic planners have said that Thailand’s tourism, food and traditional medicine sectors are a source of soft power for the Kingdom. Other creative industries, however, are also making greater contributions to growth. Among them are software design, animation, gaming and entertainment.

With people spending more time at home, the pandemic spurred greater growth in sales of handicrafts, food and software products, including online games and entertainment, according to Apisit.

People working in software and gaming and entertainment had the highest average incomes among creative industries, while handicraft artisans had the lowest.

Apisit added that creative industries could provide an even larger share of growth with more government support.

“The government sector should be the backbone for soft power development, offering attractive tax incentives and strong promotional campaigns to compete with other countries that ramped up their creative industries recently,” he said.

Photo courtesy of: https://www.cea.or.th/home

Comment by OVEPI on April 25, 2021 at 5:48pm

Creative Leader Converges Positive Energy

Editor’s Note: This article first published in Inconada on July 5, 2011. Both the governments of Thailand and Malaysia discussed have been ousted in 2014 and 2018 respectively. However, it reminds us of history; and some of the points are still pertinent to Malaysia.

Photo by Ekkachai Pholrojpanya (top) Ekkachai Pholrojpanya (bottom)

So our neighbor Thailand has entered a new era of their politics. Can a pretty, young and energetic lady premier drive the nation into a renewed faith in nation-building? Nobody can predict the outcome. But, one thing is sure; Lady Yingluck has demonstrated her charisma to focus her peoples’ imagination in bringing a difference. She did it naturally. She may have advisors to guard her in media campaigns and image management, but she makes people to trust her simple appeal for creating a fresh start for Thailand.

Photo by Sa-nga Chotikapakorn (top) Thienchai Aswamanasak (bottom )

While we are indulging in the possible destiny that may turn Thailand into an adorable nation again, our fellow Malaysians are bothered by the confusion cause by our policy makers and enforcers of law.

With a image-building budget that close to 9-digit, they are supposed to be nice, lovely, looking young and stylish, intelligent, open-minded, westernized yet religious, up-to-date with all the IT fashions like FB, Twitter and pop culture of Lady Gaga.

 

Comment by OVEPI on April 25, 2021 at 5:48pm

They thought all these elements can eventually be boiled into a magical spell that commands peoples’ imagination towards their vision for “transformation”. 

But sad enough they are “color-phobia”, and ran mad with the color of yellow. So much so they dropped all their benevolent masks.

Photo by Supakaln Wongcompune

photo by Thienchai Aswamanasak

photo by Alexander Velikanov

The number of mice is more than the population of human beings in Kuala Lumpur. And, these policy makers have happily reported to the press that some of these mice and even bigger in size than the Persian cats of the First Family. Yet, they tolerate that ugly scene without a slightest sense of fear. 

Comment by OVEPI on April 25, 2021 at 1:15am

On other hand, an uncomplicated color of yellow sent them to bed with horror in many sleepless nights. 

The participants of July 9^th rally never realized that they have so many “comrades” throughout the nation overnight. These sympathizers are in fact contributed by the policy makers and enforcers, who have unnecessarily harassed the innocent public in yellow shirts.     

These officers are actually imaginative, but in a wrong way.

photo by Tanatat pongpibool

photo by Billbew Pakorn

photo by Tanatat pongpibool

Come back to Yin li’s Victory last Sunday, it is obviously a work of imagination, the combination of positive imagination of her camp as well as the negative one from her opponents. 

Power corrupts and collapses out of internal fear; our of dare forces of self-conceived fallacy.

 

Smart leaders, who have created great cities in the world, did so with their wise leadership and political will to help people turn their imagination into constructive achievements. Be it in the form of arts, words, behaviors, free expressions and self-regulated social actions.     

Leaders, who are genuinely not that smart, no matter how heavy is their investment in attention-gathering, cosmetic-engineering and self-admiring, out of their disapproving karma, dig their own graveyard for their opponents.

photo by SanchaiLoongroong

photo by Apisit Wongkaew

Comment by OVEPI on February 4, 2021 at 12:15am

泰國旅遊·怎樣面對冠毒疫情

（原題：泰國推動國內遊緩解疫情對旅遊業沖擊）

泰國國家經濟社會發展委員會日前公布的數據顯示，由於新冠疫情全球蔓延，國際遊客數量銳減，泰國支柱產業旅遊業損失慘重，導致泰國今年第二季度經濟萎縮12.2%，而全年預計經濟萎縮程度很可能超過上世紀末亞洲金融危機時期。

2019年，抵泰國際旅客數量達到創紀錄的3980萬人次，消費總額占泰國國內生產總值的11.4%。政府去年預計，2020年抵泰國際旅客將達4000萬人次。不過，眼下再提及這些數據似乎“恍若隔世”。此前，泰國旅遊局預計今年訪泰外國遊客將僅有1400萬人次，創14年以來最低紀錄。泰國中央銀行的預測更為悲觀，預計抵泰國際旅客的數量可能只有800萬人次。

（2020年3月7日，一名戴口罩的游客在泰国曼谷摩天轮夜市参观。8月份時，外國入境游客数目是:零。 新華社記者 张可任攝影)

原本熙熙攘攘的泰國曼谷著名商業街考山路，眼下顯得空蕩蕩，餐館門可羅雀。“這裏很多商家都已經關門。如果短期內外國遊客無法回到泰國，我們恐怕也會關門。周末會有些本地顧客來光顧，但根本不足以讓我們維持下去。”壹名當地餐館服務生對媒體說。

由於疫情持續蔓延，全球旅遊業都陷入嚴重不確定中。今年6月，泰國疫情管理中心宣布，擬對部分國家開放限制性旅遊，推動旅遊業進一步復蘇。但旅客需要購買壹定金額保險，並確定未感染新冠病毒，他們在泰國的行程也會被追蹤。而且，這一措施的目標人群主要是商務人士、醫療遊客等。

但這些措施並不足以帶來足夠多的國際訪客。泰國旅遊局不少官員表示，疫情可能徹底改變旅遊業“地貌”。曼谷著名旅遊景點門前遊客雲集、大巴車排隊的場景可能難以再現，泰國必須為新現實做好準備。

現階段，泰國政府正著力推動國內旅遊發展。占泰國旅遊市場約30%份額的國內遊市場，成為旅遊業復蘇的“救命稻草”。政府通過發放酒店、餐館、機票優惠券以及獎勵抗疫前線醫務人員旅遊等方式，刺激國內旅遊。在度假勝地沙美島，幾乎所有酒店的收費標準都降了一半，小島所屬羅勇府還通過舉辦美食節、音樂節等活動吸引國內遊客。

泰國國家旅遊局局長育他沙接受記者采訪時說，推動國內遊“不能從根本上解決問題，但希望借此讓旅遊業運轉起來，讓旅遊從業者‘活下去’”。

隨著政府鼓勵政策發揮效果，越來越多泰國本地居民選擇周末赴旅遊景點參觀。不過，也有一些旅遊從業人員對此並不樂觀。他們認為，“國內遊”拉動旅遊業存在“天花板”，主管機構需要制定有針對性的發展戰略，以適應疫情下的旅遊業發展新現實。（20.8.2020 新華社）

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