Thailand announces its readiness to become a Tourism HUB in the ASEAN region, promoting self-drive tourism to attract 39 million tourists throughout 2025

Miss. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), revealed that "the government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and TAT, is driving the government's policy of building international relations. This initiative aims to position Thailand as a Tourism HUB in the ASEAN region. Tourists from Malaysia and Laos rank among the top five visitors to Thailand, while Singaporean tourists have voted Thailand as their number one favorite destination. TAT is collaborating with partner agencies to organize activities that promote self-drive tourism through border checkpoints in Songkhla, Sa Kaeo, Bueng Kan, Nong Khai, Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom, and Chiang Rai. TAT has designed travel routes to offer experiences with the '5 Must Do in Thailand' tourism products. It is believed that promoting self-drive travel will enable Thailand to welcome no less than 39 million international tourists throughout 2025, generating no less than 2.23 trillion baht in revenue for the Thai tourism industry."

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) organized a welcoming event for Porsche drivers from Singapore, with 37 cars, and from Malaysia, with 20 cars, who entered Thailand through the Sadao Immigration Checkpoint in Songkhla Province. Additionally, 17 cars from Cambodia entered through the Aranyaprathet Immigration Checkpoint in Sa Kaeo Province. These drivers are touring Bangkok, the Central, and Eastern regions before attending Das Treffen 9 in Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi. Some groups plan to continue their travels in Thailand after the event to experience the cool weather in the Northern region of Thailand.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jakkaphan Jarusuvarnabhumi, General Manager of 2000 Publishing and organizer of Bimmer Meet and DAS Treffen events, as well as publisher of BMW Car Magazine Thailand, GT Porsche Thailand, and Enzo Thailand magazines, stated that "Organizing car enthusiast gatherings by inviting fans and drivers of various car brands to travel together and share experiences to build good relationships among members will be one form of travel promotion in 2025. The Das Treffen 9 event, which brings together Porsche enthusiasts from across Southeast Asia, will feature rare Porsche sports cars, both classic and new models. Tourists in the ASEAN region are interested in coming to admire the automotive innovations that perfectly reflect the vibrant heritage and spirit of Southeast Asia. Such activities promote car drivers, a high-potential tourist group with purchasing power, to travel to Thailand before and after the event. The company believes that the spending behavior and length of stay of this tourist group are higher than those of general tourists. They also prefer to travel to new tourist destinations, aligning with the government's policy to promote 'must-visit cities.'"

Mr. Sihabut Chumsai Na Ayudhya, Executive Editor of GT PORSCHE Magazine Thailand Edition, stated that "The Das Treffen 9 event, under the theme 'Limited Edition,' will be held on December 15, 2024, at IMPACT Speed Park, Muang Thong Thani, Nonthaburi. The riverside area will be transformed into a Porsche Village, welcoming over 500 Porsche cars and more than 3,000 people from across the Asia-Pacific region. The event will showcase notable Porsche models such as the Porsche 911 (997) Turbo S 'Edition 918 Spyder,' Porsche 911 (964) '30 Jahre' (30th Anniversary), Porsche 911 R (991), Porsche 911 (992) Dakar, Porsche 911 (997) GT3 RS 4.0, Porsche 911 (991) GT2 RS Clubsport 25, and Porsche 911 (991) GT3 R. Additionally, the event will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 911 Turbo with special merchandise featuring a logo designed as the number '9' in Turbonite, a new special color from Porsche. Another highlight is the display of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S Celestial Jade, a special creation from the Sonderwunsch department using Chromaflair special paint technology, reflecting the vibrant heritage and spirit of Southeast Asia. The Porsche 911 S/T is a special model designed for true driving enthusiasts, featuring a lightweight and agile design. The 918 Spyder Martini stands out with its Martini Racing kit, capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in just 2.6 seconds."