Gyeonggi Governor meets with Governor of Bangkok and Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports

○ Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim met with Chadchart Sittipunt, the Governor of Bangkok, on July 6. - They agreed to strengthe...

○ Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim met with Chadchart Sittipunt, the Governor of Bangkok, on July 6.
- They agreed to strengthen close cooperation in areas such as the environment, economy, culture, and tourism.
- Governor Kim’s proposal for the establishment of a working-level consultation body to advance cooperation was immediately accepted by Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt.

Exchanges between Gyeonggi Province and Bangkok, for which the establishment of a working-level consultation body for cooperation in areas such as economy and the environment was mutually agreed, are expected expand into a stepping stone for entry into the Southeast Asian market of 600 million people.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Dong Yeon Kim met Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt at Bangkok City Hall on the afternoon of July 6, local time. During their meeting, Governor Kim said, "Thailand recognizes the importance of being a hub of ASEAN from the perspective of Korea and Gyeonggi Province. I hope this will be an opportunity for the working-level officials of Gyeonggi Province and Bangkok to engage in discussions at a working level." He then suggested, "Let's create such a group as soon as possible, and if good ideas emerge from that group, let's implement the agreed-upon contents through the exchange of officials between Gyeonggi Province and Bangkok City."

In response, Governor Sittipunt said, "That is a very good idea. Thailand is a country at the center of Southeast Asia and in a good position for entry into the Southeast Asian market of 600 million people. I hope to explore mutually beneficial cooperation opportunities." He added, "Gyeonggi Province is leading in attracting investments and talent, so I hope to continue cooperation between our two regions. It seems that various issues such as investment attraction, air quality and environmental issues, cultural exchange, and tourism exchange can be included, and it would be great to start quickly."

He also stated, "Gyeonggi Province aims to maintain good relationships while pursuing balanced diplomacy with not only the United States and Japan but also China, Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, and other countries, and to achieve a win-win synergy effects."

In addition, Governor Kim and Governor Chadchart Sittipunt discussed various topics including startups, smart cities, transportation issues, and political and economic reforms.

○ Governor Kim met with the Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports on July 7.
- Discussed ways to enhance tourism exchanges in light of mutual visit years between Korea and Thailand (2023-2024 Korea Thailand Mutual Visit Years)
○ Gyeonggi-do Travel Mart hosted in Bangkok to attract tourists through the introduction of Gyeonggi Province's tourism products
○ Successive visits to the UN ESCAP and UNEP headquarters
- Discussions on the Suwon Asia-Pacific Urban Forum being held in October by the UN ESCAP, joint research projects on air quality improvement in the Korean capital region by UNEP, Gyeonggi, and Seoul, and international cooperation on environmental issues

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim concluded his 8-day overseas mission to India and Thailand by meeting with Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports, and local tourism industry representatives. This visit coincided with the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Thailand and mutual visit years (2023-2024) between the two countries, pursuing the enhancement of tourism exchanges between Gyeonggi Province and Thailand.

On the July 7, local time, in Bangkok, Governor Kim met with Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn and Tourism Authority of Thailand Governor Thapanee Kiatphaibool. Governor Kim stated, "Tourism is an area in which we want to expand in our close relationship with Thailand. Gyeonggi Province, being not only a center of industry and economy but also home to many tourist attractions, looks forward to active exchanges with Korean nationals visiting Thailand and Thai nationals visiting Gyeonggi Province and other parts of Korea."

Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn responded, "Thailand is not only interested in attracting Korean tourists to Thailand but also in encouraging visits by Thai tourists to Korea. With both countries having signed a memorandum of understanding to promote their respective development during the 2023-2024 Korea Thailand Mutual Visit Years, we hope that our relationship will become even closer."

Governor Kim and Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn discussed various ways to enhance tourism in both regions, including the utilization of virtual influencers, sports exchanges involving Korean Taekwondo and Thai Muay Thai, as well as initiatives involving culinary experiences, aviation routes, tourism education, films and dramas, plastic surgery, famous celebrities and more.

Furthermore, Governor Kim hosted "Gyeonggi-do Travel Mart in Bangkok 2023" at a hotel in Bangkok, where he met with Charoen Wangananont, President of the Thai Travel Agency Association (TTAA), and Duangdej Yuaikwarmdee, Executive Director of the Thailand Convention Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), to attract overseas tourists to Gyeonggi Province. The event was attended by 16 tourism companies from Gyeonggi Province, 17 Thai travel agencies, and around 10 local media outlets, including the Bangkok Post.

Governor Kim emphasized, "As I entered the venue, I saw the words 'REAL KOREA.' Gyeonggi Province is truly a 'small Korea' with everything from the sea and the DMZ to the headquarters of major corporations. If you want to see, experience, and enjoy Korea, I invite you to visit Gyeonggi Province."

He also presented three proposals for enhancing tourism cooperation between Gyeonggi Province and Thailand: actively utilizing the mutual visit years (2023-2024) between Korea and Thailand; upgrading Gyeonggi Province's tourism offerings by harmonizing basic tourism elements with contents, software, and K-culture; and local marketing that caters to the preferences of Thai nationals in developing tourism products.

The scale of visits to Korea from Thailand, the country that accounts for the largest number of visits from ASEAN to Korea, declined from around 571,000 visitors in 2019 to around 179,000 visitors in 2022 due to the impact of COVID-19. According to the Korea Tourism Organization, an estimated 243,000 out of the 571,000 visitors in 2019 visited Gyeonggi Province, accounting for 42.6% of the total.

In addition, Governor Kim attended the "G-Fair ASEAN+ K-Food Export Agreement Ceremony" held at a hotel in Bangkok. He expressed his gratification, saying, "While Gyeonggi Province focuses on attracting investment from other countries, we are also working to support Gyeonggi Province companies in their overseas ventures through efforts like the Thai G-Fair. Today's K-Food export agreement ceremony is a great result."

Furthermore, Governor Kim had meetings with Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), and Dechen Tsering, Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Asia-Pacific Office, at their respective headquarters in Bangkok. Various topics were discussed during these meetings, including the role of local governments in climate change response, the gaps in climate change response capacity between large and small businesses, the expansion and reorganization of Gyeonggi Province's Climate, Environment, and Energy Department, and the adoption of electric vehicles.

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) is a UN regional commission established in 1947 to promote economic reconstruction and development and improve economic activity levels in the Asia-Pacific region. It has a strong connection with Korea, with its Northeast Asia office located in the Songdo district of Incheon Metropolitan City.