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tATty tourism plan
You might have noticed a news item recently about a
new sculpture installed in Birmingham, once part of the
UKs industrial heartland, and its second city.
Situated outside the main library, the sculpture depicts
what is meant to be a typical family in 2014, consisting
of two single mothers, each with a child, while one of
the women is heavily pregnant with another addition to
the family.
Many people are less than pleased with this image, which
they claim gives the wrong impression of Birmingham.
Some even demand to know where the fathers are, a
sentiment probably echoed by many a single mother.
Apart from that it seems to be a very well executed piece
of sculpture, and if Birmingham doesn’t want it I’m sure
there are suitable sites in Hull where it wouldn’t look
out of place, and where no-one would even notice that
the fathers were missing, apart perhaps for the Child
Support Agency.
Maybe the critics could channel their outrage more
constructively by demanding an explanation as to
why the £100,000 sculpture, (around 5.2 million baht,)
needed to be made in China.
Meanwhile Thailands tourism industry seems to be a
bit of a mystery to the people who run it. Some reports
claim that last months tourist figures were as much
as 20% down from the previous year, which, given the
present regime, may not be too much of a surprise.
Hua Hin is certainly experiencing a downturn, and while
there will no doubt be some of the regulars migrating
to escape winter at home followed by the much needed
‘high end’ Christmas holidaymakers, there is a sense of
anxiety in the tourism business.
TAT shares that concern, and is so concerned that its
Governor wants to promote Martial Law Tourism with
a campaign entitled ‘24 hours Enjoy Thailand.’
At first I had visions of tourists being taken on conducted
tours of barracks and the like for a day. Maybe even being
allowed to play with armoured vehicles and AK47’s, and
shown a video of Thailands Coups - a potted history.
But the title of the TAT campaign is misleading, and
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actually means that tourists should feel safe in the
hands of the military for 24 hours a day. Which is fine
for expats and regular visitors already accustomed to
seeing armed police on the streets. After a while the
guns can even become a re-assuring presence and you
tend to forget about the level of training involved.
No doubt visitors from other countries where armed
police etc are the norm won’t bat an eyelid either. Brits
however can be quite jittery around firearms, which are
only acceptable if they have two barrels - both pointed
at a grouse. So for them the TAT campaign could be a
hard sell.
This weeks word is ‘inchoate’. No, I don’t have a clue
how to pronounce it either, but it refers to a vague idea
which is not yet fully formed or developed.
17
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