Direct flight from Goa to Thailand likely from Dec

NT NETWORK
PANAJI
Goa has expressed keen interest in the offer of Consul-General of Thailand Ekapol Poolpipat as regards starting a direct flight between Thailand and Goa, and further, Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar as well as Tourism Minister Dilip Parulekar are expected to discuss with Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the prospects as regards developing Goa-Thai tourism-links, when Chan-ocha arrives in the state next month.
The Prime Minister of Thailand will be arriving in Goa to attend an outreach session to be participated by member countries of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation (BIMSTEC), namely India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand, following the BRICS 2016 Summit.
Poolpipat, who called on Parulekar at the Secretariat, later said that initially the Thailand-Goa flight service could be introduced once a week, and depending on the response, this frequency may be increased.
The Tourism Minister told ‘The Navhind Times’ that Goa is very much interested in starting tourism ties with Thailand, especially since Thailand shares many similarities with Goa such as beach tourism, sea food and so on. “We are also looking forward to related discussion with the Thailand Prime Minister, during his visit to Goa, and probably we could see flights between Goa and Thailand commencing from December, later this year,” he added.
Speaking further, Parulekar said that the Consul-General of Thailand in Mumbai, during a meeting with him, observed that large number of Goans have been visiting Thailand. However, the Thai people, although interested in visiting Goa, have limited knowledge about it. “Therefore, Goa could also introduce its tourism treasures to Thailand, so that the Thai people can enjoy Goan hospitality,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Consul-General of Thailand in Mumbai stated that the Thai Tourism Ministry would soon organise road shows and special exhibitions in Goa and would assist the Goa Tourism Development Corporation in organising such programmes and promoting tourism in Thailand.