Japanese businessman wins 20 millionth tourist prizes in Thailand

SAMUT PRAKAN, THAILAND, August 27 (TNA) - A Japanese businessman has become the 20 millionth visitor to Thailand this year, winning free prizes of two return air tickets and five-day accommodation voucher for his revisit to the Thai Kingdom within one year. Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul presided over a ceremony to present the prizes to the Japanese businessman from Fukuoka, Shouji Omori, at Thailand's main Suvarnabhumi International Airport after his arrival at the airport via a Thai Airways International (THAI) flight on August 26, as the 20 millionth visitor to the Kingdom in 2015. The Japanese winner also received a smartphone with 3G enabled-sim card that can be used for free for seven days. Omori is the 7th winner of "Thailand's Luckiest Visitors" prizes under a campaign initiated by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, aimed to welcome more international visitors to Thailand. The Japanese winner expressed happiness for being the lucky few to win the prizes, saying he intends to use the free tickets and accommodation voucher for a revisit to Thailand with his wife and kids in due course. Meanwhile, the tourism and sports minister told reporters that the campaign has successfully drawn in more international visitors to Thailand during the ongoing low season by up to one million arrivals monthly, maintaining that the number of international tourist arrivals in Thailand should, thus, total at least 28 million by the end of this year as earlier targeted. (TNA)