Most foreign tourists consider Thailand safe destination

BANGKOK, November 18 (TNA) -A latest survey has shown that most foreign tourists consider Thailand a safe destination and give 7.70 points on average, out of 10, for their satisfaction with the Thai Kingdom. The survey, conducted by Bangkok University's Research Institute and results of which were released on Tuesday, found that most respondents, or 86.1 per cent of a total of 1,044, viewed Thailand a safe destination for international tourists. The survey on foreign tourists' opinions on visiting Thailand under the martial law presently also found that 70.1 per cent of them considered the imposition of the martial law did not influence their decisions to visit the country, but 29.9 per cent of them said it did. According to the survey, 72.9 per cent of the respondents arrived in Thailand for leisure, 21.6 per cent for business and 5.5 per cent for meetings with friends, relatives and lovers. The Bangkok poll also showed that 20.7 per cent of the respondents wanted to experience Thai cultures, traditions and arts, 17.6 per cent would like to see the sea and beaches and 16.1 per cent liked shopping, namely at the Chatuchak weekend market. Regarding what Thailand should urgently improve, 22.3 per cent said taxi services which, sometimes, overcharged, did not use fare meters and took long detours, while 15.7 per cent of them pointed to traffic congestion and 12.7 per cent to the English communication problem of Thai people. The Bangkok poll showed the respondents gave 7.70 points on average, out of 10, for their satisfaction with Thailand. (TNA)