Thailand's old capital to be developed as world cultural tourist destination

BANGKOK, March 12 (TNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak says that he has assigned relevant agencies to quickly develop Ayutthaya Province, Thailand's old capital city in the central region, to become a world cultural tourist destination. Somkid told journalists on Monday that he made the assignment during a recent meeting of a government committee in charge of national tourism policies, while also assigning the relevant agencies to develop adjacent Ang Thong Province to become a supporting tourist site. The deputy premier suggested that stories on traditional ways of life of people in the old capital in the past be included in campaigns on promoting Ayutthaya as a world cultural tourist destination, apart from its historical and heritage sites. Besides, the deputy premier said, more community tourist destinations, based on the government's Thailand Riviera Plan, be concretely developed together with the development of new transport infrastructure projects, namely high speed train and dual-track train networks to serve and connect public transport nationwide. The deputy prime minister revealed that he has assigned the Ministry of Finance as well to study a plan on having travelling expenses of Thai people aged 55-70 years old deducted from their income tax, as the group of people accounts for up to 10.5 million of the country's total population and has purchasing power double higher than other groups of the Thai citizens, the result of which is expected to be concluded and reported soon for further consideration. (TNA)