Tourism ministry seeks support from Alibaba
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will hold talks with Alibaba Group on November 4 to seek support for tourism in this country and the possibility of using the group’s Alipay platform for an e-visa system. Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said that after meeting with Alibaba on November 2, the ministry would ask the company to use its website to inform its customers about quality services available in Thailand, particularly licensed hotels and business providers that meet local standards. The ministry will also ask Alibaba to get more clarification from the Bank of Thailand on the legal obligations for the use of Alipay here. According to Alibaba, it has already had discussions on the issue with six commercial banks in Thailand. The possibility of e-visa facilitation through Alipay will also be discussed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as such a system could be used to inspect the financial status of tourists. Alibaba will also be asked to promote the “Amazing Thailand” campaign through all its online platforms, as many of its targets arrange their trips online. Alibaba Group records more than 700 million users. Of these, 400 million are regular users.
