BANGKOK, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Thai government is now promoting Thailand tourist spots in the country's southern region lying in the middle and along the shores of the Gulf of Thailand to further invigorate its already flourishing tourism industry.
Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra was scheduled to leave for Koh Samui Island and nearby coastal areas on the weekend, beginning with Saturday's flight from Bangkok to the world- renowned island resort. After landing at Koh Samui International Airport, the prime minister will proceed by boat to the islands of Koh Pa-ngan and Koh Tao.
On Sunday, she will visit Nakorn Sri Thammarat, the mainland province just across the sea from Koh Samui. She will then return to Koh Samui where she will preside over a "roving" Cabinet meeting on Monday.
According to deputy government spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ad, the Yingluck government plans to restore and promote the reputed tourist sites on those islands as well as along the shores of the Gulf, including those in Surat Thani, Chumporn, Pattalung and Nakorn Sri Thammarat provinces.
Yingluck earlier visited Krabi and Puket, both world-renowned tourist destinations on the shores of the Andaman Sea, where she had already approved plans to further develop and improve the area.
During her weekend trip to Koh Samui and nearby areas, the prime minister was scheduled to inspect the construction and repair of roads around Koh Pa-ngan Island where the arrival of foreign tourists has remarkably increased each year.
She will also inspect the construction of a hospital on Koh Tao Island. In Nakorn Sri Thammarat, Yingluck and her Cabinet will visit Wat Pra Mahathat Wora Mahaviharn temple which the government intends to promote as a World Heritage site.
In Surat Thani, the prime minister will be briefed on a project to build an international airport at Don Sak, where tourists usually ride on ferry boats to and from Koh Samui.
Several infrastructure projects, including anti-flooding facilities in those southern provinces on the coasts of the Gulf of Thailand, will be carried out as part of the government's tourism promotion scheme, the deputy government spokesman said.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Nattavud Sai-kua, a native of Nakorn Sri Thammarat, will lead Yingluck on the planned itinerary to the southern tourist spots. Thailand, which has fully recovered after it was hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, is now back as among the top tourist destinations in Southeast Asia, along with Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.