Bangkok – 16 March, 2015 The
first group of cyclists from Ho Chi Minh city to Bangkok, ranging in
age from 34 to 75, is in the Thai capital today at the end of a nine-day
journey that has seen it cover 960 kilometres across Vietnam, Cambodia
and Thailand.
The
immense publicity generated by the trip is set to give a major boost to
the popularity of biking tours in Thailand and the Greater Mekong
Subregion countries.
It is a
particularly eventful trip for the oldest cyclist, Mr. Tran Tam Quang,
75, who is returning to Bangkok after nearly 50 years. He was last here
for the 1966 Asian Games when he ranked 4th in the men’s track cycling.
The tour
is the brainchild of avid Vietnamese sportsman and cyclist Mr. Vo Huu
Thien, 53, CEO of Saigon Vina, a real estate company in Ho Chi Minh
City. All the participants are members of the Land Saigon Bike Club,
which was founded by Mr. Thein in 2003.
Mr.Vo Huu
Thien, Chairman of Saigon Land Company, who led the group of cyclists
from Land Saigon Bike Club, presented a token of appreciation to Mr.
Pongsathorn Kessasamli, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing
(Asia and the South Pacific) .
Organised
by Viking Travel and Media, the tour covered four stops in Cambodia —
Neak Luong, Phnom Penh, Pursat and Sisophon — before arriving in Sa
Kaeo, Nakhon Nayok and then cycling on to Bangkok.
Tourism
Authority of Thailand, Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia
and the South Pacific) Mr. Pongsathorn Kessasamli said, “TAT is very
happy and honoured to support this inaugural trip. Biking holidays are
one of our fastest growing niche markets and expected to become even
more popular after the Asian Highway network is completed.”
According
to Mr. Thien, “I have been dreaming of this trip for the last five
years. I believe it will go a long way towards promoting ASEAN
friendship and integration and intra-regional travel. All the group
members undertook nearly a year of training on domestic land routes in
Vietnam before deciding to head for Thailand as our first destination.”
The cyclists would set off at 4.30 a.m.
every day and cover an average distance of 120 kms per day. The longest
sector from Phnom Penh to Pursat (Cambodia) took them a full 12 hours.
In
Thailand, TAT helped the cyclists by arranging for easier immigration
procedures at international borders, monitoring their progress to ensure
safety, organising a Gala Dinner, and presenting certificates
commemorating this historic trip.
 |
 |
TAT also
arranged a friendship get-together with local bike clubs; such as, the
Thailand Cycling for Health Association, Thai Airways Bike Club, Thai
Hotels Association Bike Club, TAT Bike Club, etc. The group also became
the first foreign group to test the special lane for cyclists in
Bangkok, which was opened in December 2014.
On 13
March, 2015, the visiting cyclists will have a special photo-opp
20-kilometre tour of Rattanakosin Island and the various tourist spots
in its vicinity. They will be accompanied by well-known Thai actor Mr.
Suchao Pongwilai (69 years old) himself an avid cyclist.
They will return home on 14 March by air.
Mr. Pongsathorn said, “We hope to see more cyclists in Thailand after this successful trip”
See more at: TAT newsroom
[About Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)]
The Tourism Authority
of Thailand (TAT) was established on the 18th March 1960. TAT was the
first organization inThailandto be specifically responsible for the
promotion of tourism. TAT supplies information and data on tourist areas
to the public, publicizesThailandwith the intention of encouraging both
Thai and international tourists to travel in and aroundThailand,
conducts studies to set development plans for tourist destinations, and
co-operates with and supports the production and development of
personnel in the field of tourism. Since the inception of the first
local office of TAT in Chiang Mai in 1968, there are now 35 regional
offices throughoutThailand. TAT has also established many overseas
offices the first being inNew York, which was opened in 1965. During the
past 30 years, TAT has since established 26 more offices in different
parts of the world, including the Dubai & Middle East Office, which
is responsible for the promotion of Thailand within the GCC, the Levant,
Iraq and Iran.
