TAT Governor is new PATA chairman-elect

BANGKOK – The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has chosen Phornsiri Manoharn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), as its chairman-elect for 2008/2009 and chairman of the board for 2009/2010. This decision was made by members of the PATA Executive Committee at the PATA Board of Directors Meeting and the 57th Annual General Meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, during April 4-7, 2008.

Phornsiri said, “This is certainly not an individual honour, but a national honour as well. It is an acknowledgement of Thailand’s active role in the Asia-Pacific tourism industry. PATA and Thailand’s tourism industry, and especially TAT, have grown together and are inseparable from one another.”

As PATA Chairman, she will have the opportunity to be the driving force in planning and implementing PATA's activities that will benefit its members in economic and social areas and be the agent for change as the tourism industry in the region expands and grows. She mentioned in Colombo that a main priority for her would be to strengthen the association’s membership structure by creating consistent interaction among PATA chapters, their members and the PATA Headquarters in Bangkok.