Here we see Mrs. Juthamas Siriwan, then Chairwoman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), visiting our Scandinavian Divers’ Whale Shark Expedition stand at an exhibition in Bangkok in the early 2000s.
Supporting the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)
In the early 2000s, I had the opportunity to meet with the Chairwoman of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to share some observations about the growing popularity of liveaboard diving cruises, including the kind we operated through Scandinavian Divers.
TAT expressed genuine interest and invited us to participate in several of their tourism exhibitions, both in Thailand and abroad. Although we would cover our costs, we were happy to accept and support their efforts.
We presented our Whale Shark Expeditions to the public in Bangkok and later in the United States, where we joined TAT exhibitions — first in Las Vegas, and later in Miami Beach. I remember how curious and engaged American visitors were at the TAT stand when we explained what our 5-day cruises to the Similan Islands were like aboard the Viking of the Orient.
These exhibitions helped generate interest and bookings, and we were glad to share a lesser-known side of Thailand’s beauty with an international audience.
Sharing Thailand with the World — Then and Now
Looking back, these were small steps in a much larger story — efforts to support Thailand’s tourism industry during a time of steady growth.
Today, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector continues its slow recovery. In this context, I hope that this website can contribute, even modestly, by offering a glimpse into the beauty of Thailand and the kindness of its people — not through marketing, but through real-life experiences and personal stories.
Years ago, we were fortunate to receive media coverage in several countries. Full-page newspaper articles and features in dive magazines helped spread the word about our liveaboard cruises to the Similan Islands, and to remote sites like Hin Daeng and Hin Muang near the Malaysian border.
Two publications that come to mind are:
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Dykking, a Norwegian diving magazine that regularly featured our trips
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Octopus, a leading Russian dive publication that ran a detailed article about our work
Tourism Matters
Tourism is a vital part of Thailand’s economy and identity. If this website can play a small role in encouraging new or returning visitors to explore this remarkable country, that would be a meaningful outcome.