Bangkok – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is arranging a special campaign called ‘Aroi Tuk Rai, Chim Pai Tuk Suan’ to promote agro-tourism in the provinces of Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat, often referred to as the “Land of Fruits” by the Thai people.
 
Tourists are invited to travel to the region’s fruit plantations to enjoy tours and taste fresh tropical fruits at participating orchards, take pictures and even post their orchard ‘selfies’ on the TAT’s social media sites, and help promote this innovative agro-tourism campaign.
 
Mr. Santi Chudintra, Executive Director of the Eastern Region of TAT said, “Tourists normally associate Thailand’s Eastern provinces, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat with the beaches, where visitors enjoy sea, sand and sun as well as the islands and archipelagos that stretch out into the Gulf of Thailand. But during the fruit harvesting season from April to July, the region offers some sweet diversions and a taste of tropical paradise which can be enjoyed in and around the lush orchards and fruit plantations.”
 
From mid-April onwards, most of Thailand’s fruit crops ripen and farmers prepare for them to be picked and processed. This is why the Eastern provinces attract so many visitors at this time of year, as people come and taste the season’s new fruits which include durian, rambutan, mangosteen, zalacca, and the vibrant dragon fruit.
 
TAT has joined forces with 40 fruit planters in the Eastern region to arrange these fruit tours, which will not only include a walk arou nd the trees and groves, but also include fruit buffets enjoyed in the very orchards where the fruit grew. These tours cost between 150-300 Baht per person, depending on which orchard is visited.
 
Mr. Santi said, “Touring the fruit orchards in any of these provinces gives tourists visiting Thailand a new range of experiences to enjoy. People can learn about the lives of orchardists, pick their own fruit from trees and taste them at their freshest. These experiences are family-friendly and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.”
 
To bring a splash of extra colour to this campaign, TAT is also encouraging tourists to join the online activities by taking ‘selfie’ photos with the ‘Aroi Tuk Rai, Chim Pai Tuk Suan’ signboards and entering a Facebook contest. Already some 20 fruit orchards are taking part in this online campaign.
 
To enter, tourists simply need to take their ‘selfie’ at any of the 20 participating orchards, making sure that the campaign’s signboard is included in the shot. These photos need to be uploaded to the Facebook fan page or Instagram, found at www.facebook.com/funnytraveleastthailand and Instagram #fruitsfestival.
 
Winning photo entries will be judged by the committee but public ‘Like’ votes will also be taken into account. The prizes on offer include iPhone 5s, Samsung Galaxy S5 and Canon cameras among others. This online campaign runs from May 1 – July 15.