The Agriculture Ministry in collaboration with the Tourism and Sports Ministry will promote agricultural tourism in a bid to boost the incomes of local communities.
The cooperation will start in four pilot areas -- Klong Mahasawat in Nakhon Pathom, Pak Phanang in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Khao Kho in Phetchabun and Ban Khok Muang in Buri Ram.
Both ministries hope agricultural tourism will boost household income by at least 10% in rural areas and upgrade local farm products in the next three years.
Next year, they will add nine more secondary tourism provinces to the project. They are Lampang, Nan, Samut Songkram, Ratchaburi, Chanthaburi, Trat, Loei, Chumphon and Trang.
Agriculture Minister Pitipong Phuengboon Na Ayudhaya said farmers generated 40% of their monthly income from additional work such as selling farm or community products.
"If tourism can contribute a 10% rise to their household income, it means farmers will have more financial stability," he said.
Mr Pitipong said to achieve the target, both ministries need preparatory work such as educating communities about tourism and services. Each community must find unique products to promote and sell to tourists.
Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said her ministry would assist each community in finding one or two potential products, and those with the highest potential would be developed for presentation to hotels.
In addition, Mr Pitipong said his ministry had other projects with the Tourism and Sports Ministry such as business-to-agriculture sales, which would give farmers a chance to meet hoteliers and sell products to them directly.
The Agriculture Ministry plans to educate communities about improving their homestay projects to the standard set by the Tourism Department.
Meanwhile, the Tourism and Sports Ministry will assign the Tourism Department to set up more direction signs and toilets in new tourist attractions.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand will help to promote the new destinations.
Ms Kobkarn said the agricultural tourism project targeted both domestic and international travellers in a bid to attract more quality tourists to the country.