The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is employing its Discover Thainess campaign to attract foreign tourists to "Hidden Gems" -- 12 provinces most people miss on their trips here.
The provinces are Lampang, Nan, Phetchabun, Buri Ram, Loei, Samut Songkhram, Ratchaburi, Trat, Chanthaburi, Trang, Chumphon and Nakhon Si Thammarat.
The Bangkok Post has already looked at the tourism potential of seven provinces. The eighth hidden gem is the northeastern province of Loei, 520 kilometres from Bangkok.
Cool weather
You need not fly to Japan to see cherry blossoms; more than 100,000 wild Himalayan cherry trees (Thai sakura) await you at Phu Lom Lo in Loei.
Thailand's biggest wild Himalayan cherry plantation blooms spectacularly in January and February, covering 1,200 rai of mountainous area in Phu Hin Rongkla National Park.
Moreover, many Thais wish to set foot on the highest point of Phu Kradueng before they die, as climbing to its top requires bodily strength and patience.
Phu Kradueng has been a popular camping spot for more than three decades. Its highest point at 1,316 metres above sea level welcomes more than 50,000 visitors a year, mostly Thais.
Aside from beautiful nature and cool weather, Loei's Chiang Khan district, one of eight in the province, has become popular with hipster travellers. This quiet community sits on the Mekong River opposite the Xayaburi region in Laos.
Chiang Khan has gained recognition as a tourist destination for slow life thanks to its vintage shots, old architectures, culture and people generosity.
Chiang Khan features a traditional way of life, vintage shops and old architecture, drawing travellers from Bangkok and other big cities.
For nature lovers, Loei is surrounded by mountain ranges whose summits are resplendent with various types of flora. Famous mountains include Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang and Phu Ruea.
Tourism and trading in Loei are expected to boom after the Asean Economic Community (AEC) takes full effect at year-end. This area is in a designated tourism and cultural development zone.
Loei governor Viroj Jivarangsan says trade in the Tha Li and Chiang Khan districts generated 9 billion baht revenue last year. The province hopes to maintain trade value amid Thailand's economic slowdown.
Tourism has played an increasing role since 2012, with its revenue of 40 billion baht expected to contribute 9% of Loei's gross provincial product this year, up from less than 5% before 2012.
The Hidden Gems project has helped promote Loei. The province welcomed 706,000 tourists in the first five months of 2015 and expects the number of tourists to reach 2 million this year, up from 1.7 million in 2014, says Teerasak Supapitakpaiboon, president of the Loei Chamber of Commerce.
Phu Reua, a 1,365 metre high mountain dubbed as Thailand's Mount Fuji, is a key attraction in Loei.
Preparations
Loei is promoted as a winter destination, and tourism activity in other seasons tends to be quite low. To this point, the province plans to promote potential attractions during the rainy season.
Phu Ruea is a promising destination for every season because of its variety of flora and blooming rotation. Mr Teerasak says the province wants to promote Phu Ruea as a rehabilitation destination.
The province has shifted its focus to agricultural tourism, aiming to generate extra income for farmers hit by low prices for rubber, sugar cane, cassava and corn. Fruit plantations growing rambutan, durian, pineapple, mangosteen and mango are another potential draw.
Provincial authorities have persuaded many farmers in tambon Buhom of Chiang Khan district to plant mangoes instead of corn. Some 2,000 rai out of 20,000 total has been switched from corn to mangoes.
Mr Viroj says promoting agricultural tourism will increase tourist spending and duration of stay in Loei.
The province has asked the government to upgrade the Loei airport with better customs services to enable fruit exports to Asian countries and attract more foreign travellers.
Local officials have launched a campaign to make Loei a safe and clean city, encouraging residents to reduce, reuse and recycle garbage and waste in the province.
Tourists enjoy biking in Chiang Khan.
Problems and suggestions
The share of foreign visitors in Loei is small -- 5% at most -- despite the province sharing a border with Laos. In fact, tourists can enjoy many attractions in Xayaburi and Luang Prabang provinces in the neighbouring country.
The small number of foreign tourists is in part due to inconvenient border crossings. Regulations issued in 1997 require travellers without a passport who cross the border in Loei to limit travel to Xayaburi and stay just three days and two nights.
The province found that many local travellers did not carry a passport, so they could not leave Loei to visit attractions in Laos. People who live in Loei must travel to Khon Kaen province to apply for a passport.
There are three border checkpoints in Loei: a permanent crossing in Tha Li district, a temporary crossing in Chiang Khan district and another crossing in Pak Chom district. On the Laos side, there is one crossing at Nakraseng village in Kenethao district, Xayaburi (opposite Tha Li, Loei), making cross-border travel inconvenient.
Mr Viroj says Loei authorities have proposed solutions to the Interior Ministry and local officials in Laos to help untangle the situation.
"We hope the Thai and Lao authorities at the national level can help solve this problem together, as this will drive tourism and border trade to grow by at least 20% in the near future," he says.
Tourism in Loei has grown slowly because of limited investment. The number of visitors peaks in the winter, and trips to Laos are inconvenient.
Under these conditions, investors go directly to Luang Prabang and Nong Khai, which are better equipped in terms of land transport, aviation and customs facilities, says Keadtipong Kotchawong, director of the TAT office in Loei.
Chairat Tiyanukulmongkhon, president of the Loei Tourism Business Association, says the average hotel occupancy rate is 80-90% in the high season and 30% in the low season.
Accommodation in the low and middle segments ranges from 300 to 800 baht a night, rising to 800-1,200 baht during the high season.
"It's difficult to attract high-end tourists to Loei, as it has only a few premium accommodations," Mr Chairat says.
Tourism development in Loei is limited because local tour operators are weak. Destinations such as Chiang Khan are better-known among tourists than they are in Loei. Locals who don't benefit directly from tourism fail to grasp its importance.