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Selling the river
INTRODUCTION | ||
 The story and pictures here are part of a Horizons article about a day-long river trip that explores the highlights along that riverbank. You will find a map, pictures and another story in feature focus. Teachers: Introduce this lesson by brainstorming with your students about what attracts tourists to Thailand. What kinds of tourists come to visit this country – are some interested in natural scenery, in low-cost travel, in exotic historic buildings? Some are interested in the comfort and convenience of an organised tour, others want to rough it on their own.The activity below asks students to design a poster to sell the idea of a day trip on the Chao Phraya. To prepare for that you want students to think about what kind of tourists will be attracted to a trip that promises to be on schedule, will allow for flexibility, is convenient, safe and economical. Students will have to find ways to emphasise those qualities. Your class can certainly do the activity using only the information here, but if they are able, encourage them to use the map, pictures and ideas in the story in feature focus as well. Students: Here’s what to do: The activity for you to do today is to work individually or in a small group to design a poster. The purpose of your poster is to attract tourists to spend a day visiting the attractions along the banks of the Chao Phraya River as it winds through Bangkok. Look at the map on page 5 to see the stops included.Have you ever had a chance to talk with visitors? What kind of things do they want to see? What is important for them – comfort, convenience, low price? Do some of them want to meet local people? Read the story to find out the advantages of the boat trip. Think about it compared to a tour arranged by a five star hotel or one made by renting a long-tail boat at the Oriental pier? List those advantages. Design a poster to attract visitors to the boat trip. What words and phrases would you use? What information will you have to include? How big will your poster be? How would you illustrate it? When you have finished your posters put them up around your school and neighbourhood to attract local people as well as visitors. | ||
OUR STORY FROM THE BANGKOK POST
"Tourists enjoy travelling around Bangkok by boat. It's a pity we didn't come up with the idea earlier," Supapan Pichaironarongsongkram, president of CPEB pointed out to Horizons. Four boats connect 13 piers the CPEB serves between Sathorn and Banglampoo. They leave and arrive punctually. They are manned by seasoned hands and well-trained crew to ensure passenger safety. English-speaking guides are also available to assist foreign tourists. For a price of 75 baht you get a day-long pass, a guidebook and a bottle of drinking water. "The boat takes you to Rattanakosin Island, the Temple of Dawn, the Grand Palace, Temple of the Reclining Buddha. The One-Day River Pass enables tourists to travel on their own and save money because they don't have to charter the boat," Supapan explained. The boat cruises at a gentle speed to allow tourists to enjoy the scenery. The 120-seat boat is equipped with toilet. The service runs from 9.00 a.m. until 3.00 p.m. The boats leave piers at 30-minute intervals. Conversely, express boat service is also available for those who are short on time. "The most important thing is that our service is known for its punctuality," she added. The BTS pitched in by linking the tourist boat service to its skytrain network at Saphan Taksin Station. Map and guidebooks are distributed to commuters and tourist passengers. "We are also trying to promote the new service through television, print media, website, posters and banners," Sirilak Srisimaratna, BTS marketing manager said. Each day some 5,000 foreign tourists use the skytrain to travel around Bangkok and beat the traffic jam on city streets. This is just the beginning of a long and extensive partnership between the two parties, Sirilak said. "This is not just a matter of transportation. The Chao Phraya River is an attraction in itself. The cool breeze coming off the river is very soothing to the senses," she concluded.
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maureen@bangkokpost.co.th || © The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. All rights reserved 2003 | Last modified: May 19, 2003 | ||
Operator of the skytrain, Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS), has joined hands with Chao Phraya Express Boat (CPEB) to launch a ferry service that offers city residents and foreign visitors a convenient way to explore historical landmarks and tourist attractions in Bangkok.