Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)’s booth to promote the Thai capital as a global tourist destination won the top award at India’s premier travel trade show on Saturday.

India overtook China as Thailand’s top source of foreign tourists last year as Beijing imposed tough Covid-19 travel restrictions.

The Bangkok booth at Outbound Travel Mart (OTM 2023), held in Mumbai from February 2-4, was handed the Best Design and Decoration Award by the organiser.

The award was received by Sing Limpirat, deputy director of BMA’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Department.

Over 30,000 people checked out the booth showcasing Bangkok’s charm and attractions, many of whom confirmed they wanted to visit the capital, he said.

The event’s crowd of mostly tourism business operators inquired about travel in Bangkok, as well as Thai handicrafts such as fruit carving, flower arrangement.

Attendees were also interested in dishes available in Bangkok that would appeal to Indian tourists, including Krathong Thong, Panipuri, and chicken satay, as well as Thai and Indian tea.

Visitors also participated in Ramwong Thai folk dancing and took part in a contest to win one-day trips in Bangkok featuring a leisure cruise on the Chao Phraya River. Participants had to snap a photo of the BMA booth and post it on their Facebook with the hashtag #bangkoktourismdivision.

The Bangkok booth also offered Thai traditional costumes for participants to wear and take selfies, which attracted the longest queues over the three-day exhibition.

The final day saw the BMA showcase awarded Best Design and Decoration in a vote by over 1,250 booth organisers and 30,000 participants.

BMA representatives also gave interviews to foreign journalists from several outlets regarding the city’s readiness to welcome international visitors.

“We believe that participating in the OTM 2023 will definitely help attract more foreign tourists and tour operators from around the world to visit the Thai capital,” said Sing.