PATA Statement in Respect of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
Bangkok (Thailand) – October 14, 2016 – (travelindex.com) – ‘It was with considerable sorrow and great sadness that we learned of the passing of Thailand’s monarch, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
His Majesty was loved and revered by all our staff and this is, inevitably, a very sad time for them, for the Royal Family and, indeed, for all Thai citizens. The dedication shown by His Majesty The King to his country and his people has long been admired by heads of state, government leaders and the people of nations around the world. There is, this morning, in Thailand a feeling of immense loss.
The PATA head office in Bangkok remains open but there may be, in the coming days and weeks, some disruption to our normal business operations. We shall, in all cases, abide by the instructions issued from the Palace and by the Government.
Thailand has been the home of the Pacific Asia Travel Association for nearly 20 years and we share today the immense feeling of sadness and loss at the passing of a truly remarkable monarch. I am sure that you will wish to join me in extending your condolences to our colleagues in Bangkok and to the people of Thailand’.
About PATA
Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region. The Association provides aligned advocacy, insightful research and innovative events to its member organisations, comprising 98 government, state and city tourism bodies, 21 international airlines, airports and cruise lines, 68 educational institutions, and hundreds of travel industry companies in Asia Pacific and beyond. Thousands of travel professionals belong to the 40 local PATA chapters worldwide. The chapters organise travel industry training and business development events. Their grassroots activism underpins PATA’s membership of the Global Travel Association Coalition (GTAC), which includes ACI, CLIA, IATA, ICAO, WEF, UNWTO and the WTTC. The PATAmPOWER platform delivers unrivalled data, forecasts and insights from the PATA Strategic Intelligence Centre to members’ desktops and mobile devices anywhere in the world. PATA’s Head Office has been in Bangkok since 1998. The Association also has official offices or representation in Beijing, Sydney and London.