Despite bad traffic, tourism flourishes

By Al S. Mendoza

 

BANGKOK – This city continues to attract tourists like lamps to moths.

It’s just amazing, indeed.

Traffic is that bad here – it is No. 6 “baddest” in the world – and yet, people from all creed and race flock here by the day.

We are not even in the Top 5 of the world’s worst traffic flows, but our tourism industry continues to struggle and grapple with projections.

Who said it’s more fun in the Philippines, anyway?

If it were so, then how come we remain far behind our neighbors in the number of tourist arrivals yearly?

This bustling Thai capital relies heavily on its tourism industry for growth, which puzzles even global experts.

But not me.

People here are friendly.  They work efficiently.  They have discipline.  They have one word.  Honest.

In recent times, natural calamities have struck hard at world-famed beach resorts here, resulting in deaths (Phukhet, for example) of many tourists.

In no time, the nation was back on its feet.

Very recently, the city suffered massive flooding, resulting in damages to car companies involved in manufacturing.

Many Asian countries were affected, including the Philippines, which imports vehicles from here, not to mention vehicle parts.

But again, the country’s recovery was so fast that company operations were back to normal just as fast.

By the way, I am here as guest of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines to test-drive its second version Mirage, the best-selling hatchback last year in the Philippines.

The new Mirage is a sedan, still a 1.2 liter and a real gas miser.

While I found the bantam so cool and admirable even in extreme maneuvering and handling at the world-class Bonanza International Circuit in Khao Yai town in Nakornratchasima Province (three hours by bus from here), what got my eye was the huge Mitsubishi factory in Laemchabang in Sriracha, Chonburi, which is a two-hour drive from here and which we visited a day after the test-drive.

Actually, I had visited this factory already in July 2012, and I’ve seen the numerous robots there helping build cars in virtually a snap. Really magic.

But in less than a year, so many innovations have been introduced at the Laemchabang factory, resulting in more vehicle exports to more than 40 countries worldwide covering Asia, Australia, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

In 2007 alone, Mitsubishi had hit one million exports and in 2010, exports peaked to more than two million – two milestones that made Mitsubishi proud.

And you know what?

The Mitsubishi factory at Laemchabang, which sits at nearly 20 hectares, should have been built in the Philippines in 1992 but for government red tape.  Ugh!  Lost opportunity, indeed.  Bad, bad, really.

Anyway, I thank Shibata-san, the Mitsubishi president in the Philippines, Mitsubishi top guns Buboy Alvarez, Froi Dytianquin and Arlan Reyes for the rare honor of having been invited anew to their truly memorable trip to this city of delicious fruits.

Again, a big break.  I owe you one, fellas.

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