Tourism and Sustainable Development-Driven Thailand Is Now Exporting Sufficiency Economy Philosophy with Some Zest. P4-6
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Community Community Indian schools Argentinian across Qatar street artist P8-9 organise P16 paints events and powerful oryx to assemblies to showcase the strength mark 71st Republic of the people of Qatar Day of India. during unjust blockade. Monday, January 27, 2020 Jumada II 2, 1441 AH Doha today 130 - 190 HOSPITALITY: Few nations in the world are as welcoming as Thais with a signature smile being the country’s USP. Photo by Kamran Rehmat COVER Smile land STORY Tourism and sustainable development-driven Thailand is now exporting Suff iciency Economy Philosophy with some zest. P4-6 QUIZ HOLLYWOOD Story behind Alice Impeachment trial tests in the Wonderland. American attention span. Page 10 Page 15 2 GULF TIMES Monday, January 27, 2020 COMMUNITY ROUND & ABOUT PRAYER TIME Fajr 4.59am Shorooq (sunrise) 6.21am Zuhr (noon) 11.48am Asr (afternoon) 2.54pm Maghreb (sunset) 5.15pm Isha (night) 6.45pm USEFUL NUMBERS Shylock returning the money he owes. Despite warnings from Boss CAST: Mammootty, Meena, Raffi DIRECTION: Ajai and his assistants, Prathapa Varma, with the help of his police Vasudev commissioner friend, continues to mess with Boss. And the SYNOPSIS: A kind-hearted man and a ruthless battle begins. moneylender lock horns in this family entertainer. Boss is a Emergency 999 money lender and Prathapa Varma has cheated him by not THEATRES: Royal Plaza, Landmark, The Mall Worldwide Emergency Number 112 Kahramaa – Electricity and Water 991 Local Directory 180 International Calls Enquires 150 Hamad International Airport 40106666 Labor Department 44508111, 44406537 Mowasalat Taxi 44588888 Qatar Airways 44496000 Hamad Medical Corporation 44392222, 44393333 Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation 44845555, 44845464 Primary Health Care Corporation 44593333 44593363 Qatar Assistive Technology Centre 44594050 Qatar News Agency 44450205 44450333 Q-Post – General Postal Corporation 44464444 Humanitarian Services Offi ce (Single window facility for the repatriation of bodies) Ministry of Interior 40253371, 40253372, 40253369 Ministry of Health 40253370, 40253364 Hamad Medical Corporation 40253368, 40253365 Panga struggle and overcoming of stereotypes. It shows how Qatar Airways 40253374 DIRECTION: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari important the love and support of your family is for you to be CAST: Kangana Ranaut, Jassie Gill, Richa Chadha successful. SYNOPSIS: Panga is inspired from the life of a national level Kabbadi player from India. It follows her triumphs, THEATRES: Royal Plaza, Landmark, The Mall te Unqu uo ot Q “Believe e you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt Community Editor For movie timings and Kamran Rehmat further details please scan e-mail: [email protected] the QR code above with your Telephone: 44466405 mobile phone camera or visit qatarcinemas.com Fax: 44350474 Monday, January 27, 2020 GULF TIMES 3 ROUND & ABOUT COMMUNITY Keto Diet at Elite Medical Centre information, 66053485, 33232490 or visit WHERE: Elite Medical Center www.SmedleyToastmasters.org WHEN: February 8 TIME: 11am To register for the seminar WhatsApp on 30771895 with your name and telephone number. It is a free seminar. 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Qatar Food Fest features Centre 77 stalls, food trucks, and trolleys, bringing WHEN:Saturday – Friday culinary and cultural experiences from all Mamangam is an art and performance corners of the globe to visitors and residents centre started with a vision of spreading in Qatar. our knowledge, interests and experience in various disciplines in arts across diff erent countries for children and adults. Public Speaking Classes for Adults We off er regular classes in disciplines WHERE: Sharq Capital, C-Ring Road like traditional classical dance, art and WHEN:Ongoing till July 1 craft, Bollywood and hip-hop styles, TIME: 6:30pm – 9pm Ballet Lessons Carnatic music, robotics, percussion Get trained by experts to be a good speaker. WHERE: Music and Arts Atelier instruments, keyboard, yoga, zumba and Smedley Toastmasters is conducting a WHEN: Ongoing martial arts like Karate, Shaolin Kung Fu six-month speech-craft programme that TIME: 4pm – 8pm and Kalari. 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E-mail: [email protected], Events and timings subject to change 4 GULF TIMES Monday, January 27, 2020 COMMUNITY COVER STORY Welcome to a ‘new’ Thailand Ecologically-driven tourism, foreign medical hub and all things halal are instant catchers, but the country — fresh from leading the Asean last year — is now focused on taking every willing partner on board so that others, too, can reap the rewards of its successful home-grown suff iciency economy philosophy, or SEP CELEBRATIONS: Fireworks erupt over downtown Bangkok during New Year’s celebrations on January 1, 2020. AFP We believe in maintaining a fine balance; we offer value for money, but money on its own is not our goal. (Hence) our tourism is not only for the rich indulging in luxury, but it caters to all tiers where the prime goal is to maintain environment-friendly tourism — Natapanu Nopakun, Deputy DG, Department ‘ of Information, MoFA, Thailand ’ Monday, January 27, 2020 GULF TIMES 5 COVER STORY COMMUNITY Assistant Professor Dr Molraudee Saratun of the Sustainable Development and Suff iciency Saowalak Pornwilassiri of the Department of Economy, Studies Center, NIDA. South Asia, African and Middle East Aff airs. perhaps infl uencing people (Dale Carnegie, By Kamran Rehmat anyone?) swiftly! Natapanu Nopakun, Deputy Director General, Department of Information, here are multiple engaging areas Ministry of Foreign Aff airs, said the and aspects to a familiarisation tour was part of a studied endeavour to trip such as one to Thailand, but familiarise media professionals with the each time you realise one is not diversity of Thailand. In this regard, he enough. ‘The Land of Smiles’ — as highlighted the economic vistas and tourism Tit is popularly known — immediately strikes (including medical tourism, which also you as (why it is) one of the world’s premier makes the country a choice destination), tourist destinations even if you have not been but with a greater emphasis on ‘sustainable here before. But if you have, chances are you development’, which he drove home was just take it for granted. Because somehow entirely homegrown in Thailand’s case. they have managed to whittle it down to It was a recurring theme throughout the a simple enough equation: smile = happy tour and Assistant Professor Dr Molraudee tourist. Saratun of the Sustainable Development The figures speak for themselves: 2020 and Suffi ciency Economy, Studies Center, marks the 60th anniversary of the Tourism National Institute of Development Authority of Thailand and Thai Airways Administration (NIDA), painstakingly International — the pillars of Thai tourism. explained the philosophy that has enabled Today, the kingdom enjoys 40 million Thailand to become the success story it arrivals and 3 trillion bhats in income is today and how it was trying to fashion according to Imtiaz Muqbil, Executive the same elsewhere with a profound Editor of Travel Impact Newswire, commitment. Thailand’s second longest serving travel In a frank exchange where a fi gure of $63 trade journalist, and author of The Greatest billion turnover was trotted out for the last Story in Global Tourism History. year, Nopakun said that while tourism had That being said, just pigeonholing it in shared with our media group from the rewards. been pivotal in making Thailand a hub, one (admittedly, massive) area would be a Middle East. In fact, Saowalak Pornwilassiri, When this scribe asked about the ‘novelty the country believed in — and practised — tad one-dimensional — even unfair — given of the Department of South Asia, African factor’ in passing the ingredients of success responsibility to ecology. how rich the tapestry is. But let’s start with and Middle East Aff airs, disclosed that to other nations with the possibility that “We believe in maintaining a fi ne balance; the smiles anyway. In moments of solitude, Thai diplomatic missions abroad had a new they may go on to rise as similar powers or we off er value for money, but money on its one has often wondered how Thais manage to mandate vis-à-vis SEP. even better, she reasoned that ultimately, it own is not our goal.