Travel historian Imtiaz Muqbil addresses tourism in Thailand from economic, historical and social viewpoints. He says tourism is so key to Thailand’s post-Covid recovery that the government’s recent relaxation of immigration restrictions was necessary for both the economy and social stability. He worries that countries will compete with each other for tourist revenue in a race to the bottom that risks overtourism in certain areas. But he says the industry itself can solve these problems by using better marketing and promotion strategies. He says that the loosening of borders brings an inevitable rise in criminal activity that can only be mitigated, not prevented. And finally, he says that since the end of the second world war, travel and tourism has had a higher purpose – to promote cultural understanding and peace in the world.

Thanks to the new visa regulations issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it’s never been easier to visit Thailand and stay in the country long-term. But the devil is in the details, and to help us take an in-depth look, Dave Kendall is joined by Naruchai Ninnad, Deputy DIrector-General of the Department of Consular Affairs at Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Read the accompanying article in the Bangkok Post at https://bit.ly/3Yzu62e

Once again, northern Thailand is choking under a blanket of toxic smog. What’s really causing it – and how can we get rid of it for good?

Many experts believe cutting down forests to plant corn for animal feed is a major cause of the air pollution, with Chiang Mai ranked the world's worst for several days in mid-March.

Animal agriculture is the elephant in the room when it comes to climate change, as portrayed in the documentary narrated by Kate Winslet, "Eating Our Way to Extinction".

Check out these articles in the Bangkok Post:

⁠Feeding the beast: Chiang Mai smoke seen as world's climate change problem ⁠

⁠Slaughtering the planet - on a farm⁠

More reading:

⁠Global elimination of meat production could save the planet⁠

References:

⁠The animal agriculture industry, US universities, and the obstruction of climate understanding and policy⁠

Reijnders S. Quantification of the environmental impact of different dietary protein choices. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 78, Issue 3, pp. 664S–668S. Published 2003. Accessed 2020. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/78.3.664S

Bala G, Caldeira K, Wickett M, et al. Combined climate and carbon-cycle effects of large-scale deforestation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Published online April 9, 2007:6550-6555. doi:10.1073/pnas.0608998104

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . Climate Change and Land: An IPCC Special Report on Climate Change, Desertification, Land Degradation, Sustainable Land Management, Food Security, and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems. In press; 2019:12