Thailand Awaits Collaboration with Indonesia in the "Wellness" Tourism Sector

The Thai government is awaiting bilateral cooperation with the Indonesian government to advance the wellness tourism industry sector, said Thai Ambassador to Indonesia Prapan Disyatat in Jakarta on Tuesday.

In an interview session with the media at the Thai Embassy in Jakarta, Ambassador Prapan stated that he had met with Indonesian Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana to discuss the matter. However, discussions have not yet reached the stage of bilateral cooperation.

“We discussed opportunities for collaboration. However, the talks are still general in nature and have not reached specific cooperation. This field is one of the potential areas to work on together. Perhaps we need to look into more detail, especially how we can do it,” said Ambassador Prapan.

Although both countries have leading sectors in tourism, Ambassador Prapan believes this is not a reason for the two countries to compete, but rather to create more space for collaboration and produce mutually beneficial cooperation for Thailand and Indonesia.

“Both Thailand and Indonesia have abundant natural resources, especially in terms of herbal plants and spices, which can be utilised for wellness treatments. This becomes one of the potential fields for us to develop together,” he said.

“Of course, everything depends on the government, whether they can facilitate the various regulations or not. However, if that is available, the opportunities will open up. I think the tourism industry will still find ways to compete, while also collaborating at the same time,” he explained.

Furthermore, Ambassador Prapan stated that the wellness tourism sector in Thailand has developed more broadly, not only in the field of treatments but also encompassing beauty care, cosmetic surgery, and anti-ageing programmes (longevity).

He emphasised that Thailand itself wants to be seen as one of the main destinations for the wellness tourism industry, with high-quality and reliable services. In addition, Thailand is also open to international cooperation.

“And of course, we are open to cooperation with other countries. I think if Thailand benefits, then ultimately the entire region will also feel the benefits,” said Ambassador Prapan.