Tourist Police and the Omani Embassy have held talks aimed at strengthening tourist safety, deepening bilateral cooperation and addressing the impact of Middle East tensions on travel confidence and regional transport.
Pol Maj Gen Pongsayam Meekhanthong, deputy commissioner of the Tourist Police Bureau, said he met Ambassador Issa bin Abdullah al-Alawi and adviser Omar Saud al-Hinai at the Omani Embassy in Bangkok on March 31.
The meeting followed an earlier session on March 25, he said.
During the most recent talks, both sides exchanged views on enhancing measures to protect tourists, improving the prevention and suppression of tourism-related crime and addressing the impact of conflict in the Middle East, which has affected confidence in the safety of Thailand's tourism industry, Pol Maj Gen Pongsayam said.
Thai officials during the meeting also thanked the Omani government for its assistance to the Thai crew of the vessel Mayuree Naree, as well as Oman's role in supporting negotiations with Iran.
The Thai-flagged Mayuree Naree was attacked on March 11 near the Strait of Hormuz. Twenty crew members were unharmed, while three remain unaccounted for.
Thai authorities said cooperation with Oman helped enable oil tankers linked to Bangchak and SCG Chemicals to pass safely through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping route.
The two sides during the meeting also reviewed tourism conditions in the Middle East and Thailand, including measures to assist Middle Eastern tourists stranded in Thailand.
During the meeting, Thai officials also promoted the 1155 Tourist Police hotline as a tool for reporting incidents and seeking assistance.
The ambassador, meanwhile, expressed readiness to cooperate with Thailand on all fronts, including information-sharing on tourists, operational challenges and policy recommendations.
