“DASTA will soon seek Cabinet approval for the two areas: Chiang Saen in Chiang Rai province, and Cha-am and Hua Hin in Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan provinces [respectively],” he said.

The organisation is convinced Chiang Saen could become a new hub for community-based tourism in the North, with the added benefit of its proximity across the Mekong River to southern China.

Meanwhile, the development of Hua Hin and Cha-am would help boost tourism on the Gulf coast of Thailand and raise the overall quality of the two areas as tourism destinations, Nalikatibhag said.

Since its establishment 12 years ago as a pubic organisation, DASTA has developed six places as community-based tourism destinations – Koh Chang, Pattaya, Sukhothai, Loei, Nan and Suphan Buri. The director-general added that DASTA planned to develop more areas, including Pai in Mae Hong Son province, Ayutthaya, Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, and Songkhla Lake.

“Our three-to-five-year plan is aimed at developing more communities as tourist destinations. But most important, the goal is to create jobs and increase income for local people,” he explained.

Last year, DASTA pushed sustainable development via a number of means around the Kingdom, including building 13 model communities, launching tourism guidelines and plans for five clusters, and developing a hotel and tourism database. The body also promoted cross-border tourism, particularly with Laos.

DASTA had at one time been forced to shut down operations and temporarily transfer itself to the Tourism and Sports Ministry, because of a lack of clarity over its role and duplication of work with other tourism authorities, but Nalikatibhag said the organisation now remained important as “a key conductor of sustainable and community-based development”.

“Our role does not duplicate that of any other tourism agency. Community tourism development needs a body such as this, and it [having such an agency] is one of the recommendations from the World Tourism Organisation,” he stressed.

He added that Prime Minister General Prayut Chan o-cha had stated that DASTA would remain in place until at least the general election next year.

However, if the next government wanted to transfer the organisation to the Tourism and Sports Ministry, DASTA should have no problem with such a decision and would continue its work as usual, Nalikatibhag said.