BETWEEN TWO SEAS TRAVELS FROM THE GULF OF THAILAND TO THE ANDAMAN COAST

“Between Two Seas: Travels From the Gulf of Thailand to the Andaman Coast” is an edited volume which originates from a research study conducted by Chulalongkorn University during 2018 - 2020 in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province in Thailand and Myeik and Tanaosri Towns in Myanmar. The study sought to explore the possibility of connecting the southern parts of both countries through the promotion of tourism, and to advance cross-border people mobility via the Indo-Pacific linkage at its narrowest geographical spot. The attempts were successful in the sense that all stakeholders on both sides were enthusiastic to cooperate under this common vision. The provincial/ regional tourism authorities, the tourist associations in Prachuap and Myeik, the Chambers of Commerce as well as the academics played vital roles in tourism connectivity promotion. Workshops and consultative meetings were organized during 2018-2019. At the termination of the project, a pilot tour package to validate the findings of the study and to present attractive tourist spots in Prachaup and Myeik to relevant stakeholders was conducted bilaterally. Consequently, in 2019, the number of Thai and Myanmar tourists who crossed the Singkhorn Pass on Thai side and the Maw Daung Pass on Myanmar side to visit the Prachuap-Myeik Corridor tripled over the previous years. The study proved that this corridor offers a unique travel experience at a moderate cost for land travelers.