BANGKOK – The Tourism Authority of Thailand announced yesterday that its media and collateral campaign for 20o8  – “Thailand: Fuck the Poor” – had been a huge success and must be continued into 2009.

In a triumphant speech at its annual New Year's party, TAT governor Phornsiri Manoharn said the risky slogan had brilliantly reminded people around the world why Thailand is still such a great holiday destination.

“In one fell swoop the slogan captured the two pillars of Thai culture: our complete denial of equal rights and civil power to anyone without money and the availability of Thai prostitutes created by crushing, chronic economic disparity. In doing this, we have created more brand recognition in more markets and more countries ever enjoyed by ‘softer’ campaigns like ‘Amazing Thailand’ or ‘Thailand Grand Invitation’. Walk on any street in Europe today and you will see someone wearing a ‘Thailand: Fuck the Poor’ T-shirt,” she said.

Continuing, she claimed: “In the past year, the slogan has also been consistently reinforced in the minds of global travellers. They may have heard, for example, about the entire disenfranchisement of the northeast and thought – ‘Fuck the Poor!’ Or they may have heard about the closure of the airport by a Bangkok elite and said, “That's right Thailand. Fuck the Poor!’. Or they may have even heard about hardship among restaurant workers, hotel staff, and small businesspeople, and all these tourists, instead of thinking they should stay away from Thailand, they said - ‘You know what. Fuck the poor! I am going!”

Phornsiri then unveiled several graphs which showed income levels dropping  and the number of sex tourists rising.

“Next year, these tourists can expect thousands of recently unemployed factory workers to enter the sex industry and yes, ‘Fuck the Poor!’ they can. Only a drought or swarm of locusts could make things better,” she concluded.