Thailand tourism board targets wealthy Japanese crypto holders

In its latest effort to revive the Kingdom‘s pandemic-battered tourism industry, Thailand’s tourism authority is targeting cryptocurrency holders from Japan.　　The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) wants to establish the country as the first to go out of its way to welcome cryptocurrency holders, specifically those from Japan which it views as a regional hub of crypto activity. The authority has conducted a feasibility study on implementing cryptocurrency payments at tourism destinations.　　Thailand has been angling for well-heeled tourists ever since the collapse of the industry in the first quarter of 2020 when Asian nations began closing their borders in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.　　According to the Bangkok Post, TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said that cryptocurrency could be the key to attracting the high rollers:　　“If we can prepare the country for the cryptocurrency market, it will help attract more opportunities from high-spending tourists, especially the young and wealthy generations.”　　He added that the use of cryptocurrency must comply with regulations from the central bank and measures must be designed to deter money laundering.　　The authority cites three-year-old figures for Japan as having an 11% crypto ownership rate, however more recent 2020 figures from Statista suggest that it is closer to 4%.　　Mr. Yuthasak even