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tourism, taking advantage of the excellent ties between our two countries. And my third responsibility would be of a consular nature. I and my colleagues at the embassy would look into the interests and safety of all Bhutanese in Thailand, whether they’ re residents, students or just passing through. Related to carrying out the above three would be to learn more about Thailand and promote awareness of my country in your great nation.Is there any policy to boost tourism between the countries?Yes. In Bhutan, tourism is a major sector of the sustainable develop- ment policy that we follow. We look at tourism not only as a source of revenue but more importantly as an avenue to further develop people- to-people contact. For Thai tourists visiting Bhutan, we look at themas potential ambassadors of Thailand to Bhutan and, when they return from Bhutan, as informal ambassadors of Bhutan in Thailand. Last year, in commemorating the 25th anniver- sary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations, we had a special package. Because of that programme, the number of Thai visitors to Bhutan was at a range of 12,000. That is a jump from about 5,000 tourists, a 246% increase. So I thought it was a tremendous boost, not so much as revenue generation but in people- to-people contact and awareness building. At the same time, from Bhutan to Thailand, I think the figure is closer to 24,000, which is a huge number given our small population.This year is a significant year for Bhutan. Bhutan and Thailand celebrate two significant birthday anniversaries, in Thailand of HRHMaha Chakri Sirindhorn and the 60th birthday of His Majesty the fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck. So this year in Bhutan we have special festivals and packages that have never been done before, especially for Thai audiences. We look forward to welcoming Thai people to join in our celebrations.What are the major attractions in Bhutan?We have found that Thai people lean more towards the cultural aspect. Bhutan is popular for interesting, unique festivals. Each region has a full flavour of festivals that tell a vibrant story, either religious or romantic, and many of them have Buddhist themes so Thai people should immediately understand what the story is about.But Bhutan offers a variety of attractions. I would break this down into three again. One will be theElite+ 23