The Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) is launching a new campaign to attract tourists back to Thailand's southern Andaman region hit by last month's tsunamis.

Under the new campaign, the national flag carrier will invite at least 1,000 foreign journalists from the country's major tourism markets to visit the Andaman region, particularly to six tsunami-ravaged provinces -- Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, Ranong and Satun -- to witness their quick recovery from the disaster, THAI's President Kanok Abhiradee was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying Thursday.

"The foreign journalists will also witness by themselves that many tourist destinations in the region remain their national charms and beauties, unaffected by the Dec. 26 disaster," he said.

The foreign journalists are believed to help publicize the fact internationally.

"If we can attract only 10 percent of this targeted group of tourists back to the region, our campaign in this part is considered successful," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2005)