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1 Dec, 2016

Kusa Panyarachun, Managing Director, World Travel Service

ASEAN Travel & Tourism Hall of Fame – Initiated by Travel Impact Newswire Executive Editor Imtiaz Muqbil to recognise the many veterans who helped grow and shape ASEAN tourism over the last 50 years.

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Date and Place of Birth: 30 December 1918, Bangkok

Date of Passing: 25 May 2022

Marital Status: Twice married with three sons, two from first marriage and one from the second. (Updated from earlier post which said he had one son)

Education

Vachiravudhvidhayalai and Thepsirin High School

1938, Secondary School in Philippines and College in Williston Academy in USA for two years

Wharton School of Finance and Commerce, Pennsylvania, USA in 1947

Career

During World War II, worked with the USA military in the areas of logistics and intelligence.

1948 – 1949: Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce, thereafter joined Bangkok Warehouse Co., Ltd. as Deputy Manager.

– 1949 Set up World Travel Service, then the first tour operator based in Thailand.

1968-1974: Founder member and first President of Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA). Served one more term in 1978.

1954: World Travel Service becomes first Thai tour operator member of PATA.

1972: Founder of PATA Thailand Chapter, remained a member ever since.

1985: PATA Life Membership

Also active for several years in the SKAL Club of Thailand

One of the great veterans of the Thai travel and tourism industry. Reinvented himself successfully from a military to a civilian career to become arguably Thailand’s most committed and dedicated tour operator. Played a giant role in facilitating contacts with the Pacific Asia Travel Association and globalising the Thai travel and tourism industry.

Source: Association of Thai Travel Agents, World Travel Service and Travel Impact Newswire archives.