Journalists covering the Apec 2003 summit in Thailand are faced with the dilemma of concentrating on their news job or to indulge themselves in the amazing mountain of free goodies offered to them by the Thai government.
Besides free food, drinks, beer and daily foot massages, Thailand is offering the Apec journalists free tours to explore the amazing country.
The booth of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre is offering journalists free tours to Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya and the popular seaside resort of Pattaya Beach, from which the words "sea, sand and sun" may well find their way into some Apec press articles.
The historical sites of Kanchanaburi and Ayutthaya were the most popular choice among the Thai reporters, while most foreign journalists opted for a free beach holiday to Pattaya.
Some reporters said that they were happily surprised by such a generous hospitality in Thailand, but added that those expensive hand-outs wouldn't necessarily translate into flattering articles about Thailand.
