Two Thai travel bloggers, the sixth of 10 groups to spend a night at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, said on Thursday that they were impressed by the openness of the 100-year-old structure and of Taiwan.
The couple, who arrived in Taiwan on Tuesday for a six-day stay, were selected from more than 160 entries as part of the “Spend a Night at Taiwan’s Presidential Office Building” program, organized by the Presidential Office, the General Association of Chinese Culture, the Tourism Bureau and other organizations.
The campaign was launched in August to promote the 100th anniversary of the Presidential Office Building, with the winning groups spending the night in the security standby room turned guestroom, starting on Oct. 9.
“We saw how close the place is to the people,” said Kanisorn Pringthongfoo and Varaporn Rasmeekajorndej, who operate the travel Web site ibreak2travel, which won the Best Informative Blog Award in 2017 from Indonesian hotel and flight booking site Traveloka.
There are usually large walls surrounding the offices or residences for a head of state, making them seem like forbidden areas, Pringthongfoo said, adding: “But here, it’s open.”
“We have visited Taiwan many times. We know Taiwan very well, but there, something surprised me — the Presidential Office Building,” Pringthongfoo said. “I can feel the humbleness of the place to the people.”
They learned about the program from Taiwan’s tourism Facebook page and sent an audition video, they said.
“I have been to many countries and stayed in many luxury hotels, but this is the most exciting trip of my life,” Rasmeekajorndej said. “A once in a lifetime experience. I could stay in a presidential office building.”
The guest room was well decorated and President Tsai Ing-wen even prepared a welcome card and delicacies from Hualien as snacks, she added.
After visiting the room, the couple viewed an exhibition on the history of Taiwan and praised its transition to a full democracy in such a short period.
“Taiwan is not a very old country, but it is not a country ruled by a dictator nor an emperor. It’s ruled by the people... The success of this country comes from its people,” Pringthongfoo said.
“I think the story of Taiwan will make many Thai people understand the differences between the Taiwanese, Chinese and Hong Kong people. Everyone looks Chinese, but each land has its own story,” he added.
They also plan to visit Keelung, which they said is not well-known to most Thais.
