Tiger Airways increase flights to Phuket and Bangkok

Just four days after Bangkok's state of emergency was lifted, Tiger Airways announces today its plan to increase flights from Singapore to Bangkok and Phuket for the winter season.

From October 26, the Singapore-based budget carrier will fly three times daily to Bangkok and twice daily to Phuket. With the additional 28 flights per week, Tiger Airways will offer a total of 70 flights between the two countries, reinforcing its position as the leading provider of low fares between Singapore and Thailand.

Tiger Airways maintained its flight schedule to Bangkok during the period of the state of emergency and allowed passengers the option to postpone flight dates or change destinations.

The carrier's Singapore managing director, Ms Rosalynn Tay, told TTG Daily News only a small percentage of passengers had requested for booking changes and the majority kept to their travel plans to Bangkok.

Ms Tay said: "Tiger Airways has confidence in the resilience of Thailand's tourism industry and will play its part to support the tourism within the region."

Novotel Halong Bay ready to open

Novotel Ha Long Bay is scheduled to open 1 October.

Novotel Ha Long Bay is Novotel’s third addition to its network in Vietnam that includes Novotel Dalat and Novotel Ocean Dunes & Golf Resort. It is also the ninth hotel being managed by Accor in the country.

Four other Novotels in Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Hoi An and Hanoi are under development and are expected to join the Vietnam network by 2011.

Accor claims the 214 room Novotel Ha Long Bay wil be the first internationally branded hotel in the Ha Long Bay area.

The hotel offers leisure facilities including an outdoor swimming pool overlooking Ha Long Bay, a spa, fitness centre, restaurant that serves Asian and Western dishes, an executive lounge and a contemporary style lobby lounge bar.

In addition to leisure facilities, the hotel has conference facilities capable of hosting up to 300 delegates, and is supported by audio and visual equipment.

Reservations can now be made via www.novotel.com/asia. Two special launch offers are available and valid until 31 December. Opening rates start from US$110++ per room per night inclusive of buffet breakfast. A ‘Stay & Cruise’ package that includes a four hour cruise on the bay is available from just US$145++ for two, and also includes breakfast.

Web check-in service being lunched by Bangkok Airways

Great new feature:

Bangkok Airways has launched a web check-in service for passengers travelling from its key domestic routes.

The service enables passengers to easily check-in online and select their preferred seat as early as 24 hours before departure, by clicking on "Web Check-In" at www.bangkokair.com.

Passengers only need to show their printed boarding pass at the designated counter for quick ID verification and baggage check (if need be).

Currently, the service applies to passengers who fly from Bangkok, Samui and Phuket to other domestic destinations. It will apply to other destinations in the near future.

THAI forsees passenger drop

Thai Airways International foresees a drop in passengers during the winter schedule although it has yet to be significantly observed. The previous airport closure and violent scenes on TV have triggered cancellations and postponements, mostly from North Asian markets. A few cancellations from long-haul markets have started to appear, which is not a good sign for the coming high season. The official figure of losses since the anti-government group closed airports in August has not been released.

“The longer the unrest goes on, the more the country’s economy will be hurt. I just don’t want to think about it. In my view, if all the mess could be resolved by the end of this month, high season will not go bust, but admittedly the volume will drop. It would be good enough if we could retain what we already have in our hands. Confidence in and the reputation of the country are not only damaged but they are gone,” THAI Area Thailand, Indo-China and the Union of Myanmar director Chris Chantalitanon said.

Asked for the figures on losses caused by the airport closures and their aftermath, he said the official figures have yet to be released. Besides refunds, the airline has been offering schedule changes free of charge regardless of restrictions on fare types.

“We have to offer as much as we can for the sake of the nation, and it is better that passengers carry on with their trips, and not cancel,” he said.

At the moment, Mr Chris said the number of cancellations was not high, but rescheduling was. This is because it is low season and the general mood, politically and economically, is that people will travel because they need to, but not for pleasure.

“I’m afraid that cancellations for those who booked for the high season will start to come. We can see some cancellations from long-haul markets, and this is putting a shadow over the future. The small number of cancellations we are seeing now is because of the tense political atmosphere. The sooner it ends, the more losses we can save,” said Mr Chris.

Travel warnings issued by several countries as a result of the violence last Monday night and the declaration of a state of emergency have prompted the drop, especially from North Asian markets.

Tourism had been doing alright, but the confrontation and the coverage of the violence by foreign news agencies have scared tourists into changing destinations.

Mr Chris said that for now, THAI is keeping its existing schedule and will operate as long as the airports are open. The airline will review the situation on a daily basis, prepare for emergencies and check the situation at the destination before taking off.

To encourage passengers to travel, the carrier is also looking into promotions. However, campaigns will not be launched if the ongoing political situation is not resolved. After life in Thailand returns to normal, the airline can embark on marketing schemes.

Currently, flights are mostly full, but not because of good business. It is because a lot of passengers have not been able to travel earlier due to flight cancellations.

Another update on situation in Bangkok

Bangkok's major exhibition and convention venues have reported all local and international trade fairs and conferences are being staged on schedule despite the state of emergency declared by the government.

Sources at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) said the centre had received an urgent enquiry from the UN to use the facility for today’s meeting, originally to be held at the UN Building in Bangkok’s Ratchadamnoen Nok Avenue, near the Government House which anti-government protesters have seized and have been camping out for almost two weeks.

The UN meeting has resulted in QSNCC being busier than usual as the centre is at the same time also the venue for two other fairs, the 13th Discovery Thailand and Discovery World 2008 (from September 4 to 7) and the 4th Health Cuisine and Beauty Festival (from September 3 to 7).

The Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center (BITEC) has confirmed all local and international shows are on track. Business development director, Mr Sarnit Karunyavanij, said there was no postponement or cancellation except for some queries from overseas partners about Bangkok’s political situation.

He said Thailand’s Department of Export Promotion had confirmed the annual Furniture Show from September 6 to 14 and Bangkok International Logistics Fair September 11 to 14 were to be held as scheduled.

IMPACT Muang Thong Thani has also confirmed all exhibition events and consumer shows scheduled at the venue remain on the calendar, with the ITU Telecom Asia 2008, held from September 2, concluding today.

Meanwhile, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau has reassured organisers, planners and delegates of business events in Thailand in one of its statements: “Normal businesses continue to be unaffected. The gatherings for corporate meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions can be conducted as usual.”

Bangkok emergency decree hurts

Tourism associations have demanded that the state of emergency be withdrawn.

Atta president, Apichart Sankary, said: “We have seen a loss during low season because of the economic decline, Euro 2008, and the Olympic Games in China. Now the statement of emergency and the travel warnings will trigger a continued drop that could go into the high season, from October to March, if the situation lingers until the end of September. Tourists from Europe, Russia and Scandinavia will disappear.”

He said the government’s 2008 tourism target of Bt600,000 million and 15.48 million arrivals from the international market would be impossible to achieve.

The industry has estimated a loss of 20% to 30% a day in tourist numbers, which would mean a decline of Bt300 to Bt450 million a day off the average Bt1,500 million earned daily by the tourism industry.

Bangkok updates

BANGKOK'S continuing political unrest has led to more travel warnings being issued while tourism groupings are asking for the government to end the state of emergency to reassure tourists’ confidence.

Immediately following the declaration of the state of emergency on Tuesday, Japan, South Korea, Australia and the UK issued travel warnings to their citizens.

At press time, seven more countries – France, Denmark, China, Taiwan, New Zealand, Switzerland and Singapore – have also issued warnings against travel to Thailand.

To raise tourists' confidence, Thai tourism groupings reportedly issued a statement pleading the government to end the state of emergency as soon as possible to minimise the damage done to the industry.

Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Mr Apichart Sankary, said the association feared tourism revenue about 100 billion baht (US$2.9 billion) would be lost for the high season if the state of emergency continued to end-September.

The Thai Hotels Association has reported the impact on main tourist destinations in the Kingdom; for example, occupancy rates in Phuket were reduced 30 per cent, while the rates in Pattaya and Koh Samui's decreased five to 10 per cent from last month.

Hat Yai airport authority reportedly cancelled all morning flights from Bangkok to conduct security check in the area seized by the protesters, but flights in afternoon were operating as normal.

The cancellations included flights of Thai Airways International, Nok Air and Thai AirAsia. Some train services to the southern part of Thailand have also been halted.

Bangkok under State of Emergency

More bad news for Thai tourism eventough situation is totally safe in tourism areas and State of Emergency a complete overreaction of Prime Minister.

Below however is a quick snapshot on hotel situation by a Bangkok hotelier:


Chao Phaya Hotel general manager, Andrew Wood, provides these insights just hours after a state of emergency was declared in Bangkok earlier this morning. A state of emergency followed a night of scuffles and violence between pro and anti government protestors, leaving one dead and 43 injured.



Mr Wood views the situation from a hotel perspective.

• Three groups have already cancelled l this morning mainly from the government sector but also a local MICE function and we are receiving cancellations from FIT Corporate Japanese.

• The question of whether five or more people can meet under the emergency degree will threaten the local conference market.

• Cancelled all casual staff and all overtime. Occupancy is down to 55% and dropping. It could reach 40%, if things do not improve. Normally we would anticipate 75% in September, which is a rainy season month and one of quietest in the year. Floors are to be closed to conserve energy.

• Strikes that will cut off water, electricity and transportation is going to lead to some restrictions to tourists but at present all airports are open.

• Most of Thailand remains largely unaffected...the 'hot spot' is in and around government house, which is an area to be avoided.

• The presence of military in the area will present the message that things are actually worst than they really are.

• We expect September business across the board –rooms, restaurants, conference and banqueting. The loss could be as high as Bt4 million for our Bangkok property alone.

• Skal Bangkok meeting next Tuesday is likely to be cancelled

• HRH Prince Andrew's visit to Bkk organised by the British Chamber of Commerce and evening function at the Grand Hyatt on Wednesday 3rd Sept 2008 has been cancelled, after the prince cancelled his visit.

Bangkok protests - bad news for tourism

The travel trade has convened in today’s urgent meeting to evaluate the tourism situation as a result of last week’s political protests, which led to the seizure of the Government House, halt of rail services and closure of international airports in Phuket, Krabi and Hat Yai.

About 15,000 passengers were left stranded at Phuket International Airport, which was forced to close last Friday by the protestors, according to a Bangkok Post report. Phuket and Krabi airports were forced to close for two days and reopened on Sunday while Hat Yai Airport was reopened on Saturday.

Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor, Ms Phornsiri Manoharn, has appealed to the private sector to work closely among themselves and with the TAT for contingency plans to handle the situation on a daily basis.

At press time, neither TAT nor the private sector has clear information as to how severe the impact of the political turmoil on Thai tourism is.

Thai Hotels Association president, Mr Prakit Chinamournphong, has reported member hotels recorded some cancellations on hotel bookings, but he is still waiting for all members to come back with exact figures within three days.

He said he feared the tourism situation would plunge gravely if the situation prolonged as next month was the start of the high season for South Korea, particularly for honeymooners, who might opt for Bali and the Maldives as alternatives.

The prospect of Thailand welcoming the first groups in the series of retirements from the UK and US to Chiang Mai would be clouded by the prolonged political situation too, he added.

Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Mr Apichart Sankary, has reported onward bookings for the coming high season, from October to March or April, has dropped by five per cent “partly from the world economy and partly from the protests in Bangkok and elsewhere in Thailand”.

However, Mr Apichart said the number of charter flights from Scandinavian to Phuket and Krabi in the coming high seasons remained unchanged. He said TUI Nordic and Thomas Cook had today jointly launched the first flight of the twice-weekly charter flights from Scandinavia to Phuket.

“Fortunately the airport has re-opened; otherwise it would have been a different story, and would most likely affect the plan for more charter flights, starting from end-October,” he added.

The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) too has called for the Thai government and the protesters to put national interests first, citing the already visible negative impact on domestic and international tourism. “If the situation continues, it will result in several countries issuing travel warnings, which will make it difficult to convince tourists to come back (to Thailand),” it warned.

South Korea, UK, Canada, Japan and Australia have issued travel advisories on Bangkok’s political situation.

Air Asia to launch daily flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong

Great news from Air Asia:

Thai AirAsia is getting ready to launch direct daily flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok. The new route, which will be launched in October, will operate with AirAsia’s new Airbus A320 aircraft.

The daily flights will depart Bangkok at 16:30 arriving in Hong Kong at 20:15. The return leg will leave Hong Kong at 20:50 to arrive in Bangkok at 22:50.

Commenting on the new route launch Tassapon Bijleveld, Chief Executive Officer of Thai AirAsia, said, “We are thrilled to be pioneering the low cost model in Hong Kong, and to be extending our notoriously low fares to passengers throughout the region. The new Hong Kong - Bangkok route will help improve trade flows and investment in the region and provide increased access to Thailand for the huge tourism market in China, from where they will be able to easily connect to the many other exciting cities that AirAsia flies to.”

With strong tourism in both regions AirAsia is optimistic that the new route will achieve load factors of over 80% within the first year of operation.