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.

THAI teams up with TAT

Thai Airways International join hands with Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote the country’s tourism and cut costs, and promises this is now a permanent co-operation.

TAT chairman of the board, Wanchai Salathulthat, said after a meeting held at the TAT office, 20 August, THAI and TAT have agreed to help each other create win-win situations.

Led by TAT governor and THAI president, a team has been set up comprising of THAI’s executive vice president for commercial and corporate communications director and TAT’s deputy governors for international marketing, domestic marketing, advertising and public relations and crisis management centre head.

Starting 1 October, marketing and public relations plans for the two units will be shared to merge some projects. TAT will take THAI to its overseas road shows, tradeshows, familiarization trips and event biddings, and give free space at overseas marts.

In exchange, THAI promises to insert TAT’s advertising materials at its facilities such as on the planes’ LCD screens, in lounges and at TG offices both in Thailand and overseas. Advanced bookings will be periodically shared with TAT’s Crisis Management Centre.

The two units expect their cooperative efforts will save on their budgets and boost each other’s performance and awareness.

According to THAI, because TAT’s first quarter starts on 1 October while TG’s starts 1 January, THAI cannot fully support the initiative until next year. The first joint project will be led by TAT and will be announced next month.

THAI Executive Vice President for Commercial Department, Pandit Chanapai, said the winter schedule has been fixed with a plan to boost weekly frequency to Moscow in October on a 255-seat A340-600 from three to four.

THAI experienced a 5% drop in regional flights during the second quarter, from April to June, especially to Korea, China and India because of rising fuel surcharges, China’s visa restrictions and India’s oversupply of flights. It recently suspended plans to expand flights to Mumbai and Bangalore.

TAT is reporting its preliminary figures for tourist arrivals at Suvarnabhumi Airport’s immigration checkpoints from January to July that show an increase of 12.95% over last year to 6,540,126 passengers. China and India are showing a 24.06% and 13.11% jumps respectively while Korea tumbled 9.71%.

Vietnam Airlines increases frequencies and routes

VIETNAM Airlines is planning to expand international and domestic markets through increasing frequencies and opening new routes from now until 2010.

From Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City to Paris, the airline will increase frequency to 10 flights per week; to Frankfurt and Moscow, it targets daily flights.

Ho Chi Minh City-Los Angeles, Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City-Prague/London, Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City-Shanghai/Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City-Mumbai, and Ho Chi Minh City-Brisbane routes are to be introduced.

Around 10 new domestic routes are expected to be launched, with both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City as the main hubs.

The airline's director of marketing planning department, Mr Trinh Ngoc Thanh, said the soaring oil prices had been challenging for all airlines in the world, including Vietnam Airlines.

He added: "Thanks to immediate and appropriate measures, we have been quite successful in minimising the effect. We see this difficult time as both a challenge and an opportunity; hence, no plans of expansion will be delayed."

The airline now serves 36 international and 25 domestic routes. It is also in the process of taking delivery of new aircraft to join its current fleet of 48 aircraft, which will be increased to 150 by 2020.

Hong Kong Express opens link to Phuket

Good news for tourism on Phuket Island:

Hong Kong Express Airways will commence non-stop Hong Kong-Phuket flights from 10 September. The airline will initially start with twice weekly service on Wednesday and Sunday, and from 13 October onwards it will operate four weekly flights with additional service on Monday and Thursday.

Between 10 September and 12 October, UO703 will depart Hong Kong at 1050 and arrive in Phuket at 1315. After a quick turn around, UO704 leaves at 1400 and arrives in Hong Kong at 1845.

From 13 October, the timetable changes. UO703 leaves from Hong Kong at 0830 and arrives in Phuket at 1055. The return flight leaves at 1140 and arrives back at its home base at 1635. The service is onboard a Boeing B767-300, with 160 seats in economy and eight in business.

The introductory fare is being quoted at Bt7,170 including Hong Kong security surcharges but excluding around Bt3,250 in taxes and surcharges.

For more information, Tel: 02 614 3008 or 02 614 3044.

Thailand Windsurfing Championship

Windsurfing Association of Thailand is organising the Thailand Windsurfing Championship 2008 Event 2 at Jomtien Beach Pattaya, 26 to 28 September.

About 50 windsurfers are expected to compete. They will vie for the highest scores in order to qualify for a bigger event of Thailand Windsurfing Championship 2008 to be held in November.

The event is co-organised by Windsurfing Association of Thailand and Pattaya City. For more information, tel: 02 396 2520

Fish nible treatment in a Thai Spa

What has become popular in Japan over last year has now found its way to Thailand:

Fish that nibble play a role in providing a treatment to clean up debris on hands and feet. The new treatment session are all part of the Fishmania experience introduced for the first time in Pattaya.

Fishmania, a new concept natural therapy spa, employs tiny fish with sharp teeth that nibble away at dead skin. The shop offering this gruesome treatment opened 11 August.

Fishmania managing director, Arphiradee Boonsom, said: “Our spa has a homely atmosphere, different from other spas. Guests require tranquility when they receive a treatment. Here, they can chat while having a fish therapy.”

She got the idea for a fish nibbling therapy when travelling to several countries where fish spas are popular such as in the US, Korea, Japan, and Singapore. Therefore, she decided to establish the first in Pattaya to see if it would prove popular.

At present, the target customers are mostly international visitors, mainly Russians, who are introduced to it by travel agents. Now as the grand opening takes place this month, more walk-in guests will come to use this service.

As for group therapy, the spa can accommodate 10 to 12 people at a time. Full time therapy takes 50 minutes, of which 20 minutes is for fish therapy and 30 minutes is for standard treatments.

Fish therapy originated from the fish called Garra Rufa or Doctor Fish in the river basins of Turkey. The idea is for the fish to nib the affected and dead skin areas in order to let the healthy skin grow. However, the fish works in this spa is called Siam Doctor Fish due to Thailand’s import policy and the export restriction enforced in Turkey.

“After I consulted with the Department of Fisheries, they suggested a near relative fish species to the Doctor Fish that can be found in the waterfalls in Thailand. We carefully researched this so it does not harm guests. Some fish becomes violent when it dwells in a limited space. Finally, we found Siam Doctor Fish which works like Garra Rufa and has a gentle disposition,” she explained.

Visitors can choose whether they want to receive a group therapy in the public pool with 1,000 fish or private therapy in a bath with around 200 to 300 fish. A 50 minute treatment package is available for walk-in guest at Bt1,200 (feet) and Bt900 (hands).

For more information and reservation, tel: 089 936 0272.

More hotels for Phnom Penh

Construction of a 16-storey Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel should be completed in 2011.

Situated on the east bank of the river on the Chhroy Changva peninsula in Phnom Penh's Russey Keo district, the Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel will feature 799 rooms with two conference halls with a seating capacity for 1,500 persons.

The new Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel will be the third five-star hotel operated by Sokimex in Cambodia, joining Sokha hotels in Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. Two more are on the drawing boards.

The new hotel will provide up-scale accommodation for tourists in the capital city, where tourism authorities claim there is still a lack of supply.

According to the Tourism Ministry, in 2007, Phnom Penh has 137 hotels with 6,407 rooms. Government official report, high-end hotel rooms serving luxury and business travellers is failing to keep up with annual tourism growth.

Ministry of Tourism, director general, Kousoum Saroeuth, estimates that there is a shortage of about 1,500 hotel rooms in Phnom Penh, mainly for high-end hotels, and of about 1,500 rooms in Sihanoukville due to tourist growth and the business boom.

Currently, Cambodia has about 350 hotels with approximately 20,000 rooms nationwide, including 140 in Phnom Penh, 100 in Siem Reap and about 50 in Sihanoukville, with the rest in other provinces.

Krabi Airport plans further expansion

More good news for Krabi:

Krabi Airport is planning another phase of expansion that will include renovation of the old passenger building into a domestic terminal and addition of two more parking bays (aprons). Works are slated to start early next year and will take two years to complete.

The airport's old passenger building, being used currently by Thai Airways International as its catering facility, will be renovated with 250-million baht (US$7.40 million) and will have one contact gate and a walk-way bridge connecting with the current new terminal.

It will also spend another 180 million baht developing two more parking bays, from the existing two which can hold large aircraft such as Boeing747 and Boeing737 jets.

Despite the airport being completely expanded in 2006 with a new terminal and longer runway, airport director, Mr Atthaya Lapmakm, said it was facing congestion problems especially during the high tourist seasons - from November to March.

Last year, the airport handled 893,338 passengers. Mr Atthaya said the airport expected to see a slight increase on the number of passengers for this year as some low-cost carriers had stop flying through the airport. However, he added charter flights from Northern Europe were expected to increase to 10 flights from four per week.

Krabi Airlines confirms November inaugural flight

Krabi Airline has again confirmed it will operate a charter flight from Oslo and Munich in November. The announcement comes after it postponed its inaugural fight on the Krabi-Bangkok (Don Muang)-Oslo and Krabi-Bangkok (Don Muang)-Munich services this year.

Krabi Airline marketing and reservation acting director, Ms Laddawan Phuemkrathok, said the inaugural flight was now confirmed with fully booked flights to inaugurate from Oslo on November 1 and from Munich on November 4, using Boeing 74- 300 aircraft with 400 seats.

The airline expected a cabin factor of 80 per cent from October 2008 to March 2009 and 40 per cent for the remaining months in the first years of operations, she added.

Next year, the airline plans to operate a scheduled flight on the Krabi-Busan route, using Boeing 737-300ER.

Krabi Airline has appointed Dandong Air Network its general sales agents in South Korea, and its International Travel Service and Aviareps for Norway and Germany, respectively.

Village latches on to ecotourism

For travellers who want more than sun, sea and sand, a Phuket village sells a introduction to the life of a fishing community.

Tourism is emerging as a means to improve village economies and strengthen conservation efforts on Phuket island where efforts are underway to revive damaged mangrove forests.

Situated in Pa Klok sub-district, Thalang District, Ban Bang Rong or Bang Rong Village is presenting travellers will an opportunity to take a closer look at rural life. The elders of this Muslim community hope that by introducing tourism it will help efforts to revive and conserve the mangrove ecology that has suffered over the years following a concession awarded a charcoal factory back in the 50s and the constant incursions by greedy land developers.

The village could become a model that shows tourism can provide an alternative income, fund welfare and even assist the elderly and students.

Office of Education’s councillor for natural resources and environmental management and a community leader, Jirasak Torthip, says community-based tourism was the last option for the village to counter the destruction of the mangrove forest.

“In 2006, when the government ended the mangrove concession, the community was given the rights to manage the forest, but they were deep in debt by then and the future looked very bleak, he said.

“Our development master plan started in the Masjid, where villagers meet to pray. Problems were discussed. Young people were assigned to survey the problems and identify solutions. The objective was to help overcome debt and buy back land from investors that could be sold to villagers at a low interest,” Mr Jirasak elaborated. “The fund started with just Bt20,000, but has since grown to Bt2 million.”

Tourism was identified as the most cost effective way to revive the fortunes of the village mainly because there was a constant supply of tourists at Phuket’s popular resorts all within driving distance.

Eco-tourism started five years ago and since then the mangrove forest has slowly recovered until it covers 3,000 rai. This in turn has aided the local fishermen as the mangroves are the kindergarten in a complicated ecological cycle. Dugong or sea cows visit the waterway once more a sign that the project is at last showing signs of success.

Revenue earned from tourist visits goes to the community for welfare such as monthly salary for elders of over 60 years who live alone, scholarship for children in the village, health care — Bt200 a night for income compensation for those who admitted to hospital.

However, the community does not offer home stay programme due to the religious principles on segregation of gender for sleeping arrangements. If vistiors want to stay overnight they to agree to be housed in separate accommodation, not with a local family.



NOTEPAD

Ecotourism programmes:

• Trekking and kayaking, Bt700 per person with lunch. Running from 0930 to 1530, the programme includes: trekking in Khao Phra Thaew Wildlife Park and Forest Reserve, watching gibbons that were released to natural habitat under Gibbon Rehabilitation project and endangered sealing wax palms; fresh seafood lunch; boat tour seeing fishermen’ lifestyle—fish and shell farms; kayaking around mangrove forest.

• Fishing with villagers, overnight programme from 1700 to 0630, Bt4,200 per boat with dinner for maximum of six people. Tourists board a local fishing boat and visit traps to collect crabs and shrimps while camping on Naka Island,

• Day trip to Panak Island in the nearby Phang Nga province, running from 0930 to 1600, Bt7,200 per boat with lunch for maximum of five persons. Activities include kayaking to visit Bat Cave, Hoi Tib Cave and Ice cream Cave, lunch on Phanak Island then back to Naka Island relaxing on the beach.

• Kayaking around Mangrove forest nearby the village, Bt200 per hour..

Contact 076 260 351, 081 892 9204 084 764 4988.

IMPACT to build two new Bangkok hotels

More Bangkok hotel developments are underway:

Citing the growing trend of meetings and conventions, IMPACT Exhibition Management is set to start the construction of a 400-room, four-star hotel early next year.

The hotel (yet to be named), will be located next to IMPACT Convention Center and is slated to be completed by 2011. Around this time, IMPACT will build a second property - the 400-room, five-star Hotel Jubilee.

IMPACT managing director, Mr Paul Kanjanapas, said the company would manage the two properties on its own, but he did not rule out the option of engaging management or franchise agreements from international hotel chains either.

Meanwhile, the company's plan to convert a condominium building into a three-star IMPACT Lodge, which was supposed to open later this year, is now off given tight restrictions imposed by the local authorities.

Also on the drawing board is a theatre for 3,500 to 4,000 seats, a conversion of the existing IMPACT Exhibition Center Hall 1. Works will likely start in April next year and will take about three months to complete.

Downside to the Games

Interesting piece of Olympic related news to Thailand:

China’s Olympic visa restrictions succeeded in stifling bookings from Thailand. What was earlier billed as a dream event turned into a nightmare for Thai outbound operators failed to deliver enough bookings to keep their scheduled China trips alive through the Olympics.

Toughening Beijing Olympic visa policy ended group visas, while requesting for an individual visa required more documents such as hotel reservations and airline tickets. The new policies were introduced to beef up security.

For tourists, the only positive spin-off was Beijing hotels suffered a massive loss in bookings.

NS Travel & Tour outbound operation manager, Sommai Mannatirai, said: “Before these policies were introduced, hotels were demanding a minimum stay of 14 days but I heard that it had now dropped to10 days. Rates are still very high, about 200% to 300% over pre-Olympic rates”

Panda Holiday sales manager, Wanlapa Poontawachirapan, said temporary policies caused inconveniences to group travel as her clients had to pay more to obtain a visa.

“For a group visa, it costs Bt800 per person, but with an independent visa, you have to pay Bt1,000 per person,” she added.

As Beijing became a high-priced destination, other destinations in China suffered from earthquakes especially Chengdu in the southwest.

“Roads were damages making it impossible to reach tourist attractions,” she continued.

Majestic Travel International sales supervisor, Jiratthiti Suthipholphaibul, commented: “After the Olympics, if these regulations continue, we will expect to see a major decline in travel to China. Right now travelling to China is for business reasons.”

Although there are still some booking to Beijing, Kunming, Guilin and Shanghai, most of them come from incentive groups. During this period last year, agents said there bookings were packed and the country was at the height of its popularity with travellers. However, they are not predicting a return to that level of popularity this year.

ATTA stats for Jan to Jul 08

Travel agents handled 1,405,329 customers through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport according to the Association of Thai Travel Agents’ latest statistics for January to July. It represented a decrease of 1.19% when compared with the same period in 2007.

During the first seven months, five markets in Asia showed a drop in business. China fell 7.48% to 205,961 arrivals; Korea down 25.56% to 176,563; Hong Kong down 42.17% to 35,053; Singapore down 42.94% to 21,728; and Philippines down 8.54% to 18,617.

The declines in these important short-haul markets are blamed on a global economic recession. Atta committee member, Suwannee Sakkumjorn, who runs a Korean tour company, claimed the increase in fuel surcharges on flights and the decline in charter flight business were directly related to the decline in spending power.

However, she expects an improvement mid-August when the tour prices normally go down following the end of Korean school break.

According to Atta’s chart, the top 10 markets during the seven months were China, Japan, Korea, Russia, India, Taiwan, UK, Germany, Vietnam and Hong Kong.

The highest increase in business was monitored in Vietnam that soared from 15,660 to 45,392 arrivals. The biggest decline was seen in Sweden where business dropped 60.61% from 9,971 to 3,928 arrivals.

Atta measures trips handled by its member countries, but its figures represent the most up to date and reliable indicator in the market.

SAS’s non-stop Bangkok-Stockholm service starts 28 October

More airline news today:

SAS Scandinavian Airlines adjusts flight schedule for coming winter season, starting 28 October. The current six times a week Bangkok-Copenhagen flights will be reduced to five, while adding a three weekly Bangkok-Stockholm service.

Using Airbus A340-300, non-stop flight to Stockholm departs Bangkok on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 1425 and return at 2020. Meanwhile, the Bangkok-Helsinki operation will depart on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 0025 and return at 2245.

Dragonair to launch Hanoi service

Thanks to Blogger for getting this Blog back on track, removing it from their spam list, no clue what really happened.

Anyway, a bit off topic but nevertheless today is luck day 8-8-08, for many Chinese and eventually final minutes before start to Olympics are counting down with millions across globe watching opening tonight. I am very much looking forward to show in just over 2 hours time...

Still, a piece of news crossed my desk today, with regards to flights to Hanoi.

Dragonair has announced it will launch a daily flight to Hanoi on October 26, using the Airbus 320.

Subject to government approval, tentatively, flight KA295 will depart Hong Kong on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 08.45 and arrive in Hanoi at 09.45. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, it will depart at 18.05 and arrive at Hanoi 19.00.

Return flight KA294 will depart Hanoi on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 10.45 and arrive in Hong Kong at 13.35. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, it will depart at 19.55 and arrive in Hong Kong at 22.50.

Hong Kong Express adds flights to Bangkok

High load factor on the twice-daily Hong Kong-Bangkok service has led Hong Kong Express Airways to increase the frequency to 16 flights per week from late-July.

The airline has also appointed Bangkok-based Federation Transport its new sales agent. Federation Transport manager, Mr Pornlert Kanjananiyot, said the twice-daily flight, using Boeing737-800, received high traffic demand from passengers in mainland China travelling via Hong Kong to Bangkok, which prompted the airline to add two charter flights per week on the route.

He said the flight recorded a high satisfactory performance at 80 to 90 per cent in load factor, even under the circumstances of rocketing oil prices and economy slowdown.

However, Mr Pornlert said the airline had no plan to introduce any new service to other destination in Thailand this year and low demand would continue to stall its decision to resume the twice-weekly Hong Kong-Chiang Mai flight, which was suspended from end-March.

Siem Reap reaps record revenue

Angkor Wat continues to be Cambodia's biggest cash cow, with rising visitor numbers increasing Tourism revenue steadily.

Siem Reap Province reported it earned US$1,400 million in tourism revenue in 2007.

Cambodia’s local news agency, Agence Kampuchea Presse cited the province’s annual report showing tourism revenue of US$1,400 million in 2007.

The revenue was contributed by Angkor Wat, other temples, historical resorts and the Phnom Koulen waterfall.

According to the report, visitor numbers to Siem Reap increased by 24.08% in 2007 over the year before. The number of local and foreign tourists reached 2,033,816 last year, with the foreign figure jumping 30% to 1.1million.

The province currently offers 105 hotels and 201 guesthouses.

Recent figures from the Ministry of Tourism show that visitor arrivals through the Siem Reap International Airport during the first four months of this year slipped 1.15% to 291,804. In April alone arrivals at the airport dropped 6.92% from 57,960 to 53,947.

Millennium aims to inject new life in Patong

More hotels news today:

Phuket's famous Patong beach has finally received its first 5-star hotel. Whether this is a good thing or not, that would make a whole new discussion, however it is definitely a good story for Phuket's recovery since 2004 Tsunami.

London-listed Millennium & Copthorne (M&C) opened the 421-room Millennium Resort Patong Phuket yesterday. The resort is part of a new mega shopping and leisure complex, Phuket Jungceylon, in Patong. The development aims to change the face of Patong Beach and inject new life into the area.

The Asian family market and upmarket tour groups including MICE are among its key targets. Apart from the shopping draw, the resort boasts a ballroom which can seat 300 people for a reception and 14 function rooms, four f&b outlets, two swimming pools, a health and fitness centre and the Escentika Spa.

M&C is expanding in Asia, but thus far more in cities, including Millennium Wuxi and Millennium Chengdu (opening 2008/2009). Recent openings include Copthorne Hotel Qingdao (May), Grand Millennium Beijing (April), Millennium Harbourview Hotel Xiamen (January), Grand Millennium Sukhumvit Bangkok (November 2007) and Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur (September 2007).

M&C is also in a joint venture with Indian group Rakindo to build 20 to 30 contemporary business-class hotels in India, the first of which will open in 2009 in Chennai.

In Singapore, one such hotel will open in one of the city's trendy nightspot area, Mohamed Sultan Road, in 2009.

In the Middle East, M&C recently opened two new properties in Dubai and one in Kuwait. It has announced the signing of a further seven management contracts in the UAE and one in Dubai.

Hotel room rates in Hanoi highest in Vietnam

Vietnam is getting more expensive (and not only hotel rooms), compared to its neighbours Cambodia and Thailand.

A unstoppable demand for accommodation especially in 5 star segment with not enough rooms available, have led to an under supply with hotels being winners for now and able to charge sky high rates.

Grant Thornton conducted a survey on hotel rooms in 2007, which showed that the hotel room rates increased by 37% over 2006. The survey was conducted at 37 3-5-star hotels with 5,200 rooms.

Hanoi proves to be the most expensive destination in terms of average room rates, while Da Lat the cheapest.

On average, every client who stays in Hanoi hotel rooms has to pay $82.78 more than in Da Lat.

The hotel room occupancy rate has increased by 142% in the last four years. HCM City is the city which had the highest occupancy rate, 79.32% in 2007. Phan Thiet saw the highest growth rate in hotel room occupancy rate, 29.4%.

The majority of clients who stayed in 5-star hotel rooms were businessmen, while the majority of clients of 4-star hotels were travelers, who went on tours.

According to Grant Thornton, the most noteworthy thing is that the number of clients who hired hotel rooms for business purposes increased by 52.6% compared to 2005.

Looks like more travelers will look for better deals soon elsewhere?

Delays hit Le Meridien debut in Chiang Mai

Quick note today from hotel news front on Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts, which are further soon to expand all over Thailand, however the most anticipated new hotel in Chiang Mai will have to be postponed for another 3 months....

The hotel is now expected to soft open 1 November, although no reasons were given for the delay.

However, industry sources acknowledge that the northern city is suffering a very low and difficult low season with an alarming drop in business from Europe.

Opening yet another hotel in a crowded hospitality segment might have played a role in the decision to delay. There have also been interior fitting challenges to face that may have been a contributing factor.

Bangkok Airways latest victim to soaring oil prices

Bangkok Airways feeling the pinch!

Rising cost oil, (even tough price of crude has momentarily retreated from a high of 145USD just a week ago to 124USD today), is continuing to take its toll on airlines all over region.

Bangkok Airways is the latest airline joining Thai-based carriers in cutting back its services, just two weeks after it announced a delay in its expansion.

At the end of last week, the airline sent a circular to travel agents announcing its decision to suspend the four-weekly Bangkok-Fukuoka service from October 1 and the thrice-weekly Bangkok-Shenzhen service from August 15.

The thrice-weekly Bangkok-Hiroshima service will be reduced to twice weekly from October 1.

Meanwhile, its sister airline Siem Reap Airways International will suspend the thrice-weekly Siem Reap-Hong Kong service from August 15.

The airline's circular advised the route suspensions and reductions would be until further notice.

Two weeks earlier, the airline announced it was holding the plan to expand direct links between Koh Samui and new domestic and international destinations to indefinite dates, citing the higher oil prices.

The airline's initial plan was to introduce direct links between Koh Samui and domestic destinations - Hua Hin and Trat - and international cities - Shanghai, Macau, Kuala Lumpur and Bali - within the next two years.

Thai hotel bookings slump

Bad news, but the inevitable has happened, besides let's remember it is still low season here in Thailand, as well as in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Soaring fuel costs and especially political situation in Thailand is quickly to blame for hotel's occupancy rates.

I can confirm however that most of my friends in Europe have no clue what's going on here as TV networks over there are too busy covering their own little domestic stories and of course Obamas' historical trip this week.

THA president Prakit Chinamourphong reported during the Thai Hotel Association Meeting held at the A-One Hotel in Bangkok on 22 July, that the average hotel occupancy rate for the first six months of this year stood at 69% for an increasing of only 1% over the same period last year.

He reported that issues such as the economic slowdown, soaring fuel costs, and Thailand’s political situation are still key negative factors for the tourism business.

He said that over the next two years, it is expected that the country will have more 30,000 new four-to-five starts hotel rooms, of which 15,000 will be in Bangkok, and if these negative factors persist, it could effect future investment in hotels development.

Mr Prakit reported that forward bookings for the coming high season currently stood at around 70% occupancy, while during the same period last year, hotels achieved over 80% in advanced bookings for high season.

Mr Prakit said that considering the business performances by region, hotels in Bangkok are putting in a satisfactory performance while the report shows July’s occupancy rate in Phuket standing at 50%, Krabi at 30%, Hua Hin at 40%, Pattaya at 47%, Chiang Mai at 40% and Kao Lak at 12%.

I am sure once November and December are closing in, situation will change again for better. Right?

The World's most expensive cities for Expats

Great cost of living survey done by MERCER as every year, considering 143 cities spanning over all continents. Bangkok is making it at 105th position and Ho Chi Minh City is ranked 100th. This only shows once again what a great place and good value for money South East Asia is. Especially Bangkok, considering its excellent infrastructure compared to other cities in India, which are now really getting expensive - outch!!

Below is a summary of a lenghty report:

Moscow is the world’s most expensive city for expatriates for the third consecutive year, according to the latest Cost of Living Survey from Mercer. Tokyo is in second position climbing two places since last year, whereas London drops one place to rank third. Oslo climbs six places to 4th place and is followed by Seoul in 5th. Asunción in Paraguay is the least expensive city in the ranking for the sixth year running. Hong Kong dropped one place to rank as the sixth most expensive city in Asia.

With New York as the base city scoring 100 points, Moscow scores 142.4 and is close to three times costlier than Asunción which has an index of 52.5. Contrary to the trend observed last year the gap between the world’s most and least expensive cities now seems to be widening.

“As the exchange rate of Hong Kong dollar is linked with the US dollar, although the inflation rate actually climbed up quite fast in Hong Kong in the past one year, the cost of living remains relatively stable compared to other cities where the exchange rate was getting much stronger,” Ms Connie Leung, Mercer’s business leader for Information Product Solutions, Hong Kong, said.

Mr. Alan Zhang, Mercer’s business leader for Information Product Solutions, Greater China, added, “For Beijing and Shanghai, the two largest cities in China, rankings are quite stable. However, the real cost of living increased substantially, especially on food.”

Mercer’s survey covers 143 cities across six continents and measures the comparative cost of over 200 items in each location, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment. It is one of the world’s most comprehensive cost of living surveys and is used to help multinational companies and governments determine compensation allowances for their expatriate employees.

Yvonne Traber, a principal and research manager at Mercer, said, “Current market conditions have led to the further weakening of the US dollar which, coupled with the strengthening of the Euro and many other currencies, has caused significant changes in this year’s rankings.”

“Although the traditionally expensive cities of Western Europe and Asia still feature in the top 20, cities in Eastern Europe, Brazil and India are creeping up the list. Conversely, some locations such as Stockholm and New York now appear less costly by comparison.

“Our research confirms the global trend in price increases for certain foodstuffs and petrol, though the rise is not consistent in all locations. This is partly balanced by decreasing prices for certain commodities such as electronic and electrical goods. We attribute this to cheaper imports from developing countries, especially China, and to advances in technology.

“Keeping on top of the changes in expatriate cost of living is essential so companies can ensure their employees are compensated fairly and at competitive rates when stationed abroad,” Ms. Traber added.

“In some cases, cost of living increases may be correlated to countries with a high rate of economic growth. Companies may assign high priority to expansion in these economies but may have to deal with inflationary pressures due to competition for expatriate-level housing and other services, as observed in our surveys,” Ms Taber noted.

For example, Latvia had real GDP growth of 10.2% in 2007, well above the global average growth rate of 5.2%, and its capital, Riga, jumped to 46th place in the latest Mercer ranking, up from 72nd a year ago. Cities in India all rose in the cost of living ranking, with New Delhi climbing to 55th place from 68th a year ago, as India posted a real GDP growth rate of 9.2% in 2007. Bogota jumped to 87th place from 112th, reflecting Colombia’s 7% real GDP growth.

Asia

Tokyo is the costliest Asian city, in 2nd place (score 127), two places up since last year. Seoul follows in 5th place (score 117.7) and Hong Kong closely after in 6th with a score of 117.6. Singapore ranks 13th and holds a score of 109.1. Karachi continues to be the least costly city in this region, in 141st place with a score of 54.7.

Whilst the five top-scoring cities in Asia remain relatively stable in the ranking there have been significant changes further down the list. In India, Mumbai moves up four places to reach 48 (score 90.3), whereas New Delhi climbs 13 places to 55 (score 87.5) due to the strengthening of the India rupee against the US dollar. Although India has experienced relatively high inflation, this has increased at similar pace to New York and has therefore had a reduced impact on its cities’ rise in the rankings. Manila rises a total of 27 places, ranking 110th with a score of 73.4, mainly as a result of price increases for international-standard accommodation.

Mercer’s Asia Pacific Head of Information Product Solutions’, Ms. Neo Siew Khim said, “The increase in cost of living of rankings for cities such as Singapore, India and Philippines can be attributed to their highly valued quality of living (as in the case of Singapore), the strong economic growth coupled with consumer demands (as in India), and the increasing attractiveness of Philippines as an alternative business investment location to China and India.”

In contrast, certain cities in this region have experienced significant falls in the ranking. Some examples are Jakarta falling from 55th to 82nd place (score 80.5) and Bangkok dropping from 95th to 105th place with a score of 75.1. In Vietnam, Hanoi drops 35 places to rank 91 (score 79) and Ho Chi Minh City drops 40 places to rank 100th (score 76.3), mainly because the Vietnamese dong has remained stable against the US dollar and so has pushed these cities down on the list. The low level of inflation observed on goods in these Vietnamese cities compared to in New York has further widened the gap.

Ms. Neo added, “Despite Asian cities dominating the top 10 most expensive places to live and with many Asian cities climbing the rankings this year, the cost of living in Asia somehow has not deterred many companies and their employees from wanting to come to Asia to set up operations or gain working experience in the region. This could be attributed to Asia (due to its attractive business environment) being the current focus for foreign direct investment from multinational organisations seeking to grow revenue and extract significant profits.”

Australia and New Zealand

Sydney continues to be the most expensive city for expatriates in this region, moving up six places in the overall ranking to reach 15th place (score 104.1). Melbourne follows in 36th place (score 94.2), jumping 28 places and Perth climbs 31 places to reach ranking number 53 (score 88.5).

Both Australian and New Zealand cities are moving up in the rankings due to the appreciation of their local currencies against the US dollar. New Zealand’s cities remain the less costly option for expatriates, however, with Auckland in 78th place (score 81) and Wellington in 93 (score 77.6).

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Moscow is ranked the most expensive city both in Europe and globally for the third year running. The city’s score has steadily increased over the last few years and is currently at 142.4 (compared to 134.4 in 2007 and 123.9 in 2006). “Moscow’s position as the most expensive place for expatriate living has been strengthened by the appreciation of the rouble against the US dollar and the continuous rising accommodation costs,” said Ms Traber.

London is the next European city in the ranking at 3rd place (score 125), down one from last year, while Oslo has jumped six places to rank 4th with a score of 118.3. “Norwegian property prices were at an all-time high towards the end of last year after a 50% increase in the last five years. Coupled with the continuous strengthening of the Norwegian krone this has created a substantial increase in living costs for expatriates in Oslo,” said Ms Traber, principal at Mercer.

Other European cities in the global Top 10 include Copenhagen at 7th (117.2) and Geneva in 8th (115.8). Both cities have dropped one place from last year. Zurich remains in 9th place (112.7), whereas Milan climbs one to 10th place with a score of 111.3. Sofia in Bulgaria is again the least expensive European city for expatriates in 97th place (76.9), although the city has climbed 11 places in the overall ranking.

Several European cities have experienced a significant rise in the rankings this year, mainly as a result of local currency strengthening against the US dollar. For example, Prague has jumped from 49th to 29th place (score 96) and Warsaw is up to 35th place (score 95) compared to 67th in 2007. Istanbul has climbed 15 places to rank 23 (score 99.4) reflecting the Turkish lira’s significant appreciation against the US dollar as well as general price increases, especially for accommodation.

In addition to London dropping one place, two additional UK cities, Birmingham and Glasgow, have both moved down in the rankings, dropping from 41st to 66th (score 85.4) and 36th to 69th (score 84), respectively. “In contrast to the strengthening euro and other European currencies, the British pound has remained relatively stable against the US dollar. As the cost of living in the Eurozone has risen relative to the US, UK cities have declined in the rankings,” Ms Traber said.

Tel Aviv is again the most expensive city in the Middle East, positioned 14th (score 105) on the global list, up three places from 2007. Both Dubai and Abu Dhabi have dropped significantly this year, positioned at 52 (score 89.3) and 65 (score 85.7), respectively. This is mainly due to the UAE dirham being pegged to the US dollar. Most African cities in the survey have moved down the ranking with the exception of Lagos in Nigeria, which has jumped seven places to join the Top 30 at position 30 (score 95.9).

The Americas

The only North American city to feature in this year’s top 50 is New York in 22nd place (score 100), dropping seven places in one year. All other US cities have also experienced a significant decline in the rankings. For example, Los Angeles has moved from 42nd to 55th place (score 87.5), Miami from 51st to 75th place (score 82) and Washington, DC, from 85th to 107th place (score 74.6).

“The decline in the ranking of all US cities is due to the weakening value of the US dollar against most major world currencies,” said Mitch Barnes, principal at Mercer in the US. “The dollar has been declining steadily for the past several years, which has resulted in an overall decrease in the cost of living in 19 US cities, relative to other major global cities studied.

“On the bright side, the US dollar's loss of value may serve to attract globally mobile executives to business centres such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. The difference in cost of living can be significant, particularly for those executives with families.”

In 54th place (score 88.1), jumping 28 places from last year, Toronto is the most expensive city for expatriates in Canada. All other Canadian cities in the survey have experienced similar rises, with Vancouver moving from 89th to 64th (score 85.8), Calgary from 92nd to 66th (score 85.4) and Montréal from 98th to 72nd with a score of 83. This reverses last year’s trend which saw Canadian cities decline, and places them back where they have traditionally been rated. The Canadian dollar has appreciated nearly 15% against the US dollar, the main reason for these movements.

The two top-ranking cities in South America are São Paulo in 25th place (score 97) and Rio de Janeiro in 31st place (score 95.2), jumping 37 and 33 places, respectively. The Brazilian real appreciated nearly 18% against the US dollar last year, causing these Brazilian cities to rocket up the list. Another high-riser in this region is Caracas, jumping 40 places from 129th to 89th (score 79.3). High inflation in Venezuela has caused a sharp increase in the price of food and household products.

South America also has some of the lowest ranking cities globally. Asunción is the least expensive city for the sixth consecutive year (score 52.5), followed by Quito in Ecuador in 142nd (score 54.6), Buenos Aires in 138th (score 62.7) and Montevideo in 136th (score 63.2).

http://www.mercer.com/costofliving#Cost_of_living_top_50_cities

Lao Airlines is introducing a new service to Savannakhet

There have not been much news coming out of Laos during past few weeks, but finally good news are here from Laos Airlines which announced direct flights later this year between Vientiane – Savannakhet and Savannakhet – Bangkok.

The airline will operate three-weekly flights on both routes using its MA60 aircraft.

Effective from 15 August, flight QV201 will depart Vientiane at 1030 every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and arrive in Savannakhet at 1130. The return flight QV202 departs Savannakhet on the same days at 1210 and returns to Vientiane at 1435 via Pakse.

On the Bangkok service, the Savannakhet – Bangkok flight will operate from 29 October onward. QV621 will depart Savannakhet on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 1210 and arrive in Bangkok at 1320. QV622 departs Bangkok at 1420 and arrives in Savannakhet 1530.

Savannakhet province is located in central Laos, and is bordered in the north by Khammouane, Vietnam’s Quangtri and Quanbinh provinces, Salavan to the south and Moukdahan, Thailand to the west. The province is on Route No 9 of the East-West Economic Corridor, a transit route across Thailand, Lao and Vietnam.

With the development of the economic corridor and the second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, the number of overland tourists to Savannakhet has more than doubled. According to Lao National Tourism Administration, 399,667 tourist visited Savannakhet in 2007, a jump of 141% over the 165,360 arrivals recorded in 2006.

Most of the travellers fly to Thailand’s Ubonratchathani Airport and travel overland to Mukdahan, cross the Friendship Bridge and start their journey on the 240-km Route No 9 via Savannakhet to Danang in Vietnam.

New taxi rules at Bangkok International Airport

Interesting piece of news for those taking their taxis from departure level once arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport:

In order to provide better services and promote smother traffic flow, Suvarnabhumi Airport has rearranged its taxi parking procedures for the fourth-floor departure hall.

Taxis can only drop passengers off at the outer ring opposite Gates 1 and 8 and they have to immediately drive off to allow access to others. However, they can pick up passengers at the taxi stand opposite Gate 10, but if there are no passengers waiting, they cannot park.

For those who do not comply, their wheels will be locked and they will be reported to the traffic police.

So, let's see if this new rule is really being enforced this time. Looks like fresh breeze is finally blowing taxi drivers way, or is it?

1-2-Go Airlines story continued....

Here's more news about yesterday's story, mentioning immediate stop on all flights for this LCC:

EMBATTLED low-cost carrier (LCC), One-Two-Go Airlines, issued a press statement last evening saying it would take full responsibility for the 40,000 passengers left stranded following the Thailand's Department of Civil Aviation's (DCA) order to ground the LCC's operation for 30 days.

DCA had announced yesterday the suspension of the airline's operations from today to August 22, citing the LCC's violation of safety regulations and substandard operations.

The LCC is required to correct all mistakes involving its safety regulations, operations and personnel during the suspension period, failing which DCA will either extend the suspension term or entirely terminate the airline's flying certificate.

One-Two-Go chairman and CEO, Mr Udom Tantiprasongchai, said the airline would comply with DCA's order and would cover the 70 million baht (US$2.09 million) expenses in transferring the 40,000 advanced booking passengers to other airlines.

The LCC formerly operates 60 daily domestic flights throughout Thailand. Coincidentally, prior to DCA's order, the airline had also announced its plan to suspend all its flights from today to September 15, citing rising fuel costs and declining passenger numbers.

Meanwhile, the LCC's parent carrier, Orient Thai Airlines, has received warnings from the DCA to reschedule its pilot timetables by July 30. The airline is also required to improve the standards of its pilots on its MD80 Series aircraft within 30 days or the DCA will revoke the pilots' licences.

Orient Thai, One-Two-Go grounded for 30 days

After last year's horrible crash of a 1-2-GO Airline flight from Bangkok to Phuket, this Low Cost Carrier has been finally suspended from taking off air. Just days ago airline stated that operations will be put on hold due to skyrocketing cost of oil, however looking at today's verdict it seems that owners already knew what will happen this week. Survivors and friends started this website:

http://www.investigateudom.com/

In case it got you interested, there is also a petition to sign. Below is text of today's news mentioned in The Nations newspaper:

Orient Thai Airline and its low-cost subsidiary One-Two-Go are ordered Monday to cease operations for 30 days, starting from July 22, because of the poor safety standards.

Civil Aviation Department Director-General Chaisak Angkasuwan said at the press conference on Monday that the air operator certificates to the two airline companies have been suspended.

"Orient Thai and OneTwoGo are the second aviator which faces service suspension, after Sky Aviation. The deparment will file criminal suits against their pilots, inspectors and the companies within two weeks," Chaisak said.

Fly like a gibbon in Chiang Mai's forests

Here's one for weekend: If you find time to travel to Chiang Mai don't miss this great adventure....

Flight of the Gibbon, the new cable-and-pulley activity in Chiang Mai, is offering adventure canopy tours for eco and adventure travellers, and is donating 10% of the profits to the gibbon rehabilitation and other conservation projects.

The new attraction, located 15 kilometres from the centre of Chiang Mai province, sends travellers flying through the 1,500-year-old rainforest on a mountain 1,300 metres above sea level. Riders sway along the forest canopy on the two-kilometre-long cable contraption with 18 stations houses.

The attraction’s operator, Tree Top Asia Company based in Buriram province, is also planning other eco-projects called the Flight of the Gibbon Conservation Project in the Mae Kampong and Mae On area.

One-day and two-day canopy tours are available. The one-day ‘Flight of the Gibbon’ tour includes a three-hour canopy adventure on the two-kilometre zip lines and sky bridges, a one-hour trek up to Mae Kampong waterfalls in the afternoon, transfers to and from the participant’s accommodation and lunch. The price is Bt2,200 per person.

Accommodation at the nearby Mae Kampong Village is available at Bt980 per person and includes three meals.

For the two-day tour, an adventure program takes up the first day with rock climbing, white water rafting, mountain biking and in the future, elephant trekking, bamboo rafting and a hill tribe experience. The tree canopy program takes place on the second day. The price is Bt5,500 and includes transportation, accommodation in the village, instructors, equipment, lunch and dinner, water and insurance.

The riders must be at least seven years old and 120 centimetres tall. The attraction operates all year round, from 0800 to 1700. The temperature on the mountain is commonly seven to nine degrees Celsius cooler than the provincial centre.

For more information, visit: www.treetopasia.com or contact the company at Tel: 089 9705511, Email: info(at)treetopasia.com.

Westin Grande Sukumvit Bangkok offers Workout promotion

This is first time I found a hotel promoting hotel room as a WORKOUTroom, offering a healthy start to day, but hey why not. It sounds all good and for anyone with a health conscious it is a great way to maximize well-being.

Start your mornings on an energetic note during your stay at The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok with the hotel's WestinWORKOUT package.

From Baht 6,600 ++ per night guests can enjoy the luxury of exercising in the privacy of their own customized WestinWORKOUT room featuring either a treadmill or spinning cycle. Alternatively guests could choose to start the day with RunWESTIN, a complimentary 90-minute jogging program available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Complete the healthy start to the morning with a wholesome and nutritious SuperFoods breakfast buffet. SuperFoods, consisting of fruits, vegetables, grains and proteins rich in health-enhancing antioxidants and phytonutrients are the key ingredients in a specially crafted breakfast buffet designed to improve well-being and longevity.

This package is valid until August 31 2008. A 2-night minimum stay and other terms and conditions apply.

The Westin Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok is located in the heart of Bangkok’s prime shopping, restaurant, and entertainment area, and steps from the sky train and underground train service.

The 362 deluxe guest rooms and suites showcase contemporary styling featuring a blend of Westin comforts, including the all-white signature Heavenly Bed, and Thai inspired touches. The Westin Executive Club rooms and Executive Suites provide butler service and Club benefits.

asiatraveltrips.com

Prices climb as fuel crisis worsens

Air travel is definitely getting more expensive. Unfortunately, as long as Oil price keeps soaring to new records highs, there's not much we can do about it and hope that prices fall again in future. This has become a real serious issue and lots of travelers have to consider their travel plans for upcoming high season.

This month several international airlines’ offices in Bangkok have announced an increase in fuel surcharges:

• Singapore Airlines will adjust its fuel surcharge from US$75 to US$110 per sector for Bangkok-Tokyo; Singapore to Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo and Tokyo-Los Angeles starting 30 July.

• Philippines Airlines is raising its fuel surcharge en route Bangkok-Manila from US$65 to US$85, effective from 28 July.

• El Al Israel Airlines increased its surcharge US$50 per sector to US$227 for economy class and US$252 for business class, effective from 15 July.

• Austrian Airlines went up 6 euro to 106 euro per sector for long-haul flights while short-haul travel climbed 3 euro to 35 euro.

• From 10 July, China Eastern Airlines increased to CNY550 per sector for Southeast Asian and Southern Asian destinations and CNY1,100 per sector to Europe, America, Australia, Africa and Middle East.

• Air France/KLM charge 139 euro per sector for long-haul travel and 39 euro per sector for intra Europe flights from 10 July.

• Myanmar Airways International now charges Bangkok-Yangon at US$30 per sector.

• One Two Go Airlines climbed from Bt750 to Bt850 per sector, effective from 5 July.

HCMC aims to double tourism revenue

Arrivals to Ho Chi Minh City continue to soar as the city focuses on expanding in potential new markets.

Ho Chi Minh City’s People Committee aims to double tourism revenue to hit VND46 trillion by 2010.

HCMC’s People Committee recently adopted a tourism development scheme aimed at expanding in potential tourism markets such as Norway, Sweden, India, Indonesia and South Africa in addition to key markets including the US, Canada, France, Japan, China and ASEAN.

According to the report, the HCMC Tourism Department and the Tourism Association will coordinate with domestic airlines to conduct campaigns abroad that introduce the country’s history, traditions and culture by actively participating in international tourism fairs and forums.

A series of tourism promotional activities will be held in major cities across the country including Hanoi, Haiphong, Danang, Hue, Dalat, Nha Trang and Can Tho to attract more local visitors to HCMC to visit attractions such as architectural works, the Chu Chi tunnels, Thong Nhat Palace, Duc Ba Church and Giac Lam Pagoda.

In addition to improving the service quality of its existing tourism, the city will introduce new tours that combine tourism with high-quality medical check-ups and treatments, spas and traditional therapies.

In the first half of 2008, HCMC welcomed close to 1.5 million foreign tourists, a year-on-year jump of 16%. The figure is expected to reach 3 million by the year’s end.

The city pulled in around VND 14.6 trillion from tourism during the period, a 40% jump over last year.

ttrweekly.com

Jetstar to stop in Darwin on Sydney-HCMC route

Airline eyes Darwin as an international hub as it ups HCMC service to five weekly flights.

Jetstar plans to connect Sydney and Darwin with Ho Chi Minh City from 2 September.

Jetstar currently offers three weekly Sydney–Ho Chi Minh City flights onboard an A330. In September, the Sydney–Ho Chi Minh Service will be bumped up to five times a week via Darwin on an A320.

Jetstar group general manger – commercial Bruce Buchanan said the service highlights the ongoing opportunities for Darwin to become a northern hub for international service.

The Sydney-Darwin-Ho Chi Minh City service will operate as a domestic to international connecting flight though Darwin. International passengers departing from Sydney Airport’s Domestic Terminal 2 check in once and receive two boarding passes for both flight sectors that terminate in Ho Chi Minh city.

The airline reported fares are now on sale via its website starting from AU$419 one-way for a JetSaver Light fare from Sydney and AU$249 one-way between Darwin and Ho Chi Minh City.

ttrweekly.com

Laguna Phuket unveils new products

LAGUNA Phuket, which comprises a collection of seven resorts and residences, has announced new products and developments.

The 226-key Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket has scheduled to soft open 17 of the 28 Dusit Pool Villa on July 15. The remaining villas are slated to come online in October. Each three-storey villa comprises a swimming pool and sundeck on the third floor, living room on the second floor and two bedrooms on the ground floor.

Senior sales manager, Mr Aphichat Tangguai, said all villas were already sold at 38 million baht (US$1.12 million) each. Owners were entitled to a week's stay and six per cent return of investment per year under a 100-year contract, he said.

The new 22 Banyan Tree DoublePool Villas with a private lobby and a French-Vietnamese restaurant has been opened at Banyan Tree Phuket. The
49 newly renovated two-bedroom island villas at Sheraton Grand Laguna Phuket are scheduled to open in August. Meanwhile, the lobby area at Laguna Beach Resort will receive a two-month facelift in August.

Opening this month will be the 10 three-bedroom villas and 11 two-bedroom villas at the Laguna Phuket Holiday Residences, in addition to the 17 units launched in December last year.

The integrated destination resort is also developing its eighth property – Angsana Phuket - slated to open within the next few years. It will have 132 keys of sky-pool villas and guestrooms.

www.ttgtravelhub.net

Thailand 'goes all flash'

Thailand 'goes all flash' Thailand is throwing off the shackles of its backpacker image and establishing itself as a flashpacking favourite, according to Luxury Travel Magazine.

Although its reputation as a cheap holiday destination precedes it, Thailand is one of the world's growing luxury travel destinations.

According to the Kuoni Long Haul Report 2008, Thailand was the second most popular travel destination among UK tourists, renowned for its beaches and spa services.

Alyson Cook, editor of Luxury Travel Magazine, explained that Thailand "appeals to the baby boomers looking for more privacy and looking for more understated luxury".

"They have also perfected the spa side of the market and that, increasingly, is very high on the luxury travellers' list; a decent spa is almost a pre-requisite," she added.

The Kuoni report also found that Thailand has become particularly popular for the personal boutique-style holiday offered to tourists.

http://www.hostelbookers.com/info/news/18678884

Bangkok voted No 1 in world!

Yes, finally we made it! What everybody already knew has become official...

Bangkok was voted the world's best city for 2008 and the Galapagos were picked as the best islands in an online poll by Travel + Leisure magazine, trumping last year's winners Florence, Italy and Bali, Indonesia.

Magazine readers also voted Singita Sabi Sand, at the Kruger National Park, South Africa, as the world's top hotel while Singapore Airlines grabbed the best airline award again.

It was the first time that Bangkok, the vibrant capital of Thailand, and the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador topped their respective categories, said Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure.

Last year, Bangkok was ranked number 3 and the Galapagos number 8. The 2007 winners of best city and best island -- Florence an Bali -- fell to number 5 and number 2 respectively.

"We're delighted to welcome so many new winners this year," she said in a statement. "Nature, and adventure, were clearly a draw in the selections."

Last year's number one hotel, the Oberoi Udaivilas in India, fell to number 4 this year. Singita Sabi Sands was voted the number two hotel in 2007.

The results were complied from votes by magazine subscribers in an Internet poll which went live between January and March. Travel + Leisure will honour winners on July 24 in New York City.

The complete "World's Best Awards" is available on www.travelandleisure.com. Following are some highlights:

Best city - Bangkok, Thailand

Best hotel - Singita Sabi Sand, South Africa

Best island - Galapagos, Ecuador

Best cruise line (large ships) - Crystal Cruises

Best cruise line (small ships) - Silversea Cruises

Best international airline - Singapore Airlines

Best domestic airline - Virgin America

Best tour operator - Micato Safaris

Best car-rental agency - Hertz

Best hotel for $250 or less - Domaine des Hauts de Loire, France

www.reuters.com

Beachside luxury for tourists

There’s more than meets the eye to beautiful Sealinks Golf Resort in Phan Thiet. An internationally recognized consulting company began working on the concept of the hotel before even the first brick was laid.

Sealinks Golf Resort is a 134 hectare five-star resort in Phan Thiet Town – the political, economic and administrative center of Binh Thuan Province.

Surrounded on three sides by ocean, it is part of the Sealinks Vietnam chain of entertainment and hospitality complexes.

All 245 hotel rooms have a large balcony and look over the swimming pool, golf course and the ocean.

The 220-meter-long pool, stretched across the front of the rooms, is a great place swim, sunbathe and relax.

It’s like a peaceful oasis with white sand under foot and the blue sea beyond.

Sealinks Golf Resort has a conference room for 500 people.

It is an ideal place for business functions.

Orchid Hospitality Consulting Company is the professional management consultant for the builder and owner of the resort, Rang Dong Construction and Installation Company.

Nguyen Dinh Toan, director of Orchid Hospitality Consulting, says his company invested a lot of time and energy to prepare for this project.

According to Toan, building a beautiful hotel is not as difficult as developing a good business plan.

His job is to find the best way to: attract and maintain customers; take its trademark to the international market; and make it successful.

It is not a small challenge. The trademark must be formed before the hotel is built, Toan says.

“In every project Orchid undertakes, we thoroughly study the locality, present and future competition, the market trends and fluctuations and the main sources of customers.

We need to do this so we can set a policy on price structures, advertising strategies and be able to analyze market shares and sensitive elements in the market,” Toan says.

www.thanniennews.com

Kimi Raikkonen invests in Phuket Beachfront Villa

Reigning Formula 1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen has bought a beachfront villa in Phuket, Thailand. Raikkonen purchased a 279 square metre beachfront property at the Outrigger Serenity Terraces Resort Phuket, a 78-unit mixed residential-resort property in the southeast of the island.

When he opens his bedroom curtains, the 2007 Formula 1 world champion from Finland will be able to gaze upon the tropical islands of the inner Andaman archipelago, including Phi Phi Island.

Raikkonen said, "Having this kind of place, which is very exclusive, brand new and very high quality, is exactly what I'm looking for when I have a week or two off in winter. I can go and relax, be at home almost -- but in a warm and sunny place."

Buying into a mixed residential-resort property in Phuket can deliver handsome returns, whether the priority is quality of lifestyle, financial gains, or more commonly, an astute mix of both.

According to real estate agents in Phuket, the island's properties are now appreciating at an average of 20% a year. Research from global property adviser, Jones Lang LaSalle, shows that luxury villas on Phuket, costing between US$1 million to US$1.66 million have increased by 25% in the last year.

According to the Phuket and Samui Resort Markets Outlook published in January by CB Richard Ellis, the global real estate services adviser, villa prices in Phuket doubled from 2000 to 2006. Its assessment of Thailand's largest island: "Phuket remains globally competitive. Prices and interest remain solid."

At Outrigger Serenity Terraces, where prices range from US$250,000 to US$1.1 million, buyers can receive an additional 6% rental guarantee for three years if they enter the optional rental programme.

Many people want an investment that pays back in quality of life as well as financially. As a lifestyle investment, Phuket has a lot going for it. The temperature sticks within the 23-35 celsius range all year. The scenery, dining and friendliness of the Thais are world-renowned. As Phuket is Thailand's flagship international beach resort, infrastructure and services are advanced.

Phuket offers two international schools, six major hospitals, nine leading shopping malls, eight golf courses within an hour's drive, and 800 yacht berths at five marinas.

Air access is easy. Phuket International Airport is served by more than 40 international and domestic carriers handling up to 287 international flights per week. Direct international scheduled flights link Phuket to 22 cities around the world including Singapore, Beijing, Delhi, Kolkata, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Kaoshiung, Sydney, Dusseldorf, Munich, Penang, Amsterdam, Muscat, Karachi, Shanghai, Siem Reap, Perth, Moscow, and Seoul. Some of these flights are seasonal.

With a fully managed property, any communal gardens, gym, restaurant or spa are maintained to five-star international hotel standards. If the property is entered into the optional rental programme, the management team will also maintain all the soft furnishings, tiles, kitchen utensils and so on.

Properties often include amenities to help you enjoy Phuket's great outdoors. Outrigger Serenity Terraces, for example, provides owners with free access to a fully-equipped speed boat, two Hobie cat catamarans, and four kayaks.

Source: Asiatraveltips.com

Call for revival of Thai floating market

THAI agents are urging the authorities to rehabilitate the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which has declined in popularity over the past years. Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Mr Apichart Sankary, said the floating market had lost its charm for many years due to inconsistent development plans between the local authority and private sector. Mr Apichart, who is also AED Travel managing director, said his company had included the floating market as a must-see attraction to overseas market for many decades. However, he added, it was removed from the company's tour programme last year due to the declining tourist demand. The floating market, which has existed for 142 years, used to be one of the must-see attractions for first-time and repeat visitors worldwide. It is located in Ratchaburi, about two hours' drive from Bangkok. To revive the market's charm, Ratchaburi governor, Mr Wongsak Sawadpanit, said the authority would seek a 54.1 million baht (US$1.60 million) budget from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports to clean the 10km canal, train local staff, renovate the cultural exhibition centre and create a brand new image. ttgtravelhub.com

Arrival numbers to Vietnam on rise

Tourist arrivals to Vietnam are rising and numbers of tourists visiting Vietnam continue to grow steadily......read more:

2.5mil. foreigners arrived in Vietnam in first half of 2008. An estimated of 450,000 foreign visitors came to Vietnam in June, an increase of 34 percent on year, raising the total figure for the first six months this year to 2.5 million, said the Governmental website portal.

According to the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), the total tourism turnover in the first six months of this year reached an estimated 37 trillion VND, fulfilling 60.7 percent of the yearly target.

The foreign tourists mainly come from China, Switzerland, Finland, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, Malaysia, Norway, Germany, and the UK. The most notable increase has been in the number of visitors from China which has risen sharply.

The number of tourist traveling by sea to Nha Trang, Danang, and Quang Ninh and by road from Thailand to Central provinces through Lao Bao and Cau Treo international border gates surged.

The recent campaign to promote Ha Long Bay across the world has shown signs of success with nearly 213,300 tourists, including 130,500 foreign tourists, visiting the area in June alone.

(Source: CPV)

Cambodia tourism moves into mainstream

Interesting piece of news from Phnom Penh Post. Cambodia's tourism is definitely on way up and way to go for many travelers ready to explore something different....

Tuk-tuks take tourists on a tour of the Angkor temples complex in Siem Reap province. More than half of all visitors to Cambodia visit Angkor during their stay.

Helicopters buzz over Sihanoukville and the nearby islands off the southern coast, carrying development prospectors hungry for a slice of the pie. Meanwhile, construction by private developers is underway to convert the abandoned French colonial Bokor hill station into a $1 billion luxury resort.

Less than a decade and a half ago, local headlines about tourists may have mentioned the three Western backpackers kidnapped and eventually executed by the Khmer Rouge.
“Ten years ago on the forefront of visitors’ minds was Khmer Rouge, civil war, landmines. Now it’s Angkor Wat and beaches,” says Gordon Sharpless, who runs the Tales of Asia travel website and owns a guesthouse in Siem Reap.

“Back then, even in Phnom Penh you always had to ask a guesthouse if their electricity and water were working,” he says.
Travel writers and guesthouse owners acknowledge that some thrill-seekers still visit Cambodia in search of a wild-west atmosphere, but they say that breed is fading as mainstream tourists flood in.

A record more than two million tourists arrived in Cambodia in 2007, up 20 percent from 2006. Meanwhile industry earnings grew more than a third to $1.4 billion and are expected to hit $2.2 billion by 2010.

The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) estimates annual international visitor arrivals will reach 2.4 million in 2008. After that, the projections are for 2.9 million in 2009 and 3.35 million in 2010.

In the past six years the volume of Cambodians traveling domestically has more than tripled.

The total number of international visitors was only one million in 2004 – a figure the MoT expects to be nearly doubled by tourism to Siem Reap alone by 2010.

Hotel and guesthouse numbers in Cambodia more than tripled in the past ten years, contributing to the sector’s employment numbers – 280,000 last year and expected to rise almost 100,000 more by the decade’s end.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/index.php/20080307190/-Special-Supplements/Tourism-moves-into-mainstream.html