His departure is part of a restructuring of Thailand’s oldest privately-owned travel company that began in 2010 and has resulted in what the CEO, John Watson, describes as “right sizing,” company-wide.

In the events division it began with some redundancies leading up to Mr Barrett’s negotiated departure. Some of the group’s satellite offices in Thailand were closed or outsourced.

Barrett David

Mr Barrett in a breezy single-page statement refers to a departure package that “enabled me to leave on good terms and on a high note.”

“I swanned out of the Diethelm offices 25 January,” he writes, noting the events business was severely impacted in recent years by political turmoil and a global financial crisis.

“Programmes were shelved, or budgets trimmed and with competition hot our heels we were unable to sustain the business model in the former format given the economic realities,” he explains.

However he notes in his farewell statement that while there was radical surgery to Diethelm Events, the company’s events business in Malaysia was unaffected and continues to do very good business.

On life with Diethelm Travel, Mr Barrett says: “I consider myself blessed; it was an awesome ride and thanks to Diethelm for giving me the opportunity to launch its events division.”

Mr Barrett leaves with a handsome severance package, too, that will give him time to check out job offers at his leisure.

On life beyond Diethelm Travel he hints of a career shift possibly to an international hotel chain to head up its events related marketing.

He intends to capitalise on a trend that sees hotel groups strengthening events marketing in-house to enable them to go direct to the market rather than working through traditional DMCs.

Mr Barrett believes he has something to offer a hotel group ready to embark on a direct business plan after two decades working for DMCs.

“I have a desire to jump fence and move from DMC to hotel,” he explains. “But I am taking my time to explore options.”

He will handle some event-related projects by the end of March on a private basis.

He was addressing 80 travel executives attending PATA’s first Hub City Forum held at the Landmark Hotel earlier today.

THAI Smile is part of the airline’s latest strategic positioning that calls for the airline to be more competitive  with low-cost and Middle East airlines that have eroded THAI’s yield and market share.

Mr Piyasvasti said the airline was a sub brand under the TG’s management rather than a separate company.

“A sub brand of THAI, it will hire younger cabin crew, all women on a maximum contract of six years and retirement at 30, ” he told delegates mainly leading travel executives based in Thailand.

He confirmed the new venture would have both business and economy classes, with  business class following the flexible European configuration that keeps the centre seat free and uses a curtain to separate it from economy class.

“Quality will be lower, but that is not a problem for shorter flights,” he said.

The airline starts with a service to Macau in July using an Airbus 320s. Four of the A320s will be used to establish the fleet during the first year and 11 aircraft  are due to join the new airline over the first three years.

He was presenting an airline update to 100 travel executives attending PATA’s first Hub City Forum held at Landmark Hotel earlier today.

Asked by PATA CEO , Martin Craigs, to include the Europe’s carbon tax in his presentation the airline president admitted it was a losing battle.

“There is not much we can do about the carbon tax,” he told delegates. “It is unfair to the airlines as well as in its implementation.”

Known officially as EU ETS, the THAI CEO president said it would put additional costs on airlines estimating it would cost his airline as much as Bt300 to 400 million this year alone.

Piyasvasti Amranand

“We have already agreed to a ridiculous target to reduce carbon emissions 50 % by 2050 and I say it is ridiculous because we contribute just 2% of carbon emissions.”

Arguing the tax was badly thought out, he confirmed the Thai government had waded into the controversy with a note of protest forwarded to the EU last week.

“But they will not listen. We have to live with it, unless the US wins the case,” he concluded.

Noting PATA’s new found role in advocacy, he said simplifying and reviewing strict visa rules would be a far better subject to tackle.

“Visas are a big obstacle to travel. There are so many barriers and it makes life very difficult. They talk about E-visa, but many things can be done to improve visa rules without waiting for that to happen,” he said.

“It is very difficult for Thais to travel to North America or Europe and it would improve travel bookings for all airlines in this market if that changed.

He identified Korea as an example where visas were made easier or removed and this resulted in a surge of travel bookings to that country from Thailand.

“PATA needs to work on this and this is the easiest way to facilitate travel,” he concluded.

Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort is the far north town’s only five-star resort and the affable general manager is showing me the landscaped gardens that merge with an infinity pool. From the vantage point of my bar stool the pool melts into river, a blurry placid line of water and beyond in the distance, hazy forested mountains complete the tranquil tapestry.

“Marketing the resort is inherently linked to Chiang Rai,” he explains. “First we introduce a fascinating new destination to customers who are looking for art and culture.

Justin Malcolm

“We sell the destination linking it to the benefits of a relaxing resort experience and are focusing on new markets  particularly in Asia. This is one of the few remaining provinces that can still deliver a genuine traditional Thai experience without a single compromise.”

2012 is a banner year for Chiang Rai as it celebrates the 750th anniversary of the city’s founding by King Mengrai the Great who ruled over the Lanna Kingdom in 1262.

Today, 26 January, city residents gathered at 0959 for the official 750th anniversary ceremony held at the foot of the revered king’s statue, a landmark for both visitors and residents alike.

In the evening around 600 residents, VIPs and representatives of the town’s communities and associations will gather for a gala dinner at the Mae Fah Luang Arts and Crafts Park.

Back at the Le Meridien, Mr Malcolm talks of other events that will not only underscore Chiang Rai’s claim to arts and crafts status, but also help to establish it as gateway to the Mekong Region.

Le Meridien with other riverside hotels are jointly hosting the Mekong Tourism Forum this June an event that will attract over 300 leading tourism executives from Thailand and its Mekong Region neighbours.

“Our challenge is to build international tourism,” says Mr Malcolm. “There are no international airlines serving Chiang Rai and this is something we have to work on seriously.”

There are reasons to be optimistic that airlines will show interest in the future following positive media cover in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Travellers from Singapore were among the top nationalities staying at the resort hotel in December mostly couples, in the 40 to 50s, seasoned travellers looking for something rewarding and relaxing.

The 159-room Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort fits that bill perfectly with its 26 rai of gardens on the banks of the River Kok, just a one –hour journey to the famous Golden Triangle and within minutes of historic temples and outstanding examples of Lanna art at its best.

It starts with the open lobby and the panoramic view of the gardens, the river and mountains on the far horizon. The views are similar from all room balconies.

If location makes a great hotel, go no further.

But Le Meridien in the style, layout and standard of service goes much further to deliver a holiday experience that both visitors and residents alike say is in a class of its own.

Ask the restaurant customers, the town’s business folk and expatriate residents, who have made this resort hotel their weekend dining retreat to enjoy an “amazing and affordable brunch.”

Word of mouth recommendations say it all and when critical well-travelled expatriate residents say this is the place to be seen  we have to admit they usually know what they are talking about.

“We have tried to be part of the community,” says the GM. “We deliberately priced our food and beverage to attract locals and this has paid off by giving us recognition for quality dining.”

Apart from a healthy Sunday brunch that would keep a rugby player satisfied, the hotel offers traditional Italian in its signature restaurant, Favola.

You will also feel equally at home at the hotel’s Latitude 19 lobby lounge that claims to be modern Lanna chic. In other words a place to relax, where you can browse through the library of books linked to Chiang Rai and its Lanna art.

I am sitting at the hotel’s poolside Chill Bar soaking up the view and weather. It’s a cool 20 degrees, well below what Bangkok properties create in their air-conditioned lobbies. But I am out in a garden surrounded by huge ancient trees that were there long before the environmentally sensitive architect got down to work.

On the sidelines the hotel’s efficient events team is setting out an evening cocktail reception for 40 media representatives from Bangkok here to help celebrate a new air service from Bangkok.

I muse over the future, recognising Chiang Rai’s day in the sunlight is approaching. There is a buzz in town as it prepares to celebrate its 750th anniversary. There is an emerging confidence too that the town is about to discover its true identity; a gateway to the Mekong Region for visitors looking for a quality, lifestyle holiday.

Le Meridien’s team hopes to play a role in reach that goal.

Thailand’s Princess, Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, presided over the opening of the bridge, 11 November, at a ceremony attended by high ranking government officials from both Thailand and Laos.

The Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, connects the northeastern Thai province of Nakhon Phanom with Khammouan province in central Lao PDR.

Officials said it would help to boost tourism and trade and reduce the transport delivery times for cargo between the two countries.

The opening ceremony took place at the Thai-Lao border and was co-chaired bythe vice president of Laos,  Bounnhang Vorachith.

Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also attended the event.

Princess Sirindhorn also inaugurated a border pass building where an exhibition on close ties between the two neighbours is now on display.

Thailand and Laos have inked an agreement to jointly develop the economy in border areas under the theme ‘twin city’. The friendship bridge is also part of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy.

The ‘twin city’ concept is already working in two other border areas where friendship bridges opened — the first in 1994 linking Vientiane in Laos with Nong Khai province in Thailand and the second in 2006 linking Mukdahan province in Thailand with Savannakhet in Laos.

The first bridge was funded by the Australian government , while other bridges have been financed by grants and loans from Thailand and China.

The third friendship bridge is part of Asian Highway Route AH15, connecting Thailand’s Udon Thani province to Vinh in Vietnam.

The Thai government funded the construction of the third bridge with a budget of Bt1,723 million (US$57 million), while the Lao government provided land and tax privileges for the import of construction machines and materials.

The Thai construction company, Italian-Thai,  started construction in 2009 on the two-lane friendship bridge. It spans 1,423 metres with a road width of 13 metres.

The construction of the Thai-Lao friendship bridge should improve cooperation between the two countries, as well build a economic corridor to Vietnam.

The bridge was commercially in business 12 November when the first group of travellers paid Bt50 each for private cars to make the crossing. Cars of seven to 12 seats are charged Bt100, while medium-sized passenger cars with 12 to 24 seats are charged Bt150 Buses pay Bt200 if they have 24 seats or more.

In addition, the province has assigned the Transport Co Ltd to introduce an international bus route from Nakhon Phanom to Khammouan.

It takes one hour and a half for the bus  to complete the 29 km transfer between the two provinces and the fare costs Bt70 per person (18,000 Kips). Buses operate daily 0730 to 1800.

There is no provision for people to walk or cycle across the bridge. Cycles have to be stored on buses or in cars to cross the bridge.

Nakhon Phanom Chamber of Commerce vice president, Jit Jirachat told TTR Weekly that officials in Nakhon Phanom province were discussing with their counterparts in Khammouan Province to allow tourist buses from both provinces to cross the bridge and run their own independent services between the two province outside of the arrangement for the official bus service.

He said Laos should give an answer on the proposal by end of this month.

The bridge is part of Asian Development Bank’s East-West corridor project that envisages a road link from Myanmar passing through Thailand and Laos to Vietnam’s central region.

Most of the route is on Highway 12 that meets a new road leading to the bridge about 8 km north of Nakhon Phanom.

Once across the river the bridge  road links with highway 13 in Laos north of Tha Khaek. At present tankers and commercial vehicles use a ferry that crosses from the town centre of Nakhon Phanom to Tha Khaek.

The downtown ferries will continue to serve Lao and Thai citizens only, while all commercial vehicles and buses will use the bridge.

Last year, 19,850 Thais passed Nakhon Phanom Immigration checkpoint, while there were 55,302 international tourists excluding border pass travellers.

Meanwhile, Khammouan province deputy governor Somchay Phetsinuan said the opening of the bridge should improve tourist arrivals. On average, there are 300,000 tourist arrivals to the  province annually.

“The bridge connects Hom village in Meuang district of Thailand’s Nakhon Phanom province to Veun Tai village, 13 km from Tha Khaek. It now provides the shortest route for exporters trucking goods to the central seaports of Vietnam.”

Mr Somchay added: “ The bridge will now be the main international border crossing. The previous immigration checkpoint will be used only to process Lao and Thai nationals making short excursions. Everyone else will need to use the border checkpoints at the bridge.”

The bridge supports the Lao government’s policy to transform the country from a “landlocked to a land linked nation”, to bolster trade, investment and tourism.

Khammuan provincial authorities are now planning a new road as well as an upgrade of Highway 13 to improve links with Vietnam.

There are two other Lao-Thai Friendship Bridges across the Mekong. The first connects Nong Khai province in Thailand with Vientiane in Laos and the second connects Mukdahan province in Thailand with Savannakhet province in Laos.

Meanwhile, a fourth bridge is under construction to connect Thailand’s Chiang Kong in Chiang Rai and Huay Xai in Bokeo province in Laos.

This will be main overland route from China, transiting Laos and connecting with highways in Chiang Rai province to Chiang Mai, Lamphang, Phrea, and Phitsanulok all the way to Bangkok.

It should be ready to open 10 December 2012.

Suspended flights are:

• SQ 974 (Singapore-Bangkok) and SQ977 (Bangkok-Singapore) from 9 to 20 November

• SQ 978 (Singapore-Bangkok) and SQ981 (Bangkok-Singapore) 12 November as well as 14 to 19 November.

The airline says in a press statement, Thursday, that it will get in touch with affected customers to reschedule them on other flights.

The airline increased frequency from four to five flights daily, 30 October, in anticipation of high season demand for travel to Bangkok, but by the first week of November cancellations poured in due to negative travel advisories and media reports on the worst floods to hit Bangkok in 70 years.

They made the comments during an airline panel discussion Monday organised by the Bangkok Skal Club.

BAR (Bangkok Airlines Representatives) president, Brian Sinclair-Thompson told about 100 travel executives the AoT had demonstrated it has a comprehensive flood management plan in action and has been “proactive presenting daily updates” for airlines serving the airport.

“Airlines are satisfied that the airport is secure from floods. AoT is giving us daily updates and has assured us the airport can withstand a worst-case scenario.”

The airport complex is surrounded by a 3.5 metre high dyke and any residual water seeping through to the property can be channelled through a 23 km canal system to six reservoirs and then pumped out to the sea.

Floods will threaten the area around the airport particularly in the districts of Lat Krabang and Nong Chok to the north, but the BAR president said the chances of a breach in the airport’s dykes was extremely remote.

However, he did concede that the AoT had not explained in detail security measures to prevent sabotage if neighbouring communities are flooded.

“Sabotage by communities was not discussed in meetings with airlines,” he told Skal Club members. “But we have noticed security has been beefed up considerably.”

Airport operations are more likely to be affected by mundane challenges such as getting staff from their homes to the work place. Most airlines are now accommodating their airport staff in nearby hotels to solve the issue.

Parking is a problem as residents in nearby districts took the government warning seriously and parked their cars on “higher ground” filling up the car parking buildings at the airport.

An estimated 20,000 cars are parked both in the airport and on elevated road approaching the terminal building.

“Our main concern is that passengers get to the airport and can deal with these challenges,” Mr Thompson explained. “We are recommending they arrive at the airport three hours before flights depart.”

Flood security tops the agenda after the city’s Don Mueang Airport, serving just three domestic airlines was forced to close late last month.

Mr Thompson noted that a local English language newspaper headlined the incident “Bangkok’s airport closed” with photographs of decommissioned aircraft submerged to the landing gear.

“It was picked up by media worldwide and caused considerable damage to the country,” he noted. “There were also examples of newspapers doctoring the photos to give the impression it was Suvarnabhumi.”

Decommissioned aircraft at flooded Don Mueang Airport

AoT has been in damage control mode since then repeating the message daily that Bangkok’s gateway Suvarnabhumi Airport is as flood-proof as it gets.

“The city would  go first,” Mr Thompson argued. “Then it would be meaningless to talk about the airport  if everywhere else was flooded. Airlines are very confident they can serve Suvarnanbhumi normally.”

AoT strengthened its message by bringing in engineers from Japan International Cooperation Agency to inspect the system and they confirmed confidence in flood prevention measures.

Earlier in the week, Airports of Thailand senior executive vice president and acting general manager of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Somchai Sawasdeepon, said construction of the dykes started in 1995 and was completed in 2000, which has given them ample time to settle, dry and strengthen to prevent water penetration.

Department of Highways engineers drilled the dykes to test their strength and confirmed they were capable of holding back floodwater of less than 3.5 metres high.

Floods have measured around 50 cm to 1 metre high in the capital with the exception of some residential areas to the north of the city that are under 2 to 2.5 metres of water. There are no examples of flooding of 3 metres up any where in the capital.

There are no issues transferring passengers to and from the airport. Motorways and Airport Rail Link tracks are operating normally and likely to stay that way as long as the eastern canal network can handle the run-off from the northern suburbs.

During the first week of November, passenger traffic at Suvarnabhumi averaged 100,000 passengers with around 900 flights daily.

However, that should not distract from the fact that the floods are an unprecedented economic disaster for the nation. No matter how the figures are juggled, tourism suffer a substantial decline already seen in the drop of 25% in arrivals over the first eight days of the month.

The biggest deterrent for a fast recovery are the blanket travel advisories issued across the EU that warn citizens to avoid Bangkok unless travel is absolutely necessary.

Similar warnings have been issued by ASEAN member nations, China and India.

They have a point. More than 50% of Bangkok  has been inundated by a black filthy mass of water. There are serious health issues for residents who come in contact with floods and there is a mountain of garbage that needs to be dealt with urgently.

Privately travel executives recognise Bangkok is not Thailand and that they need to muster the resolve to promote what is tenable and practical rather than what is politically correct.

But as one travel agent told TTR Weekly; “It is hard to tell Bangkok hotels that they are off our shopping list for now. They expect us to support.”

Reports surfaced, last week, that Mr Ridgway had either quit, or had  held discussions  with the CEO  regarding a  mutually agreeable exit.  PATA Communications told Phuket News yesterday that it does not comment on human resources or employment matters that remain confidential.

He was appointed 21 July by the interim CEO, Bill Calderwood, who returns to Australia this month after working for the associations for nine months.

Mr Calderwood was called in to take over from former president, Greg Duffell, last February mainly to restructure the organisation, write a strategic business direction plan and hire a CEO.

He led the executive search that appointed a former aviation association president, Martin Craigs as the new CEO who came on board last month.

Last July, he appointed two senior executives;  Asia director Mr Ridgway and Stu Lloyd who assumed the role of senior director marketing and membership services.

Mr Ridgway came to the post with 20 years’ experience in strategic marketing, communications and consultancy, half of that in Asia, including international development agency work. Prior to joining PATA he was a senior communications officer for a UNFAO project, working with eight Asian Governments, according to the July PATA press release.

At the time, Mr Calderwood noted how “delighted” he was to have recruited two candidates of such high calibre.

“We believe their experience and contributions will play a crucial role in the implementation of the many new strategies and programmes we are developing as part of our new strategic direction to build the business for our members.”

Mr Ridgway started work early August and is now saying his farewells three months later.

The current PATA CEO, Mr Craigs reportedly said the change would give him an opportunity to restructure posts within the organisation.

Under Mr Calderwood’s leadership the association also out-sourced three key areas – communications, events and intelligence gathering.

University professors, experts in water management, agree that the volume of flood water backed up on the edge of northern suburbs far exceeds the carrying capacity of the Chao Phraya River or  the city’s extensive canals system.

Flood water is being diverted east through suburbs, but sluice gates at Min Buri and Nong Chok are damaged and this has caused seepage back to the Sam Sen Canal that runs southwest towards the city’s Prakanong district to eventually connect with the river.

It suggests there will be back flow from water diverted east and the situation will be further aggravated by a maze of canals running north to south that also feed into Sam Sen canal from northern suburbs that are under water.

Even if the strategy to divert water east to Mini Buri and Nong Chok districts takes the pressure off northern suburbs within a week or two it will deposit a substantial volume of run-off water in Lat Krabang a district just north of the sprawling Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

It could cause flooding on the motorway between the city and the airport, Rama 9 Road  and on Motorway 7 east towards Pattaya. If water dumped in Lat Krabang backs up and cannot be pumped out to the sea fast enough residential and industrial districts near the airport could suffer extensive flooding.

Suvarnabhumi Airport is surrounded by a 3.5 metre high dyke and drainage canals covering 23 km that experts say are quite adequate to keep the airport dry.

The only unknown factor is sabotage. Residents in flooded communities are often so frustrated they will break down dykes and barriers to ensure their neighbours share the same fate.

So far the army and police have failed to prevent these acts of lawlessness.

Communities in northern suburbs punctured the barrier along Prapa Canal in 13 places last night allowing putrid, black flood water to pour into the canal that supplies raw water to the city’s tap water treatment plant. It took most of the morning to stop the leaks.

Over 10 million residents rely on the plant for their tap water including thousands of hotels that cater to tourists in the inner city. If water quality is compromised through reckless sabotage, public health will suffer.

There have been similar examples of sabotage across the city where villagers broke sluice gates to ease flooding in their areas causing other areas that were dry to flood.

Villagers sabotaged dykes at the southern end of Muang Ake, last week, a vast housing estate and home to Rangsit University,  considered a vital barrier to keep water out of Don Meuang district. The area is now under 2.5 metres of water. Subsequently floods overflowed into Don Mueang Airport cutting off Viphavadi Rangsit Highway and  are now threatening Lard Phrao.

If a similar scenarios play out in the southeast suburbs, the international gateway airport could be at risk requiring the army to step in to keep the airport functioning normally.

Authorities are not addressing these fears during TV discussions, but the maps they display show the direction that the floods will take. This suggests the eastern area, an extension of Rama 9, could be a risk within seven to 10 days.

During the TV chat shows, university professors also show the water is being diverted east through areas that are slightly higher than the central and northern districts. This slight difference in elevation slows the flow rate and in turns causes some back flow through connecting canals that link with low-lying downtown districts. If this continues  water diverted east and the flow from northern suburbs could merge to inundate downtown districts.

From the northern suburbs the flood water is flowing south along Phaholyothin and Viphavadi Rangsit roads, despite efforts to divert the water elsewhere. Over the next few days it will reach south of Lad Prao to areas around the head offices of Bangkok Airways and Thai Airways International.

A week later it could seep into Din Daeng and from there slowly progress to Phya Thai, Pathum Wan, Bang Rak, Sathorn and Yan Nawa districts.

If it was left unimpeded that would be the fastest route to the river and the sea.

The charts and discussions  indicate  that most canals were designed to deal with rain water and transverse the city suburbs east to west flowing to the river. There are a vast number of smaller canals lined up in a north-to-south direction that flow into these main drainage canals. Very few canals were actually designed to deal with flood water or divert water  to the east and west to avoid the city itself. When the canals were dug 0ver 100 years ago they were designed as transport channels linking district. They were not conceived as  floodways to the sea

Based on the city’s waterway limitations, it is unlikely that the authorities can guarantee the commercial districts will escape flooding of between 20 and 50 cm over the next 10 days.

Travel agents need to be aware that  the  floods travel slow almost at a snail’s pace and that can be deceiving. Flood water will ultimately bubble up through drains at the low-lying areas of the city through an archaic network of canals. The sheer volume will stop traffic and disable shops and roadside residences.

Hotels in Bangkok will suffer a drop in business just as hotels in Phuket suffered after the tsunami. This is a slow tsunami creeping up on residents, but delivering the same chaos and disruption. There are fewer fatalities, but the damage is still substantial and over time stressful to those affected.

It is true visitors can spend time in inner Bangkok and enjoy a surreal experience that suggests nothing is amiss. For thousands of residents who live in more than half of the city’s districts  they face very different and stressful decisions. They will need to evacuate from homes. They will not be able to commute to their offices even if they remain open and they don’t know how long it will take before they can go back and rebuild their lives.

Tourists will just need to worry about the hotel’s back-up electricity supply and whether they can board a bus or train to reach the airport in time.

Travel agents should recommend that guests stay in hotels that are equipped with back-up electricity and can provide full service. Boutique hotels and guest houses will close if the water enters their street-level lobbies, forcing them to turn off electricity.

There is no need to panic. The floods give you days of warning, but if the drains are percolating then that is a  sign that the water will rise over the next two days and possible disrupt traffic in your area.

Once the water reaches 50 cm on a city road, small cars and commuter vans are seriously hampered. Buses will run and the BTS will function normally.

Travel agents are correctly recommending that there is no immediate risk for visitors at inner city locations. If visitors booked with a travel agent, they will be notified if the situation deteriorates and evacuated to other destinations. They are very capable at dealing with these emergencies having had plenty of practice in the last three years.

Independent travellers do not have the travel agency  luxury to fall back on so they need to be cautious. Some of the advice going around is almost criminal and naïve. Organisations such as the Pacific Asia Travel Association issue self- serving statements based on its commercial and political interests. Sadly they are not trustworthy or based what is happening on the ground.

PATA talks about normality and localised flooding claiming the city is functioning without missing a heart beat.

See: www.thailandtourismupdate.com

What  travel agents need to know is that there are real risks, but they are manageable through their local travel partners who know what action to take to ensure holidays are not spoiled.

If you can choose to be somewhere else on holiday make your travel base in Pattaya just 90 km east of Suvarnabhumi Airport. From here you can connect with the overland routes that miss the flooded provinces. There are also flights to Samui and Phuket from Pattaya.

Hua Hin is a fine base as long as the highways to the west remain open.

Phuket , Krabi and Samui in the south are fine options, too. Phuket has airline services to Chiang Mai and Singapore. It has the potential to be a gateway for airlines to serve destinations in the North and Northeast. This capacity needs to be developed in earnest. Tourism in Thailand is too Bangkok-centric. There should be three or four viable international gateway airports around Thailand rather than a single overrated one in Bangkok.

If this is your first visit to Thailand and you must see the Temple of the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace then the good news is that despite some river overflow the iconic heritage sites are open.

If you are a repeat visitor, then take this flood as the cue to really explore Thailand.

TTR Weekly recommends a trip to North Thailand as this is the cool season and the best time of the year to go North. Bangkok is not Thailand. It is not the commercial heart of the nation even if the Prime Minister says so. The commercial heart was the thousands of factories in the provinces that are underwater not the paper pushers that sit in high-rise towers in Silom Road and take long lunch breaks to check out their golf supplies.

Bangkok will suffer floods like the rest of the central plains province and the blame lies with governments and politicians who have pocketed the budgets, built their mansions and failed in their responsibilities to manage this nation on behalf of the electorate. Not one of them is worth a vote.

If they had been doing their job properly Bangkok would now have its floodways and green belts taking the water safely to sea. They had 20 years to build them and failed to take up the challenge that was clearly outlined some 15 years ago by His Majesty the King. (See the YouTube video).

Now we are all paying the price for years of neglect at the hands of corrupt politicians who have taken us to the cleaners, or this time flushed us out of homes and business.

BANGKOK, 21 October 2011 – Pacific Asia Travel Association is spending a packet funding travel expenses to send two CEOs to the World Travel Market in November.

PATA communications states that both the incoming CEO, Martin Craigs and interim CEO, Bill Calderwood, will conduct media interviews at the World Travel Market, next month.

They will both be in London to stir the debate on Europe’s proposed emissions trading system and the United Kingdom’s existing air passenger duty tax, that they claim will damage tourism to the Asia Pacific region.

Martin Craigs

The decision to send two CEOs to one of the world most expensive trade shows, breaks with austerity measures introduced by former CEO, Greg Duffell, who reduced executive travel to balance the books.

The two CEOs will justify the double billing by claiming it is part of the association’s plans to crank up its advocacy role, which was placed on the back burner for the last three years.

A telephone call to “PATA Communcations” to ask for an update on the association’s campaign to convince members to pay their annual dues, this year, failed to get beyond reception. PATA faces a 20% shortfall in dues collection.

PATA outsourced its communications after it parted company with journalist, Punam Mohandas, earlier this year,  claiming it was more cost effective to outsource the activity.

However, PATA fails to identify an executive in  “PATA communications”  who can field media questions.

Bill Calderwood

Over the next few weeks, PATA will formally announce its Rapid Recovery Task Force, but the only response to natural disasters in Thailand  and  Cambodia was a press release that said travel was safe.

Earlier in the week,  PATA staff celebrated Mr Calderwood’s birthday by presenting him with a fancy cake iced with the words  “Beloved Boss.” He returns to Australia after his World Travel Market trip, ending a nine month stint as interim CEO.

“PATA in 2011 is relevant and being proactive on behalf of its members,”  Mr Calderwood comments.  “There is a lot of work to be done. But our strategic agenda is clear. Our members have spoken. Now it’s up to PATA to deliver.”

Members may have more to say when the two CEOs deliver their November travel expenses and the financial director totals the debits column.