How tourism works with communities

BANGKOK, 9 May 2012: A training workshop for senior product and operations staff in Thailand and the Greater Mekong Sub-region will be hosted in Chiang Mai, 8 to 12 June, focusing on tour operators who need to update their skills in community based tourism.

The event is organised by the Thailand’s Community Based Tourism Institute in cooperation with the Mekong Coordinating Office under what is termed a community-based tourism partnership.

MCTO is also organising the Mekong Tourism Forum, in Chiang Rai, 13 to 14 June.

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New Lao airline takes off

BANGKOK, 8 May 2012: Lao Central Airlines, the first Lao private airline, owned by bankers,  Phongsavanh Group, took off 3 May starting with a flight to Bangkok.

Lao Central aims to operate a mix of regional and domestic services from its base in Vientiane. After the Bangkok inaugural flight it said it was starting domestic services to Luang Prabang, 7 May and to Pakse next month.

The carrier has two leased Boeing 737-400s and according to an order placed May 2010, it is due to take delivery of smaller Russian-made Sukhoi Superjet-100s in second half of this year.

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Traffic up for Thai AirAsia

BANGKOK, 4 May 2012: Thai AirAsia posted a 87% load factor during the first quarter of 2012 and carried over 2 million passengers.

Thai AirAsia recorded the 87% load factor during January to March, which represented an increase of 3% over the same period last year.

Passenger traffic grew by 17% from 1,817,485 to 2,131,397, while seat capacity increased 14% from 2,154,780 to 2,459,160 (20 aircraft compared to 24).

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CX getaway fares go downunder

BANGKOK, 3 May 2012: Cathay Pacific Airways has launched Getaway Surprise for travel to Australia and New Zealand using Hong Kong as the connecting hub.

Valid through June, most of the fares look competitive, but when travellers consider Thai Airways International’ current promotional fares and the added incentive of nonstop services the few thousand baht saved on a CX routing might not be such a good idea.

Getaway Surprise promotional fares must be purchased by 20 May, while travel ex-Bangkok is allowed until the end of June.

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Scoot serves up Bangkok surprise

BANGKOK, 3 May 2012: Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ budget subsidiary will fly the short haul route to Bangkok from 5 July adding even more stress on a cut-throat sector served by Thai AirAsia, Jetstar as well as its own subsidiary Tiger Airways.

Introduction of a Bangkok service came as a surprise, as it was not mentioned on the intended destinations list. Scoot was pitching at medium and long haul routes from Singapore namely Australia, New Zealand, China, India. Europe and even the US at a stretch. This strategy is reflected in its fleet choice of mid to long-range wide-bodied B777-200s (32 business seats and 370 economy seats).

Critics will say it was an opportunist move to tap the popular Bangkok with a daily evening flight departing Singapore at 1725 and returning from Bangkok at 2000.

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More tourists visit Cambodia

BANGKOK, 30 April 2012: Cambodia’s tourist arrivals almost reached 1 million at the end of the first quarter and resulted in a substantial increase of around 30% over the same period last year.

Tourists from Thailand rebounded after the Yingluck administration established better diplomatic relations with Prime Minister Hun Sen. Visits leaped 64% during the first three months of this year moving the Thai market to seventh place, up from the eighth at the end of 2011.

The Ministry of Tourism reported the country welcomed 995,210 international tourists during the first three months, representing an impressive growth of 27.8%.

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PM accelerates high-speed train

BANGKOK, 26 April 2012: The Ministry of Transport hopes to set up a supervisory committee on high-speed train development led by Prime Minister Yingluck who will act as its chairperson.

She has promised to fast track decisions a declaration that might add an element of speed to a project that has almost ground to a halt.

The ministry vows that at least one high-speed train line will open before the current government’s terms ends in about three and a half years.

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PG’s Summer Fly Promotion

BANGKOK, 24 April 2012: Bangkok Airways’ “Summer Fly Summer Free” promotion bundles airfare, two nights’ accommodation with breakfast and airport transfers to selected domestic and regional destinations.

Compared with other airlines serving the same routes, the offers are competitive. Packages are available through authorised travel agencies immediately, but the travel period will run from 1 May to 30 September.

Eligible destinations are: Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Lampang, Trat, Phuket, Samui, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Yangon and Luang Prabang.

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Vietnam builds Ho Chi Minh memorial

BANGKOK, 23 April 2012: Vietnam is building a memorial complex  in Khammouane, Laos that depicts the life and times of  Vietnam’s first president and revolutionary leader, Ho Chi Minh.

Lao News Agency reported the Ho Chi Minh memorial complex was being built in Xiangvang village, Nongbouk district, in Khammouane province of Laos and should be completed within a year.

On 19 May, Vietnam celebrates the 122nd anniversary of the birthday of president Ho Chi Minh  and 2012 is also the  Vietnam -Laos Friendship Year. These calander events prompted the decision to build  an heritage attraction that should attract Vietnamese tourists who  travel overland to Laos.

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THAI Smile pegs Macau fare

BANGKOK, 20 April 2012: THAI Smile will pitch fares low to compete head-on with Thai AirAsia on the Bangkok-Macau route.

THAI Smile, a new sub-brand of Thai Airways International, is positioned to offer lower fares, while giving a level of services higher than budget airlines.

It will commence its first service to Macau, 7 July, serving the destination twice daily using an A320 aircraft. Its lead-in fare is competitive with low-cost Thai AirAsia’s standard fares, but the new airline has  fewer daily services.

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