THAI Smile returns to Luang Prabang

BANGKOK, 21 August 2017: Thai Smile says it will resume flights between Bangkok and Luang Prabang starting1 October.

Thai Smile launched flights to Luang Prabang in 2014 and halted them in 2016, without an announcement or explanation to passengers or the travel trade.

According to the airline’s website, the upcoming route will operate with four weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Read more

Sports to support tourism

BANGKOK, 18 August 2017: Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports is confident that sports tourism will boom in eastern seaboard provinces to generate added revenue for local communities.

Tourism and Sports Minister, Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, said for the first half of this year tourism revenue for the so-called eastern seaboard cluster grew 9.1% generating over THB43,400 million i Chonburi, Rayong, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces.

“Local experiences through gastronomy and sports tourism such as the Bang Saen Grand Prix, triathlons, golf tournaments as well as marine tourism, which drew 39 cruises to Laem Chabang Port with 170,000 tourists, are elements to support tourism growth in the first half of this year.” Read more

Hotelier on the move

BANGKOK, 18 August 2017: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has appointed Michel Checoury as its new chief financial officer (CFO).

He joins the Mövenpick leadership team from Aman Resorts where he was CFO since 2014, responsible for the finances at 31 properties in 19 countries.

He will be responsible for aligning strategic planning, the ongoing implementation of Mövenpick’s successful business model and supporting all finance-related decisions and functions.  Read more

China sales go tabletop

BANGKOK, 18 August 2017: Thai Hotels Association is inviting members to join a Hotels Meet Local Agents Chinese Speaking Marketplace, 1330 to 1930, 22 September.

The sales event will be held at Chaturathit and Parichart rooms, Golden Tulip Sovereign Hotel Bangkok.

THA is cooperating with the Association of Thai Travel Agents to organise the programme, which will provide opportunities for hotel and tour operators to negotiate business and exchange knowledge at tabletop sessions. Read more

Q&A: Events business pursues quality

BANGKOK, 16 August 2017: Thailand has identified the pursuit of quality tourism as its strategic goal in a bid to shift the emphasis from counting tourist arrivals to building revenue, length of stay and offering upscale travel experiences.

MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) is viewed as the travel segment that will help Thailand do just that, as well as ensuring it can rise through the ranks to become the leader in ASEAN’s highly competitive events business.

Thailand has many factors in its favour including  strategic location on mainland ASEAN, a comprehensive network of airline routes and superb hotel and meeting facilities on the ground to serve the needs a global MICE industry. Read more

Thai Lion to roar its way to Bali

BANGKOK, 16 August 2017: Thai Lion Air will commence a brand new daily service from Bangkok (DMK) to Denpasar Bali in Indonesia effective 15 September.

According to the airline’s website, the carrier will operate a daily flight on the route using a Boeing 737-600 from its home-base at Don Mueang Airport, Bangkok.

It will compete head-on with Thai AirAsia, also based at DMK, and Thai Airways International (BKK-based), both of them offering nonstop flights to Denpasar. Read more

PG flits to Phu Quoc

BANGKOK, 16 August 2017: Bangkok Airways will launch a new service, 29 October, between Bangkok and Phu Quoc, a holiday island off the southern coast of Vietnam.

According to the airline’s website, the new route will operate with four weekly flights using the small turbo-prop 70-seat ATR72-600.

The airline will be the first Thai carrier fly to the destination, but it likely to face tough competition when its low-cost airlines based in Thailand start services using the bigger more comfortable Boeing 737s and A320s. Read more

Mother’s travel month

BANGKOK, 15 August 2017: Thai Airways International launches a “Travel with Mom 2017” promotion for two passengers travelling together on  domestic routes during the remainder of the month.

August 12 was celebrated in Thailand on two counts. It was the birthday of HM the Queen Sirikit, and also marked the nationwide Mother’s Day.

The promotion’s bookings and travel period will expire 31 August. Travel is only available on weekdays; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Read more

Thailand’s outbound travel grows

BANGKOK, 15 August 2017: Thai Travel Agents Association estimates Thais travel overseas will reach 8.5 million visits by this the end of this year.

TTAA’s president, Suparerk Soorangura, told TTR Weekly that the number of Thais make overseas trips this year will continue to grow from 7.9 million visits last year.

TTAA’s members are made up of tour companies that sell holiday packages to overseas destinations. Read more

Airlines support flood victims

NAKHON PHANOM, 11 August 2017: Thai Airways International, Thai Smile and Nok Air, supported efforts, this week. to distribute food and necessities to flood victims in Northeast Thailand.

Seen here are: Usanee Sangsingkeo (forth from left), acting president, Thai Airways International together with the THAI Board of Management and representatives from Thai Smile, and Nok Air.

They distributed survival bags and ready-to-eat meals, to Suwicharn Yankittikun (fifth from left), Nakhon Phanom’s Police Chief, who supervised the distribution to flood victims  gathered at a flood assistance centre located at Ban Nakam Sompoi School. Read more

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