TCEB adopts educational role

BANGKOK, 3 February 2012: Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau join hands with Thai Incentive and Convention Exhibition and Thai Exhibition Association to build a MICE curriculum for students.

Identified as MICE 101 it will help prepare students for the upcoming ASEAN Economic Community 2015.

TCEB president, Akapol Sorasuchart, said MICE 101 will introduce students to corporate meetings, incentive activities, international conventions and international exhibitions and trade show management. Read more

HCMC will tap emerging markets

HO CHI MINH CITY, 3 February 2012: City officials say they are confident tourist arrivals can reach 3.8 million this year.

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Tourism Promotion Division deputy head, Nguyen Bao Anh, said promotions will focus on South Korea, the United Kingdom, India and Ukraine.

“Tourist arrivals from those four countries remained small, last year, but the growth rate was promising.”

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Fudging allegations flatly denied

BANGKOK, 2 February 2012: Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ Department of Tourism hits out a critics saying its international and domestic tourist arrivals figure are reliable and follow the standards set by the United Nation’s World Tourism Organisation.

In response to constant travel industry criticism that its data lacked credibility, TTR Weekly forwarded questions to a Department of Tourism official who asked not to be identified.

Officially, the department declined to be drawn into a debate on data collection. Read more

TAT will close privilege company

BANGKOK, 2 February 2012: Tourism Authority of Thailand plans to close the ailing Thailand Privilege Card company in March pending Cabinet approval.

TAT assumed sole ownership of the debt-ridden operator Thailand Privilege Card company, last year, under a directive from the previous government, but it needs the current government to sign off on the decision to close the company.

Thailand Privilege Card was established to manage the Thailand Elite Card, which was supposed to be an exclusive lifetime benefit card, priced at Bt1 million, for multi-millionaires visiting Thailand. Read more

TTAA rolls out 10th fair

BANGKOK, 2 February 2011: Now in its 10th edition the popular Thai International Travel Fair will open 23 February at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

Thai Travel Agents Association reports the four-day show will have 1,110 registered booths mainly promoting travel deals and holidays to the consumer market.

They represent hotels, tour operators, national tourism office, airlines, car rentals and tourist attractions.

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Movies mint money

BANGKOK, 2 February 2012: Thailand earned a record Bt1,226.45 million from on-location film shoots in 2011 according to the Thailand Film Office Department, which is supervised by Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

The department reported, late last week, its January to December 2011 data that showed 606 films, documentaries, advertising, TV series, and music video were filmed on location in Thailand generating Bt1,226.45 million in revenue. It compares with 578 productions and Bt1,869.15 million in 2010.

In 2011, foreign productions included 155 documentaries, 296 advertising, 86 TV series, 34 music video, and 35 feature films. Read more

LCCs off the hook on fares

BANGKOK, 1 February 2012: Thai consumers have stopped filing complaints on misleading airline fare advertising , but they are taking airlines to task for a lack of services and reservations related problems, according to Thailand’s Office of Consumer Protection Board.

OCPB was responding to news, late last month, that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission filed a case against Malaysia’s AirAsia for an alleged failure to display prices inclusive of all taxes, duties, fees and other charges. According to Australian law, businesses that choose to advertise a part of the price of a particular product, or service, must also prominently specify a single total price. The matter is listed for an hearing on 2 March.

In Thailand, OCPB fined Thai AirAsia and Nok Air some years back, based on complaints by airline passengers.

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Govt reiterates tourism commitment

BANGKOK, 1 February 2012: Tourism will prosper this year, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra told travel representatives on Monday, but warned competition would be tough in the lead-up to the adoption of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015.

She opened the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations’ seminar on the government policy towards Thailand’s tourism industry saying the country welcomed 19.09 million tourists in 2011 and generated Bt730,000 million in revenue, despite past political discord and floods.

“In the near future, tourism will face fierce competition that will require cooperation from all parties and a clear strategy to develop the industry to usher in the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015, as well as to revive tourist confidence in the country.” Read more

Myanmar gains Singapore know-how

SINGAPORE, 1 February 2012: Myanmar signed an agreement with Singapore, Monday, seeking the financial centre’s help as the country emerges from political and economic isolation after decades of military rule.

President Thein Sein arrived Sunday for a four-day state visit to the city-state accompanied by a top-level delegation which included business leaders and top ministers in charge of economic portfolios.

Thein Sein met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Monday to witness the signing by their foreign ministers of an agreement under which Singapore will provide training for reforms in the legal, banking and financial sectors.

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No nukes in Myanmar

SINGAPORE, 1 February 2012: Myanmar President Thein Sein has denied his country is trying to obtain nuclear weapons from North Korea, describing allegations of a covert programme as “unfounded”.

“We are not acquiring nuclear weapons from North Korea,” the Straits Times newspaper on Tuesday quoted him as saying in an interview during a four-day state visit to Singapore.

“These allegations are unfounded and based on suspicion by some Western countries.” Read more

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