Prizes pack domestic travel show

BANGKOK, 17 May 2013: Tourism Authority of Thailand hopes its consumer domestic fair Wan Thammada Thi Mai Thammada (An ordinary day turns special) to boost tourism during the up-coming low season.

The domestic fair opened Thursday and runs through to Sunday 19 May at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre, Plenary Hall zone C, 1000 to 2000.

At the opening ceremony, TAT domestic market deputy governor, Thawatchai Aranyik, said organising the fair would support the government’s policy to raise tourism revenue to Bt2 trillion.

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Fairs boosts dive and golf travel

BANGKOK, 17 May 2013: The Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre organiser expects its 10th Thailand Travel & Dive Expo together with Golf Expo 2013 will  encourage more year-round travel and help to close the revenue gap between peak and low seasons.

NCC Exhibition Organiser Co Ltd board, Sakchai Pattarapreechakul, said the fair organised with the Tourism Authority of Thailand should encourage  more domestic tourists to travel year round.

“The Dive expo was started in 2004. NCC talked to people who loved diving and since then it has grown into a very successful show. The fair offers variety for travellers who love sport and adventure.”

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Pacific Leisure moves office

BANGKOK, 17 May 2013: Pacific Leisure (Thailand) Limited will move to new office space, 27 May through to 29 May, at Empire Tower located on South Sathorn Road at the edge of the capital’s main business district, the company announced today.

Pacific Leisure managing director, Eckard Kremer, said the move would mean only limited services would be available to clients over the three days.

There will be two temporary telephone numbers available at 090 724 4316 and 088 018 7705 during the critical three days.

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Smart ID plan for Suvarnabhumi

BANGKOK, 14 May 2013: Thailand’s main aviation gateway, Suvarnabhumi Airport may adopt the use of ID smart cards for Thai travellers passing through immigration by the end of this year.

Processing at checkpoints will be faster using ID smart cards than the traditional passport, although the latter will still be required at the final destination.

Airports of Thailand board chairman, Sita Divari, said the scheme was being discussed with Immigration Bureau and Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials on  replacing passports with ID smart cards to reduce queues at checkpoints.

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Turning Thailand into a medi-hub

BANGKOK, 14 May 2013: Thailand has ambitions to become a medical tourism hub for ASEAN according to the Ministry of Public Health minister, Pradit Sintavanarong.

He wants to develop Thailand as the top medical tourism destination in the region by increasing business by 10% a year.

“The government aims to generate revenue of Bt14 billion and build on an existing 1 million foreign patients a year that visit Thailand’s hospitals.”

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TAT targets youth travel

BANGKOK, 13 May 2013: Tourism Authority of Thailand will harness website applications to reach a growing youth travel market.

Malaysia, China, Russia and India are the four top sources of youth travel to Thailand.

TAT tourism products and business deputy governor, Vilaiwan Twichasri, said young travellers are an important segment for Thailand’s tourism industry.

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Ghost guides return to haunt us

BANGKOK, 10 May 2013: Thailand’s tourism industry needs to clamp down on so-called ghost guides according to Association of Thai Travel Agents president, Sisdivachr Cheewarattanaporn, who warns there are now more illegal guides working with tourists from China, Russia and South Korea than ever before and the development is tarnishing the country’s tourism image.

The term ghost guides was coined by Thailand’s travel industry to describe guides who have no fixed home-base,  no qualifications or endorsement from the Department of Tourism to work as guides. They are often associated with scams, tours that hop from one shop to the next and in some instances  serious crimes against tourists.  They have haunted the trade for decades and are accused of spoiling the reputation of  qualified   guide who take the time to graduate from official training courses.

“There are insufficient professional tour guides in the main source markets and this has prompted an increase in the so-called ghost tour guides particularly dealing with visitors from Asia  and Russia,” he said.

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Signs of AEC times

BANGKOK, 10 May 2013: Department of Tourism, under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, has set aside Bt80 million budget to improve road signs at tourist destinations nationwide to prepare for the introduction of the ASEAN Economic Community in late 2015.

The tourism department general director, Anuparp Kasornsuwan, said the budget would be used to renovate signs and ensure they are in both English and Thai. He confirmed that Chinese would be the next language to be added to all tourist-relates signs.

In addition, in town close to borders signs will also be in Laotian, Burmese or Yawi languages (South Thailand).

“We have to make sure on we have signs in languages that are applicable to the location that will assist the most tourists visiting the area.”

Towns throughout Thailand have started to change signs to both Thai and English to prepare for AEC 2015.

In the far north, Chiang Rai province has already completed the renovation of most of its  street and lane signs that are now in three languages; Thai, English and Chinese throughout the town.   Street signs in districts throughout the province will a little longer but authorities want to have the project completed by the time the new  Mekong River Friendship Bridge linking Chiang Khong in Thailand and Huay Xai in Laos opens this July.

 

Charity event for burns victim

CHIANG MAI, 10 May 2013:  A special ‘charity’ weekend package is on offer, 31 May to 2 June, to raise cash for the medical treatment of a 14-year hero who was badly burned helping to save others in the Mae Surin refugee camp fire late March.

The package costing Bt2,450 includes two night’s accommodation at the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, and a fundraising Gala Dinner and Dance 1 June at the hotel’s Grand Hall.

Content is supplied by sponsors to ensure the entire package price goes to the cost of medical treatment and not entertainment expenses.

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Centara upgrades Grand website

BANGKOK, 10 May 2013: Centara Hotels & Resorts has completed a revamp of its five-star Centara Grand brand website that offers easier navigation and quick access to view 360º tours and HD Video showcasing the products of each property.

Centara also released recently an app for users of Android phones and will shortly release an app for iPhones, ensuring that the site can be browsed easily be  most smartphone users.

“Our portfolio of Centara Grand hotels and resorts is growing quickly, and we felt this was the moment to create a section of our corporate website that reflects the five-star image and the extremely high quality of the individual properties, while also giving them a distinct presence within our selection of seven brands” says, Centara Hotels & Resorts senior vice president for sales and marketing, Chris Bailey.

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