UpdateThailand 
Thailand second best-value destination
Iceland, Thailand, London best-value destinations: Lonely Planet
Iceland and London are among the world's best-value destinations thanks to the economic crisis, travel guide firm Lonely Planet said Tuesday, while Thailand remains tough to beat.
South Africa, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Bulgaria, Kenya and Las Vegas in Nevada rounded out the top 10, said the British-based company in its "Best In Travel 2010" guide.
The annual snapshot book captures "the world's hottest travel trends, destinations, journeys and experiences for the year ahead," Lonely Planet said.
The economic collapse in Iceland meant the island was no longer punitively expensive, said the guide, putting the beleaguered country at the top of its best-value list.
"Have you always wanted to discover this magical, mysterious country? To explore ice caps and volcanoes, and wallow in hot springs? Been put off because of the prohibitive prices? Well, 2010 is your year."
Thailand, at number two, remained "perennially good value", said the book.
"It's one of the cheapest long-haul holidays for European holidaymakers... visitors are always spoilt for choice regarding accommodation."
Meanwhile London's days as a costly destination were now over, Lonely Planet said.
"Long ludicrously expensive, London has become much more affordable for visitors from abroad, if not for its residents," said the guide.
"The favourable exchange rate means that travellers will often find hotels and meals up to half the price they were a few years ago."
Elsewhere in the top 10, Malaysia "is a clever choice for travellers on the lookout for a bargain", while in India "your money stretches almost as far as the infamous Indian 'stretchable' time".
"South Africa is not only about an amazing climate, vast unspoilt scenery, balmy sandy beaches, extraordinary wildlife and adventure activities, but the cost of living is low, so it's also excellent value for money."
The top 10 countries overall for travellers were El Salvador, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, New Zealand, Portugal, Suriname and the United States.
The top 10 cities were Abu Dhabi, Charleston (South Carolina), Cork (Ireland), Cuenca (Ecuador), Istanbul, Kyoto (Japan), Lecce (Italy), Sarajevo, Singapore and Vancouver (Canada).
Bali (Indonesia), Goa (India), Koh Kong (Cambodia), Southern Africa and southwest Western Australia featured among the top 10 regions.
2009-11-03
The Samchuk and old market community in Suphan Buri has won an award in the 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.
The community has become one or four places to win the Awards of Merit, UNESCO Bangkok announced Friday.
The three other places are Merit include the Huai Hai Lu 796 in Shanghai, China; the YMCA Students Branch in Mumbai, India; the Waterworks Building in Auckland, New Zealand.
UNESCO Bangkok announced that Sangiin Dalai Monastery in South Gobi Aimaq, Republic of Mongolia has been honoured with the Award of Excellence in the 2009 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards for Culture Heritage Conservation.
It said a total of 48 entries, from 14 countries in the region, were submitted for consideration. The conservation project entries include hotels, offices, cultural institutions, educational institutions, religious sites, public institutions, residential buildings and urban districts.
The three Awards of Distinction went to the M24 Midget Submarine Wreck in Sydney, Australia; the Ali Gohar H ouse in Hunza, Pakistan and Hanok Regeneration in Bukchon in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Four Honourable Mentions were also announced. They are the Academy of Visual Arts (Former Royal Air Force Officers' Mess) at Hong Kong Baptist University in Hong Kong SAR, China; the Heritage Buildings in Cicheng Historic Town in Zhejiang Province, China; the YWCA Lady Willingdon Hostel in Mumbai, India and the Tang Family Chapel in Hoi An, Viet Nam.
The 2009 Heritage Awards Jury Commendation for Innovation was awarded to the Maosi Ecological Demonstration Primary School (China). The Jury Commendation recognizes newly-built structures which demonstrate outstanding standards for contemporary architectural design which are well integrated into historic contexts. The 2009 Jury Commendation submissions include four projects (an educational institution, a mausoleum, an urban district and a residential development) from three countries in the region.
The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards recognize the efforts of private individuals and organizations that have successfully restored and conserved structures and buildings of heritage value in the region.
Eligible projects must be more than 50 years old and the restoration must have been completed within the past 10 years. Buildings must have also been in viable use for at least one year from the date of the awards announcement.
Source : http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/08/28/headlines/headlines_30110965.php
(The report from Sunday Mirror, UK)
The holiday pound is worth most in Thailand
The top 10 holiday destinations where you get most value for your money.
Recession-hit Britons can make their summer holiday money go twice as far – by ditching resorts in Europe and going long-haul instead.
Hot spots in Thailand, Malaysia, South Africa and Kenya are offering families the best value as the pound slumps to a new low against the euro. Even though sterling has lost 24 per cent against the Thai baht since last January, Thailand still works out as the cheapest far-flung destination.
It is less than half the cost of Italy, the most expensive eurozone country, and 43 per cent cheaper than Spain.
South Africa – where sterling is actually slightly stronger than a year ago – is the second cheapest long-haul destination for spending money.
Researchers compared the price of popular holiday items, including a three-course evening meal with a bottle of wine, sun cream, mineral water, cigarettes, cup of coffee and can of Coke – in both long- and short-haul destinations.
They will set tourists back £84.58 in Italy but the same items cost only £39.02 in Thailand.
Andrew Spice, of Post Office travel services who carried out the research, said: “Whereas the Thai baht, Egyptian pound and Malaysian ringgit have strengthened considerably against sterling, the cost of living in these places is much cheaper so holidaymakers will find their currency stretching a lot further than in most European resorts.”
Top 10 value destinations
Thailand - £39.02
South Africa - £45.50
Malaysia - £46.26
Kenya - £53.06
Spain - £68.38
Egypt - £69.13
USA - £73.92
Greece - £74.63
France - £79.08
Portugal - £80.97
Italy - £84.58
Mexico - £102.16
Barbados - £151.61
EXCLUSIVE by Stephen Hayward, Consumer Correspondent 3/01/2009
s.hayward@sundaymirror.co.uk
see the link here: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/01/03/the-holiday-pound-is-worth-most-in-thailand-report-shows-115875-21013189/
Bangkok, Chiang Mai, the best cities of Asia
 Bangkok, Thailand, 20 October, 2008 — Bangkok and Chiang Mai have been rated as the Best Cities of Asia 2008 from American readers of Condé Nast Traveler, an US leading travel & lifestyle magazine. The readers voted Bangkok as Best City of Asia with an overall score of 82.8%, followed by Chiang Mai (81.2%).
The award was conferred at the Readers Choice Awards 2008 Ceremony & Gala Dinner held at The New York Public Library, New York City, USA on 15 October 2008. It was accepted on behalf of the entire Thai travel and tourism industry by Mr. Weerasak Kowsurat, Minister of Tourism & Sports.
Readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine, which has an audience of 3.1 million and readership of 32,633, were polled on the basis of first-hand experience of their world-wide holidays.
For 20 years, it has conducted an annual readers’ choice survey to rank best cities, cruise lines, airlines, hotels and resort wordwide and honour them with the World’s Best award.
Criterion scores for the best cities, which represent the percentage of respondents rating a candidate excellent were averaged to determine the final score-atmosphere/ambience, culture/sites, friendliness, lodging, restaurants and shopping.
Other high-level rankings attained by Thai products services in Readers’ Choice Awards 2008 included Phuket and Samui, which were respectively ranked 3rd and 6th on the list of Top 10 Islands in Asia. Thai Airways International was ranked 7th on the list of Top 25 airlines.
On the list of Top 100 Asia Hotels, fourteen were in Thailand as follows:
|
Name |
Rank |
|
Peninsula Bangkok |
4 |
|
Oriental Bangkok |
6 |
|
Shangri-La Bangkok |
7 |
|
Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai |
23 |
|
Sukhothai, Bangkok |
27 |
|
Sheraton Grand Sukhumvit, Bangkok |
28 |
|
Intercontinental Bangkok |
31 |
|
Four Seasons Bangkok |
41 |
|
Shangri-La Chiang Mai |
48 |
|
J W Marriott Bangkok |
62 |
|
Royal Orchid Sheraton Bangkok |
76 |
|
Plaza Athenee Bangkok |
80 |
|
Conrad Bangkok |
89 |
|
Pan Pacific Bangkok |
100 |
On the list of Top 25 Asia Resorts, ten were in Thailand as follows:
|
Name |
Rank |
|
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle |
1 |
|
Four Seasons Chiang Mai |
8 |
|
The Jedi Chiang Mai |
13 |
|
J W Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa |
14 |
|
Rayawadee Krabi |
15 |
|
Four Seasons Samui Island |
17 |
|
Amanpuri Phuket |
18 |
|
Banyan Tree Phuket |
19 |
|
Sofitel Poki Tara Krabi |
21 |
|
Anantara Golden Triangle |
24 |
In January – June 2008, international visitor arrivals at Suvarnabhumi International Airport totalled 5.6 million, up 14.4% over the same period of 2007. Arrivals from the USA were up 9.38% to 311,901. This year, the TAT is projecting a total of 694,000 visitor arrivals from US, generating a projected 39.8 million baht in tourism income.
Contact information:
International Public Relation Division
Tourism Authority of Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 2250 5500 +66 (0) 2250 5500 ext. 4545-48
Fax: +66 (0) 2253 7419
E-mail: prdiv3@tat.or.th
Web site: www.tatnews.org
THAILAND SITUATION UPDATE
-
1. (17 September 2008) The Thai parliament elected His Excellency Somchai Wongsawat, deputy leader of the People Power Party, as its choice as Thailand’s 26th prime minister. The vote was 298 in favour of Somchai Wongsawat and 163 in favour of Democrat Party leader and leader of the opposition, Abhisit Vejjajiva, with five abstentions.
2. The list of proposed new cabinet members will be submitted to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej for royal endorsement, and the new prime minister and his cabinet will be granted a royal audience.
3. The Emergency Decree was lifted on Sunday morning (14 September 2008) thereby ending the state of emergency in Bangkok.
4. The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) anti-government rally is restricted to the designated protest site and the immediate areas. Tourists and expats in Bangkok are advised to avoid travelling to areas near the demonstration site namely — Government House and Ratchadamnoen Nok Road (Makkawan Bridge).
5. For visitors planning trips to various sites around Rattanakosin Island (Koh Rattanakosin), shuttle boats and river taxis that serve the various public piers along the Chao Phraya River provides fast and convenient transportation to several of these sites.
6. All other areas in Bangkok remain unaffected by the rally. There has been no significant disruption to life and business in the capital beyond added traffic congestion in a few areas. The vast majority of the city, including all the major tourist spots, shopping centres and riverside attractions, as well as all roads and public/private transport systems are functioning normally. Bangkok’s city taxi and rail services are unaffected. All hotels and resorts in Bangkok and throughout Thailand are open for business as usual.
7. Suvarnabhumi Airport (Bangkok’s international airport) and all regional airports around Thailand are operating normally. Rail services in provincial areas of the north and northeastern regions are operating normally. Service has also resumed on most of the rail services to destinations in the south. (Call Centre: 1690). Major surface routes between Bangkok and other parts of Thailand are unaffected. Travel to key destinations around Thailand, such as Pattaya, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Northeastern Thailand (Isan) and other parts of the country remains unaffected.
8. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has embarked on an immediate tourism recovery plan and is working closely with the Thai tourism industry to restore confidence in the destination
“SEVEN AMAZING WONDERS” OF THAILAND CAMPAIGN
Approved after the annual marketing meeting of TAT in the beach resort of Cha-am last week, the new campaign is designed to help attain a target of 14.8 million international visitor arrivals in 2007 and 15.7 million in 2008. The domestic tourism target is 82 million trips in 2007 and 83 million trips in 2008.
TAT Governor Mrs Phornsiri Manoharn said, “The new planning focus takes into account the many influencing factors at the global, regional, and local levels, ranging from changes in consumer behaviour, the impact of oil prices to branding and low-cost airlines.”
An exhaustive SWOT analysis of the Thai tourism industry indicated that while there were a number of issues to be addressed, “the good news is that Thailand has a generally very positive image in the world, which gives it a significant competitive advantage.
Mrs Phornsiri said, “In many travel magazines and lifestyle surveys, we are consistently ranked in the Top Ten for the quality of our beautiful beaches, entertainment and dining, value of products, recreational facilities, and shopping. Every year, we reap many awards in each of these categories.”
She noted that the new campaign will be underpinned by the strong branding slogan “Amazing Thailand” which proved hugely successful in 1998/99 and underscores the country’s image as a peaceful, hospitable country and a year-round tourism destination with high quality of value-for-money products and services.”
The “Seven Amazing Wonders” theme products are as follows:
Thainess
“Experience the Art of Thai Living” — which refers to traditional Thai hospitality, lifestyle and friendliness of the people
Treasure products
“Land of Heritage and History” — covering the World Heritage sites and historical places, temples, and Thai museums
Beaches
“Fun, Sun, Surf and Serenity of Thai Beaches” — the long-standing popularity of Thai beach resorts for international and domestic tourism
Nature
“Encounter the Sheer Beauty of Thai Nature” — focus on conservation and environment, and market Thai products within the framework of the worldwide attention being paid to global warming
Health and Wellness
“Land of Healthy Smile” — a rapidly growing market, highlighting Thailand’s preventive and curative therapies
Trendy
“Excite Yourself with a Myriad of Thai Trends” — targetted at the new generation of young travellers, and covering the new boutique hotels, shopping centres, restaurants, nightlife, and entertainment
Festivities
“Enchant Yourself with International Festivities in Thailand”— the ‘sanuk’ (fun) factor, featuring popular Thai events and festivals such as the Phuket Regatta, Elephant Polo, etc.
The 18 main markets which are targeted for intensive promotions are mainly in the Asia-Pacific, East Asia and Europe regions. Among the 20 emerging markets with strong growth potential are Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Russia and CIS countries, East Europe, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
This year, TAT is to open offices in Dubai, Moscow and Vietnam, all of which are generating promising growth. It is also working actively in China which is projected to become Thailand’s top source of visitor arrivals by the end of this decade, overtaking both Malaysia and Japan.
See more information at http://www.tatnews.org/tat_release/detail.asp?id=3442
International restrictions on liquids in planes apply to Thailand from June 1st
From June 1, air passengers flying out of Thailand will be prohibited from carrying liquids, with the exception of baby milk and medications, exceeding 100 millilitres on board their planes. See more information at http://www.thaianxiety.com/news07b.asp
The Aviation Department is imposing the ban in line with the directive of the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
The ban covers all kinds of containers, including water, beverage, cream, lotion, oil, perfume, hair gel, spray, bath gel, foam, toothpaste and deodorant.
Containers of lesser capacities are allowed but must be placed in transparent and re-sealable plastic bags.
Exempted from the ban are milk and liquid foods for infants and liquid medicines with proper prescriptions.
Airports of Thailand board member Chirmsak Pinthong said passengers who buy liquid products from airport duty-free shops would be issued special seals and certificates to be introduced soon.
Domestic Airlines and flights are moving back to Don Muang Airport
Don Muang Airport is all set to support commercial domestic airlines, starting from March 25 onwards.
The airport will support three commercial domestic airline which are non-connecting overseas flights. The three main domestic operators included the Thai Airways International with 30 flights per day, 28 flights by Nok Air and One-Two-Go services at 20 flights per day during the initial period. The private charters, private jets and military planes will be served at the international passenger building 1.
The air-traffic control office is tested to familiarize with the Airport Operations. The Air-Traffic Controller staff must have current issues of testimonial work operations. The Aeronautical Radio of Thailand has recently ordered the new warning radar system for safety requirement located at the Suvarnabhumi Airport while covering its operation control for Don Muang Airport as well.
See more detail of Domestic flight which it moved here : http://www.hflight.net/forum/m-1174308450/
TOURIST VISA EXEMPTION
 According to the Interior Ministerial Announcements dated 1 October B.E. 2545 (2002), 20 December B.E. 2545 (2002), 18 October B.E. 2547 (2004) and 6 May B.E. 2548 (2005), passport holders from 40 countries and 1 special administrative region – Hong Kong SAR – are not required to obtain a visa when entering Thailand for tourism purposes and will be permitted to stay in the Kingdom for a period of not exceeding 30 days on each visit. Foreigners who enter the Kingdom under the Tourist Visa Exemption category may re-enter and stay in Thailand for a cumulative duration of stay of not exceeding 90 days within any 6-month period from the date of first entry.
- Please note that Tourist Visa Exemption does not apply to foreigners holding Travel Document for Aliens issued by these 40 countries.
- Foreigners entering Thailand under the Tourist Visa Exemption category must possess adequate finances for the duration of stay in Thailand (i.e., cash 10,000 Baht per person and 20,000 Baht per family).
Read more information here:
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=83253
The Thai National Telecommunications Commission reports that from today, ahead of schedule, for all Thai local mobile telephone users will have a 10 digit telephone number.
To response to the rapid expansion of the use of mobile telephones, Thailand telecom has to approve this system. And with the 10-digit system, the country will have enough mobile telephone numbers for the next 30 years.
Beginning September 1, Mobile-phone users will have to add an '8' in of the existing digits, for local calls that means the ´8' will come direct after the '0' and for international calls the '8' will be needed direct after the Thai country code '66'. For example, numbers starting with 01-8291351 01-8291351 become 081-8291351 081-8291351 or for people calling from overseas +66818291351 +66818291351 respectively.
The old system of 9 digits will be in use for a transitional time of a few months, the Thai National Telecommunications Commission expects that the transition to the new system will not generate any problems.
With the new 10 digit numbers the National Telecommunications Commission was able to located two million new numbers to DTAC and another one million to True Move. Thailand currently has about 30 million mobile users.
The new Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is due to replace the overloaded and unexpandable Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang), was s cheduled to open at 3 a.m. on 28 September 2006.
The new airport is located on a boggy, 3,100ha site in the Samut Prakarn province of Thailand at Nong Ngu Hao (translated as cobra swamp), 30km east of Bangkok.
Construction of Suvarnabhumi Airport began in January 2002. The name Suvarnabhumi (pronounced su-wan-na-poom) was chosen by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and which means "the golden land", specifically referring to the continental Indochina. Designed by Murphy/Jahn Architects, the airport will have the tallest control tower (132 m.) and the largest single building (563,000 m²) in the world at the time of its completion in 2006. The airport will replace the current Bangkok International airport (Don Muang) as Bangkok's primary airport, although low-cost carriers, small private jets, chartered flights, military aircraft and aircraft maintenance will continue to use the old airport.
The new Bangkok airport will surpass the terminal size of Hong Kong International Airport making it the largest terminal building in the world.
Visa and TAT welcome you to Thailand
visa and TAT welcome you to Thailand, a country is know for the warmth and hospitality of its people, its delicious cuisine, its beautiful beaches and the amazing variety and value of goods in its many stores and shops. To enchance Thailand's reputation as a shopping paradise, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), working in cooperation with Visa International is proud to present the Visa Visit Thailand 2006, the year of the Sixtieth Anniverary Celebrations of His Majesty's Accession to the Throne.
To get discount, simply pay by using your Visa cards at all participating merchant outlets and premises. For more information please visit http://www.visavisitthailand.com/
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