Stories tagged with thailand
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Krabi rated Thailand’s best family destination
Anyone who is looking for the perfect family destination in Thailand should head straight for the tropical paradise of Krabi. Located in the south of Thailand near the popular tourist islands of Phuket and Phi Phi, Krabi offers a more natural, relaxing atmosphere that all the family can enjoy together.
At least that’s what Thai Airways International (THAI) executive Teerapol Chotichanapibal believes. In a recent interview with the Bangkok Post the airline veteran said that: "Whenever I can squeeze in the time for a family outing I head to a beach destination in Thailand. Krabi definitely comes out tops for its natural beauty. As I'm not the type who's content to sit still, you'd probably find me out on a boat fishing or snorkelling ... basically, soaking in the tranquillity to help myself unwind."
Teerapol has been working with THAI for just under 30 years and has certainly spent plenty of time exploring Thailand. With Teerapol’s local knowledge, THAI have been working hard to make special packages and recommendations for passengers. Although there are plenty of fantastic destinations to choose from, he still rates Krabi very highly.
Posted by: Andrew on 14 Aug 2009, 09:15 -
Strong Baht weakens Thai tourism
For the first time in many years, the baht is becoming stronger, already having strengthened by 6% since March. In many ways the strengthening of the Baht will have a positive impact on Thailand. Essential materials will become significantly cheaper as will medicine, meaning that people can afford health care more easily and their general standard of living will improve.
However, this means that the exchange rate for foreign currency has plummeted, with US$ now down to now to 34.02. Tourists travelling to Thailand in search of a cheap holiday are now finding that they get significantly less for their money, and foreign manufacturers are starting to look elsewhere.
Many of Thailand’s chief tourist destinations are being heavily affected, including the picturesque island of Krabi.
However, as Central Bank governor Tarisa Watanagase said in an interview with the Bangkok Post "The baht has not appreciated unduly. It moved from 35 to a dollar at the beginning of the year to 33 and to 34 to the dollar now. The baht has not caused Thai exporters to lose competitiveness.”
The good news for tourists is that there are some great deals available on hotels and flights, meaning that Thailand is still a great destination for budget tourism.
Posted by: Andrew on 11 Aug 2009, 08:57 -
Pattaya welcomes scheduled flights
Those who like to visit the seaside city of Pattaya will now find getting there even easier. Last week Pattaya’s U-Tapao airport received the first passengers, who flew in from Korea to receive a warm welcome.
According to a report in the Pattaya Daily News a large party was waiting at the airport to greet the passengers of flight KE 9645 from Korea. Among those present were Pattaya’s deputy mayor, Mr. Weerawat Kakai who was waiting along with a team of officials to greet the arrivals personally. There was even a special Thai classical dance show arranged for passengers by Nongnooch Tropical Garden owner Mr. Kumpol Tunsatja.
Mr. Niti Kongkrut from the Pattaya office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said in a press statement that the new airport should give the Pattaya’s tourist industry the boost it needs to allow it to regain its position as one of Thailand’s most prominent locations.
Pattaya’s modern airport is located conveniently close to the airport. Many of the city’s leading hotels offer free airport transfers, meaning that within minutes visitors can get on with the serious business of soaking up the sun on the beach and exploring some of the area’s exciting tourist attractions.
Posted by: Andrew on 10 Aug 2009, 09:15 -
Schools bid for foreign students
While foreign exchange students often travel to nearby countries such as India, Japan and Korea, Thailand is often overlooked. However, that may soon change as the Education Ministry has recently allocated a three billion baht budget promote Thailand as Southeast Asia’s education hub.
The Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec) are supporting the bid by adding 500 million baht of their own money to the project, which will be targeting foreigners working in neighbouring countries as well as is residents of neighbouring countries such as Laos who are on a high income.
Somkiat Chobphol is the deputy secretary general of the Obec. In a recent interview by The Nation he stated that:
"We hope to encourage foreign parents working in Thailand and neighbouring countries to let their children study in 14 pilot schools with international curriculum of Obec as well as Thai parents. We focus on educational quality as our key strategy to draw the target groups' attention to further their studying in Thailand. We're planning to improve the international curriculum of these schools to reach the international standard so that students having completed their secondary education here in Thailand will be able to further higher education aboard.”
These 14 schools are located all around Thailand including near Pattaya, which is currently working hard to promote itself as a family orientated destination.
Posted by: Andrew on 09 Jul 2009, 09:20 -
Great new deal on Thai tourism
Visitors to Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Phuket and a number of other top destinations in Thailand will be able to make great savings for the next few months when they pay by VISA.
VISA has teamed up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to offer VISA holders special benefits and promotions in various destinations around Thailand until the end of August.
“As the Official Card of the Amazing Thailand Grand Sale 2009, we believe strongly in supporting the Royal Thai government and Tourism Authority of Thailand in promoting and re-building the tourism industry in Thailand,” said Stuart Tomlinson, Visa Malaysia Country Manager told Etravel Blackboard.
This is Thailand’s 11th annual Grand Sale and runs on the back of a decade successful summer promotions. Tourists who charge 500 baht or more on their VISA card during the sale will be entered into the lucky draw for the chance to win one of a hundred great prizes. Deals and promotions are available through a range of department stores, airlines, hotels, spas and golf courses.
So if you’re traveling in Thailand right now, it’s time to flex that plastic and pick up a great deal.
Posted by: Andrew on 26 Jun 2009, 09:10 -
New tests for Thailand’s teachers
Teachers of the Thai language in Nakhon Si Thammarat have been forced to take a test to assess their knowledge of Thai.
Nakhon Si Thammarat is located to the north of Bangkok. The Thai language tests were designed by the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) after particularly poor results were recorded in the province. However, many of the teachers say that this is not their fault as they were only standing in as Thai teachers.
"We will stage a protest so that the top education officials look back on their policies too," one of the angry teachers told The Nation. "We major in other subjects but due to the shortage of teaching staff, the Education Ministry has required us to teach the Thai language. It's unfair to pass the blame on to teachers alone. Why doesn't Obec assign teachers to teach subjects they have been well versed in? Testing the teachers' knowledge in a subject they are not good at is not the right solution.”
This teacher has taught Thai in the southern province for years. She and colleagues teaching the same subject were forced to take the test designed to assess their knowledge of Thai.
However, the Office of Nakhon Si Thammarat's Educational Service Area 2 has admitted that 4% of the students in the province cannot read or write, which is exceptionally low and needs to be dealt with.
Posted by: Andrew on 26 Jun 2009, 08:56 -
Thai magazine announces its allegiance to the red shirts
This week, a new political magazine known as DMagazine will go on sale at the Royal Plaza in Pattaya. Although the magazine openly supports the party known as the “red shirts” the editor of DMagazine insists that the main message of the magazine is democracy.
"We only want to have freedom in criticising those who weaken the democratic institutions," DMagazine editor Wat Wallayangkur commented in an interview in the Bangkok Post. "As long as the monarchy and Sangha are constitutional, they are respected. Those who love Thaksin have their reasons, so do the ones who hate him, but we should not be blinded that a coup d'etat will lead to good things. Any government must not make people feel grateful for their populist schemes. The people are entitled to receive these basic rights."
Mr Wat explained that the D in DMagazine stands for democracy, which he feels to be the essential ingredient for the success of Thailand. The magazine costs 50 baht and is being launched this week to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the 1932 Revolution which brought Thailand's absolute monarchy to an end.
Posted by: Andrew on 25 Jun 2009, 09:05 -
Phuket welcomes long-lost friend
One thing that most travellers fear is being stranded somewhere with no money and means to get home. Unfortunately, just that happened to Phuket guesthouse owner Jerry Joyce recently.
Joyce is a New Zealander who owns Boost guesthouse in the Karon area of Phuket. After travelling to the island of Penang in Malaysia to apply for a new Thai visa, he met a Moroccan man named Lucas.
“I thought he seemed like an all right guy. After I got my visa, we took the ferry to Langkawi island and booked into a room at a guest house in the island’s main tourist area…Lucas said he was thirsty and that the beach vendor only had beer. He bought me two beers and said he was going to find a shop that sold soft drinks. When he didn’t return after about 30 minutes, I went back to the guest house where I discovered our room had been ransacked, and my backpack with my camera, my phone, all my clothes and camping gear were gone,” Jerry Joyce told the Phuket Post recently.
The thief stole over 70,000 baht and Joyce’s credit cards, as well as most of his personal possessions.
With no money, poor Jerry was forced to walk the 430 kilometers back to Phuket. However, the resourceful man did so with a smile on his face, spending the night at temples along the way.
Posted by: Andrew on 29 May 2009, 09:19 -
Pat on the back for Samui’s police
Whether deserved or not, it seems that Thailand’s police force are subject to a lot of criticism, especially from travellers and tourists. It’s difficult to watch the police at work (or not) without comparing them to the police forces in Western countries.
However, the police on the island of Samui have been receiving plenty of praise recently. A few months ago they launched a campaign to rid the area of drug dealers. Taking Samui and surrounding islands by storm, they have managed to arrest suspects in an impressive 70 drugs cases. Nobody could accuse these officers of simply sitting around eating doughnuts.
“The drug arrests by the police officers show that government officials help each other very well. The spread of drugs is a national problem and the fact that there are major arrests done on Koh Samui does not mean that Samui has been invaded by drug syndicates but that the police and government officials are doing their responsibilities,” Pracha Taerat, Governor of Surat Thani Province was quoted in the Samui Express recently.
So if you’re a drug dealer, you’d better stay away from Samui right now or face the fury of the island’s super cops.
Posted by: Andrew on 29 May 2009, 09:12 -
Immigration police quick on the draw
If you’ve ever thought that slipping past the Immigration police might be simple, think again. Pattaya’s Immigration Police have recently been receiving specially training on how to just their weapons at a training ground just outside Bangkok.
The Pattaya Mail reported this week that Police Colonel Arnonnun Kamollutled the officers in weapons exercises at the Huayyai shooting range this week. The training is part of Thailand’s Gun Act to ensure that all individuals entrusted with a firearm are able to use it correctly.
More than a hundred officers took part in the training, which covered basic firing and tactics and safety procedures. Lasting for several days, the training ensured that all of Pattaya’s Immigration offers are now expert gunslingers.
The initiative is also part of a larger scheme to unite the citizens of Pattaya and other parts of Thailand. It is seen by the government that much of the recent activity in Thailand such as protesting has caused a fracture in society which need to be addressed.
So next time you see Pattaya’s Immigration Police be warned that just like James Bond they are licensed to kill. Maybe.
Posted by: Andrew on 28 May 2009, 09:02 -
Your own piece of Samui
It happens all the time; people travel to the island of Samui and dream of setting up business there. Well, if you’re a budding entrepreneur now could be the perfect time to turn that dream into a reality.
Several of Samui’s top hotels are coming up for sale, due to falling tourism numbers over the last few months.
And it’s not just Samui’s hotels that will soon be under new management. This is a part of a nationwide trend. However, although things look grim for tourism at the moment, the figures are expected to rise once more as people all over Europe and the rest of the Western world flock to Thailand for their summer holidays.
“I still believe that Samui is the most potential area for investing in property business. We have all the conveniences, therefore new investors want to come here,” Ruengnam Jaikwang, head of the Thai Hotels Association in the Southeastern Seaboard was quoted by the Samui Express recently.
So, if you have a spare couple of million baht in the bank, contact the Samui’s property agents and a little part of Samui could be yours.
Posted by: Andrew on 27 May 2009, 16:41 -
Pattaya shows its support for the nation
Visitors to Pattaya this month will be able to enjoy a free concert, which will be held just a short bus ride away in Chonburi. There will also be plenty of free food and drink available for those who attend the concert, which is open to everyone.
The concert, which features performances by famous actors, tresses and singers and well as colourful fireworks, will be titled “Under His Majesty the King there is unity in the land”.
The concert is intended to unite the people of Thailand and fight against the mass media’s pessimistic view of recent events in the country. “(Mass media) should respect its ethics and not use itself negatively, avoiding any points of view that might cause chaos among the people,” Colonel Surin Paeto, deputy commander of the 14th County Militia was quoted as saying by the Pattaya Mail recently.
A partition will be avail to sign during the concert entitled Gathering to be united and perform good deeds for the father.
The concert is just one of many that have been help recently all over Thailand intended to give people a sense of community spirit and unity.
Posted by: Andrew on 25 May 2009, 09:00 -
Red shirt protestors burn their books
Those who thought that book burning was banished to the dark ages can think again. In Chiang Mai last week more than 500 books were burnt in an act of protest.
However, rather than works of literature, these were bank books that were being burnt, an act of protest by the political group Rak Chiang Mai 51 dubbed the ‘red shirts’ against a number of commercial banks. More than 200 members of the group gathered on May 6th in front of the Grand Waroros Hotel in Chiang Mai to burn their bank books as they believe the banks have been giving support to rival group the PAD or the ‘yellow shirts’.
The Chiang Mai Mail reported recently that round 500 bank books were burnt and the sounds of protesting rang out into the night as the red shirts protested against favoritism by the commercial banks.
Although it is uncertain what the protestors were trying to achieve, the banks will certainly have got the message. Rak Chiang Mai 51 have drawn up a blacklist of banks and vow to avoid using their services in the future.
Posted by: Andrew on 19 May 2009, 09:35 -
Red shirt protestors burn their books
Those who thought that book burning was banished to the dark ages can think again. In Chiang Mai last week more than 500 books were burnt in an act of protest.
However, rather than works of literature, these were bank books that were being burnt, an act of protest by the political group Rak Chiang Mai 51 dubbed the ‘red shirts’ against a number of commercial banks. More than 200 members of the group gathered on May 6th in front of the Grand Waroros Hotel in Chiang Mai to burn their bank books as they believe the banks have been giving support to rival group the PAD or the ‘yellow shirts’.
The Chiang Mai Mail reported recently that round 500 bank books were burnt and the sounds of protesting rang out into the night as the red shirts protested against favoritism by the commercial banks.
Although it is uncertain what the protestors were trying to achieve, the banks will certainly have got the message. Rak Chiang Mai 51 have drawn up a blacklist of banks and vow to avoid using their services in the future.
Posted by: Andrew on 09 May 2009, 09:35 -
Thailand’s top spots revealed
The votes have been counted and Thailand’s most popular destinations have finally been named, with rather surprising results. Readers of the Bangkok Post last month were asked to vote for their nine favourite destinations in Thailand, chosen from a list of more than 300 options.
More than 15, 000 people cast their vote in the contest, either by visiting the website or via SMS on mobile phones.
OK, so the winners (drum roll): Amphawa community, Klong Suan 100-year-old market, Pai, Phu Khum Khao Dinosaur Museum, Phu Soi Dao National Park, Si Satchanalai Historical Park, Sukhothai Historical Park, Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and Wat Phumin.
Somewhat surprisingly, none of Thailand’s cities got a mention, even though these are visited my most tourists. Even Bangkok which is the most visited place in Thailand, was far behind in the number of votes cast.
Also surprising is that none of Thailand’s beautiful beach resorts and islands got a mention, with markets and museums proving to be more popular than the full moon parties of Koh Phangan.
The winners will be honoured with an award ceremony at the Central World Hotel in Bangkok in mid June and to launch a commemorative book featuring the top 30 finalists.
Posted by: Andrew on 05 May 2009, 09:32 -
Political problems don’t dampen Songkran spirit
People in Pattaya love to party. Any excuse will do for the whiskey to start flowing. Songkran, the official Thai New Year celebration, is the most vibrant of them all, lasting for several days and featuring large street parties where people cool each other down by dowsing them with water.
It had been feared that the political tension in recent months would minimize this year’s celebrations, but the Thai people proved that their party spirit couldn’t be suppressed. According to the Pattaya Mail tens of thousands of revelers took to the streets in Pattaya on April 18 and 19 to mark the turning of the year.
The celebrations started at noon with people pouring scented water on Buddha images and sprinkling monks with water. Once the religious part of the festivities had taken place, the usual water fights began and the streets were full of laughter, culminating in a wild beach party, which lasted until dawn.
Once again the Thai people have proven that no matter what happens, they will face it all with a smile and turn tragedy into fun and festivity in their own unique way.
Posted by: Andrew on 02 May 2009, 11:07 -
A royal visit for shocked local
One of the things most tourists in Thailand fear most is discovering a giant spider or reptile in their guest house. Luckily yet it never happens. Well, almost never.
[Koh Samui][1] resident Bansai Phentid, 45, received the surprise of his life when he returned home to find a king cobra lurking in his house.
According to a report from the [Samui Press][2] the man quickly recovered from the shock and called Samui Rescue, who were able to capture the venomous snake with the aid of a professional from the Samui Snake Farm.
The 4.5-meter-long female king cobra is the biggest king cobra ever found on Samui and was pregnant, leading her to enter the house in search of a safe place to lay her eggs.
Although these incidents are very rare in Thailand, they can happen. Attempting to catch a poisonous snake can be very dangerous and tourists are urged to seek outside help by dialing 911 if they should have an unwelcome visitor or any kind. [1]: http://1stopthailand.com/kohsamui [2]: http://news.samuiexpress.net
Posted by: Andrew on 02 May 2009, 11:00 -
Keep your cool in Thailand
Many visitors to Thailand praise the Thai people on their gentle nature and polite behavior. However, one tourist learnt the hard way that lack of politeness can come at a high cost.
Simon Burrowes was passing through Phuket International Airport when officials from the Immigration Police accused him of having a fake passport. This stressful situation became worse when Burrowes, angry because the police seemed to be laughing at him, lost his temper.
Unimpressed by the tourist’s manners, the police arrested Burrowes arrested and he spent the next three weeks in Phuket Provincial Prison. He wisely pleaded guilty when he finally appeared in court and was fined 500 baht.
Burrowes is quoted as saying; “If I had pled not guilty, this could have gone on for awhile and I could have got anything up to three years, so I decided to stop fighting. I was forced to plead guilty,” Phuket Gazette.
Although he admits to enjoying most of his time in Thailand, Burrowes doesn’t plan to return; “I doubt I will ever come back. Thailand is not a bad place, but I have had an awful experience here,” he said.
Posted by: Andrew on 02 May 2009, 09:06 -
Thailand tops the copy cat charts
Ever though a friend’s gold watch was a little bit too shiny or their designer jeans faded in the wrong place? That’s probably because they are counterfeit. Counterfeit goods are big business in Thailand and can be found in most markets and shopping centres, from cheap CDS and DVDs to sunglasses, bags, wallets and shoes.
Most visitors to Thailand simply turn a blind eye to the counterfeiting or are happy for the opportunity to pick up a bargain or two. However, the Barack Obama administration has got its eye on Thailand and is determined not to let things slide any longer.
The administration has made a list of its top offenders, in which China, Russia, Algeria, Argentina, Canada, Chile, India, Indonesia, Israel, Pakistan and Venezuela join Thailand to be named and shamed. Bangkok received further shame by making it onto the list of notorious markets with Pantip Plaza, Mahboonkrong (MBK) shopping centre, and the Klong Thom, Patpong Road and upper Sukhumvit Road areas.
"The Thai Government made little progress over the past year in addressing the widespread problems of piracy and counterfeiting," the Bangkok Post quoted from the annual report from the US Trade Representative.
It seems that Thailand may soon have to clean up its act in regards to counterfeiting, making cheap copies a thing of the past.
Posted by: Andrew on 01 May 2009, 09:15 -
Samui hotels cutting room rates by up to two thirds
As Thailand’s tourism sector continues to be severely affected by global economic conditions, a number of upscale hotels on Koh Samui have reportedly reduced their room rates by up as much as two-thirds.
The chairman of the Koh Samui Tourism Association, Seni Phuwasethaworn, noted that many of the four- and five-star hotels on the resort island had cut their normal rates by one-half to two-thirds, from Bt10,000-Bt15,000 per day to as low as Bt5,000.
In addition, many two- and three-star properties lowered their rates to Bt2,000-Bt3,000 per day, making them affordable to many local tourists, the chairman added.
He went on to say that island hoteliers find themselves in a time of cutthroat competition, having to deeply discount rates just to stay in business as economic conditions continue to have an impact throughout the country’s tourism sector.
Samui’s tourism numbers this year is expected to drop by more than 20-30 per cent over last year, when 1.1 million people visited the island. Sixty per cent of the visitors were Thai, with the balance coming from overseas.
Operators reported that bookings during the recent Songkran Festival were high. Phanu Woramit, who is the head of the southern region office of Tourism Authority of Thailand, said that some hotels were seeing booking rates of 70-90 per cent, and a few even higher than that. He noted that the majority of the bookings were made by Thai tourists.
Posted by: Andrew on 29 Apr 2009, 14:52