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Resort complex to be built
for long stay guests
Thailand and Japan will join hands to build a resort
complex on 1,500 rai of land in the famous northern province of Chiang Mai
to serve overseas long stay guests. The project is part of a government
policy to encourage long-stay tourism, particularly in the senior citizen
and retiree markets.
Chalermsak Suranant, director of Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT) Northern Office Region 1 said that foreign tourists between
the ages of 45-50 are the target of the TAT long-stay tourism project.
A survey showed that European and Japanese travelers
chose northern Thailand as their destination due to the landscape, fine
service, low cost of living, diversity of food, and various recreation
activities. They normally stay about a month.
Japanese tourists in particular prefer to travel with
groups and want to stay near hospitals, shopping centers, Japanese
restaurants, and golf courses, making Chiang Mai an ideal province for the
project.
Director Chalermsak said, “There is only one weak point
that should be addressed. We have a lack of Japanese speaking personnel.
Therefore we will arrange for more training in Japanese language skills.”
Sauwalak Chimada, vice president of the Chiang Mai
Chamber of Commerce and managing director of Sarika Tour said that her
company and five Japanese tour agencies had formed a joint venture to build
an accommodation and leisure complex worth two billion baht on 1,400 rai of
land on Hangdong-Samueng Road.
Sauwalk said, “The new resort complex for ‘well-off
pensioners’ will be comprised of a hospital, condominium, lodges, indoor
and outdoor sport facilities, golf course, school, and spa. Japanese
speaking staff will be familiar with Japanese people and their standards
will be available to provide the best service for guests.”
The architecture will be northern Lanna-style and will be
surrounded by cascading streams and mountains. Suawalk said this is more
appealing to Japanese than are seaside resorts.
Construction will completed in the next 2 years and the
company will launch a web-site to promote sales in overseas markets. (TNA)
Lufthansa forecasts greater opportunities for Thai aviation
Wolfgang Mayrhuber, deputy chairman of Deutsche Lufthansa
AG, and CEO of Lufthansa German Airline passenger airline division, paid a
recent courtesy call to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, as part of his
official visit to Thailand.
Mayrhuber, who is responsible for Deutsche Lufthansa
AG’s biggest business operation, exchanged views and visions on bilateral
and international air transportation with the Prime Minister, stressing the
airline’s confidence in positive outlook in the Thai aviation industry and
potential growth in the region.
A founding member of the Star Alliance group together
with Thai Airways International Public Company limited (THAI) Lufthansa is
the number one European airline in Asia Pacific. It offers 113 weekly
frequencies to/from Asia via gateways in nine countries.
“Thailand is an important gateway to Asia and a popular
destination for hundreds of thousands German tourists,” said Mayrhuber.
“We will continue to capitalize on this opportunity and strengthen Star
Alliance’s seamless network to benefit passengers, trade and commerce in
Asia.”
Germany is the kingdom’s number one European trading
partner. Lufthansa’s average number of filled passenger seats between
Bangkok and Frankfurt is as high as 90%. The airline’s profit in the first
half of 2002 has tripled to EURO 332 million compared to the same period
last year.
The Lufthansa executive team also visited Dr. Srisook
Chandrangsu, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Transport and
Communications, and Thanong Bidaya, THAI’s chairman.
Air New Zealand voted ‘Best Pacific Airline’ 5th consecutive year
For the fifth consecutive year, Air New Zealand was voted
‘Best Pacific Airline’ at the TTG Travel Awards 2002 recently held in
Bangkok. Since 1998, Air New Zealand has beaten other Pacific-based carriers
to clinch this coveted title year after year.
Inaugurated in 1989, the TTG Annual Awards, now in its
14th year has gained the distinction of becoming the most influential awards
ceremony in Asia’s travel industry.
This year, a total of 50 awards were presented in various
categories including airlines, hotels, car rental, airports, cruise
operators, theme attractions and more.
Voting is done through open nomination by over 16,000
readers of TTG Asia and 11,000 readers of TTG China who span the entire
spectrum of the travel industry in Asia.
Through their votes, Asia’s travel trade industry
acknowledges Air New Zealand as the most outstanding Pacific-based carrier
operating Asia-Pacific routes with the best services, network and schedules.
It also recognises Air New Zealand as the most
agent-friendly in terms of reservations, confirmations and commission
payments as well as having the most professional sales and marketing team in
terms of innovative ideas, incentive programs and servicing.
Ng Nai Shon, manager - South East Asia for Air New
Zealand, “Year after year since 1998, our contemporaries in the travel
industry have voted Air New Zealand the ‘Best Pacific Airline’. It is
truly heartening to know that we have earned and retained the respect and
recognition of our peers in what is deemed a highly competitive industry.”
“The Air New Zealand brand has become synonymous with
consistently high service standards both on the ground and in the air and we
take pride in our vibrant Pacific culture. Our strong Kiwi character and
‘can do’ attitude has served us well and we will continue to strive for
fresh ideas and better ways of delivering the style of service that our
customers really want.”
In September Air New Zealand was ranked fifth in the Best
Leisure Airline - Long Haul category by readers of UK Conde Nast Traveller
magazine in London. It also topped an independent customer survey by Skytrax
Research, UK as having the ‘Best Cabin Crew’ in the Pacific Region and
Australia.
Songkhla zoo to offer ‘night safari tour’ for visitors
Songkhla Zoo in the southern province of Songkhla will
offer a night safari tour for visitors who want to experience an exciting
way to see animals in their habitat at night.
Banyad Insuwan, the Songkhla zoo director disclosed that
the night zoo project is now under construction. The zoo is building the new
home similar to the habitat of animals in their natural settings and will
install spot lights at selected locations.
“When the 100-rai night safari is finished, visitors
can witness animals’ nocturnal activities. They can observe them roaming
and hunting as they would in the wild,” said Banyad.
The director said presently the zoo’s visitors are
people who live in the area and people from the neighboring provinces of
Yala, Pattani, Satun and Narathiwat. The night safari is being built to
attract a greater number of visitors, both foreign and Thai.
“To draw more tourists, we have to create a selling
point and thoroughly publicize the night safari. Nighttime visits are an
alternative program,” Banyad said. (TNA)
Fly to Hong Kong and return with Cathay Pacific to earn double Asia Miles
Cathay Pacific Airways offers double Asia Miles bonus to
its Asia Miles members based in Thailand who fly to Hong Kong and return by
CX708 and CX709 from now until November 30, 2002.
Yongyut Lujintanon, sales and marketing manager Thailand
and Myanmar, Cathay Pacific Airways said, “As the result of the resumption
of CX708 and CX709 to the schedule in September, there are 35 Cathay Pacific
flights per week which provide more flexibility and convenience to
passengers. Particularly CX708, departing from Bangkok at 09.45 a.m., and
CX709, returning from Hong Kong at 22.05 p.m., provide our passengers more
easy time for business or leisure in Hong Kong. In addition, Asia Miles
members who travel with these 2 flights will simply get double Asia
Miles.”
The promotion is available in all classes of round trip
travel for Bangkok to Hong Kong, except group tour tickets and valid for
Asia Miles members who are residents in Thailand only. Asia Miles members
are eligible to earn double Asia Miles from now until November 30, 2002.
Non -Asia Miles member can apply for membership at
www.asiamiles.com or contact Cathay Pacific Airways at 0 2263 0606.
New director of marketing communications for Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya
Andrew Khoo, general manager of the Hard Rock Hotel
Pattaya, recently appointed Wannapa Rakkeo director of marketing
communications for the hotel.
 Wannapa
Rakkeo
Wannapa holds a bachelor’s degree from the faculty of
humanities, Chiang Mai University.
After her graduation, she served as an editorial
assistant for the ‘Manager’, an English language magazine and later
joined Cathay Pacific as a flight attendant, based in Hong Kong. She also
spent three years in New Delhi, India, where her father was the Naval Attach้
to the Royal Thai Embassy.
Wannapa returned to Thailand and embarked on a career in
public relations, starting with the Montien group of hotels. Her career
moves included a stint with the President Park Group, The Waste Management
Co. Ltd and prior to joining the Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya she was group
director of public relations for the Marriott Resort & Spa (Thailand).
Her crowning achievement prior to her departure has been helping the
Bangkok Marriott Resort & Spa win the Award of Outstanding Performance,
City Hotel category, in Bangkok, as part of the Thailand Tourism Awards
2002.
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