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More English training for taxi drivers and other service sectors
The Ministry of Education yesterday pledged to provide
English language training for taxi drivers across the country, a program
which the Education Minister Adisai Bhodaramik said would be later extended
to include other service sector professions. A survey of 35,000 taxi drivers
in Bangkok showed that the vast majority wanted to better their English
language skills.
Addressing a seminar organized by the Department of
Non-Formal Education, Adisai hailed the department’s English language
program for taxi drivers as a resounding success, with overwhelming numbers
of applicants following the initial training of 1,000 drivers. “The
English language is a matter of national importance. The government attaches
great importance to the acceleration of English language skills development
among children and Thai citizens across the country. We don’t want people
to study for decades and gain little from it. Even the teachers who teach
don’t always improve,” said Adisai.
The core focus of English programs for taxi drivers will
be communication with foreigners in order that tourists are impressed and
happy when they travel to Thailand. The free program will also be expanded
to other professions where there was a lot of contact with foreigners,
whether golf caddies, masseurs or other jobs which serve the tourism
industry. (TNA)
Furry goodwill ambassadors earn their keep
Chinese pandas at the Chiang Mai Zoo have attracted large
crowds of spectators. The number of visitors to the zoo has more than
doubled since the pandas arrived from China.
The economic impact created by Xuang Xuang and Lin Hui,
the furry goodwill ambassadors from China, has resulted in more than seven
hundred million baht in revenue for the zoo since the pair arrived in
November of this year. Entry fees to visit the pandas amounted to a
staggering 27 million baht. In addition to the “Panda” fees, the zoo has
also generated income from the sale of souvenirs of the pandas, worth more
than 34 million baht. (TNA)
ANZ starts San Francisco connection
Air New Zealand began its new thrice-weekly non-stop
services between Auckland and San Francisco on July 1. Air New Zealand’s
new San Francisco service operates on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays
utilizing a 392-seat Boeing 747-400. (TTG Asia)
Emirates makes
it 10 to Jakarta
Emirates Airlines has increased its
frequency between Dubai and Jakarta from seven times a week to ten. The
additional flights, which started on June 10, are operated via Bangkok every
Monday, Thursday and Saturday, on a Boeing 777-300 aircraft with 359 seats
in two classes. (TTG Asia)
Hainan Airlines makes inroads into Three Gorges
Hainan Airlines, already involved in running Meilan
Airport in Haikou, has paid US$40 million to buy the airport at Sanxia,
which serves the Three Gorges dam. The airport on the Yangtze River serving
the popular tourist site could become a key tourism destination when the dam
behind the river fills, presenting an entirely new cruising industry on the
vast lake.
Sanxia airport now handles flights from 20 domestic
destinations. Hainan Airline wants to fly to Hong Kong and Japan and Europe
and North America subsequently. (TTG Asia)
World’s largest elephant camp to be built in Chiang Mai
Thailand’s Ministry for Natural Recourses and
Environment has announced that the government will pour over 600 million
baht into the construction of what will be the world’s largest elephant
camp in the northern province of Chiang Mai, which will house 200 elephants
currently plying city streets.
The announcement follows support from the Prime Minister
Thaksin Shinawatra, who recently visited the state-of-the-art Chiang Mai
Night Safari, for the development of the camp on 6,000 rai of land. The camp
will be built on land adjacent to the Night Safari, which is currently under
construction, and will be linked to the Night Safari by a tram system. The
600 million baht will be used to construct a tunnel linking the two projects
through which the tramway will run.
Passengers on the trams will be able to view various
shows, as they move through the tunnel. The tramway will also pass by what
is destined to be the largest aviary in the world, which will be constructed
along an entire cliff face. A second tram system will connect with Chiang
Mai Zoo, around 6 kilometers away.
The elephant camp will be designed not only to boost
tourism, but also to solve the problem of elephants roving the streets of
Chiang Mai.
Under the government’s plan, the Ministry of Natural
Resources and the Environment will purchase the 200-plus elephants plying
the streets of the northern city although their mahouts will not go with
them. Other animals to be showcased at the center will include deer and red
bulls in order to generate greater visitor interest. Thailand has also
requested that Australia provides koala bears for the park on a loan
arrangement. (TNA)
Another fillip for Thai tourism
Thailand is planning to more than double its air capacity
from 13 million seats to 28 million as part of an integrated plan to attract
20 million tourists by 2008 and make Thailand the undisputed tourism leader
of Asia.
Minister of Tourism and Sports Sontaya Khunpluen said the
new plan was already approved by the Thai government cabinet. “The plan
requires a concerted effort on the part of several ministries. It is a
national approach to tourism and encompasses many areas, and will require
cooperation at every level in both the public and private sectors,” the
minister said.
“For example, while the transport ministry is working
on increasing air capacity and ensuring that regional airports are
developed, the education ministry will be mobilizing universities nationwide
to strengthen human resource development for the tourism industry,” he
added.
Import duties will be reduced as part of a bigger plan to
make Thailand a “shoppers’ paradise”, an idea strongly favored by
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. (TTG Asia)
New five-year plan for Thai tourism
A new five-year tourism plan that goes far beyond the
scope of all previous plans and heralds a new era for Thai tourism will be
presented to the government later this month.
Drawn up by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports headed by
Sontaya Khunpluen, it is the first attempt to map out areas of cooperation
required at the highest level between ministries such as transport,
environment, education and natural resources.
A spokesman for Sontaya said tourism could not longer be
allowed to develop in isolation from other sectors. “The only way forward
now is to involve all parties in an overall plan that will ensure
sustainable development. This requires an integrated approach and that’s
what we’ve got here.”
The spokesman said previous plans were limited in scope
and effectiveness because they were drawn before the tourism ministry was
set up in January 2003. “The adoption of the plan will reflect the
willingness of the government to make tourism an integral part of the
national agenda,” the spokesman added. (TTG Asia)
United Travel Mega Fam Trip from Ireland visits Pattaya
Warm smiles and Thai culture keep tourists coming back
Suchada Tupchai
Royal Cliff Beach Resort, one of the foremost hotels in
Pattaya, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcomed a United
Travel Mega Fam Trip group from Ireland last week.
Con Murchy, managing director of the United Travel
Company led a group of 56 agents and 32 reporters to Pattaya during their
familiarization tour to Asia. The group visited the Middle East, Hong Kong,
and Thailand was the last country on their program.
56
agents and 32 reporters visited Pattaya as part of a United Travel Mega
Familiarization Trip from Ireland.
Phornsiri Manoharn, vice governor of TAT and head of its
international market department made sure all the agents and press were
happy. He said he was pleased to receive the group from Ireland. He also
hoped that after their visit here there would be more tourists from Ireland
enjoying their holidays in Thailand this year.
Kanungnit Chotikakul, assistant director of the UK,
Ireland, South Africa, and Middle East department of TAT said this trip was
made possible through great support from United Travel, Gulf Air, and Air
Asia. He said the journey was their second trip to Thailand. He added they
liked coming to the East and that Thailand, especially Pattaya, served all
aspects of tourism including natural beauty and scintillating nightlife for
all types of tourists.
“Thailand is renowned for its people’s generosity, and welcoming
attitude. Most importantly, the charming personality of the people assures
that first-time visitors will repeat their journey here,” said Kanungnit.
He said this year the number of inbound tourists was expected to be 10%
higher than last year. “Most tourists keep coming back to Thailand because
of its tradition, culture, and the warm smiles that Thais are famous for,”
said Kanungnit.
More artificial coral reefs to be created
The government has announced plans to invest 36 million
baht to increase the country’s coral reefs. These are intended to develop
fishing areas for southern fishermen, according to Dr Sitdhi Boonyaratpalin,
Director-General of the Department of Fisheries.
The plans involve establishing twelve additional
artificial coral reefs in the South, especially in the provinces of
Narathiwat and Pattani. Large fishing vessels will also be prevented from
fishing in these areas. The cabinet has already approved the project, and it
should be implemented within the next year. (TNA)
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