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Dusit Resort, Pattaya wins the Kinnari
Mr. Chatchawal Supachayanont, general manager of
Dusit Resort, Pattaya, receives the Kinnari award from Mr. Sakthip
Krairiksh, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
The Dusit Resort, Pattaya has added yet another feather to its cap by
winning the Kinnari award for Tourism Accommodation - Meetings and
Convention (MICE) at the 6th Thailand Tourism Awards 2006. The 462-room
resort hotel was cited for its contribution in the tourism industry by
providing outstanding meeting and convention facilities and services to its
guests.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) gives the Kinnari award to recognise
tourism-related organizations in the private and public sectors that have
made significant contributions in the industry. Kinnari is a half-human,
half bird legendary character in ancient Thai literature.
Thai official pleads with sightseers to stop visiting Bangkok’s new airport
Litter is piling up in the bathrooms at Bangkok’s sleek new international
airport. There aren’t enough toilets and there’s too much picnicking going
on. The root of the problem? Too many sightseers.
On top of the 80,000-90,000 travelers passing through Suvarnabhumi Airport
each day, more than 100,000 Thais are visiting and snapping souvenir
pictures at the new airport, which opened 2 weeks ago, said Chotisak
Asapaviriya, president of Airports of Thailand.
“So many people are coming for sightseeing, and we’re pleading with them to
stop. There are too many,” Chotisak said. “There aren’t enough bathrooms.
People are complaining that there’s litter all over the bathrooms. They’re
eating here and there, parking their cars in a mess.”
He said the sightseers were coming in droves, in pickup trucks, bringing
packed lunches to eat at Suvarnabhumi as they take pictures inside the
modern, airy building.
As a result, Suvarnabhumi - built to hold 45 million passengers per year -
has been inundated with people who have no travel plans at all.
“I don’t want to chase them out because this is public property, and we’re
all excited about it, but it has made it difficult to work,” Chotisak said
in a telephone interview.
Airports of Thailand had welcomed visitors to Suvarnabhumi prior to its
opening so that travelers could figure out where it was and not get lost en
route to the facility once it opened. But Chotisak said the visiting period
was now over.
“Please don’t come visit and take pictures,” he said. “We built this
(airport) to accommodate travelers.”
“We invited (visitors) so that they could familiarize themselves with the
new airport, but now it’s no longer familiarization - it has become a
picnic.”
As a result of the airport congestion, Thai Airways International (THAI) is
asking passengers checking in at Bangkok’s new Suvarnabhumi Airport to
arrive three hours before the departure time for international flights, and
one hour before for domestic flights. Meanwhile, THAI has set-up a 24-hour
lost baggage call centre. Call THAI’s Baggage Service Department at tel:
2130-0057, 2130-0058 and 2130-0060. - (AP & TTG)
Demand for Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel takes off
Hotel reports room reservation every 4 minutes
Demand for the newly opened Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel
has surged to record levels following the
successful launch of the new Bangkok airport 28 September.
Accor Reservation Services (ARS) has reported receiving 15 bookings an hour
for the hotel, showing brisk demand for both October and November. The
612-room hotel was overbooked for three nights starting the evening before
Suvarnabhumi International Airport commenced operations.
Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport General Manager Jean Paul Fontenille said he
was delighted with the response and it reflected the early success the
airport has enjoyed since opening.
“The response has been very gratifying and makes us optimistic about the
performance of the hotel and public perception of the new airport. As the
only official hotel of Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the fact that it
has been well received by travellers is very important.
Suvarnabhumi International Airport opened to generally positive reviews,
helping fuel Bangkok’s growing importance as a primary entry point to the
Southeast Asia region. Accor believes the hotel will provide an ideal base
for visiting business, leisure or transit travelers, as well as being a
major new venue for conferences and events.
The adjacent Novotel features two square-shaped five-storey buildings,
covering 10.5 hectares, with large open atrium areas in the centre of each
structure. The two buildings are also joined by another massive glass atrium
designed as the hotel lobby, covering 2,800sqm and soaring five-stories in
height.
Leisure facilities include a 25-metre swimming pool surrounded by tropical
gardens, fitness centre, extensive spa facilities, beauty salon, shopping
arcade and babysitting service.
Novotel Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel caters to Bangkok’s growing meeting and
event markets with more than 2,400sqm of space including a pillar-less
ballroom for up to 800 people and 6 additional meeting rooms.
A direct rail link currently under construction will connect the hotel to
existing transport systems, downtown Bangkok and its central business
districts by late 2008. The hotel will also be connected to the main
terminal by a 300-metre air-conditioned underground walkway due to be
completed early 2007, making it just a three minute walk from check out to
check in. Until then the hotel offers a free shuttle service to the airport
departing at 15-minute intervals.
Blossoms get Royal treatment
Thailand’s grandest expo yet will pay homage to the King’s love of horticulture and showcase flora from more than 30 countries worldwide.
An artist’s impression of the International Garden at the 2006 Royal
Floral Expo.
Mark Bode (TTG)
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006 was initiated as a mark of respect for
Thailand’s beloved monarch - and organisers hope to turn the international
horticultural exposition into a world-famous event and attract up to two
million visitors.
The expo, which will be held at the Royal Agricultural Research Center in
Chiang Mai from November 1 to January 31, is one of the government-hosted
grand celebrations in honour of the 60th anniversary of King Bhumibol
Adulyadej’s accession to the throne.
The expo is situated on 80 hectares of lush landscape. Some 2.5 million
plants, flowers, fruits and herbs will be showcased and more than 30 nations
expected to participate.
One of the event’s highlights will be the Gardens of the King, comprising
the International Gardens and the Corporate Gardens, which was created to
pay homage to the monarch’s intimate agricultural knowledge that resulted in
the successful implementation of thousands of royal projects to improve the
people’s quality of life.
The 100,000m² Thai Tropical Garden will display an extensive variety of
tropical horticulture including fruits, plants, flowers and herbs.
As visitors stroll down the path away from the Expo Plaza - the central
point of the expo’s activities, amenities and services - they will encounter
the majestic Royal Pavilion, constructed in the exquisite Lanna
architectural style. The pavilion will showcase the numerous ways in which
the lives of Thais have been positively affected by the king’s horticultural
projects.
Other highlights include the Orchid Pavilion with its 50,000 orchid plants
representing almost 10,000 orchid species and the Orchid Park - the largest
of its kind ever created in Thailand - showcasing exquisite orchids in
surroundings that emulate their natural habitats.
Single-pass tickets cost 200 baht for adults and 100 baht for children.
Multiple-pass tickets cost 800 baht (adult) and 400 baht (child). Group
tickets for 15 to 50 people cost 150 baht per adult and 50 baht per child.
Senior citizens aged 60 and above will be charged the same rates as for
children.
Those who book single-pass and multiple-pass tickets before November 1 will
receive a 50 per cent discount. For group bookings, the price will be
lowered to 70 baht (adult) and 30 baht (child).
For tickets and more information, Tel: (66-2) 686-7272, or visit
www.royalfloraexpo.com
Asian Business Club organizes its first network evening
Peter Nordhues
It has been almost three years since the Asian Business Club (ABC) has
become a favorite contact point for businesspersons and executives from
Pattaya and the East Coast.
 Max
Rommel and Helmut Buchberger chat it up at the Asian Business Club meeting
at the Woodlands Resort.
Even though the vast number of the club members are German speaking, the
club’s “official” language is English. This allows even those who can’t
speak German to attend the meetings, which are held bi-weekly on Tuesdays at
the Woodlands Resort.
On Tuesday, 26 September, the club organized its first network evening at
Woodlands, and chairman Helmut Buchberger welcomed around 50 guests. The
format was organized around a buffet, rather than having a formal agenda,
which gave guests the opportunity to socialize and deepen old contacts in a
friendly and open atmosphere.
Helmut said that the idea of a networking evening had been both a viable and
an enjoyable one, and added that he felt the club was on the right path with
this concept for the future.
“The Asian Business Club does not have any business interests, but offers
its members the possibility of business transactions among themselves. Our
plan is to carry out these network evenings at regular intervals,” he told
guests.
ABC is contactable at the following address: www. asian-business-club.org.
The website serves as a forum for all members of the club.
The Asian Business Club meeting at the Woodlands
Resort once again drew a large crowd.
Heart Center expertise on display at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital
Dr. Pirat Parditwanit (2nd right), Bangkok
Pattaya Hospital director, donates funds to Prof. Boonchob Pongpanich MD
(right), F.A.C.C., president of the Cardiac Children’s Foundation of
Thailand Under the Royal Sponsorship of H.R.H. Princess Galyani Vadhana.
Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Bangkok Pattaya Hospital observed World Heart Day on September 30 with a
special display of technology and techniques for combating heart disease and
a donation of funds, raised through the sale of T-shirts, to the Cardiac
Children’s Foundation of Thailand.
 Children
participated in cloth-painting contest. Their designs were sold and the
proceeds went to the Cardiac Children’s Foundation.
Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and Bangkok Pattaya Hospital director Dr Pirat
Parditwanit jointly presided over the opening of the event, which was
designed to increase the understanding of the risk factors causing heart
disease, and how to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle.
A screening test demonstration was held at the Heart Image Center, and
visitors saw how a 64-slice CT scan can build up a picture of the human
heart. This scanner creates high-resolution images for revealing
cardiovascular abnormalities, and is top-of-the-line technology in the
eastern part of Thailand.
 Blood
pressure checks and heart disease screening was held as part of the
festivities at the Bangkok-Pattaya Heart Center.
Children put on a masked play and there was a cloth-painting contest with
bids for the finished paintings coming from Suwanan Kongying, Voranut
Wongsawan, Atsadawut Luangprasert and Pol Tanthasathian. All income was
donated to Prof Boonchob Pongpanich, president of the Cardiac Children’s
Foundation of Thailand, which is under the Royal Sponsorship of Her Royal
Highness Princess Galyani Vadhana.
Dr Manoon Somrantin, director of the Heart Center at Bangkok Pattaya
Hospital, said that in the four years that the Center has been open, it has
gained a solid reputation for the skills of its medical team and the quality
of its technology.
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