TRAVEL & TOURISM
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

Huay Yai Thai-Chinese honor Tabtim goddess

Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa unveils 300-million baht revamp

Amari announces two new senior vice presidents

Air Berlin launches web check-in with dedicated baggage drop-off counters at Suvarnabhumi Airport


Huay Yai Thai-Chinese honor Tabtim goddess

Patcharapol Panrak
When Chinese New Year was still 2 weeks away, on January 29 Thai-Chinese residents in Huay Yai made their annual pilgrimage to the Sak-Ngaew Tabtim Goddess Shrine to pray for good fortune and celebrate with dance performances blessed by Chinese drama god, Taisue.

The Tabtim Goddess at the shrine has been in the village for hundreds of years.

Shrine caretaker Tong-aouy Saetiew, 85, led the delegation in offering fruit and tea and asking for permission from the Tabtim Goddess and Taisue, the god of drama.
Tong-aouy said the Tabtim Goddess at the shrine has been in the village for hundreds of years. It is respected and believed to provide blessings for locals and visitors. It was even stolen once and miraculous returned, he said.
He continued that the annual celebration had a Chinese drama show and that before the performance people must pay respect to the god Taisue before it can start. All actors must pay respect to the Chinese drama god like a sacred ceremony to indoctrinate art pupils.

Thai-Chinese residents in Huay Yai made their annual pilgrimage
to the Sak-Ngaew Tabtim Goddess Shrine to pray for good fortune
and celebrate with dance performances.


Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa unveils 300-million baht revamp

Siam Hotels & Resort President Kamala Sukosol: “At the Siam Bayshore guests can enjoy a true oasis in the heart of a thriving city.”

The Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa, which has hosted countless international travelers, statesmen, dignitaries, sports people and entertainers since opening in 1975 (one of three hotel’s in Pattaya at the time), has unveiled a multi-million dollar renovation of its luxury guest rooms, suites and gardens, along with several F&B outlets and public spaces.
Virtually a “new” 270-room Bayshore resort has been unveiled; the momentous occasion was celebrated by all staff and executives, including Siam Hotels & Resort President Kamala Sukosol, Executive Vice President Marisa Sukosol Nunbhakdi, Regional General Manager Saran Nimihut and Resident Manager Holger Groninger.
In both wings the resort has updated its 64 deluxe guest rooms, 152 tropical deluxe rooms, 54 executive rooms and nine superior suites, all the while maintaining its gracious, classic Siam look, in keeping with its unique setting in Thailand’s premier seaside city. The resort has also given the public spaces and F&B outlets of its Ocean Wing a thorough re-modeling, introducing a new spacious, open-air main lobby, spectacular lounge-cum-museum, Explorer Bar, and bright all-day indoor/outdoor dining haven, Sunrise Sunset.
The Siam Bayshore is proud to be one of the first Pattaya hotels to “go green” and is an avid believer in conservation and sustainable living. As such, the hotel takes pride in limiting its carbon footprint; reflected in its recycling, eco-friendly practices, waste management and vast gardens.

Siam Bayshore is proud to be one of the first Pattaya hotels to “go green”.
As the hotel’s illustrious owner and president, Kamala, is oft heard to remark: “At the Siam Bayshore guests can enjoy a true oasis in the heart of a thriving city. We work hard to maintain our 20-acres of lush gardens so guests can truly escape from it all and convene with nature. I can honestly say we are the only true ‘garden’ resort in town, and I’m proud of that.”
The redesign of the hotel’s accommodation includes all the modern and Thai facilities and touches that discerning clientele have come to expect from Siam. All rooms and suites come with a totally re-modeled bathroom incorporating marble countertops, walk-in shower, bathtub and aromatic amenities; along with cozy seating area, mini-bar, personal safe, lush bedding, ample storage and roomy outdoor balcony/terrace. Each guest room also contains state-of-the-art technology, including hi-fi stereo and CD player, 32-inch flat screen LCD television, precision control air-conditioning and high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity.
“We are extremely proud of the look and feel that this renovation has added to our historic hotel,” said Marisa. “For 35 years, the Siam Bayshore Resort & Spa has been a centerpiece in this growing community providing legendary Thai service to travelers from across the globe. Now we’re very excited to welcome both our loyal and new guests to this totally re-invented, high-tech, stylish and, most importantly, relaxing retreat.”

 


Amari announces two new senior vice presidents

Amari, the hotel and resort group celebrating the colors and rhythms of modern Asia, recently announced the promotion of M.L. Suravut Thongthaem to the role of senior vice president of sales, and Nigel Harris as senior vice president projects and product development.

M.L. Suravut Thongthaem
M.L. Suravut joined Amari in 1987 as business development manager and over the past 23 years he has played an integral role in spearheading the sales initiatives, both domestically and internationally, for Amari’s portfolio of hotels and resorts in Thailand.
With the vision to expand the strong recognition of Amari globally by continuing to work closely with his well established industry partners, M.L. Suravut also aims to expand the group’s customer base.
“We shall work towards making Amari recognized as a leading hotel brand in Thailand and in the Asia-Pacific region,” M.L. Suravut said.
With close to 100 people in his Thailand based sales team and a network of global sales representatives, M.L. Suravut’s key responsibilities will include driving the sales strategies across all international markets as well as streamlining key sales policies.

Nigel Harris
Prior to joining Amari, Nigel Harris was the Vice president of technical services for Hilton International for the South Asia region, where he was responsible for establishing an independent technical and design support function for owners and the development team in the roll out of multi-brand hotels throughout India.
A trained architect, Harris brings to his role over 25 years of senior management experience in hotel, commercial and consultancy companies throughout the Asia Pacific region. His experience in the hospitality industry within the region is extensive, and includes senior regional roles with Shangri La Hotels and Holiday Inn Worldwide.
In his new role, Harris will be an integral part of Amari’s recently announced expansion plans focusing on the profiling of new brands and supporting project and development activity.


Air Berlin launches web check-in with dedicated baggage drop-off counters at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Air Berlin’s passengers departing from Suvarnabhumi Airport can now check in online with comfort and convenience from home, work, or wherever they have internet access. Passengers just need to make a few clicks to check in and print out the boarding pass. Once at the airport they directly proceed to the departure gate with the self-printed online boarding pass if they travel with hand luggage only. Passengers with additional baggage can simply use special baggage drop-off counters, where the quick processing of baggage will be done without waiting.
Air Berlin’s web check-in can be used from 30 hours up until 2 hours prior to the scheduled flight departure, and at the same time passengers can choose their own seat via an interactive seat map. The web check-in is applicable for all valid e-tickets, irrespective of whether the booking has been made online, via a travel agent or Air Berlin’s Service Center. All individual or group bookings (up to 11 persons), provided that all those traveling together have given their consent, can also make use of the convenient and easy online check-in. The web check-in service is available for all Air Berlin’s flights out of Suvarnabhumi Airport as well as Phuket International Airport.
In the winter season, Air Berlin operates 13 flights a week from Bangkok or Phuket to Berlin, Dusseldorf and Munich, with good connections to many German cities and European metropolises. Air Berlin strives continuously to provide its passengers in Thailand with the best service since this country is highly regarded as one of the most important long-haul destinations of the German airline.