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TAT Trat director pushes eco-tourism
TAT Trat
Director Woranit Kaiyarat (inset) says residents should boost environmental
conservation efforts to boost the country’s eco-tourism prospects.
Pratchaya Kerdthong
Tourism Authority of Thailand officials are urging
Eastern Seaboard residents to boost environmental conservation efforts to
boost the country’s eco-tourism prospects.
At a March 25-27 “Traveling Across Thailand with a
Camera” seminar in Trat, TAT Trat Director Woranit Kaiyarat said the
authority’s Pattaya, Rayong, Chantaburi and Trat offices need to work more
closely to link tourism-promotion efforts.
While eco-tourism might not attract as many people as
Pattaya’s bars, it can drive substantial amounts of tourism, Woranit said.
In order to keep that sector strong, he said, residents
need to work on sustainable tourism efforts and preserve the environment.
Doing so benefits not only tourism, but the country as a whole, Woranit
said.
THAI reduces flights
on Bangkok-Narita route
Sirima Eamtako, TTG Asia
Thai Airways International (THAI) has temporarily shifted one
of its three daily Bangkok-Tokyo (Narita) flights to serve Bangkok-Incheon due
to poor performance on the Japan route.
THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand said the Bangkok-Tokyo
(Narita) service, which normally enjoys about 90 percent load factor during this
period, had recorded just 50 percent over the past two weeks.
The daily Bangkok-Tokyo (Narita) flight will be suspended
from March 27 to April 26, and THAI will instead operate a special
Bangkok-Incheon daily flight from April 5 to 26.
South Korea has progressively become a more popular
destination for outbound Thais, and the airline is hoping that the special
flight will help make up for the loss of revenue on the Japan route, said
Piyasvasti.
THAI’s other services to Japan, including to Tokyo (Haneda),
Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka, remain unchanged.
Ex-Lions Club, Chonburi Chamber exec wins PBTA presidency
Phasakorn Channgam
A former Lions Club district governor and ex-president of
the Chonburi Chamber of Commerce was elected to head the Pattaya Business &
Tourism Association.
The
PBTA’s new president, Wiwat Pattanasin.
Wiwat Pattanasin won the balloting at the PBTA’s election
March 26. He succeeds Jamroon Vitsavachaipan as president.
In his outgoing speech, Jamroon said his accomplishments
included helping to solve Pattaya’s water shortages and improve the image
and marketing of the city.
Wiwat has worked for and represented many associations
and participates in many charitable organizations. He thanked everyone who
voted for him and pledged to create stronger relationships between business
and government in his term.
AirAsia Philippines
flights to begin soon
Gracia Chiang, TTG Asia
AirAsia Incorporated, the Philippine-based affiliate of
AirAsia Group, will have its first aircraft arriving at its Clark base in
August.
Speaking on the sidelines of an Expedia-AirAsia event last
week, Group CEO, Tony Fernandes, said existing routes from Clark would be
operated by AirAsia, Inc. while four new routes were also being considered.
Singapore and South Korea were cited as possibilities.
Flights would be operated by an all-Airbus fleet, which would
comprise around two aircraft to start.
In addition, Fernandes said AirAsia’s Vietnam affiliate would
be launched shortly after its Philippine venture gets off the ground, adding
that announcements will be made soon.
He also reaffirmed expansion plans in Japan despite the bleak
situation there, sharing that Osaka was next on the list.
Said Fernandes, “We’re very very committed towards Japan and
looking to open routes to more cities. We’re not cutting back flights, we’re not
cutting any expenditure.
“Travel is a great way to get away from some of the reality
of what’s going on. We’ve actually seen bookings increase...In terms of people
going back to Japan, that’s only a matter of time.”
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