Vol. XII No. 5
Friday January 30 -February 5 , 2004

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by Saichon paewsoongnern

 


 

TRAVEL
HEADLINES [click on headline to view story]: 

Royal Cliff Beach Resort receives Golfer’s Trophy Award

Push for second Samui Island airport

‘OTOP villages’ to pull in more tourists

SWISS named “Best Airline to North and South America”

China grants aviation rights to Thailand

On-flight prawns to help raise prices

English language boost set for 30 provinces

 

Royal Cliff Beach Resort receives Golfer’s Trophy Award

It was a fantastic start for the Royal Cliff Beach Resort in 2004 - the reception of the “Golfers’ Trophy Award 2003 - The Finest Golf Hotel in Thailand”. Franz Gehler, president of Golfers’ Trophy, Switzerland, and Monique Schneider, vice-president of Golfers’ Trophy, Switzerland, visited the resort to present the award to Panga Vathanakul, managing director at the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, on January 4.

Executives of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort including managing director Panga Vathanakul (4th left); resident manager Royal Cliff Beach Hotel, Choosakdi Srivatjanapone and resident manager Royal Cliff Grand, Ranjith Chandrasiri (1st and 2nd from left); resident manager administration Vipavee Wuthichat (3rd from right); resident manager Royal Wing Nick Bauer (1st from right) receiving Golfers Trophy Award from Franz Gehler, president Golfers’ Trophy, Switzerland (3rd from left), and Monique Schneider, vice-president Golfers’ Trophy, Switzerland (2nd from right).

The Royal Cliff Beach Resort was nominated for the Award in 2003. Being surrounded by its beautiful tropical garden and the Gulf of Thailand, it offers the passionate golfer a perfect hideaway to practice on the resorts’ putting green before and relax after a game on one of the 18 golf courses nearby.


Push for second Samui Island airport

The Thai government has reiterated its intention to develop a second airport on Samui Island despite satisfaction expressed by hoteliers and foreign visitors with the existing airport owned and operated by Bangkok Airways (PG).

Deputy Transport Minister Vichet Kasemthongsri said he wanted an airport with a runway long enough to land bigger aircraft so tourist numbers could increase. The move is seen as an attempt to force PG’s hand to lower fares, lengthen its runway and reduce landing charges for other airlines such as Thai Airways International.

Chairman of the Thai Hotels Association Samui Chapter, Michael Holehouse said, “The present airport is more than adequate to serve the needs of the present room count on the island. I have never heard complaints from tourists about the price of the fare. The PG fare is a non-issue for THA members here.” (TTG Asia)


‘OTOP villages’ to pull in more tourists

The government has plans to ride the wave of success of the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) scheme by turning OTOP production villages into tourist destinations to attract more long-stay foreign visitors.

Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak revealed that he has ordered two agencies under the ministry’s umbrella - the Tourism Development Office and the Tourism Authority of Thailand - to work together to develop selected OTOP villages as new tourist destinations.

Visitors to the villages will be able to learn about the history of the goods’ production, the unique production processes, and see demonstrations of how the goods are produced.

In its first year, the project will be piloted in 10 locations and the agencies will oversee marketing operations using the ministry’s existing budget. Somkid added that if the funding proved insufficient, the government would back it up with money from the 70 billion baht economic stimulus budget, or would search for private sector sponsors.

Somkid said, “The development of OTOP villages will encourage more foreign visitors to stay longer in Thailand, and to spend more money. This is in line with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s policy of boosting annual tourist arrivals to 20 million within the next seven years.”

Tourism and Sports Minister Sontaya Khunpluem said that the ministry would decide on the locations of the 10 pilot villages be the end of January. (TNA)


SWISS named “Best Airline to North and South America”

Germany’s Business Traveler magazine has named SWISS “Best Airline to North and South America” for the second year running in its 2004 Business Traveler Awards. The Swiss-based carrier also won first place in the awards’ “Ground Personnel” category for the Germany and Europe region


China grants aviation rights to Thailand

Thailand is to be the first country in Asia to be granted the right to park its aircraft in China, according to Deputy Transport Minister Vichet Kasemthongsri. Vichet said that the two countries had agreed to strengthen aviation cooperation in terms of flight frequency, the number of airports where flights were allowed to land, and code sharing.

Under the new ‘open sky’ policy between the two countries, Thailand will be able to launch flights to all Chinese airports, while Chinese aircraft will similarly be able to land at any airport in Thailand. The agreement will also see the abolition of limitations on the number of flights - both passenger and cargo - between the two countries.

China has also granted Thailand the right to park its passenger, and freight planes at Chinese airports, rather than forcing Thai airplanes to return directly to Thailand. In addition, China will allow Thailand to fly to other regions via China, and to operate code sharing practices with other Thai, Chinese and foreign airlines. (TNA)


On-flight prawns to help raise prices

Passengers on Thai Airways flights are to be given prawns, prawns and more prawns in an attempt by the Department of Internal Trade to solve falling prawn prices, the department’s director-general Siriporn Yotmuangcharoen announced recently.

Addressing concerns over the low price of prawns, Siriporn said that prawns would be served on Thai Airways flights in order to encourage greater consumption of prawns among the Thai public. (TNA)


English language boost set for 30 provinces

The secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission announced recently that the government is pouring over 300 million baht into improving English language teaching at primary and secondary school level in 30 key tourism provinces. Khunying Kosama Worawan Na Ayuthaya said that the Cabinet had recently approved the funding to upgrade English language tuition.

The Office will use the budge to create 175 English Resource and Instruction Centers to develop teachers and instruction media. The scheme is designed to improve English language skills among young people and help promote tourism. The Office will provide English language teacher training to 500 teachers in each of the 30 provinces. Tuition will be provided in the form of intensive courses, distance learning, exhibitions and continuing training.

The 30 provinces are Bangkok, Krabi, Kanchanaburi, Chantaburi, Chonburi, Chumporn, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, Trat, Tak, Trang, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Nakhon Sawan, Nakhon Ratchasima, Prachuab Khiri Khan, Phang-nga, Petchaburi, Phitsanulok, Ayutthaya, Phuket, Mae Hong Son, Ranong, Rayong, Lopburi, Songkhla, Sukhothai, Surat Thani, Nong Khai, Ubon Ratchathani and Udon Thani. (TNA)


 


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