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Airport taxis the stumbling block That most important transfer from airline seat, through the corridors of an airport to a taxi at kerbside is usually a blur, the kind you get when you fast-forward a video tape. I admit to racing through the corridors, wheelie bag in tow. I just hope a turn of speed will help me beat 400 odd passengers to the immigration counters. Airport is not that far It seems far the first couple of times you visit the new airport at Suvarnabhumi off Bang Na-Trat Road in Samut Prakan, but the feeling changes once you get used to the route. We are the champions! Bangkok and Chiang Mai have landed first and second place in the "Best Cities in Asia 2006" poll, an internet survey conducted recently by the respected Travel +Leisure magazine. Globally, Bangkok was placed at the third best city, with Chiang Mai coming in fifth. Midnight initiation for Suvarnabhumi In just 28 days, the doors will slam shut at Don Muang Airport ending its career as Asia's oldest operating commercial airport. Travellers will switch to what airport developers call a green field airport, built from scratch and by their nature subject to a host of ills that haunt projects that rise from swamps or reclaimed land. Park admission fees raised The National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department has announced new entrance fees to leading parks nationwide. Citing rising maintenance costs and the need for better public facilities and security, the rates take effect September 15. Boost for Phuket Phuket's hotels are enrolling in a two-for-one programme to boost travel arrivals during the rainy season months. Approximately 17 hotels signed up for the campaign launched by the Tourism Authority of Thailand's domestic travel division in cooperation with the agency's Phuket office. Which way out? An airport express train now under construction will accelerate the transfer from the yet to open Suvarnabhumi Airport to the Phaya Thai to less than 28 minutes. It is still some time off. Van service wins increasing acceptance from daily commuters Rawase, a middle-aged woman, is a regular commuter by public van. She has been using it to travel to the provinces for many years now because it more convenient. Thailand scores high in brand rating Thailand is the only Asian country to be ranked among the top ten travel destinations globally, according to a survey titled "Country Brand Index" by FutureBrand and its sister company Weber Shandwick. World leaders to be invited to airport opening Thailand will extend an invitation to world leaders to attend next June's inauguration of Suvarnabhumi International Airport, in a ceremony the government hopes will be reminiscent of the 2003 Apec meeting. A source said the event would also mark the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's coronation. Pride of place for Bangkok and Chiang Mai A recent survey by Travel + Leisure magazine ranked Bangkok the second best city in the world after Sydney , Australia , for the third year running. The same survey put Chiang Mai in the fifth place, behind Rome and Florence , while Chiang Mai was also voted the second best city in Asia, with Bangkok in the top slot. Goodwill volunteers These days there are people who do not only enjoy the luxury of seeing places thousands of miles away from their homes, but they also want to bring benefits to the people or communities they visit. They travel with a purpose. 'Grand Invitation' from TAT - 2006 theme based on royal occasion Still struggling to attract the targeted 13.38 million international tourists to the country this year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has outlined its marketing strategies for fiscal 2006 set to begin in October with a campaign called ''Thailand Grand Invitation''. TAT stands firm on tourism projections The Tourism Authority of Thailand has decided to keep its 2006 target for tourist arrivals at 15.12 million and its target for domestic trips at 79.33 million. The TAT's 18 directors from overseas offices and 22 directors from domestic offices yesterday delivered the results of their annual meeting on tourism marketing strategies and business plans for next year, to private operators and the media. Tougher times await local tour guides Though the shortage of professional tour guides in Thailand has been a subject of long discussion, especially those with fluency in languages, the problem has never been dealt with in a proper manner. That's why you see so many foreign guides operating in Thailand, although illegally. New Bt1,000 note hard to copy The Bank of Thailand is to issue a new Bt1,000 banknote with a silver foil stripe in November. The note will be difficult to copy and is being introduced to combat forgery. Cheap THAI tours 'damaging' A wide range of massively discounted tour packages put in place by Thai Airways International and starting from just Bt3,500 to the South's tsunami-affected destinations go on sale today. Thai carriers make world rankings Three Thai carriers, Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways and Nok Air, were counted among the world's best airlines in 2005 in a survey involving more than 12 million passengers by the research firm Skytrax. THAI goes for the gizmos Thai Airways International (THAI) is spending seven billion baht to upgrade inflight amenities and service in the face of intense competition from Singapore Airlines, and to differentiate itself from low-cost carriers. Tourism far from sustainable, it seems Sustainable tourism is an ideal concept because it's supposed to be friendly to environment, nature, society and, at the same time, it can be developed with due respect to history, culture and life of the local people. MPs question ambitious numbers from TAT The Tourism Authority of Thailand's revised projection of revenue from tourists, which targets a 75% increase by 2008, has raised eyebrows in the House Standinbusrevg Committee on Tourism. Immigration rules a barrier The recently elected chairman of Marine Alliance (Thailand) (MAT) plans to follow his predecessor's policy to lobby for more relaxed and streamlined immigration procedures for yacht owners. |
