Article Category - Hotel & Tourism

A GROUP of Phuket businesses have ‘cancelled’ the low season. Instead, the period between April and November will be renamed the ‘Summer Season’ to better reflect the fact that Phuket is one of the world’s top year-round holiday destinations. “We’re going to have a bit of fun with this campaign,’ said group spokesman, Nick Anthony, the managing director of Indigo Real Estate.

OVER the past 12 months, most foreign currencies have collapsed against the Thai baht, which means money from home is not worth as much as it was. A year ago, one Australian dollar would have bought you almost 35 baht. Today you would be lucky to get 22 or 23 baht.

THE Tourism Authority of Thailand has unleashed a new weapon in its bid to win back the tourists. Singapore has the Singapore Sling, America has the Manhattan and the Long Island Tea, and Cuba has it’s Cuba Libre. And now Thailand has its own tipple, the Siam Sunray.

THE world-wide financial crisis has apparently not stopped people from taking holidays. Six million Britons have booked holidays during the past month as defiant families prepare to shrug off the economic gloom and head for places in the sun. Around 200,000 people a day are snapping up cheap summer holiday offers as British travel companies slash their prices.

Many businesses have written off the high season, with empty hotel rooms, lonely dive vessels, and the number of international and domestic passengers flying into Phuket plummeting. But although things look grim, there is light at the end of the tunnel. There are still plenty of people on the beaches and in the shopping malls, and Bangla Road is pumping nearly every night.

THE ECO-WAR IS still raging along the Southern Andaman coast. While Phuket clings to the idea of maintaining its unspoilt natural splendour, and its ‘paradise’ badge, environmentalists despair at the ever-increasing tourist machine spoiling the landscape. Kim Obermeyer and his team of 11 eco-warriors have set up a base camp and an eco-lodge on Koh Ra Island in Phang Nga province, just north of Phuket.

GUESTS booking into the new Marriot Courtyard Patong are likely to find dogs, swans, even elephants in their room. Monkey’s, turtles, rabbits, puppies and pigs have also been found in the suites. But these pets won’t bite. They look decidedly cute and cuddly, but be warned, if you try to play with one, it is likely to collapse and turn into a bath towel.

GOING on holiday should be a well-deserved break, but if you want to take the kids, how much of a break are you going to get? You arrive at your destination, jetlagged and tired and all you can think about is how far is it to the sparkling blue sea or the nearest ice cold piña colada. But there’s not much chance of that with a couple of kids pulling at your sleeve, demanding round-the-clock entertainment.

HERE we are on the eve of the high-season, a time when dreams are fulfilled or shattered, enhanced or decreased. Anything can happen... and it usually does. Some of Phuket’s more visionary nightclubs and bars are trying to keep one step ahead of the ever changing tourist demographic by adopting a fresh approach. Long gone are the days when the majority of Phuket’s holidaymakers were single men frequenting Bangla Road girlie bars in search of hedonistic adventures. They are still around, but they’ve been pushed aside by an increase in families and backpackers over the last three years.

ON a clear December day about 12 years ago, I ventured into a southern Thailand forest of the sort I thought no longer existed. Deep in the heart of Khao Sok National Park lay Ao Din Daeng, a roundish valley surrounded by towering limestone peaks and covered by dense jungle. Under the peaks there was a cave system used by the Communists as a base camp during the 1970s and ’80s insurgency.

RICKY Zen, the effervescent owner of the Flamingo Splash Lounge in Kata, was once a star in Las Vegas where he sang with some of the biggest names in showbusiness, including Tom Jones, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis. Ricky, who is part Seminole Indian gave up the ‘good life’ to make Phuket his permanent home, and he has no reservations about what he wants to do. Showbusiness has always been in his blood, and, even from an early age, he was destined to be a star.

THE brand new live-aboard vessel, Dive Asia One, set sail from Chalong Pier last week, bound for the Similan Islands National Park, and unofficially opened the company’s dive season. Conditions were anything but ideal, and the 20 passengers battled through torrential rain to board the boat. With a crew of seven, as well as six diving staff on board, Dive Asia One eased out from Chalong Pier just after 7pm and headed north. It was a significant day on two counts for the Dive Asia company.

Phuket has made it into Lonely Planet’s short list of destinations covered by their new Encounter series. Designed to be lightweight and compact, the new book is advertised as, “Twice the city in half the time”. True to his word, author Adam Skolnick has condensed a wealth of information onto the guide’s glossy pages. His summaries of Phuket’s attractions and expansive neighbourhoods have captured the island’s essence. Adam’s words are backed up by some fantastic photography. As the saying goes, a picture speaks a 1,000 words, which is certainly true in this case.

Tourism has brought many benefits to Phuket, not the least of which is an annual income from tourist spending that makes the province one of Thailand’s economic powerhouses. But the benefits come with many visible and not-so-visible costs. Government officials and tourism professionals continually strive to strike a balance between supporting tourism and preserving the region’s natural wonders. Often lost in the debate over sustainable tourism, says Titiyawadee Punmanee, a 27-year-old doctoral student at the University of Leicester in the UK, is a commitment to preserving a region’s unique culture and traditions. What’s needed in Thailand is a new conception of sustainable tourism, one that addresses all of the factors involved in a region’s tourist industry — one that addresses human resources as well as natural resources.

The official global sponsor of the 2008 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) European Football Championship is a South Korean car brand, Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai. South Korea's largest car maker provided official vehicles to be used during the tournament in Switzerland and Austria last month. The fleet of 530 Hyundai and Kia cars and vans, and a fleet of buses, are part of a campaign called "Drive to Glory". But they're not for the players, who mostly prefer glorious drives. The Swedish super star Zlatan Ibrahimovic owns a Porsche Cayenne Turbo and a Ferrari F430 Spyder. He recently sold a Ferrari Enzo. Ibrahimovic also drives the new Volvo C30 T5 as a company car-cum-family car provided by his employer, Football Club Internazionale Milano (FC Milan).

Is it a BMW? Maybe the Audi A4? Or the VW Passat? Le Peugeot? No, It's the new Honda Accord. Acc-ord: The name reminds me of the French d'accord, which means "I agree" or "OK". And I agree. The new eighth generation Honda Accord looks sleek, dynamic and sporty and has a lower and wider track for a solid, planted feel. Look at the new low-slung, chromed, angular grill, the new cool, clear projector headlights and the muscular, pronounced wheel arches housing 17-inch alloy wheels.

I still remember the words that my grandma used to tell me: "Going out to visit places make us know how wonderful this world is, and it will give you a wider view of life." Predictably, her words made me love to travel, to learn the customs and cultures of the places that I visit and to keep them in my mind to broaden my horizons. All of that came together recently during a tour of Kuala Lumpur. Lucky enough to join a press tour sponsored by Tourism Malaysia, I travelled with a group of Phuket-based media to explore Thailand's neighbour to the south. The occasion was the country's annual Citrawarna festival, a showcase of Malaysia's multi-ethnic people and cultures. Translated as "Colours of Malaysia," the month-long event begins at the end of May every year.

The power of the online travel industry is obvious if you've worked a desk job anywhere in Australia, Europe or North America. Messages from mammoth travel websites drop into your inbox with predictable regularity. Just as predictably, they're loaded with dramatic pictures of romantic tropical paradises. They promise escape and offer discounts for booking right now, and in the depths of a dreary winter or during the long summer doldrums at the office, you can't help but click through and dream about a vacation in an exotic locale. Maybe you take a break from the report you're working on and give in to the daydream. You click through the package deals, scroll through lists of available flights and compare lists of amenities at hotels. For younger travellers, this is how booking travel always works. For a growing share of those who remember the era of face-to-face travel booking -- when you walked into a travel agency and talked to an agent about where you wanted to go -- it's now the preferred way to book a vacation. On Phuket, online travel planning is big business. Hotels and resorts report that well more than half of their guests use the internet at some point to research or book a holiday. And for a few growing companies, online travel is the entire business. Phuket-grown websites like AsiaWebDirect.com and DirectRooms.com have mushroomed into global concerns that not only bring tourists to Phuket but also share in the revenue that tourism leaves behind.

This year's green season on Phuket is anything but a let-down. Coming off of the biggest high season on record, the tourism industry on Phuket is working to build up the current green season and planning for an even bigger high season beginning at the end of this year. For a post-high season recap, we talked to several key players among the thousands of tourism professionals on Phuket to get an insider's look at what made the 2007-08 high season such a success. We also wanted to know about prospects for the current green season and the challenges Phuket faces as it prepares to host what looks like another record-breaking high season.

The idyllic palm and the broad-leafed banana trees that carpet the hills of Phuket stretch out to serene blue waters along the Andaman Sea and Phang Nga Bay. Even despite a tourism and resort development boom during recent decades, many scenes of unspoiled jungle drama and oceanside beauty remain around Phuket. But the clash between natural wonders and the urbanizing pressure of tourism development presents great challenges. As in the jungle, sneaky predators can earn a living off of unknowing tourists, however well-intentioned. Ultimately the price is often paid by the unique flora and fauna of Phuket -- the very natural attractions that have drawn tourists in such vast numbers.

"They paved paradise and put up a parking lot," crooned Joni Mitchell in the '70s. Parking in cities of the Kingdom during the '80s and '90s was still child's play. Nasty devices like the yellow wheel clamps were still unknown, and parking was mostly free.

Remember the Korean cars in Bangkok pre-1997 Asian economic "tom yam kung" crisis--the Daewoos, the Hyundais, the KIA's and the Ssanyong's? The new Koreans were affordable and compact city cars, including a monster SUV, one of the first sport utility vehicles in Thailand: Ssanyong Musso. After the economic bubble burst, Daewoo vanished from Thai shores, and today three Korean brands are available: KIA, Hyundai making a strong comeback, and Ssangyong.

It's amazing how much even a clinically sterile arrival section at an airport can tell you about the country you are just about to discover. A muslim immigration official with a pretty head-scarf is chatting with her colleague- of a South Asian origin I cannot guess- before she turns to smile and stamp my arrival. The whole process takes a minute, as I'm the only one in my 'line'.

The air here is weighty; thick with humidity and tinged with the smell of spices. Around us are shouting vendors, pedaling local delicacies from tiny stalls and thrusting out their hands to clasp those of wide-mouthed tourists, of which I am one, along with my best friend, Chris.

A little apprehensive and a whole lot excited, my fellow-reporter Jang and I headed out to face our first-ever day at sea armed with essentials. Sun block, swim suits and great big hats in tow, we began by finding our way South to Ao Yon, one of the most beautiful bays on Phuket, near Cape Panwa.

Record numbers of tourists have grabbed their bags and hopped on a plane to Phuket in 2007. With the best Low Season numbers in the last few years, hopes have been high for the High Season 07/08 and so far, arrivals have been living up to expectations.

A relaxing massage is an essential component of any holiday in Thailand. While massage parlours of varying nature and objectives mushroom in almost every available space on the island, choosing where to go can be tough.

Phuket continues to place itself firmly on the top list of places to visit, with international standards in service and hospitality. In another thumbs up for the island and its dining options, The Art of Travel book, published in Europe by Mr. Nick Zirkee and Mr. Frns van der Voort, and featuring the world's top luxury hotels, resorts and restaurants for the discerning traveler has just picked the Burasari Resort, Patong for their latest Top list. Burasari Resort welcomed Mr. Nick Zirkzee and Mr. Frans van der Voort for dinner at Floyd’s Brasserie Restaurant on their recent trip to Phuket to select the island’s top resorts for their upcoming book to be published in 2008.

Phuket has a new face and on first impressions it appears celebrity Keith Floyd is the island’s latest ambassador. Dressed in a white tuxedo, champagne glass in hand, the television chef beams from a billboard near the airport welcoming visitors on arrival – to his signature restaurant Floyd’s at Burasari, in Patong.

Every year for nine days, Phuket puts on a sparkling white garb and gets ready to celebrate of one of Thailand's most unique festivals. Buddhists of Chinese ancestry give up meat, alcohol and sex for nine days in a fastidious attempt to cleanse the mind, body and soul.

If you're absolutely rolling in it, and the prospect of parting with a mere US$30,500, doesn't faze you... the Renaissance Koh Samui Resort & Spa has a “Millionaire Package” to help you lighten your material load.

Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri near Ubud, Bali, one of the world’s leading residential health retreats has just launched five well-priced programmes to cater to the issues most commonly seen among guests: Get Fit, Cleansing, Stress Management and Beauty Enhancement, as well as an Ayurvedic Programme for those interested in this ancient Indian form of holistic healthcare.

Relish the “Amazing Bangkok Package” package of 3 days 2 nights is valid now until March 31, 2008 priced at Baht 5,200 for single and Baht 8,100 for double, at the award winning Chaophya Park Hotel on Rachadapisek Road, 10 minutes from Sukhumvit Road.

Startling news from one of the most travel happy countries in the world, one in three Australians will reportedly cut down on overseas travel in the next six months, due to the increase in global warming.

Tour de France goes oriental. Village Focus International are organising the 2007 Angkor Wat Bike Race and Rally at the world famous Heritage Site at Siem Reap, Cambodia. The event will take place on 1 December 2007. Following last year's event, when riders joined from countries all over the world, including Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Canada, the USA, Korea and, of course, Cambodia.

One evening my wife and I were sitting amicably in the living room enjoying a Thai curry. Everything seemed normal. There was certainly no indication that a nuclear remark was about spring from my wife’s mouth. “Let’s go for a stroll,” said my wife, almost casually, like we did this sort of thing everyday. “A what?” I asked, confused.

Like it or not, that's exactly what it is. It's the gateway to Thailand for the majority of international visitors and local residents returning from overseas travel. So much has been said, written and rumoured about Bangkok's new airport before it was finished and after. I'm a fan (on the whole).

Most airplanes take off with a cause of course, to deliver their passengers to their desired destination. However, when the first A380 (yes, finally) takes off, it'll be holding more than passengers aloft. Singapore Airlines – the first airline in the world to fly the new Airbus A380 – is preparing for the first commercial flight of the new double-decker jumbo jet, from Singapore to Sydney and return. It will take place in October 2007.

Half a century ago, a glorious vision of a new Malaya; a country with people from a multitude of cultural and racial backgrounds becoming a nation that would shape its own destiny prompted a forthright bid for independence. Malaysia has never looked back since. For fifty years of being independent, the country has made tremendous strides towards economic progress and prosperity. Malaysians had never been in doubt that their country would prosper, and in five decades, it has come to occupy a special place in the region and rest of the world.

Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa, the stylish new lifestyle resort on Singapore’s Sentosa Island is celebrating its soft opening with introductory rates starting from just S$285++ per night, valid until the end of August 2007.

AHH, Singapore. From Phuket it's such a short flight to the glamour and glitz of Orchard Road. Nothing in the region quite matches it. Hong Kong has some stylish streets, and even Bangkok offers some big brands of note. But Orchard Road . . .

Indigo Pearl, a unique new luxury “industrial chic” resort in Phuket inspired by the island’s 100 year-old tin mining industry, is offering an activity-filled three day and two night package including Thai cooking lesson, spa pampering and even Thai boxing, perfect for weekend getaways.

I stopped at a hotel the other day to introduce myself and drop off a price sheet of my company’s wines. The food and beverage manager asked me, directly, how many baht per bottle would I pay him in kickback if he were to sell my wine.

In Thailand, you’re always spoilt for choice. Everything is at hand, easily available and just around the corner. Where else could you holiday in paradise and cultivate a lifestyle around all the trimmings of a developed consumerist society?

Istithmar Hotels and Thai developer Amburaya Resorts are to build and operate the W Hotel & Residences – Koh Samui. The 70-room luxury hotel is slated to open late next year.

In related MICE news...

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Thailand Chapter – which basks in the glory of three mentions in this edition’s news – has launched a website to serve its 100 travel industry member organisations.

Visa International Asia Pacific and the Pacific Asia Travel Association recently released results of the “Asia Travel Intentions Survey 2007”...

Phornsiri Manoharn, Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) Governor, has expressed concern at the downturn in international arrivals from Japan and Singapore, and from the business and meetings sectors in general.

Images of Mount Cook and Glenorchy in the “100% Pure New Zealand” campaign were enhanced to make them more attractive, admitted a spokesperson for Tourism New Zealand. The shots were altered for “technical reasons”.

Visa International Asia Pacific and the Pacific Asia Travel Association recently released results of the “Asia Travel Intentions Survey 2007”, which reports that, of those intending international travel in the next two years, 52% were considering Asia as their next travel destination.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts (SHR) Worldwide’s Steve Heyer has announced his resignation as CEO and director of the international hotel company. Mr Heyer held the job since October 2004. Directorial differences have been cited as the reason for his resignation.

In the previous two columns I reviewed the ins and outs of wine in Thailand and laid out some basic concepts for pairing wine with Thai cuisine. This week I address the practice of bringing wine to a restaurant.

Among its many claims to fame, Thailand is known for its multitude of elaborate Buddhist temples. Throughout the kingdom there are more than 30,000 wats that are home, at any one time, to as many as 300,000 monks. Although they may vary somewhat depending on function and regional artistic proclivity, all wats have certain distinguishing elements.

Firefly, the no-frills Malaysian airline that operates on Malaysia-Thailand-Indonesia routes, will offer tour packages to selected routes by the end of May.

Nesltled in a quiet cove at the far right of Patong beach is a pleasant Thai surprise. The Baan Kamnan interestingly named after the position formerly held by its proprietor, has position of another kind coming out of its ears. Perched invitingly just on thebeach, with the hotel's swimming pool as a back gorund, it doesn't get anymore relaxed than this in Patong.

Phuket is home to a number of different ecological zones. From the azure waters of the Andaman and the brilliant underwater life within, to the hill-top evergreen tropical forests, Phuket’s nature is varied and bountiful. One such area, though rarely credited so, is located where the sea meets the land. This area is known as the inter-tidal zone and is home to mangroves.

Thailand’s national sport, muaythai, is considered by many to be one of the most effective martial arts on the planet. Today, 74 nations boast amateur and professional stables (camps of fighters), making it eligible for consideration as an Olympic sport, while the World Boxing Council (WBC) has recently included an international muaythai branch (WBC Muaythai) at the behest of Thailand’s king. Thus the sport has moved into the global ring at both amateur and professional levels.

So you are a resident who has found a knowledgeable wine merchant or a visitor who has discovered a restaurant passionate for fine wine. Congratulations, you have dispelled the myth there is no good wine on offer in Thailand. Now, how do you enjoy your wine with the distinctive and savoury flavours found in Thai cuisine?

Most people, faced with a class of active six-year-olds, must wonder how anyone could possibly teach them anything. But that kind of doubt never enters the head of Laguna Phuket staff member, Weerachai “Tui” Umpornpaiboon.

The official opening of a new dive site in the Khao Lampi-Thai Muang National Park, Phang Nga province was held recently. The site was 'installed' to facilitate tourist divers with clearly marked mooring buoys for boats and clearly marked diving spots.

“I can’t eat that. It looks too good.” A popular comment heard at Phuket’s tables. I refer not to the delicious looking dishes or succulent seafood, but to the ‘decoration’.

Thailand is a wonderful place, blessed with a smiling people and fascinating culture. The cuisine of Thailand is justly famous throughout the world for its uniqueness, healthiness and savoury flavours. However, unlike other countries where wine co-evolved with the national cuisine, enjoying wine with meals has come relatively late to Thailand’s culinary record. As wine and Thai cuisine increasingly engages a model consensus of what wines to enjoy with Thai cuisine is slowly beginning to take shape.

Rarely do food and design reach such great heights simultaneously. Newly opened, Indigo Pearl at Nai Yang Beach pays homage to the island's tin mining past in a contemporary way and with a good dose of humour included.

It never fails to amaze me that when I first arrived in Phuket I thought it was one of the most relaxed places that could be. Laid back, even.

Less than 64 kilometres from Hong Kong, Macau is hailed as the “Monte Carlo of the Orient”. With the recent arrivals of Las Vegas-based big-name casinos, the face of Macau is changing to become “Asia's Las Vegas”. It is flashy, rich and decked with neon, and only the lack of Elvis impersonators gives away the fact it isn't the “real thing”.

A walk in Phuket Town's old quarter can turn up many surprises. The heat and smells from the local street-side eateries, many of which have been there for generations, conjure up a feeling of the Orient, and the stunning old buildings and nooks and crannies provide unexpected pleasure.

It's exotic to awake in the twilight between darkness and morning in Thailand. Especially to be woken by an Arabic song sung by a Mullah calling the followers of Mohammed to prayer at the Mosque in this mainly Muslim part of Phuket. The rich melodic chant resonates from the minaret across the bay. It adds to the mystery of this country and the desire to want to see and learn more about this enchanting land.

Contemporary and suited for the modern motto of drinking less but better, with its Melon, citrus and musky herbaceous qualities no other white wine is so uncompromisingly identifiable or right for the times as Sauvignon blanc. Crisp, lively, refreshing and distinctive, the wine tastes positively slimming.

Flowers you can eat? Well we eat fruits and vegetables, so why not flowers? To most it may seem a little unusual to taste edible flowers in dishes, but once you’ve tried them, you’ll understand what all the fuss is about.

Michelangelo, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock. The next big name in art is likely to be Anna. And when we say big, we mean big. As big as an elephant.

The building of Wat Chaitaram – better known today as Wat Chalong – in 1837, came at a time when the tin mining industry was truly beginning to boom. Discovery of vast deposits of the ore in the south of the island in the late 1820s led to a flood of new Chinese immigrants into the area. But life was particularly hard for the miners and after suffering years of privations, rebellion surged through their ranks in 1876, bringing mining work to a standstill and the local police force to its knees. The rioters destroyed villages, stole crops and goods, and drove the people from their homes.

Rolling hills covered with tropical forest. Low-lying plains heaving with lush vegetation. This natural wonder of Phuket is a sight to behold. Blink, clear your eyes, and look again…

Did you know, 100 years ago in Thailand, there were approximately 100,000 elephants? Today that number is in the region of 4,500. Of these, it is estimated that about 1,500 are wild and 3,000 domestic. These figures are reported to be decreasing at a rate of 3% per year. Most of these domestic elephants work in Thailand’s tourism industry. The wild elephants live in fragmented groups dispersed widely.

2007 will see China Southern expand its route network and include new destinations such as: Luanda, Angloa; Sendai and Sapporo, Japan; Delhi, India; Siem Reap, Cambodia; Yangon, Myanmar and Vientiane, Laos, as well as Phuket, Thailand.

Other than the vermouth used to make a martini, wine intersects with cocktails most often through the medium of Champagne.

Sundays are family days at Phuket’s newest and hippest resort Indigo Pearl. The resort, located on the quiet, but definitely up and coming Nai Yang Beach, opened discreetly in early December.

Plenty has been written about Thai cuisine, its ingredients, herbs and spices, and regional variations. However, one area given scant attention is the realm of Thai desserts, or kanom. Some say Thai desserts bear little resemblance to their western counterparts in that they can be eaten at anytime—before, during or after a meal—rather than the western norm of being the finale. This is not true. Whereas small, light kanom are often served at the end of the meal, more elaborate, and arguably tastier, kanom can be found day and night being hawked on the street by vendors, and are popular snacks.

Aficionados of fine music on Phuket were recently a musical treat with the appearance on the island of classical and jazz guitarist, Jeff Linsky. An open concert at Twin Palms new Catch restaurant in Surin was sandwiched between two invitation only affairs at the Amanpuri and on the still evening beach of Koh Bon, the island retreat that is part of the Evason Resort.

Club Andaman Group will open a seven million baht sea front project called ThruSea at the end of November, Adison Sitthiwong, Club Andaman’s GM told Phuket Post. K Adison said that ThruSea will be an add on to the Andaman Bazaar complex, where only five of the 46 rental units are still available. Well-known existing tenants include Saxophone, Rock City and the biggest Nike shop in Southern Thailand. The total area is 4,480sqm of which 980sqm will be dedicated to ThruSea. “The trend of tourism in Phuket is very similar to two years ago and I expect that it will continue to improve. In general, our hotel was already 70% booked in October. More tourists from Russia, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany and Switzerland will also help to increase the numbers soon.”

There's a dream-like quality to Access Resort & Spa Phuket, in Karon – every room has access to the pool, room service comes by boat, and the property is 50% water.

Thailand's Ministry of Culture will distribute a handbook on Thai manners and 10 'Do's and Don'ts' in Thailand to foreign tourists to enable the visitors to understand and avoid doing things considered taboo in the kingdom, according to Minister of Culture Khunying Khaisri Sri-arun.

When does the high season begin? Opinions vary. The Patong Festival usually is promoted as the opening of the high season, and that's always around 1 November. But most Phuket hotels don't increase their rates until December at the earliest, and sometimes not until the middle of the month. Perhaps one indication is that the Chedi, which has been operating on a headland north of Surin beach for 16 years, will be holding a party this Wednesday (7 December) to mark the high season.

THE MOEVENPICK RESORT in Karon has worked out an innovative system to ensure their guests receive timely transportation and local tuk-tuk drivers receive their fair share of the trade.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched an e-marketing campaign –www.ThailandHotdeal.com – that it hopes will reach internet travellers in the niche tourist markets of 27 countries.

Three Phuket hotel employees were honoured at this year’s Thailand hospitality Awards. The “Hospy” is given in recognition of their service and ccomplishments in the hospitality industry and this year Le Meridien Phuket’s IT director, Monchai Petcharoon, Dusit Laguna’s food and beverage manager, Surat Kanthanakit, and JW Marriott Phuket’s executive chef, Nick Reade, were among the winners.

The Kenyan media is in the middle of a golfing craze with newspapers and television programs all focused on the 150 golfers vying for places in the Johnnie Walker Golf Series "Road to Phuket-2007".

Mom Tri's Boathouse, in Kata, has won the prestigious Best of Award of Excellence from the Wine Spectator international magazine.

Tourism business operators have complained that the minibus service at Chalong Pier - used to carry passengers to the boats - keeps tourists waiting and provides unsafe transportation.

Phuket is to promote its favourite local dish, Khanom Jeen, to the island’s many international tourists.

Thanet Traiwut, Director of SegwayPhuket and southern Thailand distributor of the handy two-wheel perambulators, has announced his intention to create a Segway Patong City tour in time for the high season.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is still working on more direct flights to Phuket, TAT chief, Jutamas Siriwan, told reporters on a recent trip to the island K Jutamas was visiting Phuket with the deputy minister for tourism and sports, Pracha Maleenont, to view the TAT-funded beautification projects in Patong and Kamala.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has joined the growing ranks of international aviation companies that are increasing their services to Phuket. Beginning from August 1 an additional daily flight from Phuket to Kuala Lumpur will be added. This means that it will be possible to take flights both in the morning and the afternoon. MAS currently operates 10 flights per week from Phuket to KL and will be offering return tickets for as low as 2,222 baht for a limited period.

Korean Air has announced an increased flight service to Phuket. From July 12 to August 27 flights to Phuket from Seoul will be increased from two to four services per week. This action has been attributed directly to an increase in demand from Korean tourists wishing to visit Phuket.

The Similian Entertainment Centre will be the first of a few new attractions coming to Phuket FantaSea for this high season. Housed inside Hanuman’s Lair at the Kamala entertainment complex’s Festival Village, the centre will highlight the beauty of marine life in the Similan Islands. It is due to open on 14 July and will offer a variety of carnival games, novelty shops, fast food and snacks.

Goldwell, a global leader in the professional haircare market, has awarded the contract for the organisation of it's 'Jetset Incentive Trip to Phuket' to Stephanie Moss Solutions. The incentive trip is used by Goldwell as a way of rewarding loyal customers that use their various hair styling products.

The Australian Government is to work with the Ministry of Sport and Tourism in Phuket to develop better tourism risk management practices. Ian Kean, executive director of APEC International Center for Sustainable Tourism (AICST) was on the island recently to outline the plans.

Austrian Airlines, Austria's national airline, will be able to offer its passengers Wi-Fi service on it's Phuket flight by 2007 the company announced yesterday. It is trialing Boeing Services new Connexion Wi-Fi technology on it's Singapore and Kuala Lumpur flights first before extending it to the rest of it's long haul destinations.

Thai Airways International has announced that its first scheduled flights out of the new Bangkok airport, Suvarnabhumi will be to Phuket on 29 July.

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited will operate the first commercial flights to Suvarnabhumi Airport on 29th July 2006, including the first to Phuket.

Tiger Airways, the Singapore-based low-cost airline, is to increase the number of direct Singapore to Phuket flights to nine per week from 1 July, CEO Tony Davis announced recently.

Tourist road shows to Korea and Hong Kong have returned to the island with great news for the industry - more direct flights.

Banyan Tree Holding's much vaunted IPO listing has raised US$232 million on the Singapore Straits Times Index. Banyan Tree, which operates the successful Banyan Tree Phuket Resort and Villas, had put off their listing after the 2004 Boxing Day disaster. They currently operate and manage 18 resorts and hotels and 49 spas in countries as far afield as Morocco, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, China and the United Arab Emirates.

Thai Airways International has announced a schedule of activities and special offers to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of His Majesty’s accession to the throne.

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited today geared up on the next step of its value card, after the successful launching on THAI Value Card, a prepaid travel card flying THAI domestically. The company announced the introduction of THAI Value Plus, a prepaid international travel card across Southeast Asia, and aimed to boost regional tourism during low season and increase 400 million baht on its revenue.

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited has launched its THAI Grand Season Campaign 2006 to boost tourism during low season. THAI Grand Season Campaign 2006 was initiated with the aim of turning Thailand into a year-round tourist destination and encourage tourists from around the world to travel to Thailand to participate in celebrating His Majesty the King’s 60th year of reign. THAI is offering package tours to boost tourism, including arrangement of tourist activities, meetings and convention incentives, travel awards, and Bangkok stopovers before traveling to final destinations.

Thai Airways International Public Company Limited announced that the airline will increase its fuel surcharge, implemented on actual distance flown. The adjustment in fuel surcharge will include an increase and decrease on domestic and international flights, effective 1 June 2006 onwards.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is to spend 15 million baht (US$387,000) on a new campaign to encourage visitor arrivals to Thailand, with particular emphasis on promoting Andaman coast destinations, including Phuket and Krabi.

Guests planning a stay at a Banyan Tree Hotel & Resort can now utilise the dynamic packaging feature in the iHotelier web booking engine powering Banyantree.com's online reservation system to pre-arrange hotel amenity or service, add dining options, schedule golf tee-off times, or request spa services.

A new card scheme has been launched that promises to save its members thousands of baht on travel, tours and tourist services around Thailand. The 1,500 baht Thailand Travel Card is set to rival the Thailand Elite Card in a matter of months with its spread of major cost savings on products ranging from deep-sea fishing, snorkeling trips, diving courses, dive equipment, bungy jumping, yacht charters, safaris and eco-tours, to name just a few of the many services to which the card will give members access.