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Khao Kheow Open Zoo to celebrate 25th anniversary with 8-day party
Suchada Tupchai
The Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Sriracha will celebrate its
silver anniversary this coming month with an 8-day celebration to encourage
visitors to enjoy the 5000-rai facility.
(L to
R) TAT director for Region 3 Manit Boonchim, and Khao Kheow Zoo directors
Sophon Khamnue and Thanaphat Phongamorn announce the activities that will
take place during the zoo’s 25th anniversary celebrations.
“Come
on over to my house and let’s celebrate the zoo’s anniversary
together.”
Khao Kheow Zoo directors Sophon Khamnue and Thanaphat
Phongamorn, and TAT director for Region 3, Manit Boonchim announced at a
press conference the opening of the celebrations will begin March 29 and run
until April 5.
Thanaphat said, “We are delighted to announce our
silver anniversary. The zoo opened its gates in 1978. We have been open from
8:00 a.m. till 9:00 p.m. every day since then. There have been a number of
renovations and developments from the first day and we are proud to say that
this is the largest open zoo in Thailand.”
“The number of visitors has increased every year.
Running an open zoo takes a lot of dedication and work and we thank our
staff for their fine efforts. This year we intend to open the facility to
provide an insight into research and development for visitors who want to
study and preserve animal species. We have been successful in achieving our
goals and intend to share our success for the benefit of society,”
Thanaphat said.
Following the press conference, directors, veterinarians
and guides escorted members of the press and distinguished guests on a tour
of the open zoo. The zoo features a number of fine exhibits with animals in
their natural habitats, a unique night safari and Zoo School for children
who want to learn more about animals.
The anniversary celebrations will feature a live concert
with well-known artists, a variety of souvenir booths, mountain bike races,
traditional Thai theater and a charity fundraising dinner on April 5.
For more information please contact Khao Kheow Zoo at telephone number
038-298270 or 038-298195.
Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce trying to entice air travel
Proposals put to THAI and Bangkok Airways
Ampai Kantawong and Autsadaporn Kamthai
Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce has asked both Thai
Airways International and Bangkok Airways to schedule a stop over at Chiang
Rai to transfer passengers at their International Airport before flying on
to China. This request was made by the chamber’s president, aiming to
encourage tourism and boost the economy in this northernmost province of
Chiang Rai.
Sermchai Kitirattanapaiboon, the president of the Chiang
Rai Chamber of Commerce, said that at the conference of Joint Public and
Private Sectors Consultative Committee (JPPC) earlier this month, Chiang Rai
Chamber of Commerce offered two proposals, asking Thai Airlines
International flights routing between Chiang Mai and Kunming (south China),
and Bangkok Airways flight routing Chiang Mai and Sibsong Panna (south
China) to possibly transfer passengers from both arrivals and departures of
the flights at Chiang Rai Airport once a week to enhance the potentialities
of Chiang Rai tourism and its attendant economic factors.
Emirates’ first stage of its Cargo Mega Terminal gets underway
The new Emirates SkyCargo Center in Dubai became
operational in 2001. This is a custom-designed facility with an annual
through -put capability in excess of 350,000 tons. Now, looking to the
future, the first stage of the planned Cargo Mega Terminal is underway,
which eventually will be able to handle up to 1,000,000 tons per year.
Emirates SkyCargo is the award-winning air freight
division of Emirates Airline. Established in 1985, it quickly built a
reputation for leading the industry in innovation, flexibility and service.
Today, it continues to set the standard, flying to over
60 destinations worldwide, and offering its customers a complete cargo
solutions service. Through SkyChain, the online cargo logistics system, the
cargo business works more efficiently by giving customers the tools they
need to better control their consignments.
The product range has been developed to provide customers
with cutting-edge cargo solutions. The Express Service assures on-time
delivery throughout the world, while the extensive trucking and off-line
partner networks ensure comprehensive coverage where customers need it most.
Quality is SkyCargo’s main focus, and this has been
recognized throughout the industry. Air Cargo News voted Emirates “Cargo
Airline of the Year” three years in a row, and “Best Cargo Airline to
the Middle East” for the past 14 consecutive years.
Cable car to Loei’s Phu Kradung Plateau will ease trip for tourists
A cable car project to the top of Phu Kradung in Loei
Province will be revived in a bid to attract tourists who want to indulge
themselves in the atmosphere of the high plateau without devoting too much
energy, a local official said.
Satit Paksripaeng, Loei deputy governor said that the
construction of the cable car would facilitate tourists of all ages to make
an easier trip to the peak of Phu Kradung all year round. The cable car will
also aid the disabled who want to reach the top and enjoy the view.
He said the installation of cable car would eventually
increase cash flow and boost tourism in the northeastern region. More job
opportunities would be offered to local people as the development of the
tourist attraction will help generate more employment in the province.
“The building of the cable car won’t pose any harm to
the natural resource and the scenic view because the feasibility study on
the impact of cable car on the environment has been already been
conducted,” Satit said.
Satit added that any comments or suggestions on the cable
car project are welcomed, and the province is ready to information on the
plan to the public and private sectors. (TNA)
THAI prepares alternative air routes as precautionary measures
In order to avoid disruption of air travel, Thailand’s
national carrier Thai Airways (THAI) is preparing eight new routes to Europe
to avoid possible conflict zones in the Middle East.
THAI president Kanok Abhiradee said that Thai Airways
International’s eight new routes would use safe areas such as the Black
Sea, Iran, the southern Persian Gulf, western China via Kunming and
south-western China via Cheng Du. The airline would also consider
temporarily suspending routes to the Middle East if they are deemed to be
dangerous.
The airline is also coordinating with the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs to draw up evacuation plans for Thai nationals abroad,
especially for thousands of Thai workers now employed in the Middle East.
Star Cruises announce new routes and a new liner: Superstar Virgo
Songklod Kaewvisit
Travel agents and tour operators were treated to an
insight of Star Cruises’ new travel packages at a seminar at the Grand
Sole Hotel recently. The seminar, run by assistant sales manager Kittin
Nonnatee, also shed light on the company’s new cruise liner, the elegant
Superstar Virgo.
Star
Cruises’ assistant sales manager, Kittin Nonnatee.
Star Cruises, which has a port facility in Laem Chabang,
conducts cruises for the Asia Pacific region on the latest luxury liners and
has been in operation on the Eastern Seaboard for over a year.
The magnificent new cruise liner boasts 1,000 rooms over
13 levels, complete with entertainment and a shopping center onboard
offering duty free items. The vessel travels through the gulf of Siam via
Phuket, Langkawi Island down to the straits of Malacca.
The Superstar Virgo aims to please the most discerning
Asian travelers providing 5 star services onboard with numerous activities
to entertain every guest.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Region 3
welcomes travel writers from Sweden to
provide information on the Eastern Seaboard
Songklod Kaewvisit
Manit Boonchim, director of the Tourism Authority of
Thailand (TAT) Region 3 offices in Pattaya and his team gave a warm welcome
to seven Swedish travel writers at a dinner function at the Ruen Thai
Restaurant on Pattaya Second Road.
The
Swedish media group poses with TAT officials and local dignitaries for a
picture.
The Swedish journalists were visiting the Eastern
Seaboard at the invitation from the TAT office in Stockholm to inform
Swedish nationals on the variety of attractions and tourist destinations
available here for tourists. And since Pattaya is already a favorite
‘Scandi’ destination they covered the city to check out the many new
tourist venues that make this one of the most popular holiday spots on the
globe.
During the dinner function the journalists were provided
with information by the TAT to guide them on their travels around eastern
Thailand in hopes to boost tourism from Scandinavian countries.
The guests of TAT included Swedish writer Lars Bjorkman, information
officer TAT Stockholm office; Karin Soderlind, marketing officer Finnair;
Monika Berg, editor of Amelia magazine; Barabra Marin-Rivas, chief editor,
Plaza Kvinna magazine; Ulla Hasselgren, editor, Dagen Industri; Evy Lejdstad,
editor, Lifestyle magazine; Mikael Salo, editor, Cafe magazine and Sompong
LG, local guide, East West Siam.
TAT vows to step up
promotion campaigns
Patpong Abhijatapong, deputy governor of the Tourism
Authority of Thailand (TAT) said that his agency has revised its growth
forecast for visitor numbers this year to take into account conflict in the
Middle East. He said that tourist arrivals should still see a 1.7 to 4.0
percent growth for 2003.
In 2002 10.8 million tourists visited the country, up 7.3
percent on the previous year. Patpong said, “We originally projected a 6
percent growth this year, but as a realistic measure our projections have
been adjusted accordingly.”
Thailand is considered a safe tourist destination but war
could have a global impact on travel.
Officials from TAT said predominantly Buddhist Thailand
had been pretty much unaffected by the negative fallout from the region’s
tourism industry from the bomb blasts in Bali last October, which prompted
several Western governments to issue travel advisories on Southeast Asia.
“Thailand continues to attract tourists because it is a
stable and peaceful country with excellent quality of products and services
at good value for money,” said Tourism Authority governor Juthamas Siriwan.
“Considerable global instability has increased our motivation to make
Thailand the tourism capital of Asia within three years,” he added.
Creative and extensive public relations campaigns and
road shows to foreign countries have produced good results. TAT says that
revenues to the country in 2002 had risen by 11.5 percent to 360.6 billion
baht ($8.50 billion), accounting for around 6.7 percent of the country’s
gross domestic product.
Patpong said TAT will intensify its marketing campaigns
in major markets this year, particularly in Malaysia, Japan, China, South
Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.
Malaysia continued to supply the most visitors to
neighboring Thailand in 2002, with 1.3 million people crossing over into the
kingdom which amounted to an 11.8 percent increase in tourist arrivals.
Japanese were the second largest group of tourists to visit Thailand last
year, with 1.22 million visitors, a 4.6 percent rise on the previous year.
Around 760,000 Chinese tourists entered Thailand - a 30 percent jump.
Tourists from Britain totaled 570,000, up 10 percent in 2001, making them
the largest national group from Europe.
Sofitel Raja Orchid Khon Kaen celebrates 7th Anniversary
The ownership of Sofitel Raja Orchid Khon Kaen,
represented by Panida Raksucharit and Orawan Pattanapeeradej, and the
management from AACP (Thailand) Ltd. Oswald Pichler, plus Ole Nielsen,
general manager of the hotel with all management team recently commemorated
the 7th Anniversary of the opening of Sofitel Raja Orchid Khon Kaen.
Ole
Nielsen and Orawan Pattanapeeradej offered food to monks at the 7th
anniversary of Sofitel Raja Orchid Khon Kaen.
The 1st of March 2003 was the 7th anniversary of the hotel. There was
also a religious rite, starting from making merit to 99 monks in front of
the hotel. The local celebrities and VIP guests all participated in this
event.
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