|
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)
|
|
|
|
|
