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BCCT has a look at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport

Spanish-Irish Sara is Emirates’ 5,000th crew member

TAT and 4 eastern provinces launch ‘Unseen Season of the East’ program

BCCT has a look at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport

The British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) recently undertook its third annual visit to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Despite articles in newspapers which give the impression that construction of the whole project is behind schedule, many elements of this massive undertaking are proceeding in good time. The photos show construction of the piers and elements of the terminal building. Other structures are taking shape, both runways are being laid and the underground rail station is being excavated.

Structures are taking shape, both runways are being laid and the underground rail station is being excavated.

Dr Stephen Buttling again hosted the visit on behalf of the New Bangkok International Airport (NBIA) organisation. After a detailed briefing members toured the site to gain an understanding of what a massive undertaking the project is.

BCCT Board Director Trevor Allen of Convent Entertainment (right) with Stuart Davy of Diethelm.

Suvarnabhumi Airport is slated to open on September 29, 2005. Apparently, some aspects of the development are behind schedule. Contractors are being asked to make up time delays that they are responsible for and to submit new schedules that incorporate delays that they are not responsible for.

The BCCT would like to thank Dr Buttling and his team for hosting the visit and we look forward to possibly the last visit, before the airport opens, next year.

Spanish-Irish Sara is Emirates’ 5,000th crew member

Even though she’s only 23, Sara Luis Hannan is already a world citizen. The daughter of Spanish and Irish parents, she graduated in biochemistry from Imperial College, London and worked in Sioux City American Theme Park, on the Spanish island of Gran Canaria.

Sara Luis Hannan

Now, the smiling senorita has proudly symbolized both the international character of Emirates and its dizzying growth, becoming the airline’s 5,000th cabin crew trainee to graduate and eager to provide the quality service that is the airline’s trademark.

Sara has aviation fuel in her veins - her mother Annette flew with Laker Airways, her sister works for Airbus in Germany, and her teenage brother wants to be a pilot. Bilingual in Spanish and English, she was president of her university’s Spanish Society, secretary of its Irish Society, and treasurer of its biochemistry society. Now the time has come for her to spread her wings wider with high-flying Emirates.

For careers information, visit www. emiratesgroupcareers. com which offers a wealth of detail on Emirates. The Dubai-based international airline now serves 76 cities in 54 countries, and has earned more than 250 awards from satisfied customers.

TAT and 4 eastern provinces launch ‘Unseen Season of the East’ program

More to see and do than ever before

Suchada Tupchai

This summer will see the region jump with activity as many more exciting tourist and sports events fill the calendar. Thailand’s eastern provinces are definitely going to be the place to be when they happen.

Santichai Uajongprasit, Tourism Authority of Thailand vice governor in charge of tourism product promotion

Santichai Uajongprasit, Tourism Authority of Thailand vice governor in charge of tourism product promotion, chaired a conference about the Unseen Season of the East project, at the Marriott Resort & Spa in the presence of representatives from tourism departments of four provinces in the east including Chonburi, Rayong, Chantaburi, and Trat. Guests of honor included Suraphol Thiensuwan, Banglamung district chief, and Weerawat Khakhai, Pattaya City deputy mayor.

Santichai said by the end of this year the number of international tourists is expected to rise to 12 million, and there will be potentially another 67 million in the domestic traveler sector. He said since the beginning of the year TAT has launched many campaigns under the main theme ‘Travel Thailand Every Month’. He said the kingdom’s eastern region is always a highly compatible region to promote something exciting, thus the Unseen Season of the East was initiated and launched.

Santichai said Chonburi is considered a hub of tourism, Rayong is known as the center of industrial development, Chantaburi is famous for its vast variety of fruit orchards, and Trat is well suited for border market promotion.

Between July 16 and 18, three hundred meters of different booths will be set up at Pattaya Beach to promote all kinds of tourism from these four provinces under the theme ‘Unseen Season of the East’. The event will coincide with the Pattaya Marathon 2004 on July 18, where there will be thousands of visitors, national and international, during the weekend.

In addition, the Asian Indoor Games will be promoted in Chonburi as well as Bangkok, since nearby Suphanburi will host the event.

The main theme of the event will be divided into 7 topics. The first one is the promotion of OTOP goods and traditional Thai music, dance and games. The second is the ‘Pattaya International Beach Challenge’ including beach volleyball, beach running, and X-Games.

On July 17 there will be a Pattaya Queen Cup walking rally, and on the 18th, the already famous Pattaya Marathon.

The fourth attraction includes a golf tournament, car rally, and "happy fishing in the east". Then South Pattaya’s Walking Street will host the "Colorful Pattaya" event.

The sixth topic is Koh Chang tourism promotion and development. Last (but not least) is the incredible shopping experience, Thailand Grand Sale. Every shopping mall in the east participates in this bargain bonanza. A booth decoration contest will be held with a winning prize of 300,000 baht and a trophy.

For more information telephone the Tourism Authority of Thailand Central Region 3, at 038-427667, and 038-428750.