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Airlines oppose plan allowing passengers to use cell phones
Senior executives of airline companies are opposing a
Thai government plan that would allow passengers to use mobile phones
while in the air.
Udom Tantiprasongchai, chairman of One-Two-Go Airlines, also known as
Orient Thai, said he personally disagreed with the Transport Ministry’s
Aviation Department’s current plan to consider allowing airline
passengers to use cell phones while traveling.
It was up to each individual airline and its policy on whether to allow
passengers to use cell phones, said Udom, adding he personally believed
the existing regulation concerning cell phone use should not be changed
as phone conversations could disturb other passengers and lead to
quarrels.
Udom said he believed if cell phone use was allowed by passengers, it
should be allowed for internet access only.
Sharing the One-Two-Go Airlines chairman’s views was Tasapon Bijleveld,
chief executive officer of Thai Air Asia. He said his airline was
expected to cling to the current policy of not allowing passengers to
use cell phones while traveling as it could cause a disturbance to other
passengers on the flight. (TNA)
Haze not an issue in Chiang Mai
Sirima Eamtako (TTG Asia)
The Thai trade says the haze situation in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and its
surrounding provinces is far from dangerous levels and no tour or hotel
cancellation has been reported.
Chiang Mai-based International Travel Consultants group managing director, Ms
Achara Thammaraks, said the company had not received any cancellation or enquiry
over the haze this year. “The situation is normal, but we are monitoring it
because if the press picks up on the issue as it did last year, the situation
may become larger than it actually is.”
Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai general manager, Mark Bradford, said in
contrast to last year’s haze situation, which lasted about 25 days in March, the
haze this year had occurred for just a few days in the third week of March, and
was washed away with rain and hailstorms the following weekend.
“Honestly, there are blue skies here. We have guests from Macau, where they told
us they could not see beyond 200m because of air pollution,” Bradford said.
Chiang Mai deputy governor, Wiboon Sanguanphong, was quoted by the local media
as saying “the air conditions in the province were still far from hazardous and
that the haze has not yet driven tourists away”.
In March last year, the northern region was shrouded in smog and dust particles
that came with the haze, caused by rice field burning.
In some mountainous areas, the amount of dust was recorded at above the safe
level of 120 microgrammes per cubic metre.
This year, only Mae Hong Son province was recorded by the Pollution Control
Department to have that amount of dust at 134 microgrammes per cubic metre.
The trade also insisted the haze was not the real issue affecting last year’s 30
to 40 per cent drop in bookings in March and the following few months. Excessive
press coverage, where images of haze were repeatedly publicised around the
world, was the real cause of the drop, they said.
Thai Hotels Association Upper Northern Chapter president, Kanog Suvannavisutr,
said if this year’s haze situation received similar intense press coverage, the
region could experience drops in tourist bookings within the next two months.
He said for now, hotels in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai still recorded around 50 to
60 per cent bookings from end-March to April, which “is a normal average
occupancy rate for both provinces during this time of the year”.
The Legend Chiang Rai Boutique Resort and Spa general manager, Marc Dumur, said
the resort was still reasonably occupied for March (60 per cent occupancy) and
April (50 per cent occupancy).
However, he urged the concerned government agencies to be more aggressive in
tackling the problem of forest and rice field burning. “It is difficult for
hoteliers, travel agents and restaurants as we are not influential enough to
tell the locals to stop burning. The forestry and environmental authorities will
have to work harder to put a stop to this problem.”
Cobra Gold Joint Multinational Exercises
preparation starts off with hot chilies
Ron Collett
In order to familiarize the US sailors to the ways of Thai cooking and
culture, on Saturday April 12, a morning cooking class took place at the
Marriott Royal Garden Hotel, where US Navy Military Sealift Command, EPU 112
(Expeditionary Port Unit) and SEALOG 101 (Sea Logistics Far East Unit) members
learned how to prepare two popular Thai dishes; som tam (green papaya salad) and
tom yam goong (hot and sour prawn soup).
 Kathoyn
Rogers proudly displays the certificate she earned.
The lesson started with the sailors gathering fresh lemon grass and other spices
from the garden at the Marriott.
Like most Thai dishes, both dishes use red chili peppers (a food that has
potential for use as a weapon of mass destruction) and fish sauce, a bottled
liquid comprised of spices and fermented fish. Using wooden mortar and pestle
type equipment, the budding “Thai” cooks smashed the fiery hot chili peppers,
peanuts and spices then mixed the other unique Thai ingredients with thinly
sliced green papaya.
 Hot,
hot, hot! On completion of the cooking, members dished up their creations in the
shade of the Royal Garden Courtyard to enjoy the Thai lunch they had prepared.
After finishing the salad, the proud cooks shifted to preparation of the tom yam
goong. Over copper pots of boiling chicken stock; shallots, sweet chili paste,
fish sauce, river prawns and the requisite red chili peppers were combined to
make a delicious soup. With temperatures and humidity soaring, it’s possible
that drops of sweat may have been an unexpected ingredient in the soups.
On completion of the cooking, members dished up their creations onto garnished
plates and into bowls, then sat in the shade of the Royal Garden Courtyard to
enjoy the Thai lunch they had prepared.
Some ended up in the pool to cool down both the “heat” and the “hots”.
Using wooden mortar and pestle, the budding “Thai”
cooks smashed the fiery hot chili peppers, peanuts and spices.
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya helps children at Mercy Centre
Kavita Lamba
Like all healthy, active young children, the children at the Mercy
Centre have their little accidents and need basic first aid, but with so many
children the cost of first aid supplies soon mount up, especially for a
charitable organisation. But with the help of a special lady, Bangkok Hospital
Pattaya came to their aid.
 (L
to R) Neil Maniquiz, Fred Doell, Donna Pollard, Pattaravadee Wangviriyaphan and
Janya Rattanaliam.
Donna Pollard, who works for BUPA (Thailand-Pattaya) had the good idea of
approaching the International Marketing Department at Bangkok Hospital Pattaya
to see if they could help the Mercy Centre. The team from the hospital, Ms
Pattaravadee Wangviriyaphan, Ms Janya Rattanaliam and Neil Maniquiz, came to
visit the Centre and brought with them a huge first aid kit, containing
everything the children would need, plus they generously offered to replace any
items as they are used.
Bangkok Hospital Pattaya is increasingly playing a key role in the community and
this donation will be a huge benefit to the Mercy Center.
For more information on the Mercy Centre, visit the website www.mercypattaya
.com or contact Fred or Dianne Doell on 038 734 531.
The Mercy Center staff and children show off the new
medical equipment they just received from Bangkok Hospital Pattaya.
Performing dogs for hire as stray’s center faces cash flow problems
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Chief veterinary surgeon at Pattaya Public Health Center Ronakorn Juljua
began a program of vaccinating domestic animals against rabies at the Wat
Thamsamakke Community on April 8, leading a team of vets and volunteers who were
also offering to sterilize the animals.
 The
Pattaya Public Health Center led a team of veterinarians and volunteer public
health officials in offering free rabies vaccinations and birth control for
pets.
Sinnikorn Thephasadin, director of the Plutaluang stray animal center said that
currently the center has approximately 800 stray dogs to feed, 90 percent of
them having been caught by city authorities and brought to the 50-rai compound.
There are 15 officers at the center, two of them being animal trainers while the
remaining 13 are carers. Expenses are paid for out of donations. Some of the
funds come from shows, where trained dogs put on a performance that attracts
donations from the audience.
 Nara
and Chui perform a show to collect money to buy food for other animals at the
Plutaluang stray animal center.
The trainers teach the dogs to salute, jump through hoops, and walk on their
hind legs. The dogs are taught at about the age of six months, and it will take
three or four months before the animal is skilled enough to take part in a show.
Sinnikorn says that at present there are two star turns at the center, namely
Chui and Nara, and that these two dogs perform to collect money that supports
their less talented brethren.
The center’s cost for food for stray dogs is 3,500 baht each day. During normal
economic conditions there are kindhearted people who donate money and food to
the center, but the high price of rice has been reducing the number of people
willing to donate and funds are needed. Requests for dog shows and offers of
donations may be made by calling Sinnikorn on 089-245-4773.
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