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Police rewarded for speeding
in 3rd Pattaya International Bed Race
The
police set up an official escort.
Phasakorn Channgam
Police were the ones doing the speeding when teams from
two area agencies won half the top prizes at the 3rd Pattaya International
Bed Race.
The Pattaya Police Station team won the Jan. 30 race,
organized for charity by the Rotary Club of Pattaya, while the local
Department of Special Investigations office took the “most beautiful bed”
award.
Organizers spiced up this year’s bedroom activities by
having the 28 teams parade through South Pattaya in a loop along Beach and
Second roads before the starting alarm went off. Then, at 6 p.m., the
scramble of slumberers rolled from Central Festival Pattaya Beach to Walking
Street.
The Seashell Restaurant and Hard Rock Hotel finished
behind the cops in the overall race. In other categories, the “most popular”
bed prize went to the Pattaya Expats Club and the team from Boyz Town won
the “most creative” award. Finally, the “Booby Prize” for the last place
finish went to Russian travel agent Tez Tour.
Liquid
refreshments along the course are not against the rules, so might as well
have a few along the way.
Hard
Rockers dress for the occasion.
Tez Tour
receives the “Booby Prize” and lots of applause for finishing last.
The
Central Festival team features pretty maidens.
Makro
celebrates with a Chinese New Year theme.
Pattaya
Police receive the mayor’s trophy for winning 1st place in the speed
category.
Boyz
Town goes 50s.
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Austrian Airlines briefs travel agents on fare promotions
Austrian
Airlines sales director, Thanakorn Khunpong,
introduces agents to the airline’s “Saen Kum” program.
Manoon Makpol
Executives from Austrian Airlines briefed about 20 travel
agents on new fare promotions and booking systems at a Jan. 27 seminar at
Pattaya’s Holiday Inn hotel.
Sales director Thanakorn Khunpong introduced the agents
to the airline’s “Saen Kum” program, which currently promotes one-way
flights from Bangkok to Germany, Canada and the United States. He explained
that agents could now go online and compare Austrian fares with other
airlines on the same routes.
The airline also now lets agents verify their
reservations online and check prices in real time. Thanakorn said the new
fares, which took effect Feb. 1, are attractive to travelers and that the
airline is working with its agents to increase business for everyone.
Bangkok hotels on the decline
Sirima Eamtako,
TTG Asia
Bangkok hotel occupancy and room rates dropped to their
lowest levels in history last year, according to the Thai Hotels Association
(THA).
THA president Prakit Chinamourphong cited Horwath
International’s Regional Outlook report, which said that Bangkok hotels ran
at an average occupancy rate (AOR) of 53 percent and average daily rate
(ADR) of US$93 last year, down from 54 percent and US$91 in 2009.
“These are the lowest levels ever experienced,” he said.
Other South-east Asian cities beat Bangkok in the
rankings, according to the report.
Last year, Manila’s AOR was 72 percent and its ARR was
US$113, Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City’s was 64 percent and US$126, Singapore’s was
83 percent and US$198, Kuala Lumpur’s was 68 percent and US$111, while
Jakarta’s was 68 percent and US$79.
Prakit said Bangkok hotel rates had always been among the
top three in the region before the multiple crises over the last few years.
Oversupply and a burgeoning number of non-licensed hotels
further aggravated the situation, he added.
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