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A breathtaking rainforest adventure in the majestic treetops
Flight of the Gibbon, Mae Kampong
Take an adventure and enjoy the scenic jungle from the
top. View the area from the air in the 18 platforms. A unique sling tour at
the top of the tree will show you a green fertile tropical jungle with a
1,500-year-old tree. This jungle flight will raise your adrenaline as you
will glide along the longest zipline course in the world, at over 5 km. It
begins on a very high tree, which you cannot see its top with your bare eyes
through different layers of the rainforest canopy in pretty much the same
fashion like the monkeys.
Aside from the cable ride, there is a station where you
can climb down from the tree to the ground. Sometimes you will have to walk
across a rope bridge which is a narrow route made from timber and rope
hanging between two high trees. It will take you about 3 hours to complete
all routes.
There is no need to be worried about safety since this
place was designed and supervised by an expert from New Zealand with over 20
years of experience in building an adventure station. So, take a flight and
have no fear, this is pure fun in a safe environment. The next thing you
hear is the sound of your own shriek and see different kinds of birds flying
around, along with apes and boars running below.
Know before you go: Open daily from 8.00 a.m. - 2.30
p.m. Complimentary transfer service from the airport, railway station and
hotels in town.
Recommendation: Wear well-fitting clothes and
sneakers. Jewelry is not recommended. Do not forget to visit Ban Mae Kampong
village.
Please: Strictly observe the instruction of your
guide and keeper.
Travel Info
From Chiang Mai, take Highway 118 and continue on Highway
1014 after passing the Doi Saket District Office, for 5 km. Then turn left
and follow the signs “Flight of the Gibbon, Mae Kampong”.
GPS Location: N18ฐ 50.225’, E99ฐ 8.413’
Contact:
Balloon Adventure Thailand
+668 3838 0898
+668 9500 3732
balloonadventurethailand.com
Facilities & Services: Pilot, various sizes of
balloons, transfer service, breakfast, restroom and parking. (TAT)
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Thung Prong Thong - A canopy walkway over a golden mangrove field
This 2,400-acre mangrove plantation is considered the
largest in Rayong province. Not only is it an important supporter of the
local livelihood through the fishing of crab, shrimp and fish, but also
presently there has been development in the field of ecotourism of Pak Nam
Prasae’s natural areas.
A one-kilometer long wooden walkway has been built in the
mangrove forest allowing you to walk on the roof of the forest that has in
turn become yellow and gold fields when lit by the warm sunshine. The view
becomes especially beautiful in the morning or evening light.
In your walk, you will see many types of plants. Display
boards have been put up for study of an ecosystem. At the end of the walkway
is a pavilion that reaches out into the sea used for resting and relaxingly
enjoying the view.
Moreover, it is also possible to adventure by renting a
long-tailed boat at the entrance. A 20-minute ride will take you into the
mangrove forest where you can see rare birds, such as the Eastern Curlew,
the River Tern, the Terek Sandpiper, the Bar-tailed Godwit, the Grey Plover,
and more.
Please: Dump garbage in the specified area.
Recommendation: Take a cruise on the Prasae River at
night to see the beautiful fireflies. If you have enough time, you should go
to observe the way of life of the Pak Nam Prasae Community.
Travel Info
From Rayong town, take Sukhumvit Road and enter Klaeng
district, then continue for 60 km. At the Pak Nam Prasae Junction, turn
right and continue for 15 km before you reach the destination.
GPS Location: N12ฐ 42.741’, E101ฐ 42.167’
Contact:
The Pak Nam Prasae Sub District Office
+66 3866 1720 to 1
TAT Rayong Office
+66 3865 5420 to 1
+66 3866 4585
Facilities & Services: Display boards of how ecosystem works,
restroom and parking. (TAT)
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Tourist arrivals to Thailand Jan-May 2012
Wat Rong Khun (the White
Temple) Chiang Rai. (Photo by Andrew J Wood)
Andrew J Wood
It would appear that the global economy slow down has had
little impact on tourist arrivals to Thailand and we are heading for a
bumper record year 2012. The Kingdom had a total of 8,871,930 visitor
arrivals for the period of January through May 2012, up 7.27% compared to
the same period in 2011. China was the best performer with 943,161 visitors,
up 26.13% with the largest market share for an individual country of 10.63%.
Overall growth remains strong for Thai tourism with
visitor arrivals to Thailand from all European countries of 2,690,783, a
10.9% increase for the period January through May 2012, according to the
latest figures released by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. European
countries, even with the Eurozone crisis, accounted for a market share of
30.33%, up from 29.33% for the same period in 2011.
The numbers showed that in May, arrivals from Spain, one
of the worst-hit European countries, totaled 6,472, up 39% over May 2011.
Arrivals from all the top three performing European countries were up
significantly in May 2012, with Russia at 64,212 (+52%); UK at 60,216
(+12%); and Germany at 41,032 (+35%). For 2012, the Tourism Authority of
Thailand has set a target of 20.5 million total international visitors and
foreign exchange earnings of 766 billion baht (25 billion US dollars).
Below is a summary of the overall figures for the period
of January through May 2012, with the percentage change over the same period
of 2011, tabulated on arrivals by nationality at all points of entry into
Thailand:
Overview
Europe 2,690,783 (market share 30.33% of total arrivals);
the Americas 467,221 (5.27% share); South Asia 508,666 (5.73% share);
Oceania 394,500 (4.45% share); Middle East 228,606 (2.58% share); and Africa
71,666 (0.81% share). Arrivals from East Asia grew by 5.02% to 4,510,488
(market share: the remaining 50.84% of total arrivals).
East Asia
* China was the best performer with 943,161 visitors, up
26.13%% with the largest market share for an individual country of 10.63%.
* Malaysia was the second biggest source market with
total arrivals of 916,367, although with a decrease in arrivals of -7.87%.
* Japan: 5334,556, up 10.32%.
* Korea: 457,644, up 4.40%.
* Arrivals from the neighboring ASEAN countries also
showed good growth, e.g., Vietnam (+20.19%), Brunei (+10.90%), Cambodia
(+10.51%), Myanmar (+9.63%), Laos (+8.01%), Indonesia (+6.71%), Singapore
(+4.82%), while the Philippines was down (-5.77%).
Europe
* Arrivals from Europe grew by 10.91%.
* Russia remained ahead of the UK and Germany as the
largest source market from Europe. During the period of January through May
2012, Russian visitors to Thailand totaled 578,687, up 9.62% over the same
period of 2011.
* The United Kingdom and Germany ranked the second and
third largest sources of visitor arrivals 372,746 (+1.02%) and 326,733
(+10.44%) respectively.
* French visitor arrivals totaled 2776,617 (+17.84%).
* Arrivals from the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden
and Denmark grew by 18.86%, 17.67% and 16.69% respectively.
The Americas
* Arrivals from the Americas grew by 10.992%.
* USA visitor arrivals totaled 321,552 (+8.92%).
* Canadian visitors to Thailand grew by 10.82% to
101,050.
South Asia
* Visitor arrivals from South Asia showed growth of
5.58%.
• India, the biggest source of visitors in South Asia,
experienced growth of 6.81% to 405,719 arrivals.
* Visitors from Sri Lanka grew by 16.47% to 27,320.
* Bangladeshi visitor arrivals totaled 26,533.
Oceania:
* Visitor arrivals from Oceania grew by 10.06%.
* Arrivals from Australia and New Zealand were up 10.33%
to 354,646 and 7.88% to 38,615 respectively.
PARASUB: Middle East
* Visitors from the Middle East declined by 2.01%.
* Key Middle East markets grew significantly, especially
Saudi Arabia (27.25%) and Kuwait (21.11%). Arrivals from Egypt were up by
22.16%, while the UAE experienced a decline of 1.58%.
Africa
* Visitor arrivals from Africa grew strongly by 30.46% to
71,666.
I believe that TAT has under forecast arrivals this year
(hardly surprising given the difficulty in forecasting 4Q 2011 figures
during the devastating floods). My own findings would suggest a figure of
21+ million international tourist arrivals this year, given that there are
no surprises natural, political or otherwise and Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang
airports remain fully operational.
Threats on the horizon...
Myanmar, the Eurozone, rising fuel costs, Chinese
stability and AEC2015.
Once again and on into the future, intra-Asia business will be the main
source market providing the lion-share of international tourist arrivals
into Thailand.
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Hua Hin Thailand destination report
Andrew J Wood,
Director, Worldwide Destinations Asia Co., Ltd.
Mention Thailand’s great seaside resorts and favorite
escapes and a short list of perennial holiday destinations roll off the
tongue: Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi, Koh Samui, Pattaya, and perhaps Koh Chang,
Koh Phangan, and a few smaller islands.
Hua Hin’s famous beach.
(Photo by Andrew J Wood)
Lately, however, another, more traditional Thai town is
being quietly shared and acclaimed among those in the know: Hua Hin. Located
a short 3-hour drive from Bangkok, it has long been the weekend getaway of
choice for Thais with a bit of disposable leisure income and savvy expats
looking for some down time after a hectic week in the capital.
In fact, this old world ambiance is a large part of Hua
Hin’s attraction: unlike other popular tourist destinations, there is a
wonderful cultural mix of local, Asian, and Western tourists, all enjoying
the peaceful charms of this classic hideaway by the sea.
HM King Rama VII discovered Hua Hin’s charms in the
1920’s and subsequently built a palace here so he could enjoy the area
during his longer stays. In many ways, the palace established the old world
charm of the place, and was appropriately named Klai Kangwon Palace, meaning
“far from worries”; in a phrase, this sums up the Hua Hin area to a tee.
The town offers a laid back and friendly seaside
atmosphere with good infrastructure, excellent facilities, beautiful
resorts, amazing golf courses, and a constantly growing list of fascinating
attractions, such as floating markets and themed shopping parks.
Being the Royal beach resort, cabarets, discos, and other
nightspots are more regulated than normal and somewhat limited, which many
will find refreshing, especially those with families and couples hoping for
some restful quality time surrounded by sand, sun, sea, and abundant fresh
seafood.
Hua Hin has a famous, stunning 5 km (3 mile) beach,
lovely waterfalls, lush limestone mountains and plenty of leisure
activities. It has become world renowned as a superb place to rejuvenate at
one of several internationally renowned spas in a great location.
The central market sells fresh fruit and fish to locals
as it’s been done for ages. The night market is the ideal place to sample
street food cooked fast and fresh. International travelers visit Hua Hin for
the coastline and wonderfully natural hotels, but the locals arrive for the
food, with the town’s fishing fleet delivering baskets of prawns and fish
every day, helping the town maintain its reputation as one of Thailand’s top
seafood spots.
Hua Hin is certainly one of Thailand’s premier golfing
destinations, with eight world-class courses and several driving ranges in
the nearby area. Additionally, fishing, hiking, cooking classes, horseback
riding, diving and snorkeling are only a few of the other options for those
with a more active disposition.
World-class shoppers need not worry either: With two
night-markets, a local market, and numerous boutique stores, Hua Hin is an
excellent place to shop for locally produced handicrafts, fabrics, souvenirs
and food products.
Coastal cruises, day trips around Monkey Island and
Dolphin Bay, local fishing excursions and night time deep-sea trips are all
available from Hua Hin, while freshwater fishing, river cruises and
eco-tours run along the waterways inland. Half-day and full-day trips are
available.
Popular destinations include: Pa-La-U Waterfall, a
15-tier feature in the jungle 60 km from town; Kaeng Krachan National Park,
Thailand’s largest reserve, stretching to the Burmese border; Sam Roi Yot
National Park, a landscape of limestone peaks; and Khao Takiab, a hill at
the end of Hua Hin beach sprinkled with Buddhist shrines and well worth
climbing for the panoramic view; and Monsoon Valley vineyard for wine,
superb restaurant, with stunning views of the wine lands, or elephant rides
amongst the vines.
Whether undergoing spa treatment, holistic therapy,
learning Thai massage, taking advantage of the excellent medical services,
horseback riding, or just relaxing and reading a good book, Hua Hin is the
perfect place for those who love a more sedate holiday style in a gorgeous
seaside resort. And who doesn’t?
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THAI Smile’s first direct
flight takes off to Macau
Chokchai Panyayong, executive
vice president of Strategy & Business Development and acting president,
along with other board members, executive management members, and VIP
guests.
THAI Smile, the new sub-brand service by Thai Airways
International Public Company Limited (THAI), is proud to announce that THAI
Smile’s first direct flight took off from Bangkok to Macau July 7 in the
newly delivered Airbus 320-200 aircraft.
Chokchai Panyayong, executive vice president, Strategy &
Business Development and acting president, said “THAI is pleased to
introduce Macau as its first destination with roundtrip twice-daily flights
from Bangkok. Thereafter, THAI Smile will operate roundtrip domestic flights
from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Phuket, Krabi, Surat Thani and Chiang
Mai-Phuket. The THAI Smile brand character Trendy- Friendly-Worthy reflects
the new generation lifestyle of business travelers who seek a relaxed,
stylish on board atmosphere, placing greater importance on smart choices
with value for their money.”
On this auspicious occasion, Ampon Kittiampon, THAI’s
chairman of the board of directors presided over the ribbon cutting ceremony
of the first departure flight TG750 from Suvarnabhumi Airport’s Boarding
Gate D5 to Macau International Airport.
Upon the arrival of flight TG750, Miss Suning Liu,
executive director of Macau International Airport Co., Ltd., (CAM)
graciously welcomed VIPs, guests, media and passengers traveling onboard.
For more information, passengers may contact the THAI
Contact Center at Tel. 02-356-1111 (24 hours per day) or via www.
thaismileair.com and your preferred travel agents.
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