TRAVEL TITBITS
‘Amazing Thailand’ campaign launched
The Tourism and Sports Ministry has launched the “Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018” campaign at the World Travel Market in London.
According to minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, the campaign will focus on quality tourism, aiming to boost visitors’ average length of stay, expenditure and repeat visitation.
The “Amazing Thailand Tourism Year 2018” campaign will highlight 13 core products which are sports, gastronomy, maritime tourism, weddings and honeymoons, medical and wellness, community-based tourism, leisure, green tourism, night tourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), trade fairs, business-to-business marketing activities and logistics.
Communication strategies for the campaign will be categorised by 4S: saneh (or charm) which reflects Thai people, products and services; sanook (or joy) for promoting sports events; sabai (or relaxing) referring to Thai massage; and sut saep (or delicious) focusing on food.
Samples of the international events to be hosted under the campaign will be Air Race 1 World Cup Thailand to held from Friday to Sunday at the U–Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport in Rayong, the Asean Tourism Forum to be held in Chiang Mai in January, SportAccord Convention 2018 to be held from April 15-20 at the Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre.
There will also be the 4th UN World Tourism Organisation Conference on Gastronomy to be held in May 2018 and the MotoGP World Championship 2018 in October at the Buri Ram circuit.
New bus route announced
The Transport Company has launched a Nan-Luang Prabang bus route.
According to company president Chirasak Yaowatsakun, the service is a joint project between the Transport Company in Thailand and Naluang Company in Laos.
The Nan-Luang Prabang route is 373km long and has two stops at Hongsa and Xayaburi.
The bus departs from Nan Bus Terminal on Rob Muang Thit Tai Road in the city daily at 8am. The return leg from Luang Prabang is also at 8am. The travel time is eight hours and 30 minutes excluding time at the immigration checkpoints on the Thai and Lao borders.
The bus has 21 seats. One-way ticket fares from Nan are 320 baht to Hongsa (178km), 480 baht to Xayaburi (265km) and 660 baht to Luang Prabang.
Prior to the launch of the new route,
the Transport Company already offered Chiang Mai-Luang Prabang and LoeiLuang Prabang routes.
Call Nan Bus Terminal at 054-710-027 and 054-710-097 and Luang Prabang’s terminal at +856-7121-2979.
Airlines update
AirAsia X will launch its first flight from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Jeju Island in South Korea on Dec 12.
According to AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail, the new route will provide an additional 150,000-plus capacity annually in addition to the existing routes from Malaysia’s capital to Seoul and Busan.
The airline will fly four times a week and will be available on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
The departure time from Kuala Lumpur will be 5.30am and the arrival time in Jeju will be 12.30pm. The return flight from Jeju will be at 1.35pm and the arrival time in Kuala Lumpur will be 6.35pm. The travel time is six hours.
Visit www.airasia.com.
Thai Airways has launched its first flight from Bangkok to Vienna today.
THAI acting president and executive vice-president Viroj Sirihorachai said the flight to the capital of Austria enables the airline to serve passengers in neighbouring Eastern European countries including the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Slovenia.
Currently, Thai Airways flies 80 flights per week to 12 destinations in Europe including Copenhagen, Oslo, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Stockholm, London, Rome, Milan and Moscow.
The new route between Thailand and Austria will play a part in boosting tourist arrivals to the Kingdom, he said.
The airline will depart from Suvarnabhumi airport at 1.30am on Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and arrival in Vienna will be at 7am. The return flight from Vienna will be at 1.30pm and the arrival time in Bangkok will be 5.20am of another day.
Visit thaiairways.com.
Hotels update
Movenpick Suriwongse Hotel Chiang Mai has opened.
Formerly known as Suriwongse Hotel Chiang Mai, the hotel features 266 rooms. The room sizes range from 30m² for superior rooms to 98m² for a two-bedroom family suite. Other facilities are restaurants, a rooftop swimming pool with pool bar, meeting rooms, and a ballroom which can accommodate up to 400 guests.
Located on the corner of Chang Khlan and Loi Khroh roads, the hotel is a short walk to Chiang Mai Night Bazaar and about 7km from Chiang Mai International Airport.
Movenpick currently manages two properties in Bangkok, two in Phuket and one in Pattaya.
Visit movenpick.com.
The Athenee Hotel in Bangkok has reopened.
Formerly known as Plaza Athenee Bangkok, the hotel has undergone renovations in order to be listed as a Luxury Collection hotel.
Located on Wireless Road, the property features newly-refurbished 374 guest rooms and common spaces including a lagoon-style swimming pool, restaurants, bar, club lounge and meeting rooms.
Visit luxurycollection.com/ theatheneehotel.