TRAVEL TITBITS
Central offers passport promotion
More than 170 operators in service business have joined the annual Amazing Thailand Grand Sale promotion.
Organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), this year’s campaign has been launched under the theme of passport privileges. It aims to encourage tourists to spend more while travelling in Thailand.
The two-month promotion started on Nov 15 and continues to Jan 15. Participants include leading merchandisers, shopping malls, hospitals, spas, jewellery shops, theme parks and show business, offering up to 50% discounts for goods and services such as 30% off for Alcazar Cabaret Pattaya tickets, 5%- 50% off when shopping at department stores like Central, Emporium, Gaysorn Village, Iconsiam and King Power Duty Free.
According to Central Group executive director Pichai Chirathivat, about 500 million baht will be spent to promote the TAT’s campaign. Every business in the group and shops representing over 10,000 brands will offer promotions such as Charles & Keith, G2000, Esprit and John Langford. Restaurant chains also are offering special promotions such as KFC, The Terrace and Ootoya Japanese restaurant.
The event is expected to boost sales by 5%, generating 20 billion baht in circulation among businesses in Central Group, he said.
The group will also give 100 baht cash coupons to tourists who show their passports at the customer service points in every Central department store, Zen and Central Embassy. To receive the privileges, tourists need to show their passports when shopping or purchasing services.
TAT will hand out brochures, vouchers and other details about the “Amazing Thailand Grand Sale Passport Privileges” to tourists at international airports.
Full list of the promotion is available at passportprivileges.tourismthailand.org.
AIRLINES AIRLINES UPDATE UPDATE
Bangkok Airways has joined hands with Krungthai Card (KTC) to launch KTC- Bangkok Airways credit cards.
Cards holders can select payment standards from Visa, Mastercard or JCB. The two companies firstly launched the joint credit cards 13 years ago and had 45,000 card holders. With the launch of the new cards, KTC expects to gain 30,000 new members.
Benefits for credit card holders include receiving four times reward points when they buy a ticket of the airline via Bangkok Airway’s selling channels or via KTC World Travel Service. The credit card holders can redeem one credit card point for 1.5 FlyerBonus. They will have access to an exclusive zone lounge reserved for Business Class passengers at Bangkok Airways’ airports four times a year when they fly with the airline. There will also be special offers with other partners.
Visit bangkokair. com and www. ktcworld. co.th. Thai AirAsia will launch its first flight between U-Tapao Rayong-Pattaya International Airport in Rayong and Khon Kaen on Dec 21.
The service will be available four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The flight will depart U- Tapao airport at 7am and will arrive in Khon Kaen at 8am. The return flight from Khon Kaen airport will be at 8.25am and will arrive in Rayong at 9.25am.
Visit airasia.com.
HOTEL HOTELS DEALS DEALS & UPDATE & UPDATE
Hilton has launched the Waldorf Astoria on Ratchadamri Road in Bangkok.
The hotel is located on the levels 55-57 of the 60-storey Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard Building. It features 171 rooms and suites with space usage starting from 50m² to 300m ². Other facilities are six restaurants and bars, spa, swimming pool, fitness centre, meeting rooms, a ballroom, which can accommodate up to 700 guests.
The hotel offers a 1,650 baht hotel credit a night for at least two-nights stay. The credit can be used for services in the hotel including restaurants and spa.
Visit waldorfastoria3. hilton.com.
DusitD2 Ao Nang in Krabi will be opened on Dec 15. Formerly Vogue Resort and Spa, the renovated property features 173 guest rooms and suites with a choice of sea, mountain or pool views. Facilities include a restaurant, lobby bar, meeting/ event ballroom, swimming pool with a separate children’s pool, children’s playground and a spa.
The hotel also is launching a special opening offer. It includes 40% off Dusit’s best available rate, complimentary breakfast, complimentary room upgrade to the next room category when staying a minimum of three consecutive nights and booking before Jan 15 and free 60-minute Thai massage when staying a minimum of five consecutive nights and booking before the middle of January next year.
The prices starts at 2,200 baht a night. Bookings are available until March 31, and valid for stays from Dec 15 to April 15.
Visit dusit.com/ dusitd2/ krabi.
Na Nirand in Chiang Mai offers honeymoon packages. Located on a banks of the Ping River, the 45-room boutique resort is set in a three rai plot of land. It also houses Huan Kammung, an old teak house of the great granddaughter of the eighth ruler of Lamphun and large trees along the river bank, an ideal place for pre- wedding photo shot.
For photo shoot, the package is priced at 15,000 baht for four hours’ usage of the property and a changing room. Prices for packages of wedding ceremony start at 88,888 baht net for 50 guests.
Visit nanirand.com/ TH/ Wedding- Honeymoon.
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group will open its first Park Inn by Radisson in Phuket.
The property will be named Park Inn by Radisson Phuket Town. It will feature 130 rooms.
The hotel is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2020. It will be the brand’s fourth property in Southeast Asia, following two properties in the Philippines and Malaysia.
Visit radisson.com.