The News Review:

- Swankstas to sizzle at New Year
- Holiday that’s written in the stars
- Indulged pampered and charitable
- $199 pp for a Thailand wedding!
- Inbound tourism faces heat of Re rise
- Wise Kwai’s Bangkok Cinema Scene
- Thais take Kings Cup but Rugby- 80 on the way up

Swankstas to sizzle at New Year
Times – The Times – Dec 30, 2007
Auction Alliance chief executive Rael Levitt has also jetted out of South Africa. He has gone to Thailand with about a dozen friends. Speaking from Hong Kong on Friday Levitt — who was in Thailand during the 2004 tsunami — said he would welcome in the New Year at Patong beach with friends. ther socialites and executives preferred to remain close to home to party with friends and family. Millionaire entrepreneur and advertising executive Given Mkhari and his wife Ipeleng have opted for a quiet getaway at a friend’s home in North West. “We don’t want any interruptions. We’ll be switching off our cellphones and the only time we will switch them on is so that we can use them… People who have not landed exciting invitations can buy their way into dinner parties at some of the country’s top hotels — if they can get tickets. Cape Town’s Moët-sipping Cohiba- puffing crowd can treat themselves to a seven-course meal at the trendy Manolo restaurant in Kloof Street — at R1250 a person — while those with a slightly bigger budget could opt for a five-course dinner at the Mount Nelson Hotel’s Cape Colony restaurant for R1650. The Westcliff hotel in one of Johannesburg’s most exclusive suburbs has had to turn away bookings for its Arcadia Ballroom ball and dinner — at R625 a pop — but Johannesburgers have been slow to fork out R890 for a New Year’s eve nosh-up at the La Belle Terrase restaurant. The aroma of prime steak and the sound of clinking whisky glasses is expected to dominate one of Cape Town’s famous eateries in Guguletu Mzoli’s Place which is frequented by celebrities. wner Mzoli Ngcauzele said: “We can take about 500 people on New Year’s eve. There will be DJs and we’ll braai the usual wors kebabs beef and pork. “It will be a good party.

Holiday that’s written in the stars
Malaysia Star – Dec 30, 2007
Capricorn (Dec 23-Jan 19): A Goat is sure to love mountain heights! Someone born under this sign is likely to enjoy the sanctity of a monastery on a hill or discovering the secrets of an ancient village. At times however Capricorns have been known to break out of their shell to dance on tables and swing from the chandeliers! Suggested location: Hoi An in Vietnam offers just the right mix of culture and nightlife while a hike to the top of the nearby Fan Si Pan “the Roof of Indochina” will also make Capricorns feel right at home. Suggested hotel: Life Resort Hoi An is located along the Thu Bon River and on the doorstep of the colourful and bustling Ancient Town. Marble Mountain (Danang) and the “My Son” ancient temple ruins are within easy travelling distance. Aquarius (Jan 20-Feb 19): Unlike the more solitary Goat Aquarians prefer to travel in packs. They love to be surprised and never settle for the norm. Energetic and inquisitive they’ll get the most out of the day before spending the night stargazing while contemplating the riddles of the universe… They treasure open spaces and freedom and being big risk takers will try anything from the wintry wastes of the Polar Regions to the harsh shifting sands of endless deserts. Suggested location: There were probably a lot of Sagittarians among the almost 50000 people who travelled to the South Pole this year but there are attractions closer to home that should also appeal to these adventure-seekers. Chang Mai Thailand for instance has a striking mountain backdrop and over 300 temples to explore and makes a perfect base from which to get into the lesser-known northern areas of the country. Suggested hotel: The Chedi Chiang Mai is located on the peaceful banks of the Mae Ping River and offers a quiet base to which hard-adventuring and partying Sagittarians can return for rest. Gerry Taylor-Wood earned a diploma in Psychological Astrology in London in the 1980s before setting up the International School of Astrology with branches in Britain and Australasia. Taylor-Wood has been on prime time television and numerous radio stations in various countries as an expert had her own ‘Sun Sign’ column in Britain and has published many magazine articles on ‘sacred’ travel. She lectures in the United States Britain France and New Zealand and now lives on Tamborine Mountain in Queensland Australia.

Indulged pampered and charitable
Sydney Morning Herald – Dec 30, 2007
Just three years ago Khao Lak in Thailand made front-page newswhen the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami devastated the beach resort. Today it is making news for a different reason one that showsthe resilience of the local people determination of an ex-patEnglish couple and international recognition of a beautiful coastalarea. “Winning Asia’s leading boutique hotel category at the 2007World Travel Awards making the cover of Conde NastTraveler and being on its ‘Hot List’ as well as The SundayTimes travel magazine’s list has really put the Sarojin andKhao Lak back on the map” says Kate Kemp co-owner and executivedirector of the Sarojin a modern spacious resort designed oncontemporary Asian lines. Its owners say it was inspired by thenotion of staying at a friend’s private estate. pened in ctober 2005 and set on four hectares with 11kilometres of beachfront the story of the resort is interwovenwith that of the nearby fishing village Bang Niang and Khao Laktown. Even though they sustained damage just one month before theirscheduled opening in January 2005 owners Andrew and Kate Kempnever wavered from establishing the Sarojin and their commitment toKhao Lak. “The best thing we could do for Khao Lak was to rebuild theSarojin into a five-star resort and engender confidence in theregion.

$199 pp for a Thailand wedding!
Financial Express – Dec 30, 2007
And interestingly one doesn’t have to be super rich to do that. While destination weddings have been in vogue for a while the cost factor and aggressive marketing by tourism boards have made Thailand Malaysia Mauritius and Sri Lanka favourites in particular. Director of Shaadi in Thailand Thai Indian Arthit Sehgal’s foray into the wedding business was quite by accident. “A couple of years ago during a family wedding in India a relative remarked to me that she had paid Rs 46000 for the ghodi (horse) for her son’s wedding. It struck me that I could offer better services abroad” recollects Sehgal. Recently Tourism Malaysia organised a familiarisation trip for eight wedding planners from India to Malaysia. According to Tourism Malaysia director P Manoharan “Weddings in India are a huge affair… Many Indians are exploring options abroad” says Sehgal. His company offers services starting at $199 per person for a two-night-three-day affair. Services include hotel accommodation and food local transport floral decorations party hall bhangra and pop mehindi and even a pandit to complete the rituals. He has done 26 Indian weddings so far with an extremely schedule at the moment. “I have to organise eight Indian weddings in Thailand next February” he says. Increased flight connectivity and the rupee appreciation are also helping the cause. The other factor is the absence of quality venues and accommodation within the country.

Inbound tourism faces heat of Re rise
Times of India – Dec 30, 2007
2% at Rs 30000crore. A part of the slowdownin growth could be the result of the impact of subprime crisis showing itsimpact. Besides high hotel tariffs might be a deterrent also. “The strongerrupee has certainly impacted profit margins but it?s mainly the high staycost that?s driving tourists out of the country” says Rajendra Kumarpresident of Hotel and Restaurants Association of India. A five-star room costs$350-450 a night and could go up to $600. Equivalent rooms in ThailandSingapore Malaysia and Australia range between $150 and $250 which meanstourists in India have to pay almost double of the amount they spend anywhereelse. But tour operators wouldlike you to believe that rupee is the main culprit… “The strongerrupee has certainly impacted profit margins but it?s mainly the high staycost that?s driving tourists out of the country” says Rajendra Kumarpresident of Hotel and Restaurants Association of India. A five-star room costs$350-450 a night and could go up to $600. Equivalent rooms in ThailandSingapore Malaysia and Australia range between $150 and $250 which meanstourists in India have to pay almost double of the amount they spend anywhereelse. But tour operators wouldlike you to believe that rupee is the main culprit. In 2007 rupee hasappreciated around 11% against dollar 9% against pound and 3% against Euro. This has seen hoteliers and tour operators take a 15-20% dent in theirprofitability. “Rupee rise hasmade India an expensive place for foreign tourists.

Wise Kwai’s Bangkok Cinema Scene
nationmultimedia.com – Dec 30, 2007
Take your pick of mail-order site for any of the Western-released Thai DVDs. h worth mentioning is the.

Thais take Kings Cup but Rugby- 80 on the way up
Sunday Times.lk – Dec 30, 2007
For the gritty Canberra Pirates Half-Back Joe Aldort Number 8 Hugh Tanered Lock John Edgar Mills and dynamic Flanker Ravin Kumar were outstanding throughout the tournament with their fearless play in the rucks and mauls against a more mature and experienced opposition. Rugby 80 President Dilip Kumar who was at the tournament to support the Thai Rugby Union was impressed at the effort thrown by the organisers to make the event a success despite the drawbacks caused by the withdrawing teams. Speaking at a lavish dinner hosted by the Thai Rugby Union at the Metropole Hotel in Phuket after the finals Kumar said “I am proud to be here and watch a well knit team of organisers host this tournament under such trying circumstances. We are aware that the reasons for the disruption was mainly due to the World Cup in France and the Rugby Asiad in Sri Lanka but Rugby 80 is determined to chip away until it’s popularity grows and lesser nations benefit from it by world recognition” he said.

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