Three years on; Thailand has its smiles back
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The News Review:
- Three years on; Thailand has its smiles back
- Arms Dealer Bout Denied Bail in Thailand
- Top Spots For Southeast Asian Ecotourism
- Neri: Around town
Three years on; Thailand has its smiles back
Times nline – Mar 10, 2008
This has been done so that correct url isgenerated if we are coming from a section or topic –>Liz Pricediv#related-article-links p a div#related-article-links p a:visited {color:#06c;}For the second time in three years we were on our way to spend a week at thefive-star Pimalai Hotel & Spa on the island of Koh Lanta in the AndamanSea. n the boat that took us from Krabi to Koh Lanta we were reminded of avery different journey we had undertaken last time. Then Thailand had beendealing with the aftermath of the tsunami that had swept across large partsof Asia on Boxing Day 2004. When the hills of the neighbouring island of Phi Phi where the tidal wave hadbeen at its most devastating appeared on the horizon the crew had grownvery quiet. Laughing and chatting we were raced through thegreen waters landmarks being pointed out for potential excursionsincluding Phi Phi. As to the hotel in January 2005 it had been nearly empty except for a handfulof guests… Laughing and chatting we were raced through thegreen waters landmarks being pointed out for potential excursionsincluding Phi Phi. As to the hotel in January 2005 it had been nearly empty except for a handfulof guests. Now it was bustling with activity and getting our favouritedeckchairs by the pool proved quite difficult. The tourism industry seems to be healthy again but it took longer thananticipated to get visitors back to the country. “It was about ten monthsbefore people started to come back” says Franck de Lestapis generalmanager of the Pimalai. “We had 28 per cent occupancy in 2005 thoughluckily we didn’t have to close.
Arms Dealer Bout Denied Bail in Thailand
Kommersant – Mar 10, 2008
According to Thai media Bout claims he did nothing wrong and wants to be tried in a Thai court. He flew from Moscow to Bangkok on March 6 as a tourist he claims. He was arrested in the Sofitel Hotel in Bangkok the day he arrived. The Thai police say that he came for negotiations with the Colombian rebel group FARC. If that allegation is proven Bout could face 10 years in prison in Thailand or 15 year’s prison in the U. Bout has been linked by American officials to rebels dictators and terrorists in the Middle east and Africa as well.
Top Spots For Southeast Asian Ecotourism
Forbes – Mar 10, 2008
“Some of [these countries]” says Ayako Ezaki director of communications for the International Ecotourism Society “have taken advantage of the natural and cultural heritage they have to develop tourism. They’ve highlighted those beauties and attracted tourists. ” Enlightening Excursions Though the market in Southeast Asia is still growing there are several countries in the region that offer ecotourism options including Thailand Cambodia Laos Vietnam Malaysia and Indonesia. Visitors to northern Laos for example can stay at the… But people can also be very conscious he says of what they can put back. What To Know Before You Go Though “ecotourism” is a vague term to most consumers Andy Drumm a senior ecotourism specialist at the Nature Conservancy says there are specific components to look for in a vacation marketed with the word. Where the environment is concerned Drumm says tourists should ask whether or not a tour operator or hotel is certified and incorporates sustainable energy practices like solar power or water conservation. Companies should also make clear exactly how they contribute to local communities. Volunteer time financial contributions or donations of needed materials can be effective depending on the location. If a company doesn’t comment on these issues or doesn’t respond to questions chances are they may be “greenwashing”–just using the “eco-” term as a marketing tool. “You don’t want to turn your vacation time into labor” he says of researching ecotourism travel options “but you have to be pretty determined.
Neri: Around town
sunstar.com.ph – Mar 10, 2008
) Esperanza Garcia enjoying their presentation. It is amazing how consultant Byron Garcia was able to motivate the inmates and have them trained for a very disciplined performance which has now caught the attention of the world. *****It was an easy and interesting afternoon at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu when the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) gathered people from Cebu’s travel trade for a product presentation of Amazing Thailand. In town for the seminar were TAT executive director-Asean Prakit Piriyakiet director Porntip Makornpan and TAT marketing rep in the Phil. Members of the visiting team included representatives from Siam Niramit Siam cean World Siam City Hotel Rose Garden and Thai Airways who all gave tempting updates on their products. Yes Thailand definitely beckons!For Bisaya stories from Cebu.