The News Review:

- Thailand’s Tourism Sector in Crisis
- Staff Survey | The Great (Winter) Escape
- The rebirth of Phuket
- Revesltoke Rotary exchange student shares the joys of Thailand
- Best year ever to visit Thailand!
- AsiaTiv Thanks Hotel Affiliates and Hopes to Help Them Fight …
- UDD to press demand for minister’s resignation

Thailand’s Tourism Sector in Crisis
NuWire Investor WA 
com a hotel comparison search engine showed that hotel reservation requests through its website dropped by more than 50 percent initially and leveled off at about 30 percent below the volume before the airport protests. "It is clear that the political instability in Thailand is negatively influencing travelers’ decision making with prospective travelers seeking substitute travel plans” said the company in a statement released on its website. The result is a huge loss of hotel revenue in a high tourist season. "This coupled with the global financial turmoil which may well put the Thailand travel industry into crisis mode. " Looking ahead "The current political uncertainties will not help attract investment into Thailand’s real estate. Growth in Thailand real estate market will depend on continued strength of the tourism industry along with government initiatives to encourage investment" according to Asia Property Consultants. However most analysts choose to remain optimistic.
Related from Medcylopaedia: Doing the numbers on medical tourism – is it worth it?

Staff Survey | The Great (Winter) Escape
New York Times United States 
Reality: Driving from NYC to Toronto (with a quick peek at Niagara Falls) to visit friends. Joy Dietrich Research EditorFantasy: Meditation training at a forest monastery in northern Thailand. Reality: A meditation walk over a weekend at. Eric Grode Copy EditorFantasy: New Zealand.

The rebirth of Phuket
International Herald Tribune France 
The starburst tops of a coconut grove delineated the beach. An arc of sugar it stretched away to a cluster of rounded rocks and beyond a rise of greenery leading into the tufted mountains of a national park. I was floating in the Andaman Sea at Khao Lak in Thailand's southwest. A paradise of mangroves tropical islands and emerald coves set in electric-blue waters the Andaman Coast is one of the world's best-known beach destinations. It includes the island province of Phuket the spectacular small island Ko Phi Phi hopping Rai Le Beach and more sedate Khao Lak. Its vacation options range from some of the most luxe accommodations on the planet through unassuming hotels priced for the modest budgets of middle-class European and Asian families to pristine natural areas accessible only to those willing to rough it. The area is legendary for its lush coral reefs and caves and the green-shrouded sugar-loaf rocks rising from the sea in Phang Nga Bay.

Revesltoke Rotary exchange student shares the joys of Thailand
Revelstoke Times Review Canada 
 Also located on the mountain are the King and Queen?s Pagodas which commemorate their 60th Birthday Anniversaries; one being Purple for the Queen the brown being the King?s. Christmas day we visited the Historical Park of Sukhothai Thailand?s first truly independent Thai Kingdom which was established in the 13th Century. Here King Ramkhamhaeng one of Thailand?s most majestic kings created the Thai alphabet currently used today. Christmas eve was spent at our last hotel in Phitsanulok where a Secret Santa was arranged and we were able to eat some delicious foreigner food. The Secret Santa did not go as well as thought though because many presents were locked in the bus. verall it was quite comforting being with the other exchangees. As well prior to the trip some of the students from Chantaburi gave us all a personalized T-shirt as early Christmas gifts.

Best year ever to visit Thailand!
eTravelBlackboard – Asia Edition Australia 
“Despite the global financial situation we believe that Thailand will be the best choice of holiday destination due to its beauty great services and incomparable value. ur participation in the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Hanoi this year will be the perfect start for us to bring this key message to the world. Not only to introduce our 16 hotels and resorts located in Thailand’s top holiday destinations including Bangkok Pattaya Koh Chang Chiang Rai Chiang Mai Phuket Hua Hin and Korat but to enhance our position as Thailand’s leading international hotel chain in the world’s top country holiday destination. “In addition to our ATF attendance” Mr Gamarra added ”throughout the year we are planning to participate in worldwide travel tradeshows such as ITB in Berlin JATA in Tokyo PATA in Hangzhou China and EIBTM in Barcelona to name only a few. Whilst Thailand’s hospitality sector has been on a roller coaster ride during the last quarter of 2008 our hotels and resorts continue to provide the very best of service and great experiences and now more than ever holidaymakers to Thailand in 2009 will enjoy the benefits of the world’s best holiday destination at even more affordable rates. ” Due to the global economic slowdown and domestic political situation affecting the tourism in Thailand last year Dusit International and travel and hospitality partners together with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) are joining together to restore confidence around the world for both leisure and business travellers alike. This week Dusit International is attending the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2009 (ATF) held in Hanoi during 5-12 January 2009.

AsiaTiv Thanks Hotel Affiliates and Hopes to Help Them Fight …
Press Media Wire VA 
EST (PressMediaWire) Bangkok Thailand  — AsiaTiv a leading hotel reservation portal is pleased with the great job their affiliates have done in 2008. With the hard work and dedication previously shown the company hopes the affiliates will continue to work hard and push forward to fight the economic recession next year. Managing Director for AsiaTiv Dror Meytal says ?AsiaTiv is growing steadily in 2008 thanks to our affiliates. We realize that 2009 is going to be tough but we want to ensure that our affiliates will get all the support they need to weather the storm. ?According to the Travel Industry Association despite the state of the current economy surveys show that half of the people polled said they expected to make no changes to future travel plans.

UDD to press demand for minister’s resignation
Bangkok Post Thailand 
Jakrapob Penkair another leading UDD member and minister under former premier Thaksin Shinawatra said letters will be sent to government leaders of all nine other Asean member countries to explain the current political situation in Thailand and the alleged “unfitness” of Mr Kasit as foreign affairs minister. The UDD will call for them to review their plans to attend the Asean summit. Mr Jakrapob said the group would also submit letters to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the United States Britain France Russia and China – on the Thai political situation. ther UDD leaders told a press conference at a Bangkok hotel on Monday that they would demand that House speaker Chai Chidchob who also is president of parliament quickly amend the 2007 constitution. They also will demand that Prime Minister Abhisit take legal action within 30 days against the PAD protesters who closed the airports. (with reports by TNA).

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