TODAY:
BKK Weather 32C; Hot, cloudy, rain; Euro:US 1.2968, Euro:Baht 39.96, SET Index: 1286
BANGKOK BRIEF:
Relatives plead, don’t give Dr. Death bail. Banpu faces further lawsuits over Laos deception. Yongyuth likely to stay as interior minister.
WORLD SUMMARY:
China cancels event marking Japan ties. Pakistan government minister offers 30 million baht to kill video maker and denounces US government. Libya to dissolve militias.
OTHER NEWS
-ORGANIC HYATT MENUS FOR KIDS: Children’s menus have come a long way since the Happy Meal. The latest in refined dining for little ones: a new all-organic, prix fixe menu designed by Alice Waters and prepared at Hyatt hotels across North America.
The three-course menu starts with a crudité-style romaine salad with vinaigrette for dipping. Pesto chicken with roast potatoes precedes a dessert of orange and strawberry slices served in a hollowed-out orange rind.
-PATTAYA BOOMS: More than a year of peaceful politics in Thailand is translating into a big resurgence in tourism to Pattaya, with arrivals during the low season up 63 percent over a year ago.
Total numbers for 2011 also show visitors are coming back to the Land of Smiles. Total arrivals in Pattaya jumped 14.3 percent in 2011, with more than 8 million tourists staying in the city, compared with about 7 million the year before. The record numbers brought about 80 billion baht in tourist revenue to Pattaya.TAT are hoping for 9 million tourists by year-end.
-VIETNAM MARKETING: In the past, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) asked to apply a mechanism under which one dollar collected from every traveler to Vietnam would be spent on tourism promotion activities in Vietnam and overseas.
If so, with 6 million foreign travelers received in 2011, the tourism sector would have six million dollars, or 120 billion dong to carry out promotion campaigns this year.
VNAT is reported saying that due to the lack of money, it is very difficult to implement the programs to advertise Vietnam’s tourism and its destinations.
In 2011, VNAT budgeted 35 billion dong to the activities of marketing the destination. Meanwhile, the budget has been cut down to 30 billion dong for this year.
-PHILIPPINES AVIATION: CAB (the Civil Aeronautics Board) said, “Just like other countries where we had air talks, Thailand is a growing market. So we wish to support the growth of the aviation industry and tourism of both countries, and we will hold talks in November in Bangkok.”
The two countries last negotiated in July 2008 in Bangkok, a check with CAB’s planning division showed.
Currently, the Philippines has a total of 16,210 seat entitlements per week for Thailand, with the bulk of it allocated to local airlines namely, Philippine Airlines (3,578 seats), Cebu Pacific (2,542), Zest Airways (1,354), SouthEast Asian Airlines (1,260), Airphil Express (3,734), and AirAsia Philippines (1,092), CAB records showed.
-DR. DEATH: A police doctor suspected of killing at least four people and burying their bodies on his property in Phetchaburi will be fired and his request for early retirement suspended. Supat Laohawattana was due to be promoted to Major general on September 30 and take early retirement on October 1.
-SA BOXER DEATH: South Africa’s former world heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders died of wounds sustained in a shooting at a Pretoria restaurant where he was celebrating his nephew’s 21st birthday, police reported.
It was reported that three men burst into the restaurant. They were planning to commit an armed robbery. They opened fire shooting randomly. Corrie was shot in the hand and also the stomach.
They fled with a digital camera and also a handbag of one of the people who was in the restaurant.
Sanders was rushed to Kalafong hospital but died “in the early hours of the morning,” Brigadier Ngubane said.
-AIR ASIA: Thai AirAsia is adding Xi’an and its terracotta warriors to an expanding Thailand-China service with a daily flight commencing on November 16. It’s the budget airline’s fifth Thailand-China route as the carrier taps growing air travel by the Chinese.
-CHIANG RAI WINNER: Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort is awarded the Best Reputation Management for its prompt and active engagement with guest’s feedback.
“Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort instated a policy requiring its general manager to reply to all TripAdvisor comments personally and use TripAdvisor as a platform for receiving feedback with a strict response time of 48 hours for every comment, positive or negative. Their commitment to bringing their clients’ voices into their daily management meetings is stronger than most,” commented Judges.
“It is an absolute honor to be recognized with the Best Reputation Management award,” said Justin Malcolm, General Manager, “Le Méridien Chiang Rai Resort places great emphasis on guests’ satisfaction. We have been actively engaging with guests through TripAdvisor and other social media platforms, replying to all comments posted and review all feedback from guests. The award is not just about responding to comments online but also a testament to our commitment and enthusiasm in truly understanding our guests and delivering against our promises every day,” added Mr. Malcolm.
