Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Holidays. Show all posts

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Is mass tourism a thing of the past in Thailand?

Is mass tourism a thing of the past in Thailand as the streets of the most popular tourist destinations are unnervingly quiet.
Along Chaweng’s Beach Road, a usually raucous party area, shuttered shops stretch into the distance.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was buzzing with traffic. Now, taxi drivers sit on the roadside, with little hope of finding customers.

Where bikini-clad sunseekers once browsed souvenir shops and drank at neon-lit bars, a lone street dog stretches on the pavement.

Elsewhere, swathes of Samui’s idyllic, sandy white beaches are almost entirely free of people.

About 40 million tourists flocked to Thailand last year, drawn by its spectacular coastlines, ornate temples and famous cuisine.

In 2022, the country will struggle to attract even a quarter of that number, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT).

Tourism ground to a halt in April, when Thailand imposed a ban on all incoming passenger flights. The country – which has so far managed to contain Covid-19, recording 3,255 cases and 58 deaths – is discussing travel bubbles with low-risk neighbouring countries, but no one knows when these might be established. Borders remain shut to almost all foreign tourists.

The travel sector has survived devastating crises before, including the 2004 tsunami, bird flu and Sars outbreaks.

But the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is beyond comparison, says Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor for marketing communication at the TAT.

During previous crises, revenue dropped by around a fifth, he said. This year, the coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause a 80% fall in revenues. “It’s a huge impact,” he said.

To make matters worse, Thailand’s economy has become even more reliant on tourism, accounting for almost 20% of GDP, according to Tanes. About 4.4 million people are employed across the industry – in transport, travel agencies, restaurants and hotels.

In Samui, many have gone for months without work. Before coronavirus, Jarunee Kasorn, who works in a local massage parlour in Chaweng, says her colleagues would welcome up to 90 clients a day.

They’re one of the few businesses to reopen on Beach Road, but a whole day can go by without a single customer. “If there are no tourists, then there’s no business,” she said.

Most of the shop’s 20 staff have left the island altogether, and returned to their family homes elsewhere in Thailand.

Though modest social assistance payments were offered to workers during lockdown, this is no longer available.

“Many people say we won’t die from Covid, but we will die because we are not able to eat,” says Ta Sasiwinom, who has just reopened her stall at an outdoor market in Fishermen’s Village, known as the walking street. The past few months have been a struggle for her and her two daughters. “We cook more cheaply – eating egg and rice, rice and egg,” she says.

Parts of the market, and the nearby beach, have begun to return to life. There are groups of visitors and locals peering at the discounted stalls, but it is still nowhere near as busy as it would usually be.

Among those shopping are tourists stuck abroad, foreign residents living in Thailand, and Thais – who the government has encouraged to travel domestically through a stimulus package that offers subsidised hotel bookings.

The scheme, and a looming long weekend, has provided a welcome boost, says Lloyd Maraville, general manager of Nora Buri resort and spa.

Of the hotel’s 144 rooms, about 100 are empty, though this will fall to 85 over the holiday.

Government measures, he adds, “might sustain hotels for a while but it will not be a long-term [solution].” Rooms have been booked at far below the usual rates. “Profit is out of the question at this moment, we just want to maintain the resort,” he says.

Tanes believes that when tourism is able to begin again, the industry will be altered completely.

He hopes for positive change. “I think this is a good time for Thailand to upskill the human resources of the industry to move Thailand [away] from [being an] overcrowded tourist destination,” he says. Mass tourism, and the dependence on large tour groups, he argues, will be a thing of the past.

In Samui, businesses are focused on survival for now. Just last month it was announced that nearly 100 local hotel owners had been forced to sell. Many more remain shut indefinitely.

“I’ve lived here for 20 years and I’m shocked, I never thought it could be like this,” says Rattanaporn Chadakarn, who runs a stall at the walking street.

No one knows if the Great Panic will continue. For now, she adds, everyone is just waiting for the skies to reopen.


Source - BangkokJack

VISA AGENT

Thursday, May 28, 2020

#Cyprus beaches reopen as new virus cases hit zero


A new form of beach life, spaced apart, emerged Saturday on the Mediterranean holiday island of Cyprus after more than two months of coronavirus-imposed curbs were lifted on freedom of movement.

The relaxation coincided with the first day of zero new cases of corona-virus in Cyprus since the first were declared on March 9.

"The people are good, the water's good, the weather's good, things are cool," said Georgios, a young gym trainer.

"We're here, we're having a good time... we're taking our safety measures."

The lifting of a swimming-only decree in force on the beaches brought sunbathers back out on the seashore -- but under social distancing rules.

The health ministry has issued directives on the placement of sunbeds and parasols. Also, only members of the same family can jointly take part in water sports.

"We've put the tables two metres (six feet) apart," said Panayiotis Neokleous, owner of the normally bustling Ammos beach club near the airport in the southern resort town of Larnaca.

"All the staff have taken the (COVID-19) test, they are all negative. Now we are all wearing protective masks, gloves and we disinfect our hands many times," he said.

The US-educated Neokleous acknowledged that the summer season was "going to be not so good because tourists are not going to come, or if they come, it'll be late".

"We are going to see a lot of restaurants and hotel businesses not going to make it and will have to close down," he said.

But for personal trainer Vanessa, a regular at the club, Saturday was a time to celebrate, even if a heat wave earlier in the week had given way to strong wind and choppy waters.

"I am very happy to be back ... And this is my favorite place to be... Anyway I'm glad it's all over and I hope it's going to be better," she said.

On Saturday, Cyprus also reported zero new corona-virus cases after the daily number of infections since the start of the month were down to single figures.

And on Friday the east Mediterranean holiday island announced a phased reopening of its airports to commercial flights from June 9.

But its two largest tourist markets, Britain and Russia are not on the initial lists, amid concerns over infection levels in the two countries.

The Cypriot government ended a strict stay-at-home lockdown on Thursday, reopening outdoor restaurants, barber shops as well as beaches, although hotels remain closed for now.

Since mid-March people could only go outside for exercise and essential trips which needed to be approved by text message while a curfew was enforced every night.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Indonesia - Bali named among top post-pandemic destinations


Bali is among the international destinations such as Andalusia and Catalonia in Spain, as well as Florida in the United States, listed as the most desirable places to visit after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The travel industry has been one of the hardest-hit sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic, but travelers around the world have also been eager to get back on the proverbial road and visit new holiday destinations.

Dutch online ticketing company Booking.com has recorded growing wishlists on its app, listed by people in quarantine around the world in March and April.

On the list, Bali ranks second among the most desirable tourist destinations.

The island is listed along with international destinations such as Andalusia and Catalonia in Spain, as well as Florida in the United States. Krasnodar Krai in Russia tops the list.

In a statement, Booking.com said the list was based on the number of likes for properties listed on the app.

The data was compiled in March and April and compared to similar data in March and April 2019.

Alongside Bali, there are 27 Indonesian destinations on the list, such as West Nusa Tenggara, Jakarta, Yogyakarta and West Java.

The list also revealed that Indonesian users on the app are hesitant to plan international journeys after the pandemic.

Around 76 percent of Indonesian users’ wishlists comprise domestic destinations in sunny cities and places with beaches, such as Yogyakarta, Jakarta, Bandung in West Java, and Ubud and Seminyak in Bali.

Meanwhile, international destinations are dominated by Asian metropolitans, such as Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Seoul.

On Saturday, Reuters reported that Bali could reopen to tourists in October, following the government's success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak. If the infection curve continues to improve, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry is looking to revitalize destinations and do promotional work for some parts of the country, including Bali, between June and October.

Source - #TheJakartaPost

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Tropical Bali looking to reopen to tourists in October


Indonesia's tropical holiday island of Bali could reopen to tourists in October, thanks to its success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak, the government said on Friday.

As of Friday, Bali had reported 343 coronavirus cases and four deaths, a much lower fatality rate compared with 16,496 cases and 1,076 deaths in the whole archipelago.

If the infection curve continued to improve, the tourism ministry is looking to revitalize destinations and do promotional work for some parts of the country, including Bali, between June and October, Ni Wayan Giri Adnyani, secretary of the ministry, said in the statement.

Partial reopening of those areas, which also include the city of Yogyakarta and Riau islands province, may begin in October, she said.

Bali's economy depends largely on visitors. Its gross domestic product (GDP) contracted 1.14 percent on-year in January-March, compared with a 2.97 percent GDP expansion nationally.

Foreign tourist arrivals into Indonesia plunged more than 60 percent in March, compared to the year-earlier month, with Chinese arrivals sliding more than 97 percent  

Source - TheJakartaPost

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Thailand - Banks stock up on cash


Bangkok Bank today (December 24) said it has prepared more than Bt30 billion in cash reserves at 10,000 ATMs nationwide to serve customers during the New Year holiday.

Digital and online services such as Bualuang Phone 1333 and 0-2645-5555, Bualuang iBanking, Bualuang mBanking and QR Code payment would also be fully operational and the bank’s 300 micro branches in shopping malls will be open for business every day during the holiday. 

The bank will be open on Monday December 30 and resume normal operations on Thursday January 2.

CIMB Thai Bank has prepared cash reserves of Bt250 million at its ATMs and branches.

Kasikonrbank plans to allocate cash reserves worth Bt45.8 billion for KBank branches and K-ATMs during the holidays. 

Of that total, Bt11.8 billion is for branches nationwide, including Bt4.5 billion for branches in Bangkok and the remaining Bt7.3 billion for those in other provinces. 

Currently, KBank has a total of 900 branches nationwide. 

A total of Bt34.0 billion is reserved for over 8,200 K-ATMs across the country, Bt15.0 billion of which for K-ATMs in Bangkok and the remaining Bt19.0 billion for K-ATMs in other provinces.

Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) has earmarked a cash reserve of Bt63 billion of which Bt42 billion is for ATMs and Bt21 billion for branches. 

As of November this year SCB had 698 branches and 9,373 ATMs nationwide.

Source - TheNation

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

#Bangkok - “Walking Street @Silom” New destination in Town


Brand New city market “Walking Street @Silom” opens up (15 December 2019) welcoming visitors to the brand new destination in town every 3rd Sunday of the month from 12.00 to 22.00.

Right from lunchtime, big crowds of locals and tourists have joined in the grand opening by shopping for goods and tasting cool dishes along the famous Silom road.

The stalls line both sides of Silom road under the BTS Skytrain elevated rails to give some shade from the bright sun.

Over 300 businesses have joined the walking street with 70% being food stalls including classic Thai food and trendy options including drinks and desserts to end a perfect meal.

Visitors can also shop home products including handmade goods, OTOP (One Tambon, One Product) goods, clothes, and other goods. There are also street performers who will be a part of the experience of Walking Street @Silom.

There is a stage in the middle of the street with various shows such as a Thai Dance show. The Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha went on the stage to officially open Walking Street @Silom up for business.
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The main concept behind the event is to “Walk, Eat, Taste, and Explore”. The new walking street will promote tourism in the area along with boosting the economy in the area. The Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang joined in the grand opening celebration.

The Prime Minister stated in his ceremonial speech that tourists visit Thailand because of the beautiful nature, delicious food that is good and cheap, and Thai Smile.

The Thai people need to keep these good qualities by continuing to smile and to have peace along with efficiency and safety.

The government wants to increase tourism, but safety and stability must come first. The government can’t approve every project because there is a budget.

The Prime Minister touched on a few other topics before ending with a statement that the people must become one, the Thai’s must stand solo and to not let any person destroy
 
Source - Pattayaone News

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Seven language apps for pleasant, confusion-free travel experience


When traveling, sometimes the sky isn’t the limit, but the language barrier is. One second you’re excited about exploring a new country, and seconds later you're worrying about the language barrier it presents.

In the old days, many tourists walked around carrying a pocket dictionary. But these days people have it easier. With a little help from technology, traveling can be hassle-free. 

Here are seven apps that can save you from language confusion, as compiled by Insider:

1. Google Translate assists you with easy to use features
The app is mandatory. With over 500 million users, Google Translate is packed with useful features. For instance, you can type in text in one language and get an immediate translation in another. You can also speak into the microphone and have the app read it out in a different language. With the 59 languages available offline, Google Translate allows you to engage in real-time conversation with locals, even when you have no internet connection.

2. Duolingo equips you with knowledge of basic conversation
Duolingo offers short and fun daily conversation lessons to prepare you for a trip. If you need a bit of motivation, its mascot, a green owl, is there to cheer you on at all times. You can also test your skills and level up when ready. The app has 200 million users actively learning languages, including Esperanto, Hebrew, Portuguese, Greek, Welsh, Romanian and Swahili.

3. HelloTalk connects you to locals
Not only do people help you, but you get to help others as well. HelloTalk connects users with people who speak the language they need through free chat and audio calls. Offering more than 100 languages, HelloTalk also supports interactive experience through its translation and grammar correction tools.

4. TripLingo comes in handy in critical situations
If you need emergency information, currency conversion, tip calculation or briefings on local etiquette, TripLingo is the right app. Besides offering voice translators in 19 languages, the app offers live human translators on standby, available for an extra charge.

5. Tandem teams you up with a native speaker
Perhaps the quickest way to learn a new language, especially daily conversational ones, is by making friends. With more than 150 languages to choose from and a community of over 1 million people, Tandem pairs you with a language partner to help you learn even slang from the people who use it.

6. Waygo reads foreign alphabets for you
If you’re in for some local food but can’t read a single letter on the menu, Waygo can help you out. The app works by reading letters that you aim your camera at, translate and spell them out for you. The best thing is, it is available offline as well.

7. iTranlate converts speech to text with ease
Locals often can’t be bothered with typing the sentence they are trying to say into your translator app. iTranslate’s voice recognition technology ensures a smooth conversation between travelers and locals. It converts speech into words in over 100 languages and includes an extensive dictionary with verb conjugations. The app also recently introduced a visual dictionary, with the ability to suggest words corresponding to the object shown in photos
Source - TheJakartaPost

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

#Vietnam to update tourist visa regulations


The 14th National Assembly will debate this week some draft laws, including the law amending and supplementing some articles of the law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, as part of the ongoing eighth session.

Vietnam’s tourism has developed strongly over the recent past and brought about high economic values.

 However, experts in the tourism sector said there still remain bottlenecks, one of which being policies on the entry and exit of foreigners, which need to be settled in order to improve the sector’s competitiveness, thus attracting more international visitors.


Hoang Nhan Chinh, head of the Secretariat of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board, said the law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam should be more open.


He cited as an example the stipulation that requires a gap of at least 30 days between two visa-free visits.


Chinh further said that many international visitors, especially those from Western Europe, Northern Europe and Russia, want to stay in Vietnam longer than the maximum visa-free 15 days.


He also emphasized the need for a national website that publishes official information about visa policies, citing a survey by the Vietnam Tourism Advisory which showed that most websites of Vietnamese embassies abroad fail to update latest information on the country’s visa policies.


Such a website should be prescribed clearly in the law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, he said.

Chinh also pointed to problems in visa granting at Vietnam’s border gates, which still requires visitors to apply for visas at embassies and receive visas at the border gates. He said this has reduced the tourism sector’s competitiveness.


Experts in the tourism sector are concerned about the fact that the visa exemption policy for tourists from major markets like Russia, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will end on December 31, 2019.


They said the number of visitors from those markets would drop 30-50 percent if the policy is not extended.


Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong, deputy head of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, proposed expanding the list of countries and border gates eligible for e-visas.

 Besides, Vietnam needs to reform visa grant procedures at border gates and review its unilateral visa waiver policy, she said. – Vietnam Plus

Source - BangkokJack

Tuesday, October 8, 2019

#Cambodia Huge eco-resort under way in Kampong Speu province


If you are an eco-tourism enthusiast, here is another good news for you.

A leading property developer in the Kingdom, Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd, has announced that it is working on another massive eco-tourism project, this time in Kampong Speu province.

The new project, which is called KC Adventure/Agricultural Resort Basedth, will sit on more than 100 hectares of land in Kampong Speu’s Basedth district, Dr Alexander Evengroen, CEO of Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd, said in an interview yesterday.

Just like with their eco-tourism project in Kampot province, Mr Evengroen said their Kampong Speu venture will benefit the Cambodian people and the Kingdom’s tourism industry. Chamreun Sambath Construction Co Ltd is separately working on a multi-million-dollar adventure Resort in Kampot’s Chhouk district.

“We want to give back to the people while growing Cambodia’s tourism industry,” he said.

According to him, their latest venture will feature a Cambodian history museum, fruit farms, cattle farms, special islands, restaurants, solar park, guesthouses, hotel, hobbit homes, cable carts, flower gardens, nature hiking trails, watersports facilities, coffee shop, sky tower, fish ponds, car park, clubhouse, resort, pavilion and cottages, among others.

“What is unique about this place is that visitors will also learn about the beauty of Cambodian history while enjoying the scenery,”
he pointed out.

Mr Evengroen said Basedth district is an excellent choice for such project. According to many tourism experts, Kampong Speu, with its mountains, forests, and national parks, is among several provinces in Cambodia that hold vast potential for eco-tourism development.

“The location is green and fresh, with stunning views and mountains within and in the background. It is also easy to reach and ready for development,” he stressed.

“We are developing more than 100 hectares and might expand in the future,” he added.

Source - Khmer Times

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

#Vietnam - CNN names Hoi An among Asia’s most beautiful towns

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U.S. cable news channel CNN has listed the 400-year-old Hoi An Town in central Vietnam among “the most picturesque” in Asia.

The UNESCO heritage site in Quang Nam Province ranks fourth in the list of 13 most beautiful towns in Asia, behind another UNESCO site, George Town in Malaysia, the beautiful river town of Zhouzhuang in China and Japan’s Yufuin.


Hoi An, which used to be the busiest trading port in Southeast Asia in the 16th century and was famous for ceramics and high-quality silk, is now "a heaven for photographers, foodies and architecture lovers", CNN said.

"Thanks to centuries as an important trade hub, the narrow streets of Hoi An ancient town feature rows and rows of charming mustard-hued merchant houses though many have since been transformed into low-key restaurants, bars, design boutiques and tailors' shops."

For many, Hoi An is not just a collection of 16th century houses for which the former port town has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. A cuisine particular to the town, influenced by many different cultures including Japan, China and Portugal, is a major part of its attraction too.
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Don’t miss the array of delicious food experiences, from banh mi, a Vietnamese single-serving baguette filled with various savory ingredients, at the famous Banh Mi Phuong Restaurant (2B Phan Chau Trinh) that has been praised by bloggers and foreign media for several years now. Anthony Bourdain referred to the banh mi here as "the world's best", CNN said.

"Foodies can also enjoy local staples like herb-covered rice rolls, white rose dumplings and fresh seafood at Ms Ly’s café."
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 Famous towns in Southeast Asia appearing on the CNN list also include Vigan in the Philippines, Luang Prabang in Laos, Kampot in Cambodia, Kota Gede in Indonesia, and Phuket Old Town in Thailand.

Hoi An has been earning one laurel after another this year including topping this year’s tourism hotspot listing by New York-based magazine Travel + Leisure.

On July 16 Google Doodle featured an image of Hoi An with symbols of Chua Cau (Pagoda Bridge) and colorful lanterns, the first Vietnamese destination to be honored thus.

The number of foreign visitors to Hoi An skyrocketed by 90 percent last year to 3.7 million.
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Source - VN Express
 

Friday, August 23, 2019

Lonely Planet names #Vietnam’s north-south rail journey among world’s best


Vietnam’s north-south railway is listed by the British travel guide, Lonely Planet, as one of 10 world’s ‘most amazing’ train journeys for 2019.

The Reunification Express, known as the Thong Nhat Railway, traverses more than 1,726 kilometers (1,072 miles) between Hanoi and Saigon, the country’s two biggest cities, in two days.

"There is no more atmospheric way to haul into Vietnam’s twin metropolises. And there’s no better way of exploring all the glories in between," Lonely Planet said.

The journey allows passengers to sit and enjoy romantic scenery and rural landscapes along coastal towns in the central region including the former imperial capital of Hue, the Da Nang City Port which was initially built in the French colonial time and the ancient town of Hoi An.
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The other train journeys Lonely Planet lists are the California Zephyr in the U.S., Baikal–Amur Mainline in Russia, China’s Beijing to Lhasa Express, and the TranzAlpine in New Zealand.

The north-south rail has been deteriorating after decades of use since being built by the French in the 1930s. Rail transport is rapidly losing popularity given the rise of cheap air travel.

Vietnam’s aviation industry has been growing at the third fastest pace in the Asia-Pacific, according to the International Air Transport Association.

The railways carried 9.4 million passengers last year, down 3.5 percent from 2017, according to government data.

Some companies have been trying to revive the romance of train travel, offering first-class trips with attached restaurant cars like the five-star services launched in 2017 from Saigon to the coastal resort town of Nha Trang and from Hanoi to the northern highlands town of Sa Pa.

Russian news agency Sputnik recently included the north-south rail among world’s 10 most beautiful.

Last year travel publisher Rough Guides named it as one of the most scenic in Asia, where one can watch buffalos grazing in rice paddies, fishermen casting their nets in the sea, deserted white beaches, and lush rainforests.
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Source - VN Express

Saturday, August 17, 2019

#Vietnam - Visit to Son Doong Cave among top adventurous experiences

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 For British travellers, an expedition to Son Doong in Vietnam, the world’s largest cave, is among the greatest adventures they would like to undertake.

British TV channel Dave, a panel of travel experts and editors of U.K. tabloid Daily Mail polled 2,000 people aged 40 or under earlier this week for a survey of ‘greatest adventures around the world and across the U.K.’

Of them, 24 percent said they want to explore Son Doong Cave in the central province of Quang Binh, dubbed Vietnam’s ‘Kingdom of Caves,’ putting it fifth in the top 20 adventure list.

Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest mountain in Africa, topped the list (37 percent), followed by trekking along the Inca trail in Peru (35 percent), rafting in the Grand Canyon in the U.S. (31 percent) and descending into Thrihnukagigur volcano in the U.K. (29 percent).

The rest of the top 10 also included dog sledding to witness the aurora borealis in Norway, kayaking in Arctic fjords in Denmark, climbing to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal, cruising the Antarctic, and cage diving with sharks in South Africa.
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 Howard Limbert, a former head of the British Caving Association, and his wife Deb spent nearly 13 years surveying caves in Vietnam since the early 1990s. In 2009 they concluded their initial exploration and declared Son Doong the world's largest cave.
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Son Doong opened to tourists in 2013 and the five kilometer-long system, which is 150 meters high and 200 meters wide, contains at least 150 individual caves, a dense subterranean jungle and several underground rivers.

Due to limited space, registration for Son Doong tours must be made well in advance. According to Oxalis, now the only company licensed to take tourists to the cave, only 300 slots are available this year.

A four-day expedition costs $3,000, and there are buses running from Hanoi to Dong Hoi, the capital town of Quang Binh, and then to the park.

The Quang Binh government recently increased the number of tourists allowed to visit the cave in a year from 640 to 900.

The tour is growing in popularity, and with Son Doong getting prominent coverage from the National Geographic, CNN and Good Morning America, Phong Nha-Ke Bang has become the go-to destination in Vietnam for adventurous travelers
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Source - VN Express

Friday, August 16, 2019

#Thailand, the land of festivals

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 We’ll start with Songkran because that’s the start of the Thai new year. It’s held on April 13. Having already blown most of the budget on fireworks for the western new year on January 1 and the Chinese New Year festivities, this time they use water as a means of ‘purification’, saying goodbye to the country’s hot season and welcoming the monsoonal rains. It involves a lot of water. In the past it was a gentle festival held at temples washing Buddha images.
It’s meant to be like this…
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  Fireworks, colour, smoke, noise, costumes, absence of occupational health and safety. That could describe any of the many, many festivals held around Thailand each year. Different regions, different festivals. Some reflect an ancient culture and a rich history, other make absolutely no sense but we enjoy them anyway. We’ll go through some of the main ones and a few you’ll NEVER see anywhere else in the world.

But it’s actually like this!
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 Somehow it’s morphed into a huge water fight, in some places, running over many days up to week (in Chiang Mai and parts of Pattaya). Ladeling water gently onto Buddha statues has been replaced by all-out water fights, loud music, foam and a party that has no rules.

If you’re outside during Songkran, especially in the main tourist zones, you WILL get splashed, probably drenched. The more the authorities try and play down the fun in Songkran the more tourists arrive each year determined to party in an event that’s somewhere between a video-game and the last half of ‘Titanic’.

And that’s just ONE festival!
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 The Vegetarian Festival, principally held in Phuket with it’s Chinese heritage, is an assault on all your senses. Parades are held around the island by various community groups with participants wearing white and followed up by either one or many mah-song. These mah-song have been ‘possessed’ by a spirit and display tourettes-like ticks, grunts and choreography that suggests their claims may indeed be true. If it’s all an act, it’s a very convincing one because, apart from all the cavorting down the street, they also have their cheeks and other parts of their body pierced – not by an earring or something tame like that – we’re talking spears, swords, petrol pumps, guns. It’s insane! These days there’s an ambulance following behind and probably more mah-song succumb to blood loss than is ever reported.
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 Phi ta khon (or Ghost Festival) is held in the Dan Sai district of north-eastern Thailand (near the Lao border) each year and usually follows a parade of people dressed up in rags with ghost masks.

Phi Ta Khon is the name given to a group of celebrations held over three days in the province of Loei. The most striking is the first day, the Ghost Festival itself, when the town residents invite the protection of the river spirit Phra U-Pakut, and then parade wearing the ghosts masks made of husks and coconut leaves.

But they also carry with them large phallic axes which are meant to reflect… oh, Google it.

 In Esan and around the Laos border areas there are many rocket festivals each year around May to June. Probably the biggest is the Yasothon Bun Bang Fai Rocket Festival. Imagine groups building their own rocket with the winner able to fire their rocket to the highest altitude. Like Songkran, the idea is to welcome in the forthcoming wet season (by piercing the sky to encourage rain).

The rockets used to be made out of bamboo but are more likely to be constructed out of PVC pipes these days and powered by ‘black powder’ which is regulated by certain rules (we doubt this claim!!). So there’s gun powder, loud music, alcohol and men in competition to fire home-made rockets high into the Esan sky – what could possible go wrong?! Some of the rockets reach heights of several kilometres and can travel a lot further down range.

Read more about the rocket festivals HERE.

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 Chinese New Year is big in China and it’s also huge in Thailand. Partly because there are many ethnic Thai-Chinese born in Thailand but also because there are so many Chinese visiting the Kingdom these days. The Chinese New Year festivities stretch from shopping centre sales to regional street parades to ceremonies for families and businesses.
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For a Buddhist country, Christmas is ironically enthusiastically celebrated. It involves presents, eating, celebrations, coloured lights and people spending money so it was always going to fly in Thailand. Thais remain completely bemused by Santa Claus, ‘baby Jesus’ and Christmas carols but, commercially, they’ve certainly embraced it now.

I have never seen better decorations or a celebration of Christmas than I have in Bangkok. My best Christmas moment was when I found a statue of Santa Claus nailed to a cross – a slight cultural faux pas where they’d confused Easter and Christmas and come up with a perfectly ‘Thai’ Christmas decoration.
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Source - The Thaiger

Thursday, February 7, 2019

#Cambodia - Koh Paen residents aim to keep bamboo bridge tradition alive

Each year, Koh Paen residents built a seasonal, kilometre-long bamboo bridge for cars and pedestrians to cross the Mekong when the water levels were too low for a ferry.

Connecting the island of Koh Paen to Kampong Cham city in Kampong Cham province is a giant 779m concrete bridge, opened in March last year, able to carry loads of 20 to 30 tonnes across the Mekong river.

Is it functional? Perhaps. Does it have any charm? Absolutely not.

But 2km south down the Mekong used to sit another bridge fulfilling a similar function, less robust and practical, but exuding an antiquated charm by anyone’s estimation.

Each year, for decades, the island residents of Koh Paen built a seasonal, kilometre-long (1,000m) bamboo bridge for cars and pedestrians to cross the Mekong when the water levels were too low for a ferry. And each year, when the rains swelled the river, the elements would tear it down again.

For local residents, the bridge was a backdrop to daily life since they can remember – only disrupted between 1973 and 1986 with the civil war and emergence of the Khmer Rouge – though the specific history of the bridge remains hard to pinpoint.

Prior to 1973, the bridge was owned collectively by a company established by 14 villagers from the island, according to 74-year-old Nai Seang, speaking to The Post back in 2017. She joined the company in 1964, purchasing two shares for 7,000 riel (approximately $1,500 after adjusting for inflation).

Back then, the bridge was only a foot and bicycle bridge built from locally sourced bamboo, with a 1 riel toll for pedestrians, or 2 riel for a bike (equivalent to $0.19 and $0.37 today, respectively). As the youngest in the company when she joined at the age of 22, she was the sole surviving member.
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The bamboo bridge also serves as a major tourist attraction for both local and international visitors.

 “The knowledge would be passed down from one generation of builders to the next,” she said. While Seang says she never asked the older members of the company about the bridge’s history, she remembers it when she was an infant, which indicates that it dates back to at least the 1940s.

That the bridge has become a tourist attraction was a strange curiosity for Seang. “I did not know the bridge has become such a tourist attraction. I was very young when I bought my shares, and to me it was just a thing that helps people cross the river, and a business,” she says.

But back in March last year, as the concrete monolith neared completion, for the first time in decades the residents of Koh Paen decided against building their bridge as a river crossing for vehicles.

Yung Oun, the owner of the old bamboo bridge, told The Post that it served as a major tourist attraction in the province, for both local and international visitors, so the loss of the bamboo bridge signalled a loss of money for the area too.

To avoid this, last year enterprising locals decided to keep the tradition alive on a smaller scale by building a tourist friendly, pedestrian only bridge as a replacement.
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 “Last year, our new bridge was only 700 metres. This year, we will construct it up to 800 metres,” said 60-year-old Bun Dara, a former Institute of Technology of Cambodia engineer and owner of the new bamboo bridge.

The bridge, built using more than 20,000 bamboo sticks, was officially opened on December 1. It is open from dawn to dusk, including weekends and holidays.

“On a normal day, I see about 30 to 50 people walking across the bridge,” said Dara.

To cross the bridge, pedestrians cost 2,000 riel, a motorbike costs 5,000 riel, a vehicle or tuk-tuk costs 10,000 riel and a larger vehicle costs 20,000 riel.


Source - PhnomPenhPost




Sunday, February 3, 2019

#Indonesia - Government to boost sustainable tourism in small villages


Tangkahan village near Mount Leuser in North Sumatra and Pemuteran village in Bali are two of many villages in Indonesia that offer unique ecotourism attractions. 

They can set an example for other villages across the country to develop sustainable tourism as envisaged by the government during a United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) meeting recently.

Tourists could enjoy ecotourism activities in Tangkahan such as jungle trekking and elephant riding, said Valerina Daniel, the head of the Tourism Ministry’s sustainable tourism acceleration team. 

“In this village, people who used to be illegal loggers are now part of developing the tourism village by offering packages to tourists, which helps to preserve the forests,” she said in Jakarta recently.

Tourists visiting Pemuteran, which is known as a fishing village where residents are active in marine conservation, can go diving and snorkeling while participating in activities like coral conservation and feeding turtles. 

Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said after the UNWTO meeting that the ministry wanted to create 2,000 tourism villages by the end of this year, an increase from the 1,734 created last year.
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 The program, managed in conjunction with the Villages, Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministry, is part of the government’s commitment to accelerate sustainable tourism.  
 According to UNWTO guidelines released in 2005, sustainable tourism should take full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impact while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, environment and host community.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Regulation No. 14/2016 stipulates that sustainable tourism should empower local communities, preserve culture and conserve the environment.

Valerina said the development of tourism villages would be focused around the 10 priority destinations, or 10 New Balis, adding that the development was a sustainable tourism model that suited Indonesia, which has 75,000 villages across the archipelago.

“There are many villages in Indonesia and a village is the smallest instrument where we can directly empower the community by developing its potential while preserving its culture and environment based on the sustainable tourism principle,” she said.

He added that the development of the homestays and villages could be funded by state-owned enterprises’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.

Another financing option would be using low-interest rate loans from banks with long-term maturity so that local players can thrive, Arief said. 

He added that the government would also establish more Sustainable Tourism Observatories (STOs) in seven locations, adding to the five existing STOs so far. The STOs monitor research and give recommendations to the local government on how to develop sustainable tourism.

The sustainable tourism program was a positive move for Indonesia, although it had yet to become the umbrella policy for general tourism development in the country, said Muhammad Baiquni, a tourism expert at Gadjah Mada University’s Center of Tourism Studies. 

“The sustainable tourism concept could be a good balancer for Indonesia’s tourism, which still tends to be quantity oriented instead of quality oriented,” added Baiquni. 

He, however, reminded the government to make sure that village tourism had a positive impact on society, culture and the environment, as well as putting local communities first so that sustainable tourism could be achieved. 

“Are the villagers benefitting and sovereign on their own land? Does tourism in the villages make their environment and socioeconomic situation better? All of these must be assessed.”

Baiquni suggested that the government should focus on creating tourism villages that were of high standards and sustainable, rather than setting a specific target for homestays and villages.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Chinese begin Lunar holiday exodus in the millions


Millions of Chinese have begun the annual exodus for the Lunar New Year, the world's largest annual human migration, leaving major cities to return to their hometowns for the holiday. 

The most important holiday in the Chinese calendar places great emphasis on family reunions, and travellers must get home by Monday to usher in the Year of the Pig the following day. 

At Beijing Railway Station early on Wednesday, thousands were milling around in the cold, wrapped up in thick coats and wheeling their luggage.

They included a group of children with brightly colored bags emblazoned with cartoon characters, a stark contrast to the dark, wintry morning. 
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Readying for a 32-hour journey from Beijing to Huaihua in Hunan province, central China, passengers kept themselves entertained on mobile phones while sipping tea from flasks. 

Many who bought standing-only tickets were perched on their luggage along the aisle, or on tiny foldable stools sold on the Beijing platform. Others dozed in their cramped seats.

In the sleeper cabins there was a buzz in the air, with families chatting and sharing food and children playing along the corridors. 

Rail operators expect some 413 million trips during this year's holiday season, up 8.3 percent from a year ago, the official Xinhua news agency reported. 

Source - TheJakartaPost
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Saturday, January 26, 2019

Travelling the world


Thai passport holders have visa-free access to 75 countries, ranking 68th globally in the 2019 Henley Passport Index. Japan ranks first, with visa-free access to as many as 190 countries, while Afghanistan and Iraq are at the bottom with visa-free access to just 30 nations.


Source - TheNation

Thursday, December 6, 2018

#Indonesia - 'Sound of Humanity' seeks to put Lombok tourism back on track


A music festival is set to be held in Sangkareang Square in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), from Dec. 8 to 9 to help Lombok recover from the earthquakes that devastated the region earlier this year.
Organized jointly by the Mataram city administration as well as musicians and volunteers grouped under Bandini Production, the Mataram Jazz & World Music Festival 2018 also aims to entertain quake volunteers and help survivors move on from their traumatic experience.
"This event is also held to promote Lombok as a safe destination to visit," added the chairman of the organizing committee, Imam Sofian, at a press conference on Monday.
Some 100 local and national jazz musicians are scheduled to perform at the festival, which is themed "Sound of Humanity: Jazz Tribute for Humanity”.
“Initiated by artists, jazz musicians and volunteers, the event serves as a form of appreciation for the artists and volunteers who have done many things and helped the people of Lombok in the aftermath of the earthquakes,” said ...
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The artists, he said, had been volunteering by distributing aid, building temporary houses, providing trauma healing and other humanitarian activities for the earthquake survivors.
 “Even today they still continue helping the survivors. The reflection of their experience as volunteers motivates us to organize the event,” 
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 Among the musicians scheduled to participate in the festival include Jakarta-based artists Tohpati Ethnomission, Jason Ranti, Dua Drum, Cerita Fatmawati and Jazz Muda Indonesia feat. Agis Kania; as well as Astrid Sulaiman Quartet from Ubud, Sambava from Sumbawa, and Mataram-based musicians Ary Juliant, Sura Dipa, Jazz Double Quartet/Jadeq, Neo Decker, Pesawat Kertas, One & Flower, Don’t Tell Mom, and Pelita Harapan Jazz Project feat. JKR. 
 Slated to be held at Sangkarean city park, the event is part of the "Mataram MoveOn" campaign.

Mataram Deputy Mayor Mohan Roliskana said the earthquakes that hit the region from July 29 to Aug. 19 also affected Mataram, the provincial capital.

The earthquakes damaged houses, office buildings and other facilities. Even a month after the earthquakes hit, people in Mataram were still living in evacuation tents.

The "Mataram MoveOn" campaign aims to help survivors to return to their daily activities, as well as repair offices, schools and the region’s economy.
Source TheJakartaPost
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Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Here are the top 10 beaches



Iconic beach from popular K-drama named world’s best beach 2018

A beach in Greece that will be instantly recognizable to fans of K-drama tops a new list of the world’s best 100 beaches, as voted by journalists, editors and bloggers from around the world.

For its list of world’s best beaches, airfare agency FlightNetwork tapped 1,200 travel experts around the world on their picks for the most beautiful, postcard-perfect beach destinations around the world.

Taking the top spot is Navagio Beach, better known as Shipwreck Beach in Zakynthos, Greece.
The slice of paradise takes its rather ominous name from the rusty remains of the shipwrecked Freightliner MV Panagiotis, which sits anchored against towering golden cliffs in the hidden cove.

FlightNetwork says the beach has become increasingly popular in recent years, but fails to mention that the most probable reason for the spike in visitors can be traced to its starring role in the hit 2016 K-drama “Descendants of the Sun.”

The beach served as one of the backdrops for the main characters’ improbable romance in the fictional country of Urku.
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 The 16-episode drama broke viewership records in South Korea, with nearly 40 percent of the country watching its final episode in April 2016. The series was also wildly popular in other Asian countries and among K-drama fans around the world.

The rest of the list features beaches in the Philippines, Hawaii, Thailand, Turks and Caicos, Chile, Micronesia and the Bahamas, among others.

Here are the top 10 beaches:
1. Shipwreck Beach, Zakynthos, Greece
2. Whitehaven Beach, Australia
3. Hidden Beach, Philippines
4. Praia do Sancho, Brazil
5. Tulum, Mexico
6. Grace Bay, Turks and Caicos
7. Seven Mile Beach, Cayman Islands
8. Anse Source d’Argent, Seychelles
9. Maya Bay, Thailand
10. Varadero Beach, Cuba


 Hidden Beach is in El Nido, Palawan which is composed of islands and islets and is known for its massive limestone cliffs. It was in the 14th spot in last year’s list.

Source - TheJakartaPost

Monday, September 24, 2018

#Sydney breaks ground on new airport


Sydney-bound holidaymakers will soon have more options to reach Australia's largest city, which on Monday broke ground on a new US$3.6 billion airport. 

"Western Sydney Airport" is scheduled to open in 2026 as part of an effort to deal with booming air traffic numbers.

"It's great to see this happening," said Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the opening. "This issue has been around for longer than I have been living on the planet," he added, joking about long-running planning delays.

The number of air passengers globally is projected to nearly double to 7.8 billion by 2036.
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 Sydney is expected to double passenger numbers within the next two decades, with low cost airlines continuing to provide much of the growth -- driving down fares on longer routes and stimulating demand.

Supporters of the project say that even if flight restrictions on Sydney's current airport were lifted, it would not be able to handle expected passenger numbers.

In the first phase Western Sydney Airport will be able to handle around 10 million passengers a year, around a quarter of the current total landing at the present facility.

Source - TheJakartaPost