The World Bank has projected that the Thai economy will grow 3.5 per cent this year and 4 per cent next year, rebounding from last year, when it contracted 2.7 per cent.
Dr Kirida Bhaopichitr, country economist for Thailand at the World Bank’s Bangkok office said Thai exports are projected to expand 15 per cent this year thanks to improved economy of Thailand’s trade partners and recovery of the tourism sector. (More …)
Muslim Fashion Project: Flickr.com
How could a decent economy bring stability to local residents in Thailand’s far South when the ongoing southern insurgency continues? The violence that erupted in early 2004 and has continued since has left thousands of people dead in its wake and has severely affected daily life of many of the locals who see their incomes sharply depleted.
Muslim apparel and costume accessories made by villagers in the southern border provinces are one of the incentives that government-related agencies have been trying to push forward to compete in international markets so as to improve the quality of life of local residents.
Members of local dressmaking groups have been trained to improve their skills in designing, tailoring, lacing and embroidering Muslim clothing, thanks to the Industrial Promotion Department’s Industrial Development Project for Muslim Costume Products in Thailand’s Five Southernmost Provinces. (More …)
Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Thailand: Flickr.com
Finance Asia readers have voted Bangkok’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Singapore Airlines as the best in their sectors in an annual Asian business travel survey.
The online survey was conducted on 462 Hong Kong-based readers, with the result published in the November issue. The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, Thailand, was voted the region’s top hotel for the second year in a row. The second best went to the Four Seasons in Hong Kong and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the same city. For the airline sector, Singapore Airlines, which regularly wins people’s choice awards won the best business and first class service. But for long-haul flights to New York and London, Cathay Pacific emerged as the readers’ favorite. (More …)
Lonely Beach, Koh Chang Island, Thailand: picasaweb.google.com
The International Fishing Cup Tournament Asia kicked off on Friday in Ko Chang, Trat province. 15 fishing teams from Asian countries including Thailand have signed up for the competition.
Major General Jaraspim Therarak, the manager of the Designated Area for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA), yesterday presided over the opening ceremony of Ko Chang International Fishing Cup Tournament Asia at Bang Bao pier on the island. The event is jointly organized by the International Fishing Angler’s Associate, Tourism Authority of Thailand, and Trat Tourism Business Association. More than 15 fishing teams from Korea, Japan, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Thailand have taken part in the competition. (More …)
Long tail boat at sunset Kata Beach Phuket Thailand:fotopedia.com
The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) expressed confidence that Thai tourism this high season would recover, with tourists coming individually by their own initiatives.
President of TCT, Kongkrit Hirankit, cited that negative factors in the world economy would affect to Thai tourism to some extent this high season. Tourists would travel more by themselves, not through tour agencies. Thus, tour businesses might be affected.
60% of the tourists had been to Thailand. They not only have experiences about Thailand, but also look for services that are worth their money. (More …)
In the 8th Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC 21), Asia’s eight key cities signed the “Bangkok Declaration” in a bid to eliminate the 2009 flu pandemic and to promote tourism in a sustainable manner.
Ms Taya Teepsuwan, Deputy Governor of Bangkok, stated that Asian countries were the most aware of these 2 issues at the moment. She believed that in accordance with the aim to develop the region, tackling these issues seriously would raise the quality of life for the people. (More …)
Professor Dr.Yu-Mei Yu Chao, a professional nursing scholar from Taiwan received the 2008 Princess Srinagarindra Award for her significant contribution to nursing and public health.
Professor Dr.Yu-Mei Yu Chao spoke after the ceremony, that it had been such an honor receiving the award from HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn at the Grand Palace. Her research on Multiple Myeloma in adolescents was conducted to find out that the lack of health insurance in the past caused deaths from Multiple Myeloma in children. However, she noted that Thailand had excellent basic medication. (More …)
the JW Marriott Hotel in Indonesia. Marriott International already has 37 hotels under construction across the region, planning 21 new hotels in Asia. AFP Photo.
Hotel group Marriott International announced Wednesday it was planning 21 new hotels in Asia, despite the impact of the global economic slowdown on travel and demand.
The company already has 37 hotels under construction across the region, meaning that it will have built 58 new hotels by 2013, creating an estimated 24,000 jobs.
“We are excited by these spectacular, architecturally interesting additions to our already dynamic Asia-Pacific pipeline especially since this growth is occurring in the context of the difficult global economy and tight credit markets,” said Ed Fuller, president of international lodging. (More …)
Swan Boat Races
Teams compete for prizes in the 21st annual swan boat races at the Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Craft Centre, 19 to 20 September.
Bang Sai Royal Folk Arts and Crafts Centre, Ayutthaya province, is worth visiting any time of the year, but it has a special fascination for visitors in September, when the riverside complex hosts the annual international swan boat races.
Now in its 21st year, the dates were changed this year to 19 to 20 September moving back a week from its usual mid-month slot. But it still promises to be a tough, contested, series of races with nine international teams, mainly from around Asia, vying for the annual trophy. (More …)
Commercial ads 'Berlitz. Break the language barrier'
Asian-language translations to follow Thai-English
Language barriers – particularly those between Thai and English speakers – may soon cease to be a major problem in Thailand, following the development of automatic speech translation technology by the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec).
The director of Nectec’s Human Language Technology Laboratory, Chai Wutiwiwatchai, said a Speech Translation Project at the centre had set out to solve the problem of poor English skills in the Thai workforce.
Services developed by the project will now allow speech-to-speech translation of Thai to English or English to Thai via the Internet. (More …)
UTExplorers 4:43 am on September 8, 2009 Permalink |
This year the tourism industry of Thailand has been hurt by all sorts of bad publicity, causing tourists to lose confidence in traveling safely to Thailand. To counteract this false perception of Thailand, the TAT has launched “The Ultimate Thailand Explorers” event to create positive awareness of Thailand and inspiration for worldwide tourists to travel here, particularly through the use of the internet and web blogs, which influence tourists the most.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand therefore invites all interested parties to attend a press conference for “The Ultimate Thailand Explorers” project launch on Monday, September 14 from 14:00 to 16:00 in Lotus Suite 5-7, Centara Grand at Central World. This event is an exciting integrated online travel competition that will promote various Thailand destinations through various social and travel related websites.
Hope to see you there !