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Tiger Airways launches
low fare flights from
Chiang Mai to Singapore
Sandy Clark
Tiger Airways, Singapore’s low fare airline’s first
flight arrived in Chiang Mai on Friday, February 18, 2005. This new airline
started operation in September 2004 claims it can offer reliable
point-to-point air travel at highly affordable fares.
Tony
Davis (5th from left), president and CEO of Tiger Airways during the
promotion in Chiang Mai. (Photo by Michael Vogt)
Tiger Airways has four Airbus A 320 with single class
configuration of 180 seats. Currently it has four daily flights to Bangkok,
one daily to Phuket and Hat Yai respectively, and four flights weekly to
Chiang Mai (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday).
CEO of Tiger Airways, Tony Davis, who was present for the
inaugural flight said, “Chiang Mai is a very popular tourist destination
for Singaporeans because it’s rich in traditional Lanna culture, has great
weather, and most of all, has unbeatable sight-seeing in the nearby hills
and mountains, not to forget the more affordable prices for golfers.”
To launch Tiger Airways inaugural flight from Singapore
to Chiang Mai, Tiger Airways gave away 200 free tickets for Singaporeans to
travel to Chiang Mai. Similar road shows will be organized shortly in Chiang
Mai giving away free tickets to Singapore.
The average cost for one way Chiang Mai is 1,500 baht but
to celebrate the launch of the new route, 3000 seats from 249 baht (one way)
was launched in Chiang Mai.
Bookings can be done online anytime, but Tiger Airways
currently operates ticket counters in Singapore, Bangkok and Phuket
airports, opening two hours before departure. The current flights to and
from Chiang Mai are on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
For more information about Tiger Airways, visit www. tigerairways.com
Nok Air’s new package payment option
Staff reporters
Nok Air is collaborating with AEON Thana Sinsap in
offering travellers the “AEON Super Package”, providing credit payment
services for travellers during the up-coming holiday season.
With the “AEON Super Package”, travellers can choose
a travel package to any of the five destinations from Bangkok to Chiang Mai,
Phitsanulok, Udon Thani, Phuket or Hat Yai. The package includes hotel
accommodation, return airfare with Nok Air and airport transfers. Payment
can then be made with the AEON instalment payment.
 Patee
Sarasin, chief executive officer of Nok Air
Masao Mizuno, Managing Director, Aeon Thana Sinsap
(Thailand) said, “We feel that the ‘AEON Super Package’ can serve to
further stimulate the travelling habits of Thais, while promoting tourism
within the country.” This concept was also backed by Patee Sarasin, chief
executive officer of Nok Air.
AEON members can make reservations for one of the Aeon
Super Packages through the AEON call centre at 0-2664-0381-2 and
0-2664-0396-7, while non-AEON members can apply for membership at the AEON
call centre. Payment can be made with the AEON instalment payment option or
full payment can be made through the AEON credit card. The packages are
available from today through April 30, 2005.
Nok Air operates three daily flights to Phuket, as well as daily flights
to Chiang Mai, Udon Thani, Hat Yai, and Phitsanulok, operating Boeing
737-400s.
THAI explains cancellation of some domestic and international flights
Thai Airways International (THAI) has clarified the
adjustment and cancellation of its domestic and international flight
schedule effective 15 January 2005 onwards on the Taipei-Hong
Kong-Phuket-Bangkok, Bangkok-Phuket-Singapore and Bangkok-Hat Yai-Singapore
routes.
Kanok Abhiradee, THAI’s president, said that the flight
adjustment between 15 January and 26 March 2005 was implemented to cope with
the decrease in passenger demand, not to make way for Thai AirAsia to take
over those routes since this depends on aviation rights which must be
requested from the Air Transportation Department. In addition, the
adjustment will be temporary and will be adjusted again for the Summer
Schedule.
The Bangkok–India route, which is considered a highly
profitable route, will not be cancelled. Passengers may request flight
details or make their reservations through the Reservation Office 24 hours a
day by calling Tel: 0-2628-2000 and 0-2280-0060.
Airport committee urges development plans
The committee working on the development of Bangkok’s
new international airport will propose the urgent establishment of a new
corporation to revamp the area in the airport’s vicinity, amid fears that
delays could lead to unsystematic planning.
A source from the Suvarnabhumi Airport Development
Administration Committee, speaking to reporters, said that as soon as the
new Cabinet was in place the committee would propose its plans to Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra for immediate endorsement. With the airport due
to open in September this year, the committee is anxious that its plans get
off the drawing board as soon as possible.
As Bangkok’s new airport and the central plank in
Thailand’s bid to become a regional aviation hub, Suvarnabhumi will
necessitate systematic development. Studies by the committee have shown that
over the next 30 years, the population of the area surrounding the airport
is likely to swell to 1.8 million, with over 100,000 jobs created by the end
of this year alone. Failure to plan properly, the source warned, could lead
to a host of future problems.
In addition to the development plans, the committee will
also propose the establishment of a Suvarnabhumi town development
corporation, which will play an integral role in the development work.
“Both the area administration plans and the
establishment of the corporation must be undertaken as a matter of urgency.
If we can’t do this simultaneously with the airport’s opening, the area
will lack planning”, the source said, pointing to the airport’s future
role as a centre of international business and industry. What was vital, the
source said, was to ensure careful zoning which would delineate residential
and industrial areas. (TNA)
Major reforestation scheme planned for villagers
The Thai government is planning to launch a major
reforestation program including encouraging villagers to inhabit forest
areas with promises of land-use rights and contract-farming deals.
The latest official survey revealed that more than 57
million rai of forest land throughout country have been reduced to
wasteland, a senior forest official Virapol Suthipornpalangkul revealed.
From the survey, more than 340,000 people live in the country’s degraded
forests nationwide.
Under the new scheme, the government plans to introduce
more than a million rai of commercial forest land. Under this deal, the
government will encourage residents living in these forest areas without
official permission to plant fast-growing trees of commercial value, like
eucalyptus, in order to improve the soil quality. The government will offer
to buy the products from these trees under a contract-farming arrangement
and grant land-use rights to the villagers. (TNA)
Accor set to score King Power deal
Jeremy Colson, TTG
Accor Hotels Asia Pacific is looking to be appointed as
the operator of a 400 room Novotel on a site behind the Siam City Hotel in
downtown Bangkok.
To be called the Novotel King Power Bangkok, the new
property is a key component of a development that also includes offices,
shops, a classical dance theatre and duty-free shopping.
The development will also feature a new head office for
King Power Duty Free, the company that has leased the site from Thailand’s
Crown Property Bureau.
Novotel King Power is slated to open mid-2007 and is the
second new Novotel to be announced by Accor this month. The other is the 600
room Novotel Suvarnabhumi Hotel which is in an advanced stage of
construction at Bangkok’s new airport.
Yunnan Chinese Culture Center
a new tourist attraction in Pai
Staff reporters
The Yunnan Chinese Culture Center may become a new
tourist attraction in Santichon, Pai, which could change its image from that
of a drug village.
On February 9, Prasit Prasertsri, Mae Hong Son deputy
governor, presided over the opening ceremony of the Yunnan Chinese Culture
Center at Baan Santichon, Pai district, Mae Hong Son. The exhibition shows
the ancient Chinese pace of living and lifestyle and there is also a market
for local products. Boonlor Lorariyawat, headman of Baan Santichon, said
that the name of Santichon has been notorious for drug connections but the
government is now keeping a weather eye on this area.
In an effort to revive its popularity, the villagers
built the culture center in the middle of the village to attract tourists.
From now on, they fondly hope, it will create only fame for the village and
the polyglot villagers will be happy again.
Presently, 264 villagers claim to be Thai, 807 are still
waiting for nationality permits, 205 persons are liberal Chinese, 133 are
migrating Chinese, 48 are former nationalist Chinese combatants, 284 are
identified as hill tribe people and 137 remain unidentified.
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