Progressive Singapore
Marion Vogt
The weekend destination — merely a two hour flight for
people in the North and offering a range of culture and tradition plus a
shopping paradise — is undoubtedly Singapore. While other destinations
still try to market themselves either as a shopping paradise or a place of
culture, Singapore promotes it all.

No
Singapore experience is complete without taking a boat ride at Clarke Quay
where modern skyscrapers and Chinese lanterns blend naturally together.
By realizing the huge potential of the city state, the
Singapore Tourism Board can claim to have exceeded expectations by
supporting what once was laughed at as the marketing campaign of a bunch of
dreamers. When the four decade casino ban in Singapore ended and the
announcement came that two multibillion dollar integrated resorts were to be
built, another boom was in sight for one of the fastest growing tourist
destinations in the world.
For
the young, hip and fearless, the ‘G-Max-Ultimate Bungy’ at Clarke Quay
catapults the rider 60 m into the sky at 200 kmh.
TTR Daily reported on April 29, that the Las Vegas
Sands Corp had confirmed it has been short-listed by the Singapore
government to participate in the Request for Proposal process, which will
lead to the building of an integrated casino resort in the city-state. The
company’s president, William Weidner, said, “Our proposal to the
Singapore government, The Garden City Resort, features plans for a
Guggenheim Heritage Museum, botanical gardens and theme ride attractions,
world-class shopping, dining and entertainment, and expansive corporate
meeting and convention space.”
That definitely is the music of the future but at the moment Singapore
combines fashion, art, class, style, an excellent infrastructure and
lifestyle, while still not forgetting its multi-cultural heritage.

The wine
bar at the ‘Gallery Hotel, Singapore’s first Hip-Art Design Hotel, in
the Robertson Quay area and Mohammad Sultan entertainment district.
DaimlerChrysler Maybach 62 tests potholes of Chiang Mai
(From
left) Thanat Rattivanich, sales & marketing manager, Jarern Motor Benz
Limited, Chiang Mai; Grisnagorn Sawettanan, senior manager, DaimlerChrysler
(Thailand) Limited; Sun Suebsaeng, managing director, Dhara Dhevi Hotel Co.,
Ltd and Patrick-Denis Finet, general manager, Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi
Resort, Chiang Mai.
Daimler Chrysler Thailand in cooperation with Mandarin
Oriental Dhara Dhevi Resort, Chiang Mai, has launched a new promotional
package to introduce DaimlerChrysler’s Maybach 62 luxury automobile as
exclusive transportation for resort’s guests until June 10
Phuket Air crisis escalates
Jeremy Colson,
TTG Asia
British and Dutch authorities have officially banned
Phuket Air from flying into the UK or the Netherlands, and other European
aviation authorities are expected to follow suit as fears escalate about the
carrier’s ability to meet international standards.
The bans mean Phuket Air becomes the first
Thai-registered carrier to be excluded from European skies and indicate that
British and Dutch aviation authorities are not satisfied with the aircraft
worthiness certification of Thailand’s Department of Aviation, an aviation
consultant told TTG Daily News this morning.
Seven other carriers are on the UK’s Department for
Transport blacklist. All but one are based in Africa. The other is
registered in Tajikistan.
Meanwhile, as the carrier’s debts begin to mount, one
of its ageing Boeing 747 jets has been impounded by the British Airports
Authority for non-payment of landing fees, believed to be in the region of
US$262,000. Other suppliers, including GDSs, have also confirmed they are
owed “large sums” of money.
Despite everything, Phuket Air is still listing flights
to London and Amsterdam on its website, and is still flying passengers to
Denpasar in Bali as well as on domestic routes within Thailand.
A source close to the carrier said the bulk of its
passengers were factory workers on incentive trips.
Repeated attempts to obtain comments from Phuket Air
failed to get a response today.
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