Source: The Nation

The country’s tourism industry is recording its biggest slump in 10 years in terms of foreign arrivals, if the number of visitors reported by the Association of Thai Travel Agents is anything to go by.

ATTA president Surapol Sritrakul yesterday said the number of foreigners arriving through its member companies had dropped by 38.28 per cent year on year to 867,267.

The number of South Korean tourists showed the biggest decline, falling 56.8 per cent to 55,442 arrivals, followed by Japanese tourists, which fell 47.84 per cent to 88,744.

The number of UK tourist arrivals was 41,419, down 41.49 per cent, while Chinese visitors totalled 113,727 (down 40.8 per cent) and Taiwanese 43,586 (down 37.84 per cent).

Surapol said the situation was however expected to improve over the rest of the year, as there was already a recovery in the number of forward bookings of tour packages from many markets, especially China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Iran.

Hotel bookings by Indian tourists in the first seven months inched up by 1.4 per cent year on year.

The ATTA had earlier predicted that the plight of the tourism industry would remain very serious until the end of next year.

Surapol said eight tourism associations would meet Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to discuss factors negatively affecting the sector, including the impact of the type-A (H1N1) flu and the security situation.

Anake Srishevachart, president of Thai-Japan Tourism Association, said his body would ask the Tourism Authority of Thailand to consider adjusting its marketing plan in order to attract more Japanese visitors.

The association wants the TAT to focus more on utilising media such as billboards in Japan to directly promote travel to the Kingdom, instead of focusing heavily on roadshows. Such advertising is expected to cost-effective and to yield better results than roadshows.

Moreover, the association wants the TAT to extend the period that elderly Japanese tourists are allowed to stay in Thailand to three months, from the present one month.

This category of Japanese visitors has high purchasing power, with an estimated average monthly income of Bt100,000, Anake said. They generally spend about Bt30,000 during one month of travel in Thailand.

Foreign arrivals to Thailand down 38%, says ATTA

Technorati Tags: Foreign arrivals to Thailand down 38%, says ATTA

Source: Bangkok Post

Cash-strapped Thai hoteliers with good green credentials will soon qualify for soft loans from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to help them survive the tourism slump.

The fund is offering loans worth a total of 30 million for hotel operators who are members of the Green Leaf Foundation and have been certified for environmentally friendly projects, said Prakit Chinamourphong, the president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA).

The association will co-ordinate with the WWF on the programme and Kasikornbank will help arrange the financing.

“The loans from WWF offer new hope for local hoteliers after many of them have faced disappointment dealing with the long process of obtaining loans from the government’s 2-billion-baht fund for SME operators,” he said yesterday.

To date, 83 tourism SME operators have received approval for the government loans but only five have actually received money totalling 23.5 million baht.

Mr Prakit said that WWF representatives talked with THA executives last week and outlined the offer to help with low-interest loans. The rate is not finalised but is expected to be three percentage points below local bank minimum lending rates (MLR), with a maximum repayment term of seven years. Hotel operators will be able to obtain the loans by January 2010.

“I think it is a win-win situation because if Thai hotel operators seriously focus on the environment, it will be good for them in the future because many international tourists, especially from Europe, are now very concerned about this issue,” said Mr Prakit.

WWF (formerly known as the World Wildlife Fund) is the world’s largest nature conservation organisation. It works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally.

Mr Prakit said hotel operators can still apply for the government loans through the Government Savings Bank in addition to the Small and Medium Enterprise Bank. The application period has been extended to September next year. But the THA has yet to finalise details with the government.

The hotel business continues to struggle because of the global travel slump and the spread of H1N1 influenza.

In June, average hotel occupancy in Bangkok was 47%, up from 43% in the same period last year. Phuket was 39%, down from 57%, Phung-nga 12%, down from 14%, and Krabi only 18%, off from 20%. Pattaya’s occupancy rate was 34%, compared with 50% and Hua Hin and Cha-am hotels had a rate of 35%, down from 43%. Chiang Mai dropped to 28% from 36% in June last year.

The government should help hotels that cater to foreign tourists by letting them sell alcoholic drinks on Buddhist holidays, said Mr Prakit.

WWF lends support to green Thai hotels

Technorati Tags: WWF lends support to green Thai hotels

Source: Bangkok Post

Thailand could lose millions of international tourists if the kingdom fails to come up with greater efforts to promote eco-tourism amid growing global concerns over climate change, says German Ambassador to Thailand Hanns Schumacher.

There is not enough concern about sustainable development at tourist destinations, which is crucial in curbing the industry’s impact on the environment, he said.

“There are several beautiful islands in Thailand, Koh Chang for example, that lack proper management of waste as well as water supply and sanitation,” said the ambassador.

“In some areas like Pattaya and Phuket, [the environment] is slipping away. In others, allowing hotel construction on the beaches has led to landslides.”

In addition, irresponsible developments were gradually deteriorating the environment and the local culture, which are key attractions for tourists.

Spain is an example where a poor stance on eco-tourism saw it lose its appeal with European tourists.

“Investment in eco-friendly tourism is the only way to create sustainable income in tourism. In some cases, the ecological destruction could cost much more to repair than the investment to prevent it,” he said.

Nisakorn Kositratna, the secretary-general for the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP), supported the idea saying government agencies should become more green-minded.

“For instance, in Germany there are protected areas that forbid the use of chemicals. The private sector will also be supported, not only the public sector,” Ms Nisakorn said.

Mr Schumacher said environmental technologies contribute 8% to Germany’s gross domestic product, where some 1.8 million people work in the “green sector”.

“In Germany, we underline the crucial role of economic incentives, in particular carbon markets, for necessary large-scale investments in climate-friendly technologies,” he said.

Mr Schumacher made his remarks at a workshop aimed at strengthening the Thai climate change team’s negotiating capacity. The workshop is part of the three-year Thai-German Climate Initiative, implemented by the German Technical Cooperation and ONEP, that runs through 2011.

The workshop is timely as Bangkok will hold climate change talks from Sept 28 to Oct 9. More talks will be held in Bonn next month, followed by Barcelona in November, ahead of the Copenhagen conference in December to discuss a new framework for climate-change policies after the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.

“Climate change is emerging for all countries. It is man-made and to deny this is truly irresponsible,” he said. “It is necessary to talk to the general public and make them aware of climate change and its impacts.”

Ms Nisakorn said Thailand has no commitment to cut CO2 emissions but Bangkok has continuously participated in climate change negotiations.

“ONEP is developing a master plan for climate change in Thailand, she said.

German ambassador warns Thailand not to ignore eco-tourism

Technorati Tags: German ambassador warns Thailand not to ignore eco-tourism

Source: The Nation

The global financial crisis gave a boost to an idea that has been floated in various quarters to encourage the use of the Chinese yuan as an international currency. Economic authorities in most countries, however, believe the idea is still a long way from being implemented.

Although China wants Shanghai to be an international financial centre by 2020, the financial community still has doubts about how the yuan could function as an international currency on the scale of the US dollar, Japanese yen or euro. Some conclude it could be an international currency; but not for many decades, while some anticipate that it could become a regional currency somewhat sooner.

Financial experts agree that China’s government faces a tough task selling the idea of the yuan as a currency that can stand beside the currencies mentioned above. China’s financial market is not only behind the financial markets in developed countries, but also behind those in some developing countries.

Many agree, however, that the plan could eventually benefit the Chinese people as well as global trade, investment and financial markets in terms of quantity and quality.

Bank of Thailand (BOT) assistant governor Suchada Kirakul said China has yet to take the first step on this road: becoming a convertible currency.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s definition, a convertible currency must be convertible into any other convertible currency.

The yuan cannot be traded outside China, so it cannot serve as an international currency, said CIMB Thai Bank executive vice president Bunluasak Pussarungsri.

Secondly, yuan liquidity is inadequate. Foreign investors must be declared a Qualified Foreign Institution Investor by the Chinese authorities before putting their money into assets on the mainland.

The country’s current-account surplus is partly blamed for the insufficient supply of yuan, leaving only a small amount of the currency in the global market, Bunluasak said.

Third, China’s financial market is not deep enough, and is saddled with investment restrictions. Its financial products are not varied enough, either.

Currently, Chinese people cannot freely exchange the yuan for US dollars, while foreigners face limitations on exchanges of dollars for yuan.

“The government needs to foster growth of the market and product development,” said Suchada.

Fourth, Chinese commercial banks are not able to freely extend yuan loans, particularly to non-residents.

For example, foreign importers cannot freely borrow yuan from a Chinese bank, even though they need the currency for trade settlement.

Fifth, China’s banking system and macro-economy are full of problems, such as a bubble in the property sector, Bunluasak said.

He said the government has encouraged bubbles in many sectors of the economy, urging banks to provide loans beyond the appropriate level.

Moreover, China’s state-controlled economy is less efficient than the market-driven systems that underpin the other major currencies.

Although the US economy is in recession due to the sub-prime crisis, its sovereign credit rating remains high because investors have faith in the creditworthiness of the dollar.

Usara Wilaipich, senior economist at Standard&Chartered Bank (Thai), said the global crisis had brought about a shift in the centre of the global economy from West to East, something China can take advantage of.

China is full of natural resources such as water, food and energy, and has extensive international reserves, large domestic demand and a high savings rate. This all encourages China to forge ahead with its plan.

Moreover, its influence in commodity markets has encouraged Beijing to expand its trading role out of the region to Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

“These factors encourage China to strive to be at the centre of the economic power shift over the next 10 years,” Usara said.

China’s influence on global trade will increase its role in the world’s economy. This will strengthen the perceived trustworthiness of the yuan in the international community, she said.

China has gradually increased its role in trade and financial markets to pave the way for the yuan as an international currency.

In December 2008, the Chinese government announced its policy to promote the yuan as an

intermediate currency for trades.

In April 2009, the China State Council announced that the yuan would be used for trade settlements between Hong Kong and five cities on China’s east coast for the first time. About 400 Chinese companies are participating in the pilot project.

The cities are Shanghai, Guangzhou, Zhuhai, Dongguan and Shenzhen.

Suchada said the cooperation would facilitate trade without fear of currency valuation changes – in turn bolstering the volume of trades.

Moreover, the Chinese government has signed bilateral swap agreements with many countries to encourage trading settlement in local currencies. This should facilitate trades and growth of liquidity with other countries.

So far, the People’s Bank of China, the central bank, has signed local currency swaps with six economies: South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Beralus, Indonesia and Argentina.

Usara said the financial crisis, which began in the US, has provided a catalyst for the notion that China’s yuan will become a regional currency.

The Chinese government has potential to carry forward its idea, but implementation would take time – probably a decade – she said.

China must increase its role not only in trade but also in direct investment in the region if it wants to complete its plan, she said.

“If the trade volume in Asia escalates and largely drives the world’s economy, central banks will likely weight the yuan in their international reserves in the future,” said the economist.

Suchada said it would take a long time for the yuan to become an international currency.

“I cannot project when exactly, but it could happen in five to 10 years,” said the assistant governor.

However, Bunluasak said the yuan would not become an international currency within the next 20 years due to a variety of restrictions.

It takes time for a currency to replace another currency as the international leader. The US dollar took 50 years to replace the British pound, which had played the role when Britain was the financial centre of the world.

Bunluasak said China should completely adopt a market economy before embarking on a liberalisation of its currency.

Its banking system and state enterprises should also be privatised to enhance market efficiency and labour-market development, Bunluasak said.

If the yuan becomes an international currency, the BOT assistant governor said, both the Thai and global economies would benefit.

The Kingdom’s trade volume with China would increase, because Chinese people could more easily pay for foreign products and services with the yuan.

Moreover, China’s move would be beneficial to the world’s economy. Global trade would diversify, relying less on the US market.

“The yuan/baht settlement would encourage trade between the two countries, without the need for cross-currency trading,” said Suchada.

Also, Thai people would have another important source of investment if China pursues financial liberalisation.

This is the second story in a series on China’s emerging economic power as it affects the international financial system and Asean. A number of follow-up series will focus on China and Asean’s capital market, banking and political economy, respectively.

Beijing’s Dream: A mighty yuan – but not yet

Technorati Tags: Beijing’s Dream: A mighty yuan – but not yet

Source: The Nation

Thailand’s economic slowdown could linger as long as six years due to the continued global recession and the government’s lack of credible policies, a leading economist warned yesterday.

The world could face a contagion effect in five years if any country fails to manage its skyrocketing public debt.

That would produce a W-shaped global economic recovery, with weak recoveries followed by more recessions, economists said.

Virabongsa Ramangkura, a senior economist and former finance minister, called for the government to speed up its investment projects to bring the economy out of a liquidity trap.

It should set a clear time frame for its policies and carry them out earnestly.

“I want to see the government come up with credible policy targets for the next four or five years and introduce a new approach towards implementation, because we could be in this crisis for many years, maybe even longer than five or six years,” he said.

The Kingdom’s economic cycle lasts 12 years, he told the FPO Symposium 2009 hosted by the Fiscal Policy Office. It slows down for six years and then expands for six years.

As a result, the present economy could have a technical rebound from the bottom and then contract again.

The country would not gain anything from a US revival, because the world’s largest economy would be locked in a liquidity trap, and its own recovery would not be as quick as expected, he said.

Supavud Saicheua, managing director and head of research at Phatra Securities, projects the global economic recovery take a W shape, as a result of the ripple effect.

He expressed concern that the world economy was exposed to risk, due to a lack of immunity. It was caused by all countries simultaneously embarking on expansionary fiscal policies while stretched by high public debt.

“In the next four or five years, all countries’ public debts will escalate tremendously. If any country cannot manage it well, it will cause contagion,” Supavud said.

This is like the 1997 Tom Yum Kung Crisis when Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia and other countries were caught with both current-account deficits and low international reserves.

The economist asked the government to improve debt management, in order to prevent any further effects.

Poor management would weigh on sovereign risk, leading to the government’s inability to market bonds or bond yields spiking.

The world economy will heal rather slowly, because of the US government’s massive intervention in its banking system, Supavud said.

Sasin Institute for Global Affairs director Suvit Maesincee said the government should deepen cooperation with other Asean countries, which would better help Thailand survive.

Tourism Council of Thailand president Kongkrit Hiranyakit predicts tourist arrivals will fall sharply again this quarter, due to the type-A (H1N1) influenza, after plunging 22 per cent in the first half of the year.

Call on Thai government to exit liquidity trap via speedy investment

Technorati Tags: Call on Thai government to exit liquidity trap via speedy investment

Source: The Nation

The Tourism Authority of Thailand will host the “Amazing Thai-Food Episode” from September 24-28 as part of its strategy to attract tourists in the low season.

“Thai food is one product the agency hopes will help promote local tourism in foreign markets,” TAT chairman Weerasak Kowsurat said yesterday.

The authority has budgeted Bt85 million to organise the event, with cooperation from the Board of Investment and the Thai Restaurant Association, at CentralWorld in Bangkok.

Popular Thai restaurants abroad will be invited to participate, so they can promote the activity among their customers and tourists alike.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom’s largest budget airline, Thai AirAsia, has asked the TAT for Bt30 million in sponsorship for a planned campaign to boost inbound travel, Weerasak said.

However, the agency will have to think about the request, because the airline had already achieved its goals through cutting fares.

“If the TAT gives such a large amount to Thai AirAsia, more airlines will be coming to us,” he said.

‘Amazing food’ to lure tourists

Technorati Tags: ‘Amazing food’ to lure tourists

Source: Bangkok Post

Hotels, tour operators and other travel-related operators are looking for new markets or business partners to help them survive the tourism slump, said Messe Berlin, the organiser of the ITB Asia travel fair.

Martin Buck, the company’s vice-president for travel and logistics, said that when travel demand deflates during a global downturn, tourism operators compete head-on and use cut-throat price wars to stay afloat.

“It’s a normal situation. When the economy is not good, people are very sensitive to the pricing and features of products they will get. But if everybody reduces prices, you face another problem. How much do you cut your price?” he said.

He maintains a price war is not the solution to the tourism problem right now. But for tourists, it is a good opportunity to travel and stay at some luxury or hip hotels at affordable rates.

Meanwhile, Dr Buck suggested hotels and tour agents look at new markets such as India, China and the Middle East. These economies are doing far better than Europe and the United States. Incomes there remain stable and they still spend and travel.

“I encourage tourism operators to attend travel fairs and exhibitions because they may get some good business deals and potential partners,” he said.

The fair will offer ideas about new destinations, new products and new markets.

During a crisis, Dr Buck said small tourism operators have more of a chance to survive than bigger ones as they have low operating costs. Their survival will hinge on unique products and niche markets, which are less uncertain than general products.

“This is similar to the dinosaurs. With their huge size, they had a tendency to die as they could not adjust to the changing climate some 65 million years ago while small insects could survive,” he said.

Dr Buck said Messe Berlin would organise the ITB Asia 2009 at the Suntec Singapore Exhibition & Convention Centre from Oct 21-23.

More than 200 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation at the trade fair.

They include country pavilions, airlines, airport operators, hotels and resorts, theme parks, tour operators, cruise lines and spas.

Travel organiser suggests keying on niche markets

Technorati Tags: Travel organiser suggests keying on niche markets

Source: The Nation

Experts see unit weakening in 2010

Despite wide expectations of a global economic recovery next year, experts have mixed views on the shortterm trend for the baht over the remainder of this year.

Some say the baht will remain strong over the next six months, while others believe there is no reason for it to appreciate during the period – and that it could gradually weaken.

Roong Sanguanruang, chief marฌket analyst from the Markets Sales and Trading Department of The Bank of TokyoMitsubishi UFJ, said the baht would be stronger this quarter – hovฌering between 33-35 per dollar – and then strengthen slightly to 32.75-34.75 in the final quarter.

He then sees the currency weakenฌing to 33-35 in the first quarter of next year, and to 33.50-35.50 in the second three months.

“The baht is likely to be stronger in the next three to six months before depreciating in 2010,” Roong said at a recent seminar.

The baht appreciated yesterday due to the optimistic view expressed by the Bank of Thailand on domestic growth. The unit traded at 34.10 per dollar as of 10.42am in Bangkok after reaching 34.04, the strongest level since July 10, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. It closed at 34.06-34.08.

The currency could climb to 34 per greenback by the end of the year, the median estimate of 19 analysts in a Bloomberg News survey showed.

Roong added that investors expectฌed the global economy to be turning from recession to recovery, but the US authorities’ quantitative easing by pumping dollars into the system would put pressure on the greenback until they could see an “exit strategy”.

The dollar is expected to recover once the US government’s strong stimฌuluspackage effect is fully effective.

Roong also predicts that the Bank of Thailand’s policy signal rate will remain low for the remainder of this year, although government investment and spending will put pressure on longterm interest rates to trend upwards.

However, according to a recent HSBC research paper, once the temฌporary widening of the currentaccount surplus and exporters’ remitฌtance of their foreigncurrency proฌceeds back to the country pass, the baht will not maintain its strength.

In the past five months, the baht has appreciated significantly in line with regional currencies. Over the period, the current account totalled about US$10.9 billion (Bt370 billion).

HSBC said this large surplus would not however be sustainable, as tourism income was likely to remain weak and the fall in imports would be slower than that in exports in the second half, thus narrowing the large trade surฌplus.

In addition, with the government’s second stimulus plan expected to kick into effect soon, the bank said more raw materials and industrial machinery would need to be imported.

“This suggests the collapse of import growth has bottomed and will narrow the net demand for the baht going forward,” HSBC said.

Moreover, it said the Bank of Thailand was likely to resist any furฌther appreciation of the baht, as it has done in the past month. The weakenฌing of the currency would, however, be gradual and modest since the central bank is likely to limit currency volatilฌity, HSBC said.

Bank of Thailand Assistant Governor Suchada Kirakul said the baht could appreciate or depreciate for the rest of the year, depending on both internal and external factors.

The current account is expected to be in surplus this year, she added. The magnitude of the surplus, however, will be less than that in the first half. This will reduce pressure for the appreciaฌtion of the baht.

A dampened tourism sector could contribute to a serviceaccount deficit and lower the expected currentaccount surplus this year, she added.

“If oil prices rise, resulting in an escalating import value, the current account could be in balance or show a deficit,” said Suchada.

Aside from domestic factors, the baht also depends largely on what the US dollar is doing, as well as on regionฌal factors.

The greenback is expected to be stronger in the short run, which would contribute to the depreciation of regional currencies.

Recovering economic conditions in the region, however, could act as a

counterfactor and cause the baht and other regional units to appreciate, she said.

The dollar is expected to depreciฌate in the long run when the US – the world’s largest economy – picks up. It could bring about risk diversification to the region, including Thailand, she added.

However, despite uncertainty over the baht’s value, one thing is certain: local exporters face higher risks.

Somporn Chitphentom of the ExportImport Bank of Thailand said exporters should prepare to cope with higher risks from a host of factors amid the recession.

According to a forecast by the Economist Intelligence Unit, global gross domestic product and trade will record their first negative growth since 1982 at minus 1.9 per cent and minus 3.5 per cent, respectively. Thailand’s exports are also expected to record furฌther negative growth.

Moreover, on top of lower orders and currency volatility, Thai exporters are facing the risk that trading partฌners will not pay for their products. There has also been a sharp rise in bankruptcies among foreign customers, as well as an increased risk of their not collecting ordered goods, said Somporn.

Mixed views on short-term baht

Technorati Tags: Mixed views on short-term baht

Source: The Nation

Like other airlines, Thai Airways International has witnessed a sharp drop in passenger numbers from the type-A (H1N1) influenza pandemic.

So far in Thailand, the disease has claimed 25 lives and sickened 4,000.

With concern growing, the Major Cineplex Group, Thailand’s largest cinema operator, may take more stringent measures, such as temporary closure of theatres and cancellation of events.

However, almost all concert organisers are sticking to their schedules, because the government has not yet made it compulsory to cease all public activities.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said no such order had been given because the government was worried about the economic impact. Since the outbreak began, even the World Health Organisation has said the suspension of economic and social activities must be thoroughly studied. The economic cost of such suspensions in some countries has amounted to Bt100 billion a week, but once activities resumed, the flu began spreading anew.

He said it was best for now to delay such harsh widespread measures. Instead, anyone exhibiting symptoms of the disease – particularly students – should remain at home.

However, South Korea yesterday cancelled all international events even though it has seen no deaths from the type-A (H1N1) virus.

The cancelled activities include an international youth festival planned for next week, an international festival of percussion instruments in Sacheon and an international exhibition of tea bowls in Gimhae. A world choir contest was scrapped halfway through on Sunday, and 2,000 students from 192 schools who were participating were told not to go to school for a while.

Meanwhile, with type-A (HiN1) flu spooking travellers, Thai Airways International (THAI) has suffered a drop in passenger numbers, particularly from East Asia, with Chinese, Japanese and South Korean flyers down 15-20 per cent, said executive chairman Wallop Bhukkanasut.

“The outbreak of type-A (H1N1) influenza is threatening international travel and affecting THAI’s business directly.”

Other airlines have also seen passenger numbers decline. Bangkok Airways, the major operator of Bangkok-Koh Samui flights, has reported low bookings on that route even with the high season starting next month. It has lowered its passenger forecast this year to 2.6 million, due to the pandemic. Last year, it flew 2.5 million and had expected to serve 2.8 million this year.

“We’re not sure whether we’ll show a profit this year. That all depends on second-half operations,” said ML Nandhika Varavarn, vice president for corporate communications.

In the first 15 days of this month, passenger numbers were down 18.5 per cent year on year, lowering the average load factor to 70 per cent. Foreign tourists, who make up 80-85 per cent of Bangkok Airways passengers, contributed to the drop.

Nandhika is hopeful bookings will recover in the second half of the month and in August. At present, the airline does not plan to adjust its marketing strategy.

Even though passengers could slightly exceed last year’s level, revenue will remain at last year’s Bt7.5 billion despite average growth of 20 per cent in recent years. The gross profit margin, which is usually 20 per cent, is expected to fall by 15-20 per cent, due to promotions.

Even though airlines are suffering, Major Cineplex vice CEO Anavach Ongvasith said the number of film-goers at the company’s branches remained unchanged, due partly to the screening of blockbuster films and hygienic measures applied to all of its cinemas, bowling alleys and karaoke parlours.

He said business in the second half would depend on confidence in preventive measures, which must be carried out jointly by the government, private companies and the public.

The government needs to take into account the economic damage that would result from closing cinemas, but if it is deemed genuinely necessary, operators are ready to follow the order, Anavach said.

Most of the entertainment events being held in the next two weeks have confirmed their schedules, with almost none cancelled or postponed. The lone exception is Spicy Disc’s charity concert, “This Way to Heaven”, which was scheduled for July 25. It has been rescheduled for August 30, and tickets can be refunded at Thaiticketmajor.

Among the big gigs are This Is Click’s charity concert, “What Women Worth”, at the Cultural Centre on Sunday; BEC-Tero’s “Cookin’ Nanta” from South Korea, at Siam Paragon between next Wednesday and July 26; and GMM Grammy’s Thongchai “Bird” McIntyre in “Fancy Fanson” at Muang Thong Thani’s Impact Arena from July 31 to August 2.

Most Bangkokians have carried on as usual despite fear of the new flu. Skytrain operator Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) said daily commuter numbers remained at 430,000.

Anat Arbhabhirama, an adviser to BTS board, attributed that to hygienic measures implemented since the flu first began spreading in Mexico.

Airlines see steep fall in passengers

Technorati Tags: Airlines see steep fall in passengers

Source: The Nation

For the first time, Udaipur, India, is named World’s Best City, displacing last year’s winner Bangkok, in Travel + Leisure’s fourteenth annual World’s Best Awards readers’ survey.

However, Chiang Mai is among newcomers on the top spots, with the fifth ranking.

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok was also voted Asia’s best hotel by the readers.

This is the result of the survey where questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure in association with Harris Interactive, an independent research firm, was made available to readers at tlworldsbest.com from January 15, 2009, to March 29, 2009.

In the February and March 2009 issues of Travel + Leisure, readers were invited to participate. A select group of readers also received invitations via e-mail. Respondents were permitted to complete the survey only once.

Bangkok’s tourism ranking replaced by Udaipur

Technorati Tags: Bangkok’s tourism ranking replaced by Udaipur