What to do in Chiang Mai

Many people are asking us, What can we do in Chiang Mai, or where can we find the best places to shop, watch temples and museus. And are there tours who will show us all the best things Chiang Mai has o offer.

Because of that, we made a new category on our web-site called: What to do in Chiang Mai.

Please take a look at it and have a good time during your holiday here in Chiang Mai.

TAT club to entice tourist return

The Tourism Authority of Thailand is setting up the Thailand Fan Club in Europe to help draw tourists from the region.

“TAT feels confident that the club will encourage tourists from Europe to return to Thailand this peak season,” TAT governor Suraphon Svetasreni said yesterday.

More than 5,000 tourists from major source countries including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and Norway have joined the club, he said.

TAT’s offices in London, Paris and Rome would help invite more participants.

The Thailand Fan Club of Europe is the first travel com?munity outside the coun?try, which TAT hopes would encourage more vacationers to travel to the Kingdom in the short term and also build awareness of Thailand in the long term.

European visitors are returning to Thailand after shunning the country during the few months of political problems since April.

However, many are going directly to Phuket and other destinations in the South, which is cutting the average length of stay in the capital, he said.

According to the Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), tourists using its members have increased more than 20 per cent this month from a year ago.

TAT is also planning to establish similar clubs in other markets such as the Far East, Australia and United Sates, Suraphon added.

TAT has been working on a project called “Friends of Thailand” for years that can attract tourists from individual countries such as Japan, Korea and Germany.

Surapol Sritrakul, president of ATTA, said European tourists represented nearly 40 per cent of total arrivals of 14 million last year.

Many holidaymakers from the region are heading to other choices such as Bali, Vietnam, Singapore and China.

“Political unrest in Thailand became a key factor causing vis?itors to shift their plans to other countries,” he said.

TAT should launch more proactive marketing and new promotions to reclaim tourists, he said.

“We are still facing a tough time, as our rivals have added new tourism products. However, if there’s no political problem in our country, we should reach the tourism tar?get,” he said.

Maiyarat Pheerayakoset, president of the Association of Domestic Travel, called on TAT to stimulate domestic tourism by promoting five routes across the country.

source:  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/home/2010/08/25/business/TAT-club-to-entice-tourist-return-30136540.html

2020 World Expo : Three candidates

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will announce in Shanghai on Sunday Thailand’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo – with Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai and Chon Buri vying for the honour. The winner will be named by year’s end and today we take a look at the three candidates.

CHON BURI – READY FOR EXPOSURE

Chon Buri is banking on its world-class meeting facilities and Pattaya’s position on the tourism map to ensure it is chosen as Thailand’s proposed venue for the 2020 World Expo.

The province aims to capitalise on Pattaya’s exposure among international travellers, proximity to Bangkok and experience hosting past international events. A 1,500-rai plot of land has been earmarked for the event near Thammasat University’s Pattaya campus, Pattaya Country Club & Resort Golf Courses and Bira Circuit, Thailand’s only internationally certified race track.

Chon Buri governor Senee Jitkasem said the location has distinct advantages over those in competing provinces as it offers beautiful surroundings and is close to Pattaya and Suvarnabhumi and U-tapao airports. It is also less than an hour by car from Bangkok, 30 minutes from Suvarnabhumi and 10 minutes from U-tapao, he said.

Mr Senee said equipment and materials needed to build pavilions and exhibition halls for the expo could be transported via Chon Buri’s Laem Chabang deep-sea port, the world’s 20th largest port.

Mr Senee said the government is studying the feasibility of building the country’s first high-speed rail line to connect Bangkok to Chon Buri and Rayong.

He said if it can be completed within the next decade, the rail link would cut down the trip from Bangkok to Pattaya to 25 minutes.

China has recently agreed to provide investment and technical assistance to help Thailand build several high-speed rail routes linking Bangkok to other provinces, including Rayong.

The governor said Ayutthaya is far from Suvarnabhumi airport and Chiang Mai is also too far from the capital to be a competitive choice.

He said Pattaya has more than 300 hotels for all segments of visitors.

If selected as host city, the province plans to turn the expo city into a new ”city” called ”Green Pattaya 2”.

The city would house an international trade and exhibition centre showcasing premium goods from around the world and Otop products.

It would also feature a sports stadium used for international tennis and swimming tournaments.

”Pattaya is a beautiful beach town and has the perfect combination of culture, beach, sea and fine weather.”

”I am confident that we have what it takes to host the World Expo 2020,” Mr Senee said.

AYUTTHAYA – GRACEFUL CONTENDER

Ayutthaya reckons its strengths lie in its modern infrastructure, easy access to the capital and cultural heritage.

Located about 75km from the capital, the province is an hour by car from Bangkok connected by highway No9. Five other main roads make it accessible to the rest of the country.

Visitors to Expo would also have a choice of travelling to the province by boat along the Chao Phraya, Pasak and Lop Buri rivers.

Suvarnabhumi airport is a little over an hour away by car, while Don Mueang airport can be reached in even less time. Ayutthaya also serves as an important railway junction where hundreds of passenger and freight trains pass through each day.

Ayutthaya envisages the Expo site would cover about 4,000 rai of land. Between 1,000 and 1,500 rai belonging to the Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Training Centre in Bang Sai district would be designated as the main site. Another 3,000 rai of land would be earmarked for non-core events.

Some private land will probably also need to be expropriated. About one billion baht will be set aside by the government for land acquisition, according to a feasibility paper assessing Ayutthaya hosting the event which was obtained by the Bangkok Post. The proposed Expo site also encompasses riverfront land overlooking the widest part of the Chao Phraya.

Thossapol Wangsilabat, chairman of the Ayutthaya Industrial Council, said he had total confidence in the province’s ability to organise the Expo. The province will modernise in leaps and bounds, providing world-class facilities to accommodate the event.

Suwanlop Phuwabanditsin, chairman of the Ayutthaya Chamber of Commerce, said Don Mueang airport could be used as the main air transport hub for visitors. The provinces stood to gain economically in terms of investment from the Expo, he said.

Ayutthaya was the capital between 1351 and 1767 and its historical parks have been listed as world heritage sites by Unesco. The old capital precinct, with a concentration of ancient temples and monasteries, is a short road trip from the proposed Expo site. The province has also had experience in hosting several international events such as a World Vasak Day conference and an international balloon festival.

Witthaya Phewphong, Ayutthaya’s governor, said if the province was chosen, permanent buildings at the Bang Sai Arts and Crafts Training Centre housing the event would be kept once the event is over. At the end of Expo, ownership of the buildings would be transferred to the centre, which would develop the site into an international exhibition and conference centre.

Mr Witthaya was speaking at a meeting at the centre held to assess the province’s preparedness on Aug 27. The meeting was attended by Privy Councillor Tanin Kraivixien.

Laithongrian Meephan, vice-president of Ayutthaya’s Tourism Business Association, said he expected the number of tourists to jump from about 3 million a year to at least 10 million if they win Expo.

The province has about 45 three- to five-star hotels and the number of rooms is expected to exceed 36,000 in three years with more hotels opening.

CHIANG MAI – THE SLEEPING BEAUTY

Chiang Mai’s governor says that the province’s close proximity to regional economic  powers makes it an ideal choice to host the 2020 World Expo.

Governor Amonphan Nimanan said the province’s location near member countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIST-EC) economic pacts give it an edge.

The province is also easily accessible by road and air, he said.

Mr Amonphan said Chiang Mai is a centre for trade, investment and transportation with logistical links to GMS and the BIST-EC members.

Chinese visitors in particular will be able to travel to the Expo in Chiang Mai with ease, he said.

Mr Amonphan noted that the United States-based Travel & Leisure magazine had ranked Chiang Mai as one of the world’s best travel destinations and that its tourism infrastructure is world class.

There are 32,000 hotel rooms in Chiang Mai. Many of the province’s hotels are in the five-star category and offer convention and meeting centres.

Larger facilities that can accommodate more than 2,000 people are being built, he said. Chiang Mai is expected to become a hub for international conventions in line with the government’s policy to promote major meetings in the country, Mr Amonphan said.

Seven international airlines operate regular direct flights to several cities from Chiang Mai airport, and six more were expected to do the same in the future, Mr Amonphan said.

The governor has also proposed investing in a high-speed train system that would link Chiang Mai to Bangkok, he said.

He said Chiang Mai has also become a centre for medical tourism, as medical, dental, massage and spa services as well as herbal products in the province prove increasingly popular.

The governor said about 1,000 rai of land near Chiang Mai provincial hall would serve as the main site for the Expo. The location is close to the 700th Anniversary Stadium and a large convention and exhibition centre now being built.

Mr Amonphan said he believed Chiang Mai is more prepared to handle the Expo than Ayutthaya and Chon Buri.

Chiang Mai’s size, economic strength, and infrastructure augur well for its ability to host the Expo.

source:  http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/194647/2020-world-expo-three-candidates

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