A survey conducted by a leading Russian magazine found holidaymakers from the country consider Thailand is the top global beach destination. National Geographic Traveller Russia ran an online poll and received input from 240,000 correspondents for its 2015 awards.
Authorities at Don Muang Airport have launched direct shuttle bus services connecting it to key locations in central Bangkok. The new express buses run between the airport and the main backpacker district surrounding Khao San Road and on to Lumpini Park in Silom District.
One of Pattaya’s premier live music venues has confirmed it will be staging a rock fest this Sunday. The finest local and foreign musicians will be strutting their stuff on stage at the aptly named The Venue in Thailand’s inimitable version of the Battle of the Bands.
Four spas in Thailand have scooped up the top prizes in the annual spa awards by AsiaSpa magazine. The number one prize in the prestigious Spa of the Year category for the Southeast Asia and Pacific region went to Koh Samui’s Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary and Spa.
Laos has released news of a plan to speed up the process of applying for UNESCO World Heritage status for the Plain of Jars. The nation’s Culture Ministry stated that it should be ready to make the final application over the next 12 months or so, but it would take UNESCO another two years to evaluate the merits of it.
The Lao government has asked residents living alongside a planned new cross-country rail route to be patient during construction. Follwoing an official ground-breaking ceremony, contractors are due to start laying the 417km track next month.
The Thai beach resort of Bang Saen is the venue for the country’s own inimitable version of the Monaco Grand Prix this week. The ninth Bang Saen Speed Festival began earlier in the week and has seen the likes of Porsche 991s vying for pole position on the 3,700-metre-long city circuit.
Yesterday evening, the Thai prime-minister launched a model boat out on to a canal in front of Parliament to mark the annual Loy Krathong Festival. General Prayut Chan-o-cha led members of the cabinet and their partners in launching colourful krathong watercraft into the Phadung Krungkasem Canal.
The deputy-governor of Cambodia’s Mondulkiri Province says funding from the central government is needed to finish transforming a disused airport into a park. Svay Sam Eang said that a year ago the governor received official approval from prime-minister Hun Sen to turn the airport land into a public park.
An aquarium complex currently under construction in Yangon will add another jewel to Myanmar’s tourism crown when it opens in 2016. The structure is being built on a five-acre site on Natmauk Road in the environs of the city’s Kandawgyi Lake.
Municipal authorities in Bangkok have restored one of the city’s historic canals to its former glory in time for tonight’s Loy Krathong celebrations. The canal, Klong Ong Ang, is located close to the Chinatown area of central Bangkok. It has been more or less buried under the stalls of Saphan Lek Market for the past few decades.
The annual Pattaya fireworks extravaganza is all set to light up the skies above Pattaya Bay this weekend. One of the most popular events on Pattaya’s calendar sees fireworks specialists from around the world try to outdo each other with increasingly more elaborate and colourful displays.
The government of Thailand has issued an order barring the consumption of alcohol at the main celebration points for tomorrow’s Loy Krathong Festival. The ban applies to locations where celebrants will launch krathongs into rivers, release balloon lanterns and where there are parades.
Officials in the Cambodian province of Kampot are busy preparing for the country’s forthcoming Sea Festival. Kampot is the chosen venue for the 2015 version of the popular annual event which has previously been staged in Sihanoukville, Kep and Kong Kong.
Princess Soamsawali was on hand at the end of last week to officially inaugurate the ASEAN Lantern Festival in Bangkok. Her Royal Highness presided over the festival’s opening ceremonies at Siam Park City before taking a stroll around the attractions. She then joined the audience at the theme park’s central arena for ASEAN-themed folk performances.
Responding to complaints of noise pollution, the Thai prime-minister has asked Kanchanaburi’s disco raft operators to turn down the volume. The activist group Rak Thammachart Muang Kan had lodged a formal complaint with the prime-minister’s office saying disco and karaoke rafts on the Kwai Noi River were far too loud.
The municipal council in Mandalay has announced a new project that will see a huge water feature installed in the moat surrounding the city’s landmark royal palace. The first fountains are due to be switched on by the middle of next year.
Vietnamese and Lao government transport officials are holding preliminary talks about building a highway to link the two nations’ capital cities. The Transportation Design Consultancy Corporation of Vietnam has already carried out an initial study focusing on the route and possible usage figures.
A scenic treetop walkway is all set to open in Chiang Mai and will add to this northern Thai destination’s multitude of tourism attractions. The 400-metre-long walkway snakes through the pristine terrain of the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden (QSBG) in the Mae Rim District of the province.
A half-yearly assessment of the cost of holidays in Asia has revealed a significant drop in costs for Thailand and its fellow Southeast Asian nations. TripAdvisor’s TripIndex research shows that a trio of top Thai tourism hotspots are in the top 10 of destinations providing the best value for money in Asia.