THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Already billed as one of Asia’s finest luxury destination resorts, Laguna Phuket plans to increase its attractiveness to the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (Mice) market with a 1,000sq.m (about 10,700sq.ft) marquee-style convention centre to be named Latitude. The new venue will be constructed on a 1,500sq.m (16,000sq.ft) concrete base and comprise an [...]

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Passengers and their luggage entering Thailand through Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport are to get a good sniffing on the way into the country, but its all for a good cause. Over the last two years, 4,000kg (about 8,818lb) of ivory worth about Bt170 million ($US5.2 million) has been intercepted entering the country, resulting [...]

[ March 10, 2010 to March 17, 2010. ] Muay Thai (Thai kick-boxing), Thailand's national sport, has evolved from Muay Boran - an ancient unarmed combat technique used by Siamese soldiers. Muay Thai is well known for its effective kicks and punches as almost any part of the body is considered as a target and any part of the body, except the head, can [...]

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Free hotel accommodation in Thai Muang and a 50 percent discount on hotel rooms in Khao Lak is being offered to any divers wishing to join an attempt to set a world record for a mass dive in Pha Nga Province on April 3. It is hoped that more than 3,000 divers will [...]

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: The 2010 Pattaya International Music Festival kicks off on March 19 and plans are well underway to ensure that this years event, the ninth, is even bigger than last years. The three day event will see at least four sound stages setup along Pattaya Beach providing different genres of music, with organisers hopeful [...]

[ March 11, 2010 to March 14, 2010. ] Following the great success of the last show, the 18th Discovery Thailand & Discovery World 2010 will be held again for summer time from March 11-14, 2010 at Queen Sirikit Convention Center in Bangkok. Guests will enjoy visiting the over 1,200 stalls that will fill the convention hall, and this is the best time to learn [...]

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Turkey’s national flag carrier, Turkish Airlines (Turkish), has committed almost half of its 2010 worldwide advertising budget to promoting Bangkok as its Australasian hub as it eyes growth in the region. The Istanbul-based carrier has been involved in code-sharing talks with Thailand’s national airline, Thai Airways International (THAI) for almost a year and [...]

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Thailand’s national flag carrier, Thai Airways International (THAI), has reported an operating profit for the 2009 year of Bt7.34 billion (about $US221.7 million). The report was lodged with the Bangkok Stock Exchange on Friday, while much of the country’s interest was focused on the outcome of a long-running corruption court case involving runaway [...]

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Within the next three months those with GPRS equipped mobile phones will be able to complete the full booking, buying, seat allocation and check-in process for Thai Airways International (THAI) using just their handsets. While previously somewhat of an e-Commerce laggard, THAI is set to embrace web 2.0 and mobile technology in a [...]

Khao Lak Beach in Phang Nga For Mam. Enjoy your trip sweet lady… As one of the areas hardest affected by the 2004 tsunami, Khao Lak beach in Phang Nga province on the west coast in Southern Thailand (just north of Phuket) has nearly completely recovered from damages and continues to become increasingly popular among tourists. Only [...]

[ March 22, 2010 to March 28, 2010. ] Thailand’s biggest Polo match (and I mean big... as in elephant sized!), the 2010 King’s Cup Polo Elephant Tournament, will be held during 22-28 March at Anantara Golden Triangle Resort in Chiang Rai, the northernmost province of Thailand. The tournament will kick off in the morning when the elephants will be blessed with holy water and [...]

Thailand Travel News: Thailand has been voted the world’s top international tourism destination for a record eighth consecutive year by the 500 members of the Swedish travel and tourism industry. The annual Grand Travel Awards, now in their 17th year, are hosted by prestigious Swedish travel publication Travel News, with a panel of the publications [...]

LPGA Player of the Year and last years Honda-PTT LPGA Thailand tournament winner Lorena Ochoa from Mexico returns to defend her title. Photo: Havre De Grace THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS – The opening round of the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) 2010 tour kicks off in Thailand tomorrow with 60 of the worlds best female golfers competing [...]

The Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong is an imposing central Bangkok landmark building in the heart of the business and upscale shopping district. THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: The Marriot International owned Renaissance Hotels & Resorts brand has opened its second Thailand property, the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong, in the heart of Bangkok’s upscale shopping precinct on Ploenchit Road. Comprising 22 floors [...]

Some of the estimated 7,000 big bikes that gathered in Pattaya for Burapa Bike Week 2010 on their mass ride through the city. Photo: John Le Fevre THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Visitors to Pattaya last weekend could be forgiven for thinking they had woken up in Daytona Beach, Florida, instead of Chonburi Province, Thailand, as thousands of [...]

Waterfall in Khao Sok Rainforest Khao Sok national park in southern Thailand remains one of the most unique and beautiful areas in Thailand.  Khao Sok Park, one of the largest tracts of virgin rain forest remaining in southern Thailand, is believed by some people to be older and more diverse than even the rain forests in [...]

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Following a successful 2009 year expected to show it has returned to profitability, Thai Airways International (THAI) has announced its plans to lease an additional 15 aircraft to service its regional and long-haul routes. The Bt31.3 billion (about $US949 million) deal will see THAI acquire seven 300-seat aircraft for use on regional routes [...]

THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: Swiss-based hotel management group, Golden Tulip, will take over two Pattaya hotels from the beginning of March, brining to three the number of properties the group manages. The agreement will see the Royal Orchid Pattaya re-branded as the Golden Tulip Resort Pattaya, while The Erawan Hotel Pattaya will be re-named the Golden Tulip [...]

Some of the 32 beds in that took part in the 2010 Rotary Pattaya International Bed Race THAILAND TRAVEL NEWS: The Pattaya chapter of Rotary International has just held its second annual bed race with local and foreign businesses in the seaside city raising more than Bt300,000 (about $US9,000) for underprivileged local residents. More than 25,000 tourists [...]