Phuket Business Briefs: new AirAsia route; Sri Lankan E-visa; Dollar rise; Wallace leaves
Thai AirAsia has announced regular flights between Bangkok and Trang commencing in the middle of January.
Currently Nok Air and Orient Thai service the destination.
Tourism in the southern area of Trang continues to struggle with low demand.
Sri Lanka starts E-visa requirement
Despite a drive to increase tourism numbers into post-war Sri Lanka, the country is implementing a new requirement for electronic visas as of January 1.
With the exception of passport holders from the Maldives or Singapore, all nationalities will be required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).
Forms can be filled out online and for the majority of visas cost US$50.
Dollar set to rise against Thai baht
Standard Chartered Bangkok Thailand is forecasting the appreciation of the US dollar against Thai currency of up to 32.5 baht in the first quarter of 2012.
Financial uncertainty in the Euro-zone have been cited as a critical factor.
Domestically Thailand looks set to take a heavy hit in 2012 with the negative impact to GDP from the flooding and ensuing damage to industrial output.
In an economy heavily leveraged on exports, the outlook for the sector remains cloudy.
Another pressure point looks to be the tightening of bank debt by local banks which would substantially impair the property and hospitality sectors.
Wallace leaves Thailand’s Centara
The head of Centara Hotels and Resorts International Management Kevin Wallace recently left the Thailand based hospitality group.
Wallace had spearheaded the group’s expanding overseas expansion with a number of operating contracts.
No replacement in the role has been named at this time.
All of the legacy Thai hotel brands such as Centara, Dusit, Anantara and Onyx (formerly Amari) continue to look at global growth opportunities both by means of management agreements and acquisitions.
— Bill Barnett
