Phuket Promotion: Mass Indian weddings

– A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community

PHUKET: More than 1 billion baht is expected to be in circulation in Phuket if a plan to bring in over 400 Indian couples for marriage and honeymoons is realized, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in Phuket.

According to a report in Pattaya Today, Wanprapa Suksomboon, deputy director of the TAT Phuket, disclosed the news at a seminar, announcing that the Phuket tourism promotion operation will be managed by the TAT’s office in Mumbai, India, in cooperation with an Indian wedding company and the TAT Phuket.

She said that TAT Phuket is now dealing with local hotels as possible venues for the wedding ceremonies, and for guestrooms.

Ms Wanprapa believes Phuket has the possibility to become a major venue for Indian weddings and honeymoons in the future, pointing out that the island is already enjoying success with similar promotions for Koreans.

I-News wire
Throughout next month, Phuket will be the proud host of the annual Halal Food Fair.

Organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the event is being held to demonstrate to the many Muslim visitors who come to the island that their needs can be catered for, and that relations between the Muslim and Buddhist communities in Phuket can be further strengthened.

In addition to the presentation of a wide array of different recipes and food types, there will be presentations of art, cultural shows, and demonstrations promoting the traditions of the Muslim religion.

Asia Travel Tips

The Phuket International Academy (PIA) is to host two Brazilian futsal training camps for aspiring young football players at its Sports and Leisure Club (SLC) in July.
Brazilian Soccer Schools (BSS) have endorsed the PIA-SLC as an official partner in Thailand.

The two five-day camps will commence on 5 and 12 July 2010. Both camps are aimed at boys and girls aged between five and 18 and offer a structured syllabus and training programme specific to each age group and each ability level.

The sessions last for four hours each day and cost 900 baht per day or 4,000 baht for the five-day week.

TTRWeekly
Airports of Thailand (AOT) is reducing fees for customers using Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports from now through December, as a measure to rebuild confidence.

Like most companies involved in or related to tourism, the only viable marketing measure to salvage low-season cash flow is to discount prices, the AOT says.

At the close of a meeting to assess the measure, AOT’s board approved the discounts to airlines and other business units operating at the two airports. This relief measure is forecast to cost AOT 2.26 billion baht in lost revenue.

Airlines gain a 15% discount on landing fees, while parking fees have been cut in half. Space rental fees and service fees are discounted by another 10%.

None of the discounts are available at Phuket International Airport.

The Nation
The economic ministers yesterday approved 16.8 billion baht to help tourism operators affected by the recent political turmoil in Thailand, Tourism and Sports Minister Chumpol Silapaarcha said yesterday.

The amount will be proposed for Cabinet approval today.

Meanwhile, THAI Airways International (THAI) may post a second quarter net loss of 5.4 billion baht, with passenger numbers plunging in the wake of the political turmoil, president Piyasvasti Amranand told leaders of more than 700 airlines at the International Air Transport Association’s annual meeting in Berlin yesterday.

However, he assured the audience that the political crisis was now over. THAI will also push forward with the sale of 1 billion new shares this year.

Bangkok Post
Central Pattana Plc (CPN) says it will take 14 months to reopen the entire CentralWorld shopping complex, which was heavily damaged by fire in the May 19 riots in Bangkok.

Kobchai Chirathivat, the company’s president and CEO, said, ‘We will open 100% of our plaza area within the next six months.”

CPN has two types of insurance for CentralWorld. The all-risk insurance covers 10 billion baht’s worth of damage, and riot and terrorism insurance provides another 3 billion.

The SET-listed property arm of the Central Group of Companies outlined a four-point plan to assist and support CentralWorld’s tenants.

Mr Kobchai said the company would allocate 300 million baht through a variety of marketing activities over the next six months.

— Gazette Editors