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This month's Thailand bargains
This month's Thailand bargainsHere are the latest initiatives delivered by Thailand's travel industry to help kick-start recovery. If your company has a bargain that needs sharing, forward details to us for this weekly update.
• Hotels Mega Sales 2009 from 26 to 29 March at Siam Discovery Centre in Bangkok. It is the first event organised by the Thai Hotels Association, which will have 40 booths for hotel members. Special discounts of more than 50% will be offered. Targets domestic travellers during school summer holiday in April and October.
• Thai International Travel Fair 2009 will be held from 26 February to 1 March at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre from 1000 to 2000. It is jointly hosted by Thai Travel Agents Association, Association of Domestic Travel, Krungthai Card and Thai Amadeus in response to Thai Government policy to boost tourism business and Thai economy.
• Thai Cabinet. together with the Olympic Council of Asia, will host the 1st Asian Martial Art Games 2009, 25 April to 3 May. TAT has been appointed as the head of the Committee for Public Relations. http://sat.or.th
• Ayutthaya Boat and Travel launches a teakwood boat dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River. The 90-minute cruise carries 20 passengers per trip. Private charter tours and join-in trips with four dining menus. The price is quoted at Bt750 per person for the join-in trip and Bt2,000 per hour for a private charter trip. www.ayutthaya-boat.com
• One-Two-Go Airlines is giving discounts on fares to all of its domestic destinations - Phuket, Chiang Mai and Hat Yai. The best fare is Bt1,750 one way, all inclusive. Other fares are Bt1,950 and Bt2,050 subject to availability. Senior citizens and government officials get another Bt100 off.
• SGA Airline plans to upgrade its four weekly services between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son to an air shuttle services departing every hour as frequently as every 30 minutes depending on market demand. The fare would run between Bt1,600 and Bt1,800 per sector.
• Thailand Travel Mart Plus is scheduled to be held on 3 to 7 June. A briefing for buyers and sellers will be arranged on the opening day at Central World's Bangkok Convention Centre. The actual four-day mart will take place at the Challenger Hall, Muang Thong Thani Impact Arena Exhibition and Convention Centre. Trade days will be from 4 to 5 June. Consumer days follow, 6 to 7 June, as well as post-tour days for buyers and media. Deadline for booking a booth is 31 March. Applications for participation can be submitted at www.thailandtravelmartplus.com.
• Thailand Super Deal campaign runs until March this year and will be upgraded to the annual Amazing Thailand Grand Sale, held from June to August, with additional discount features. TAT will support public relations and advertising with a Bt60 million budget, up from last year's Bt10 million. Most of the deals are focusing on travellers from Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
• Two rail links, one is the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport Rail Link that will shorten the transfer time between Bangkok city centre and Suvarnabhumi Airport to around 15 minutes. The airport train should start operations 12 August. The other is a new rail link that extends the line from Nong Khai across the Friendship Bridge to Vientiane in Laos. It should be operational in March.
• Private companies joining TAT's road shows and domestic travel fairs will gain 10 to 50% discounts on registration and booth fees for booths at travel fairs where TAT has a presence.
• Krungthai Card Public Company is offering free marketing channels to tourism-related companies. It is offering the programme in cooperation with the TAT, Thai Travel Agents Association, Association of Domestic Travel and Thai Hotels Association. Participating companies will receive support for recreational travel activities through all KTC marketing channels, including its monthly magazine "What's Up" sent to 2 million KTC members; its travel website www.ktcworld.co.th with more than 150,000 monthly visits; a magazine "My world" sent to 55,000 KTC credit card members and radio media at 98.5 Good FM. It will also allocate a special budget to promote this project in leading newspapers in Thailand.
• Koh Phangan Tourism Promotion Association, Koh Tao Tourism Association and Phangan Tria