Roundup of Thailand news with AJW

03 Jul 2012  2042 | World Travel News

WORLD SUMMARY: Huge protest against new Hong Kong leader. UN talks produce "transition plan" for Syria. US drone kills 8 in Pakistan. Japan restarts nuclear reactor.

BANGKOK BRIEF: Red Shirts vow "biggest rally ever" if Constitution Court rules against government Gripen Swedish Fighters, the star of RTAF 100th year air show today at Don Mueang.
(BkkPost)

FORTUNE-TELLER: A former monk has been arrested on charges of luring schoolgirls into having sex with him in exchange for performing superstitious rites that were supposed to enhance the girls' beauty and charm.

THAI POLITICS: The ruling Pheu Thai Party and its Red Shirt allies stepped up pressure on the Constitution Court yesterday as judges prepare to hear testimony from opponents of the government's charter amendment bid this week.

Udon Thani-based Red Shirt leader Kwanchai Praipana yesterday called on supporters to hold "the biggest rally ever" if the Constitution Court rules in favor of the charter amendment bill's opponents.

The court will discuss on Thursday and Friday whether the charter amendment bill contravenes Section 68 of the constitution.

RECONCILIATION: Matubhum Party leader Sonthi Boonyaratglin has refused to withdraw his proposed reconciliation bill as suggested by House Speaker Somsak Kiatsuranont unless the public backs the move.

SUNDAY SUMMARY:

WORLD: New Egypt President vows to free jailed US terrorist. Islamists destroying Muslim world heritage sites in Timbuktu. Lance Armstrong charged with doping.

BANGKOK: Red Shirts agree to "delay" reconciliation bills in parliament. Business disagrees with optimistic PM on export markets.

TODAY: Weather 32C, Hot Cloudy Wet, Euro:Dollar 1.2633, Euro:Baht 39.89, SET 1172

OTHER NEWS

TOURIST SHOPPING: Shopping centers around the Ratchaprasong intersection are planning facelifts and new premises to cash in on increasing foreign tourists for the Asean Economic Community (AEC) starting in 2015.

Siam Piwat Co, the operator of Siam Center, plans to spend over 1 billion baht for its biggest store renovation in its 40-year history. Gaysorn will start building a second retail complex next door to the current store, while The Platinum Fashion Mall Co. will allocate 100 million baht for renovations and perhaps a new mall near Big C Ratchadamri over the next 2 years.

Siriphen Intuputi, an executive at Siam Piwat, said the company will close Siam Center for a 4-month renovation from July 16 to November 15, 2012, and is scheduled to re-open in early December.

Siam Center is going for a chic and trendy facelift, she said.

This year, foreign tourists to Siam Center have made up 50 percent of the total, with major contributions from China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Laos. Outside Asia, Australia tallied the most visitors, followed by the UK and the US.

Before closing, Siam Piwat will spend 20 million baht for the Miracle of Siam sale June 28 to July 15, with 1.5 billion baht in sales expected.

Another 20 million baht will be spent on pop-up store sales at Siam Discovery and Siam Paragon during the makeover.

Chai Srivikorn, president of the Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association, said it will join hands with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to launch more marketing activities to encourage foreign tourists to spend up to 4 to 5 days in Bangkok, up from 1.5 days currently.

MONDAY FOOD: Tom Yum Goong - 20 Minutes, 2 servings

3 chili peppers
5 sprigs cilantro
2 tablespoons fish sauce
3 Kaffir lime leaves
1 lemongrass stalk
1-2 limes
5 mushrooms
1 cup shrimp
4 cups water
1 tablespoon Nam Prig Pow, optional

Boil water. Peel and de-vein the shrimp and set them aside. Cut lemon grass into pieces, 5-6 inches long. Use the back of your knife to pound the lemon grass, just to bruise it to release the flavor. Tie the lemon grass into a knot to make it easier to manage. Drop the lemon grass in water and let boil for 5 minutes.

Divide the fish sauce and juice of 1 lime into the bottom of the bowls you will serve the soup in. Crush chili pepper and add to the bowls.

Remove the stems from the Kaffir lime leaves and add the leafy part to the pot. Clean and halve the mushrooms and add them to the pot. Let it boil. Add the shrimp and turn off the heat. Shrimp gets tough very quickly, and will cook even when it is just sitting in the warm broth. Scoop the shrimp and liquid into the serving bowls immediately. As soon as you add the liquid to the serving bowl, you will see that the broth becomes cloudy because of the lime juice. Add the nam prig pow. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Easy!

PHUKET: Days after the stabbing of an Australian travel agent, comes an announcement by TAT trumpeting the success of its latest promotional campaign slogan: "Discover the Other You."

It’s all part of TAT’s larger "Creative Tourism" campaign, which it claims "generated 24 million visitors" from a recent online competition.

This is "Amazing" stuff, but just the latest in a long string of slogans generated by TAT during its "Miracle Year Of Amazing Thailand" campaign that will span all of 2012 – if we survive it.

The TAT release reads, "the top 3 Creative Tourism [sic] activities that potential tourists want to experience are Thai massage, Thai cooking, and Thai boxing" – presumably not all at the same time.

But one can never be sure, given TAT’s penchant to latch onto just about anything to keep tourism rolling with ever greater momentum. Let’s not forget that rescue teams were still pulling bodies out of mangrove forests after the 2004 tsunami disaster when the TAT brainstormed its "Tsunami Trail" idea to lure visitors to the region. The Phuket Gazette doesn’t remember anything becoming of it – maybe someone tipped them off with the message: "too soon, too soon."

Following the equally inscrutable "Unseen Thailand" campaign, the "Discover the Other You" initiative is likely to generate more wisecracks abroad than backpacks at Suvarnabhumi arrival hall.

We understand that every government agency needs to be seen to be doing something. All we ask is that they find some other way to justify their bloated budgets than coming up with a never-ending series of surreal slogans and brain-bending marketing babble. We don’t need it. “Thailand is Amazing” is enough as it is.
(Phuket Gazette)

MARKETS: Asian stocks rose, set for the longest winning streak since March, as a survey showed large manufacturers in Japan became less pessimistic and European leaders agreed on measures to ease the region’s debt crisis. The yen gained and oil declined.

The yen rose against most of its major peers, rallying from losses late last week. Oil in New York fell 0.7 percent to $84.39 a barrel after surging the most in 3 years.

TRAVEL: A leading travel agent in Australia says he believes Phuket will quickly recover from the murder of Michelle Smith but that drownings will probably continue to be a major concern.

"The drowning deaths on the beaches have been a major concern for as long as I have been traveling to Phuket, now over 25 years," said Jim McCoy, General Manager of Sydney-based Specialist Holidays, "It is almost impossible to resolve this one, as it really is the responsibility of the swimmer. We have the same issues here in Australia and our beaches are patrolled.

"The problem is that tourists from countries that do not have beaches are not aware of the treacherous nature of open water and the savage rips that sweep the Phuket beaches in the low season.

"I don't think this is going to change greatly in the future. Maybe resorts should have a printed statement in many languages in every room about the dangers and need to stay out of the water at all beaches in low season."

EURO 2012: When Italy lost the 1994 World Cup final, angry fans smashed up a car belonging to a Brazilian supporter on Norton Street in Leichhardt. This morning, there was no such retribution for the Azzurri's 4-0 loss to Spain in the Euro 2012 final. There was pain, despair, and maybe a few tears, but an overwhelming acceptance that they were simply outclassed.

Sourced: eturbonews

Recommended Cambodia Tours

Cambodia Day Tours

Cambodia Day Tours

Angkor Temple Tours

Angkor Temple Tours

Cambodia Classic Tours

Cambodia Classic Tours

Promotion Tours

Promotion Tours

Adventure Tours

Adventure Tours

Cycling Tours

Cycling Tours