A Message from our Thailand office:
Warm greetings from Thailand,
I’m pleased to report that Thailand has just recently been named ‘Destination of the Year’ at the TTG Asia Travel Awards 2024. This is the eighth time Thailand has won the award, having previously been named in top spot in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2018.
We are currently experiencing floods in many cities around Thailand, and there are official storm warnings in place for most parts of Thailand this week. We will continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety of all our guests. Packages and tours can continue to operate, with some necessary amendments to avoid the most flooded areas.
October is set to see a wide range of festivals and celebrations for travellers in Thailand to enjoy. Among many others, there’s the Siam Paragon Bangkok International Fashion Week 2024 from 2-6 October, Thailand Coffee Hub 2024 from 2-8 October, Book Expo Thailand from 10-20 October, the Moto GP from 25-27 October and a Royal Barge Procession honouring HM The King on 27 October. For a full list of festivals happening this month, go to the TAT website.
This month we will be travelling with our Panorama Destination colleagues from Malaysia and Indonesia to Singapore, where we will all convene at ITB Asia from 23-25 October. If you’re also planning to attend the event, we hope to see you there and share some of our most popular packages, and a few new products with you.
Our existing tour packages focus on some unmissable sites in Central Thailand, including Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Kanchanaburi. And we also have a new product to share, called ‘Unseen Thailand’. This community-orientated package takes travellers off the beaten track, to explore parts of Thailand that are seldom seen. With a special emphasis on connections with local communities, this package is aligned with our plans to offer meaningful, sustainable and responsible tourism experiences.
We currently have guests from all over Europe, the USA and the UK, who are travelling to destinations all around Thailand. October is the last month of summer and the green season in Thailand; for those who enjoy traveling in low season and during the rains, we are beginning to offer promotions and attractive prices. For those looking ahead to wintertime and the long holiday break, you can start making your holiday plans with us now.
Please note the Panorama Destination Thailand office will be closed on 14 October to honour the King Rama 9 Memorial Day, and then on 23 October for King Chulalongkorn Memorial Day.
Warm regards,
Pat Pattaranan Sappattarabune
General Manager, Panorama Destination Thailand.
Destination digest: Thailand news in brief
A selection of bitesize stories and positive developments making the news in the Land of Smiles recently:
TAGTHAI and Google Cloud team up to enhance Thai tourism
Google Cloud and Thailand’s travel application, TAGTHAi, have announced a strategic collaboration to streamline and enhance travel planning for visitors to Thailand. The Design My Trip tool, accessible through the TAGTHAi mobile app, allows travellers to create personalised itineraries in a matter of seconds. TAGTHAi claims this development is in line with the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s goal of digitally transforming the local tourism ecosystem and reinforcing Thailand’s position as a leading global destination.
(source: IT Brief Asia)
Phuket hosts 25th ITOP Forum for sustainable island tourism
Phuket proudly hosts the 25th Inter-Islands Tourism Policy (ITOP) Forum, welcoming representatives from island destinations across the globe from September 24 to 27. With over 150 leaders and policymakers from tourism hubs such as Bali (Indonesia), Hainan (China), Jeju Island (South Korea), Okinawa (Japan), and Zanzibar (Tanzania), the event aims to foster collaboration and share strategies for sustainable tourism development among island destinations.
(source: Thaiger)
Thailand to retain visa exemption schemes
The Thai Foreign Ministry (MFA) has announced that Thailand will be implementing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system to streamline immigration processes, allowing travellers to submit their information electronically before departure to facilitate quicker processing upon arrival.
(source: Kaohoon International)
Thailand postpones launch of ETA system for foreign tourists
Thailand has postponed its plans to implement the electronic travel authorisation (ETA) system, said the foreign ministry on Monday (Sept 23). The ETA was initially slated to launch in December this year, reported The Nation. A total of 93 countries, including Singapore, will be granted visa-free entry with the ETA.
(source: AsiaOne)
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