The mayor of Koh Samui‘s municipal authority has extended an invitation to all to attend the festivities for the island’s 2017 annual regatta. This year’s edition of the Samui Regatta is scheduled to take place between 20 and 27 May at Chaweng Beach.
The operator of the recently launched Pattaya to Hua Hin ferry service has announced the acquisition of two new vessels. Royal 2 and Royal 3 are expected to start sailing on routes across the northern part of the Gulf of Thailand once they have been certified as seaworthy.
The Laos Tourism Ministry has announced the construction of a heritage centre at the historic Vat Phou Temple complex in southern Champasak Province. A director at the ministry’s heritage bureau told reporters the centre would function as a museum and visitor centre and would house important artefacts from the 900-year-old temple.
The director of Thailand’s Andaman Sea Marine Resources Research Centre claims banning fishing at Koh Libong will help conserve rare dugongs for posterity. Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong stated that a fishing ban would ensure the sea grass dugongs fed on was not damaged.
The deputy chairperson in the central Vietnamese township of Tam Thanh has confirmed that a planned kite festival is to go ahead. Le Ngoc Ty said Tam Thanh will hold the international kite jamboree between the 5 and 9 June 2017.
A senior manager at Thailand’s national airports authority has confirmed that Bangkok’s main airport is now operating at full capacity. The Airport Authority of Thailand’s (AoT) Sirote Duangratana said the scheduled maintenance on part of one runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport had been completed early.
Authorities in Northern Vietnam have opened up the film set for the latest King Kong blockbuster for tourists. A mock-up tribal village and the surrounding area in Ninh Binh Province played a prominent role in the recently released Kong: Skull Island.
A 100-strong posse of volunteers cleaned up garbage from Phuket’s Coral Island on Saturday. Nonthasak Marine Company organised the mop up operation and confirmed afterwards that more than one ton of flotsam and other garbage was carted away from the islet.
The CEO of Turkey’s Bozankaya Limited says the first consignment of new trains for Bangkok’s urban rail system will arrive in Thailand next year. Aytunc Gunay told reporters at a recent factory dedication ceremony in Turkey the first delivery would be made up of four trains with four carriages apiece.
The vice-president of THAI Airways has confirmed the addition of several new code share routes for its summer 2017 timetables. The new options are tie-ups with the Thai national carrier’s subsidiary, THAI Smile, and are in effect through to 28 October.
The organisers of the Top of The Gulf Regatta have been busy making the final preparations at Jomtien’s Ocean Marina. The 2017 edition of the sailing extravaganza is scheduled to stage in the waters off Na Jomtien Beach between the 4 and 8 May.
Civil Aviation Authorities in Vietnam have put the finishing touches to a proposal to upgrade Ho Chi Minh City’s Airport. The CAA has submitted a final draught to the Transport Ministry to carry out an expansion which will increase annual passenger capacity by 15 million.
Thai AirAsia has announced the launch of a new route between Bangkok and Da Nang in central Vietnam. The Thai affiliate of AirAsia says the new route will launch on 9 June and there will be one flight a day in each direction.
US based river cruise operator Avalon has announced the addition of a second ship to its Mekong options. The Avalon Saigon will join sister vessel Avalon Siem Reap in autumn 2018 and offer river cruises between southern Vietnam and Cambodia.
The People’s Party in Quang Ninh Province says it has warned tour operators and souvenir shops it is clamping down on scams. The People’s Party secretary last week issued a warning that authorities would be handing down harsh penalties to agencies or shops found to have cheated tourists.
A historic archway sitting beside one of central Vietnam’s most picturesque viewpoints has been designated a national relic. A little under 500 metres above sea level, the gate at Hai Van marks the topmost point of the mountain pass road from Da Nang to Hue.
Lights switched on over the weekend have inaugurated a new era for the historic Imperial Palace in Hue. The lighting system enables tourists to enjoy the ethereal delights of one of the most recognisable tourism attractions in Vietnam away from the heat of the midday sun.
The governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says a recently announced ban on street food vendors in Bangkok will not push their carts off the streets altogether. Yuthasak Supasorn told reporters that two main zones would be allowed to remain as they are while in others vendors will be moved off main thoroughfares.
The operator of the Pattaya to Hua Hin ferry service has announced the addition of two new routes. The boss of the Thai National Marine Department says the routes will commence next month and run between Sattahip and Hua Hin and Sattahip and the island of Koh Chang.
Authorities in Hue are busy putting the finishing touches to preparations for next week’s Traditional Craft Festival. The celebration of heritage artisans’ skills will run between the 28 April and the 2 May 2017.