Asia Travel Infos

Dining in Thailand

2008-12-15T00:55:00.000-08:00

Dining in Thailand | Travel Tips

Most Thai food is already cut into small pieces before serving or made soft enough to be cut with spoon or fork;’ thus, a knife is unnecessary.

Saltshakers are rarely found on Thai dinner tables, so add a little caramel-color fish-sauce (called nam-pla in Thai) instead, if you find your food not salty enough.

English is spoken in large restaurants in tourist provinces; and most establishments have menus in Thai and English, except street-side food stalls and some small restaurant.

Beckon waiters with a wave of a hand. Don’t clap, snap fingers or hiss.

Normally, a tip of 10-20 Baht or 5-10% of the bill should be left when dining in a middle or high-class restaurant.

Thailand Travel Information

2008-12-15T00:28:00.000-08:00

Thailand Travel Information: Travel Tips

How to Act as Foreigner

* Thailand is Buddhist country where Buddha images are held sacred.
* Sacrilegious Acts are punishable by imprisonment even if committed by foreign visitors.
* Thai people hold their King and Queen and the Royal Family in great reverence, and so won’t tolerate foreigners talking about them in disrespect.
* Generally Thai women are conservative. So don’t touch them without their consent.
* Dress properly when entering a Buddhist temple. Mini skirts and shorts are not allowed. Take your shoes off before going inside the hall of worship. Ladies must not on any account touch a Buddhist monk, give things direct to him or receive things direct from him.
* Intimacies between man and woman should not be shown in public. Sunbathing in the nude is prohibited.
* Call Thais their first names: use the title “Khun” for adults.
* Thai people smile to express gladness and happiness, to thank for small services, to return the wai (a way of greeting) of children and inferior persons, and event to excuse small inconveniences.
* Don’t touch a person’s head, nor ruffle his hair. The head is the noblest part of the body. A sincere apology should be offered immediately if you touch someone’s head unintentionally.
* Avoid placing your feet on the table while sitting. Never use your foot to point things out or to touch any part of the body of anyone, which is considered rude.
* Entering a Thai house, you’re expected to remove your shoes.

Bangkok International Airport is OPEN

2008-12-10T23:22:00.000-08:00

Bangkok International Airport is OPEN

Thailand's main airport, Bangkok's - Suvarnabhumi International Airport, officially resumed full service again at 11am on December 5 after thousands of anti-government protesters ended their siege at the airport on Wednesday, with happy passengers lining up at check-in counters since 6am, altogether in a festive atmosphere. more Bangkok airport reopen. Traditionally-clad dancers and rural kathin players beating gongs and drums greeted departing passengers with apologies from the people of Thailand, in elegant processions organised by the Ministry of Culture. In this picture, Mrs. Phornsiri Manoharn, the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), is personally greeting the passengers arriving on the first flights to Thailand.

(BangkokPost.com) - Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport december 2008 has resumed full operation at 11am Friday after the Thai protesters led by the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) occupied the airport and disrupted its operation for about a week in a bid to topple the government.

Three airliners, namely Thai Airways, AirAsia and Bangkok Airways, have already started using the Suvarnabhumi. More than 100 domestic and international flights are expected to use the airport throughout the day.

The airport encountered slight problems in the morning. Some flights had to be delayed as the flight schedule screens were not functioning properly.

At 9am, acting Transport Minister Santi Promphat together with officials from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) inspected Suvarnabhumi’s readiness.They expressed confidence that Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport is 100 per cent secured, and the government will seek measures to restore confidence of tourists and businessmen.

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Mumbai Attact | Taj Mahal Hotel

2008-11-27T20:17:00.000-08:00

Why Taj Mahal Hotel picked ?

The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel in Bombay is India's best-known and best-loved hotel. For any serious foreign investor, businessman or wealthy tourist visiting India's commercial capital, "The Taj", as it is universally known by the cognoscenti, is always the first choice.

With best rooms in the superior old wing costing more than £250 per night - more than 250 millions Indians can expect to earn in a year - the hotel offers a world of secluded luxury, away from the grinding poverty and infrastructural decay of Mumbai.

Legend has it that its creator, a Parsi industrialist called Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, commissioned the building after being refused entry to the now-defunct Apollo Hotel, which had a strict Europeans-only policy.

However with its colonnades of shops stuffed with the world's most expensive brands, what Bombay's rich set consider the ultimate in cosmopolitan luxury, would equally be perceived by Islamist ideologues as a symbol of Western decadence.

Over the years guests have included The Queen, the former Egyptian president Gamal Abdul Nasser and the Beatle John Lennon, to name but a few of the notable personalities to have checked in to the magnificent old wing.

More recently the hotel hosted the guests for Bombay leg of Liz Hurley's two-week extravaganza of a wedding, with guests dashing straight from the front door to waiting motor launches to take them to the privacy of waiting super-yachts in the harbour beyond.

To have pictures of burning Taj Hotel broadcast around the world will have a deeper impact than even perhaps the terrorists intended, striking a blow against a symbol of Indian wealth and progress and sending shivers down the spine of some of the richest and most powerful people on the planet.

Thousands Tourist stranded in Bangkok International Airport

2008-11-26T23:39:00.000-08:00

Thousands Tourist stranded in Bangkok International Airport

Up to 10,000 passengers are being stranded after Bangkok International Airport has been ordered closed as a result of blockade by the People's Alliance for Democracy.
THAI reported that more than 21 flights -to Japan, India, Iran, Europe, among others- were cancelled Tuesday night. This affected up to 6,000 travellers. Overall, up to 10,000 travellers could be affected Tuesday night alone, according to airline sources.
As PAD protesters moved to block the motorway entrance to Bangkok International Airport in the afternoon when the plane carrying Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was scheduled to land, the arrival of his plane from Peru was announced to have been delayed due to technical problems. The estimated time of arrival has not been confirmed. Some sources said he could be arriving Wednesday evening.

Many travellers have already suffered inconvenience. Arrival passengers were stranded Tuesday night and the AOT officials were trying to facilitate their transport out of the airport. AOT has also issued a statement pleading with the PAD. Hectic accommodation was being provided to some stranded departure passengers. Some of them had had to walk with their luggages for up to two kilometres due to problems at the entrance

Thailand on world travel warning list

2008-11-26T23:01:00.000-08:00

Thailand on world travel warning list

Countries around the globe yesterday issued warnings to their citizens about travelling to Thailand.

Today:
China, France, New Zealand, Singapore, Britain, the United States, Australia and Japan counted as the country that add Thailand on world travel warning list. They warned through their websites of possible danger to their citizens.

The US Embassy advised Americans to stay away from the airport given the potential for violence and civil disobedience. "American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations," it said.

The Chinese Embassy warned on its website that Chinese citizens planning to visit Thailand should postpone their plans

The France's foreign affairs ministry suggested that French travellers booked to fly through Bangkok make alternative arrangements.

The New Zealand foreign affairs ministry advised stranded travellers to stay with other tourists, remain close to information counters and follow instructions issued by local authorities.

Similarly, Singapore said citizens without "a pressing need to travel" should postpone their trip.

Britain's Foreign Office issued an updated travel advisory telling Britons to keep abreast of a "very uncertain" political situation.

The Japanese foreign ministry urged its nationals to be cautious. In an alert posted on the ministry's website, it said people planning to visit or to stay in Thailand were advised to check flight information well beforehand.

see more on Bangkok after protest