Month: July 2023

Since opening its doors one year ago, The Ritz-Carlton, Amman has become one of the premier hospitality and leisure destinations in Jordan’s bustling capital city, providing impeccable service to guests from around the world and garnering a wealth of international attention and acclaim.

Guests staying at any one of Sandals three resorts in St. Lucia can enjoy a Sandals golf course perfect for play at any skill-level. The all-remastered 18-hole, par 71 Sandals St. Lucia Golf & Country Club at Cap Estate boasts a Greg Norman-designed championship caliber course layout that features 7,000+ yards and dramatic elevation changes with undulating greens.

Buoyed by the full recovery of Jamaica’s tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism is targeting 250,000 visitors from Latin America (Latam) over the next 5years.The move forms part of the Minister’s aggressive push to reengage this large source market.

Lufthansa’s in-flight service is being expanded and will offer more choice, entertainment and sustainability in the future.Starting in mid-August, Business Class passengers on long-haul flights from Germany will be able to choose from a wider selection of main dishes as early as one month and up to 24 hours before departure

Similar road shows have been planned to be held in various source markets in Asia that will make use of the direct flight services to Bhubaneswar from Bangkok.

Tourism stakeholders from Odisha networked with more than 130 travel and tour operators from Thailand at an international road show organised by the Tourism department at Bangkok on Wednesday.

Organised to leverage direct flight connectivity with Thailand, this is the department’s second leg of its international tourism promotional campaign. On the occasion, Tourism Director Sachin Ramchandra Jadhav delivered a presentation on Odisha Tourism’s initiatives combining the state’s rich history, culture and natural heritage with sustainable tourism products that have been attracting tourists from across the globe.

Highlighting Odisha’s ancient maritime connection with Thailand (formerly Siam), he touched upon various tourism products that the state has on offer to attract Thai tourists. Ambassador of India to Thailand Nagesh Singh lauded the strategic steps taken by the government of Odisha in promoting tourism. “This networking event will open more avenues for bilateral trade relations between the two regions. The many offerings of Odisha Tourism will surely attract people here in Thailand to visit India’s best-kept secret with the newly launched direct flights ensuring minimal travel time”, he said.

First secretary (economic and commerce), of the Indian Embassy in Thailand,  Dharmendra Singh, vice-president of the Tourism Council of Thailand Somsong Sachaphimukh and customer service supervisor of Indigo Airlines Prapaporn Junmuenwai took part in a panel discussion on tourism potential in Odisha. Similar roadshows have been planned to be held in various source markets in Asia that will make use of the direct flight services to Bhubaneswar from Bangkok.

Three illegally built resorts on Phu Thap Boek in Phetchabun province are set to be demolished under orders from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa has instructed his adviser Yuthapol Angkinan and relevant agencies to take action against these resorts located near Pha Hua Sing, which is part of Khao Kho National Park. The order follows an investigation that found the construction to be violating Section 4 of the Forest Act of 1941 and Watershed Area 1A, the term used to identify a forest conservation zone.

Officials have confirmed no construction permit has been granted within the area, adding that the location is not part of the destined zone for agricultural land reform, where construction work may be permitted.

Varawut stated that authorities will dismantle construction at these locations and expand their investigation to uncover anyone involved in this illegal conduct. A guideline will also be sent to relevant agencies in order for them to implement measures to prevent encroachment in the area.

Financial Institutions expressed readiness to comply with measures to reduce household debt that is set to begin next year.

The Bank of Thailand will commence with persistent debt (PD) for revolving personal loans as part of the household debt settlement plan and will encourage performing loan debtors to take part in the scheme. Participants would be able to receive an annual interest rate of no more than 15%, compared to the current 25% ceiling rate for personal loan products.

PD clients will be categorized into general and severe groups. Individuals considered to be in General PD are those who have been in debt consecutively for three years, while severe PD borrowers are those who are in debt consecutively for five years, with a minimum monthly income of 20,000 baht if using a bank or 10,000 baht for non-bank users. The measures are set to go into effect on April 1, 2024.

Following the announcement from the central bank, Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) managing director Chatchai Sirilai stated that BAAC is ready to help its clients relieve their financial burden in accordance with the central bank’s regulations. He emphasized that the bank’s 4.3 million customers are mostly PD borrowers who are in elderly and vulnerable groups, stressing that the banks want to get them out of debt as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Personal Loan Club Vice-President Athip Sinpagekan stated that its non-bank members are ready to comply with the measures and will encourage their clients to participate in the PD plan. Payong Srivanich, Chairman of the Thai Bankers’ Association, affirmed that commercial banks will comply with PD measures as well.

BOT Deputy Governor Ronadol Numnonda added that the central bank would approach loan operators and the rest of the co-operatives to join the household debt resolution program as well. Currently, the central bank is in charge of approximately 70% of total household debt.

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The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) has announced a transformative plan to enhance the city’s landscape by burying a staggering 1,454 kilometers of electrical wires underground over the next decade. With the goal of serving more than 14 million people residing in Bangkok, Nonthaburi, and Samut Prakan, the agency aims to optimize electric power services through the implementation of smart technology, enabling more efficient management of the electricity system.

MEA Governor Wilas Chaloeysat revealed the details of the ambitious project at a press conference held in anticipation of the authority’s 65th anniversary on August 1. The focus of the initiative, dubbed the “smarter metro grids and smarter meters” project, lies in making electricity services more convenient and intelligent for the urban population.

Conducting an extensive survey along major roads in the city and its vicinity, the MEA identified more than 1,000 kilometers of cable wires that require subterranean placement. The authority plans to complete this comprehensive underground wiring project within the next ten years, primarily targeting areas along Skytrain and metro train lines. Already, 91 kilometers of electric wires have been successfully placed underground, covering significant business zones and roadways, such as in Sathon district.

As part of the expansion plan, the MEA aims to extend the underground wiring coverage by an additional 236.1 kilometers by 2027, ultimately relocating a total length of 1,454 kilometers into underground pipes. It intends to increase the deployment of smart meters from the current 33,265 sets to as many as 441,400 sets by 2027 to further help detect system errors and resolve power usage issues.

With projections indicating the presence of 6.6 million electric cars in Thailand by 2037, the MEA recently rolled out EV charging stations, introduced smart charging systems for households, and developed transformer load monitoring to prevent electricity overloads.

Air India said it is gearing up to play a key role in boosting the freight and cargo ecosystem in India and globally.

The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority has granted an air operator’s certificate (AOC) to BermudAir, a new airline based on the British Overseas Island Territory that plans to start operating flights to the U.S. within weeks.