Irrawaddy action plan

Horizons News - Thursday December 13, 2007

TRAVEL TITBITS

Irrawaddy action plan

KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE

The Cambodian government has announced a plan to save endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in the Mekong River from extinction by promoting poverty alleviation through tourism development.

It has provided US$100,000 (3.7 million baht), which together with US$600,000 (22.2 million baht) in support from the World Tourism Organisation, will help form the Mekong River Discovery Trail Project.

"No dolphins means no tourism. No tourism means no development," said Cambodia's Tourism Minister Thong Khon.

The World Wildlife Fund estimated that at least 80 dolphins live in the Mekong River, but about a dozen die each year due to being trapped in fishing nets.

The project will work on building community awareness and encourage hotels, guesthouses and a boat jetty in Kratie to join a new development programme including building hotels.

It expected that the project would draw visitors to see the endangered fresh water dolphins, which live in a 190-km stretch of the Mekong River, between the quiet provincial capitals of Kratie and Stung Treng, where up to 50 percent of local people live on less than US$1 a day, according to World Tourism Organisation Director of Development Assistance Dr Harsh Varma.

Villagers living in the area will be encouraged to diversify economic activities away from fishing such as taking visitors to see the dolphins and selling food and drinks.

It is estimated that the number of visitors will increase by around 20%.

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TAT targets China

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) plans to bring in more Chinese tourists by holding a campaign to give away Olympics tickets and travel packages to Thailand.

It has joined with Thai Airways, Air China, Visa International and Bank of China to run the 72-million-baht campaign.

TAT governor Phornsiri Manoharn said the aim was to promote Thai tourism among Chinese people and to encourage them to travel to Thailand.

TAT has invested around 24 million baht in the project. The 10-month campaign will give away Olympics tickets via lucky draws to Chinese people who pay with Platinum or Gold Visa cards while staying in Thailand. There will also be 888 gift vouchers - with prizes including four night stays in Thailand - to lucky Chinese people who use Visa cards in China.

The campaign, which kicked off this month, will run until the end of September 2008.

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Nonthaburi temple tours

Nonthaburi Provincial Office has launched a sunset boat tour of its five most popular temples, priced at 199 baht.

The tour will take around two hours and starts at Nonthaburi pier with a cruise along the Chao Phraya river. The boat will lead to Wat Khemapirataram Ratchworavihara, which has Ayutthaya-period artwork; Wat Chalermphrakiet Woravihara which was built in the time of King Rama III; Wat Kaenok, Wat Choenglaen and Wat Poramaiyikawas. Along the cruise, visitors will be able to see the decorative lights on Rama IV and V bridges.

Tours will start at 5pm, 5:30pm and 6pm. The package is available from now until December 15.

Ticket should be booked a day in advance. Call 02-589-5479 or contact the Central Region 6 Office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand on 035-322-730-1.

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AirAsia beefs up its fleet

AirAsia has ordered an additional 25 Airbus 320s, making it the largest airline customer using this particular aircraft. It plans to replace old Boeing 737s operated by Thai AirAsia and Indonesia AirAsia by 2008.

This purchase is an important step for the AirAsia it signifies the airline's future aggressive route expansion plans in tandem with its expected traffic growth over the next decade.

The A320 Family, which includes the A318, A319, A320 and A321, features fly-by-wire controls and all share unique cockpit commonality across the range, leading to lower operating costs.

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Hidden Japan

If you'd like to see another side of Japan, "Hidden Japan: A Look of Nature in Japan" exhibition might be of interest. The photographs on display are works of award-winning Yahagi Kijuro who has travelled 20,000 kilometres through Japan.

The photographic event runs until December 21. The venue is the fourth floor of Chalerm Phra Kiat Building in the Siam Society on Sukhumvit 21 (Asoke) Road.

The exhibition opens daily from 10am-5pm, except Sundays, Mondays and national holidays.

For more information, call 02-661-6470-7

If you have comments or news to share, email karnjanak@bangkokpost.co.th

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