TRAVEL TITBITS

The disabled air complaints

KARNJANA KARNJANATAWE

The Ministry of Tourism and Sport took disabled athletes who competed in the Fespic Games held in Malaysia last year, on a day-long trip to the Royal Flora exhibit now in progress in Chiang Mai.

All athletes seemed happy with the excursion, although, they faced problems, particularly shortage of facilities for the disabled ranging from inadequate toilets at Suvarnabhumi Airport, elevators and wheelchairs at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep and so on.

They said none of the tourist attractions in Thailand offer adequate facilities for disabled people and the most convenient place for them to visit were the department stores.

Three-nation piracy drill

Marine police forces from Thailand, Malaysia and Japan will attend a drill and workshop on combating piracy at high seas from January 31-February 3 on Ko Tarutao and Langkawi Island of Malaysia.

The aim of the exercise is to promote cooperation between the three countries and to enhance mutual capabilities for search and rescue operations, combating piracy, armed robbery, damage control and casualty evacuation to safer areas.

Some 1,000 police officers will join the exercise which will feature two Japanese vessels, each armed with a helicopter, and four Thai marine patrol boats.

Luxury dining cruise

Banyan Tree Bangkok has launched the Absara I, a dining cruise that can accommodate 64 guests.

Converted from a rice barge made from solid vintage teak, the luxury cruise on Chao Phraya River will start at the River City pier, from where the vessel will sail to the Rama VIII bridge and back.

Guests are offered a choice cocktails from 6pm-7pm priced 500++ baht per person, and dinner cruise from 7:45pm-10:15pm priced 1,800 baht.

For more information, visit http://www.banyantree.com or call 02-679-1200.

Where it began...

If you use Lonely Planet as your guidebook when travelling abroad, you may also want to know about its founders, Tony and Maureen Wheeler, and what inspired them to put their travel experiences in book form.

Those experiences are chronicled in their new pocket book The Lonely Planet Story, a biography that recounts their exploits since 1972 when the Wheelers backpacked through Asia. And a year later published their first book titled Across Asia on the Cheap which spawned the birth of Lonely Planet.

The new title priced at 995 baht is available at all Asia Books stores.

For more information, visit http://www.asiabooks.com or call 02-715-9000.

NZ travel seminar

Tourism New Zealand will organise a seminar titled "Backpacking and Self-drive Holidays in New Zealand" on January 27 at the Grand Mercure Fortune Hotel in Bangkok from 2pm to 5pm. Admission is free.

Also available will be packages for backpackers and young travellers.

For reservation and more information, call 02-670-0114 ext 3/4 or visit http://www.tnz.govt.nz.

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

Horizons News
Bangkok Post
Thursday January 25, 2007