In July 2020, Agoda partnered with the COVID Relief project in Bangkok to distribute essentials to the most vulnerable groups in Bangkok.
Our colleagues in Bangkok joined to help pack relief kits that include masks, soaps, hand sanitizers, and basic food supplies. Agoda is proud to support this effort through our giving and volunteering program.
More details: https://partnerhub.agoda.com/agoda-partnered-with-covid-relief-bangkok/
The government will soon launch “Health Wallet”, a smartphone app for people to register for Covid-19 vaccination.
Government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had discussed the preparation of a phone app for people to register to receive Covid-19 vaccines at a meeting with officials from the Public Health, Interior and Finance ministries on Friday morning.
The Health Wallet app would be used for Covid-19 vaccine registration. It would keep all registration data so vaccines could be distributed to people in all provinces.
The Finance Ministry and Krungthai Bank would supervise the Health Wallet app and work closely with the Public Health Ministry, which will launch the “Mor Prom’’ phone app, which allows people to book their Covid-19 vaccinaion.
Mr Anucha said the prime minister put emphasis on accelerating all processes to have Thais vaccinated against Covid-19, so the country could fully re-open.
By year’s end, at least 60% of the population should be vaccinated, in preparation for the official re-opening of the country in early 2022, the spokesman said.
Located on a 70-acre plot along the Tha Chin River,
Sampran Riverside (formerly known as the Rose Garden)
is a family-run eco cultural destination; now famous for its
wide range of sustainable initiatives and its sustainable
business model.
This study was conducted amongst potential visitors to Europe, both first-time and repeat visitors, who intend
to visit Europe in the next five years. Findings of this study are therefore specific to this target segment and
need not necessarily apply to general outbound travellers from South-East Asia.
Kids in online classes can now join a video call with elephants and scientific experts in northern Thailand.
Redefining the term “trunk call,” Thailand’s Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort has introduced complimentary field trips for schoolchildren learning from home while in lockdown. The new initiative builds on the success of twice-daily livestreams done by the resort in tandem with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation (GTAEF), through which Internet users can admire rescued elephants walking in the jungle and taking a mud bath in the Ruak River. These showcases have garnered more than 5 million views since the start of the pandemic.
The latest livestreamed experience recalls the resort’s signature Walking with Giants experience, and callers will be able to see three-ton Asian elephants roaming the jungled surroundings of the property, located where the borders of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet. The pachyderms will be accompanied by the mahouts and either a GTAEF veterinarian or biologist, from whom viewers can learn insights about the behavior of these majestic animals. Children will also have the chance to observe the elephants’ social interaction in their native habitat, and each virtual field trip is customized to meet the needs and curriculum of the students.
John Roberts, Group Director of Sustainability & Conservation at Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas, said in a statement, “Whilst this entertaining and educational experience is a temporary virtual substitute for educational institutions’ learning through exposure to nature and nature-based activities, it is the escapism and the enthusiasm that it affords young minds — some often trapped in challenging and confusing circumstances — that make it all worthwhile.”
The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation can organize these video calls as a complimentary experience for online school classes held during Thailand daylight hours. For more information or to reserve a spot on a live virtual field trip, get in touch by emailing jroberts@anantara.com or by calling 66-53/784-084.
Source: https://www.destinasian.com/blog/news-briefs/anantara-golden-triangle-now-offers-virtual-field-trips
Inbound international tourism sector in Thailand says vaccines are a game-changer that allows for the reopening of the country and for quarantine requirements to be dropped.
Leading international tourism companies in Thailand have launched a campaign to reopen the country’s borders from 1 July 2021.
The #OpenThailandSafely campaign was launched 2 March with the support of over 15 major companies including YAANA Ventures, Minor Group, Asian Trails, Capella Hotels and Resorts, EXO and many others. [The full launch list is here]
The Open Thailand Safely campaign has laid out its arguments in a petition which will underpin a formal request to the Royal Thai Government to respond favourably to the rollout of Covid-19 vaccination programmes underway in Europe, USA and other Thailand tourism source markets.
The petition is open to anyone in Thailand or around the world who would like to see the country reopen.
The campaign argues that 1 July is an appropriate date for five reasons: the majority of citizens in many source markets will have been vaccinated by then; it gives time to Thai medical authorities to vaccinate both front line staff in hospitality settings in Thailand and/or vulnerable citizens around the country; it gives international travellers time to make travel plans and bookings; the date gives time to airlines, hotels, tour operators and others to start marketing and sales and get ready for tourism operations to commence; and it will take Thailand at least a year, and maybe longer, to return to the large numbers of international visitors that it had before the Covid-19 crisis.
To ensure the safe reopening of Thailand, the petition argues that “international tourists can be asked to satisfy any safeguards the Thai Government may require. This may, for example, include showing officially recognised proof of a Covid-19 vaccination from their home country, purchasing health insurance, showing proof of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of departure, and so on.”
#OpenThailandSafely was the initiative of leading Bangkok-based private sector travel companies YAANA Ventures, Minor Group and Asian Trails.
The CEO of YAANA Ventures, Willem Niemeijer [pictured right], said: “The 1 July reopening would be a strategic opportunity for Thailand to show a leadership role among Asian countries and prepare the way for a solid recovery of the Thai economy in 2022.”
In the coming days, the Open Thailand Safely campaign will also send the 1st July request to Thailand Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Minister of Tourism and Sports, Mr Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, and the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Mr Yuthasak Supasorn.
According to the Bank of Thailand and official sources in Thailand, tourism, pre-Covid, was worth about 2.9 trillion baht (US$96.5 billion). Some 39.7 million international visitors in 2019 helped sustain up to 8.3 million jobs. However, arrivals fell to 6.7 million in 2020 making between two and four million people unemployed.
Meanwhile, destinations such as Seychelles, Maldives, Greece and Sri Lanka have either opened borders already or are in discussions to do so in light of successful Covid vaccine rollouts in their key source markets.
People can sign the petition for Thailand to reopen on 1 July at www.OpenThailandSafely.org.
For more information www.OpenThailandSafely.org.
Yindii, a Thai anti-food waste startup, has launched a mobile application designed to match Bangkok residents with environmentally conscious restaurants, grocery stores and cafes to combat food waste.
The app is designed to be a direct-to-consumer platform for restaurants and cafes that can create exclusive and immediate “Happy Hour Deals” offers regularly, with discounts of up to 50-70% on food that would otherwise go to waste.
Once a Yindii box offer is published, users can purchase it before heading to the restaurant to collect, or get the box delivered. They will not know the contents of the box until after the purchase.
“A full 33% of all food produced globally is wasted or lost every year. That is close to a billion-and-a-half tonnes that is never consumed, accounting for 8% of the greenhouse gas emissions around the globe, four times more pollution than the airline industry. All this is an ecological disaster,” said Yindii founder Louis-Alban Batard-Dupre. “The growing problem of food waste is challenging to solve for endless reasons including logistics, the complexities of short-lived items and the lack of a set market, which is what we are working to help solve. We hope our simple system connects users and restaurants.”
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has launched a virtual reality tour of top attractions in four of Thailand’s leading tourism destinations comprising Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Surat Thani.
The tours are an immersive 360° adventure that allow visitors to explore the attractions in 3D. After clicking on individual links from the main page https://www.tourismthailand.org/Articles/virtual-tours, it leads visitors directly to the attraction.
There are icons on the bottom left for viewing floorplans and for navigation, while other functions allow visitors to view in VR or share with friends on social media.
Once inside an attraction, visitors can move around using the cursor, while some of the attractions have information about its historical background or details of items on display in both English and Thai.
The 3D virtual tour helps give visitors a visual image of each attraction and that will hopefully encourage them to visit some of them in real life in the near future.
In Bangkok, the Mekhala Ruchi Pavilion lets visitors virtually explore the two-storey teak wood building in all its glory, which was the residence of King Rama VI while Phayathai Palace was under construction. Meanwhile, the virtual tour of Thewarat Sapharom Hall showcases the elegant interior of the palace’s throne hall, and the Phiman Chakri Hall stands out for its iconic turret.
In Chiang Mai, visitors can dive deep into a virtual visit of Phra Chao Tan Chai Ma Tam Na Bun Chapel or the Big Reclining Buddha at Wat Chedi Luang. There is also a tour of Phra Maha That Chedi for the 12 astrological signs and Phra Chao Pun Ton. The final two attractions in Chiang Mai include the statue of Khruba Chao Teung Na Ta Si Lo and Ma Tam Na Bun Chapel.
In the southern region, there are virtual tours of Chedi Khao Hua Chuk in Surat Thani and Chinpracha House in Phuket.
The virtual reality tours give visitors a bird’s-eye view of these famous attraction, allowing them to move around simply by clicking on points of interest. The tours also allow virtual travellers to enjoy these Thai tourist attractions and get immersed in each one’s history. For more information, please visit https://www.tourismthailand.org/Articles/virtual-tours.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently launched the “Thailand Traveller Voice” online survey platform that encourages tourists to provide feedback and recommendations on issues affecting tourist destinations, attractions and establishments, especially on safety, hygiene, and general travel services.
Mr. Yuthasak Supasorn, TAT Governor, said, “The Thailand Traveller Voice online platform formed part of the TAT’s strategy to utilise technology to develop a smart data system that can better support tourism development and serve the needs of tourists to help move Thailand forward.”
Available in English and Thai, the www.thailandtravellervoice.com platform is open for information and feedback from tourists on the sanitary standards under the Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration (SHA), the safety standards, and various aspects of tourism products and services.
Tourists can give comments, criticisms, or complaints on their experiences at any travel service providers in terms of quality, services, prices, information and assistance, and others. They are encouraged to provide details in writing accompanied by images or video clips, if any. They can also choose to omit personal information or provide for contactable customer support.
Tourists can also help review the Amazing Thailand SHA standards at certified establishments and services as well as events and festivals. Using the SHA ID, if any, for reference, they can fill out a questionnaire and series of rating based on a five-point scale on sanitary standards, staff hygiene, distancing measures, and any other concerns, accompanying by images or video clips, if any. The information will be submitted to the Amazing Thailand SHA Safety Standards Audit Committee.
In addition, tourists can give recommendations on the Thai tourism industry. The insights and suggestions will be shared with the respective organisations for tourism development and best approaches to benefit all stakeholders in every possible dimension.
Mr. Yuthasak added, “The Thailand Traveller Voice project is intended to build confidence and provide peace of mind to all tourists when travelling around the country.”
TAT is inviting travel service providers in Thailand to be a part of the Thailand Traveller Voice platform to allow for an open two-way dialogue. This will result in a large amount of aggregate data available, which can be used as part of the country’s sustainable tourism development.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Thailand-based Locanation Company Limited today jointly launch the newly-developed asq.locanation.com website under the ‘ASQ Paradise’ project to provide arriving foreign visitors with world-class information regarding standards for quarantine and control at Alternative State Quarantine (ASQ) hotels located around Thailand.
TAT Deputy Governor for Tourism Products and Business, Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool, said, “TAT’s collaboration for the ‘ASQ Paradise’ project emphasises the strength of Thailand’s tourism infrastructure even as the country is in the grip of the global pandemic crisis. TAT sees an opportunity during this crisis to show other aspects of our tourism potential to the world. Not only do we retain our outstanding hospitality and travel services, but also the highest possible standards for pandemic control and quarantine.”
The asq.locanation.com website, available in English and Chinese languages, provides a 360-degree pre-entry quarantine service platform that offers services ranging from room reservations to information related to individual travel to Thailand and other services.
Currently, the website features 107 participating ASQ hotels in Thailand, offering quarantine packages ranging from 27,000 Baht to 220,000 Baht for the two-week period at hotels in the three to five-star range. All hotels join the platform are required to pass rigid standards set by the Ministry of Public Health.
Mr. Pepe Arunanondchai, Founder of Locanation Company Limited, said, “Both domestic and international tourists can use the asq.locanation.com website to fully meet their needs. This will pave the way for the launch of the Locanation’s official online travel agent business.”
Locanation is one of the companies that received a TAT Travel Tech Startup Season 2 Award under the Innovative Tourism Promotion category. It was recognised for using innovation to create platforms that addressed quarantine ‘Pain Points’ in terms of access to information for tourists who want to visit Thailand.
Locanation is also working with The Central Group of Companies, The Mall Group, King Power International Group and Total Access Communication Public Company Limited (DTAC) to provide online shopping services to asq.locanation.com website’s users. In addition, through collaboration with Dhipaya Insurance Public Company Limited, the company is looking to add a wide variety of insurance and health insurance packages to suit the needs of individual travellers.
The asq.locanation.com website will be promoted by TAT via its 29 overseas offices, as well as through a partnership with the ASQ Club Thailand. The Club has been initiated to provide information on alternative state quarantine facilities.
Mr. Prin Pathanatham, ASQ Club Thailand’s President, said, “Previously, tourist information about quarantine facilities in Thailand was very scattered. With the launch of the asq.locanation.com website, the ASQ Club Thailand believes that it will definitely prove to be an asset for overseas tourists, local entrepreneurs, or foreigners working in Thailand who want to research everything themselves and book directly with participating ASQ hotels.”
TAT is also creating activities to support the ASQ Paradise Project by offering special online shopping opportunities for quarantined tourists. The tourists will also receive an exclusive ‘Happy DIY Set’ with premium products from five Thai tourism communities around the country with delivery co-ordinated by the ASQ Club Thailand.
TAT will also launch an official LINE account in Chinese and English languages to provide information and reply to questions to quarantined tourists.
For more information on the ASQ Paradise Project and ASQ hotels located around Thailand, visit https://asq.locanation.com/.
Source: https://www.tatnews.org/2020/12/tat-locanation-launch-asq-paradise-hotel-bookings-platform/