AirAsia chief Tan Sri Tony Fernandes clearly didn’t read the memo about the Malaysian government wanting to reduce the country’s carbon footprint by 40 percent by 2020. He is launching a new premium airline -- called?Caterham Jet --?to compete with Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, Singapore Airlines as well as the recently announced...
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November is the beginning of the tourist high season in Thailand, a time of year when the travel industry hikes rates in line with the influx of international visitors looking to escape their own chilly climates.? This high season was supposed to be Thailand’s big comeback story, proving the industry could bounce back...
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Due to the floods that are currently swamping Bangkok, a number of art exhibitions have been postponed.?That said, most city art venues are open for business as usual.? Bangkok Art Map (BAM) , published free every month in Thai and English, takes a look?at the November art highlights that are still going ahead...
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Loy Krathong is usually one of Thailand's most widely celebrated events, a means of releasing one's accumulated bad vibes to the waters in the form of?floating floral arrangements -- the krathongs -- which are topped with candles and incense.? All over the country, Thais head to their nearest body of water after sunset...
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If you're in Bangkok right now, chances are you're affected by the current flood crisis. That doesn't necessarily mean you've even seen a drop of floodwater, given so much of the city is still dry.?Maybe you can't find your favorite beer at the supermarket, or had to cancel an important event because nobody...
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Back in 2009, CNNGo went along for a ride with Bangkok's most famous snake catcher, Sompop Sridaranop. Check him out in action in the video above. Snake catcher Sompop Sridaranop is a local legend. For more than 20 years he’s been nabbing serpents around Bangkok, removing thousands of them from homes, businesses and...
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With boats now a luxury, city residents are using everything from plastic foam to jet skis to get through the streets Boats are in heavy demand in and around Bangkok these days, as flood waters continue to move deeper into the city.? Many residents have been forced to turn to alternatives, such as...
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A couple of weeks ago we were worried about escaped crocodiles . Now flood-hit Nonthaburi, on the outskirts of Bangkok, is dealing with another breed of deadly fugitives -- 15 green mambas.? Officials announced Wednesday that 15 highly venomous African snakes -- two adults and 13 young --?escaped from a flooded building in...
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Hotels all over Thailand are now offering discounts for Thais who have been affected by the ongoing floods and need to evacuate their homes. Among those that caught our eye is a new "naturist" resort in Pattaya, where clothing is optional.? Rates at the resort range from 2,000 to 2,400 baht per night,...
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A new blog is using a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor to lighten the heavy atmosphere hanging over Bangkok as the city continues to battle rising waters in some areas.? Dubbed Crisis Chic , the Tumblr?blog says "style shouldn't go out the window, just 'cause water's coming in."? Started by two British (Gaby Doman,...
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With Thailand's flood crisis continuing to affect Bangkok and beyond, tourists are advised to keep on top of the situation at all times. ? Here's a list of English-language news sites, blogs and organizations providing up-to-date, regular updates on the floods in Thailand, as well as information on how people can help with...
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Thailand's Soi Dog Foundation has teamed up with other animal welfare groups to rescue Bangkok's stray and abandoned dogs from the ongoing floods.? Established in Phuket in 2003, Soi Dog is?a not-for-profit, legally registered charitable organization in Thailand, the United States, Australia, France and Holland. It helps the homeless, neglected and abused dogs...
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Thailand’s two low-cost domestic airlines operating out of Don Muang –- Bangkok’s secondary airport -- have halted operations there due to the floods and are now operating out of Suvarnabhumi International.? read more
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Thailand’s two low-cost domestic airlines operating out of Don Muang –- Bangkok’s secondary airport -- have halted operations there due to the floods and are now operating out of Suvarnabhumi International.? read more
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A surreal atmosphere hangs over Bangkok, as residents continue to play the waiting game, trying to make sense of the mixed messages broadcast hourly by officials monitoring the flood situation.? In most cases, when disaster strikes, a nation has little, if any, warning. Bangkok would seem to have the opposite problem. For more...
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Globe-trotters know what it's like trying to sleep coiled up on a hard plastic airport seat for hours while they await their next flight. But it doesn't have to be that way. Transit hotels are making long, multi-flight trips tolerable. These short-stay hotels are located within security checks in airports and close to...
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If you're a developer with a prime piece of land right smack in the middle of Bangkok's busiest retail zone, it would appear you have only three obvious options. Build a condominium, a hotel or a shopping mall. Sure enough, filling in one of the few remaining stretches between?the Phrom Phong and Siam?BTS...
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No Back when Bangkok Japanese restaurant Koi opened in 2005, it was the place to see and be seen. Celebrities and high-society types fought for tables every night of the week, with everyone wanting to dine in the Bangkok branch of the famed celebrity-ridden restaurant chain with locations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas...
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As Thailand battles the worst floods in decades, an issue of fashion has brought the nation’s divisions to the fore. This time, it has nothing to do with politics -- OK, maybe a bit -- but with designer footwear. Rubber rain boots, that is. ? First up, we have Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra,...
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Swimming is fun. Swimming in a pool that ranks among the most beautiful things you've ever seen ... that's unforgettable. Whether you want the tropical environs of Bali or a gold-plated pool in the Himalayas, there are swimming pools out there that are destinations in their own right.? ? 1. Alila Uluwatu, Bali,...
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While Bangkok continues to fight its chances of becoming the next Atlantis, some experts warn the worst could still be yet come. All that is missing is a homeless man on a street corner holding a “The end is near” sign. But take a look around the country, at the images on TV...
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After several of the fearsome beasts were spotted in flood-stricken Ayutthaya, a bounty has been placed on Thailand’s escaped crocodiles.? According to media reports , as many as 100 crocodiles are thought to be on the loose after escaping from flood-hit farms in the area. Authorities say 1,000 baht will be paid for...
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Beaches are the Valium of the travel world. They soothe, they relax, they make you realize that "real life" occasionally needs escaping.? Most of all, these slivers of sand against the ocean are a reminder that the world can be quite beautiful.? Of course, we'd be fools to think we've captured every great...
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In fashion-crazy Bangkok, the last two weeks have seen back-to-back catwalk events featuring the top Thai fashion brands. First up was the inaugural Bangkok International Couture Fashion Week , swiftly followed by the lower key 1st Fashion Field Trip. Crowning it all in stylish glory was the annual Elle Fashion Week 2011, which...
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The northern city of Chiang Mai is considered Thailand's cultural capital, while also sitting near some of the country's top natural attractions, most within an hour or two's drive of the Old Town. But everyone knows that. Less celebrated are all those Chiang Mai street stalls and shophouses hawking incredible northern Thai cuisine...
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As Thailand battles the worst floods it's seen in decades, a few new threats have emerged: snakes, crocodiles and poisonous insects.? News reports say that more than ?100 crocs have escaped from a flooded farm in Thailand's Utai Thai province, though government officials say people shouldn't worry too much as they're not as...
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Phuket may be a world renowned beachfront paradise, but there's a less than idyllic debate raging among island leaders right now. The argument concerns the future of Phuket, and whether it's time Thailand's national government intervened to set the island straight.? Early last year, in a fascinating experiment, local envoys from about 20...
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As authorities in Bangkok scurry to safeguard the city in a race against time after warnings it could be hit by the worst flooding in decades in the coming two weeks, the situation on the ground remains uncertain.? For now, major tourist areas such as Sukhumvit Road, Khao San Road and Silom are...
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Ahead of expected floods, many are stockpiling water and food. Others are carrying on with life as usual Scenes vary dramatically in Bangkok, where residents are preparing?for what officials warn could be the worst flooding the city has seen in decades. Life is carrying on as usual for many, while others are scrambling...
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Recreating the backpacking experience of the 1970s by using the first Lonely Planet "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" guidebook Richard S. Ehrlich A British travel writer created a time-warp and journeyed through Southeast Asia as if he were in 1974 -- an adventure that peaked on psychedelic mushrooms in Indonesia, eating grasshoppers with...
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