Phuket’s Big Buddha Museum Making Steady Progress
Phuket’s ambitious 45-metre tall Big Buddha structure is around 80 per cent complete. The massive statue, which is seated in the pang marnvichai meditation posture, will contain an internal museum and be surrounded by a grassy meditation park.
Work on the Big Buddha statue began six years ago, with a final price tag expected to top 100 million baht. Suporn Vanichkul, President of the Mingmongkol Faith 45 committee, reported that the structural work is nearly complete. Workers have also completed about 80 per cent of the beautiful jade exterior, which was imported from Myanmar.
Once completed, the Big Buddha will tower 45 metres above the Nakkerd Hills between the town of Chalong and Kata Beach on Phuket. Its base will be 25 metres wide and contain entry doors into a large interior space within the Buddha, housing a museum exhibiting various Buddhist displays.
An additional 40 million baht is needed to finish the statue, road and meditation park, said Suporn Vanichkul. “We have had donations from all over the world, even from people who are not Buddhists.”
Tourists have already begun visiting the Big Buddha. “[They] are impressed by the work and they have been donating money. We have about 400 to 500 visitors each day on weekends,” Suporn Vanichkul said.
Posted on 25 July 2008 | 10:32 pm
Direct Flights from Japan to Phuket Resumed
Thai Airways resumed direct flights from Narita, Japan to the Thai resort island of Phuket after a 3-year hiatus. The once-popular route will fly two days a week with the hope that services can be expanded as demand warrants.
A group of 300 Japanese tourists arrived at Phuket International Airport from Narita aboard a Thai Airways Boeing 777. It was the first direct flight from Japan to Phuket since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami put the brakes on tourism in the region. The year before the tsunami, around 206,000 Japanese visited Phuket. But 2007 saw only 115,000 Japanese tourists come to the island.
Tourism Authority of Thailand Southern Region 4 Office Director Suwalai Pinpradub and representatives from tourist businesses in Phuket greeted the arriving tourists with jasmine garlands. Pinpradub said that Japan is one of Phuket’s most important sources for tourists, and the newly reopened flights would give local business a much-needed boost during Phuket’s “green season”.
Thai Airways will begin by operating direct flights from Narita to Phuket on Thursdays and Sundays.
Posted on 23 July 2008 | 4:23 pm
Air crash airline suspends operation
One-2-Go, the budget airline involved in the Phuket air disaster last October, will stop flying on Tuesday July 22nd for six weeks. The decision is based mainly on the rising cost of jet fuel amid stiff competition, as well as the looming law suits from its air crash that left 79 dead.
Described as financial restructuring for ‘damage control’ by CEO Udom Tantiprasongchai, the suspension will ground all eight MD80 jets that currently fly the Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Bangkok to Phuket routes. These ageing and noisy aircraft are particularly fuel inefficient and it has taken its toll on the five year old budget carrier.
The airline is suffering from loss during advanced sales of tickets, as fuel surcharges have been rising by the week this year, making it difficult for them to compete with AirAsia and Nok Air. Their tickets are typically 15 per cent more expensive.
The news comes just days after a US law firm announced it was leading a class action lawsuit against the airline and its insurance underwriter for failing to adequately compensate victims of the Sept 18 2007 air disaster that resulted from a crash landing in poor weather. The airline has already been sued in Thailand, the US and Britain.
It was launched in 2003 as a budget subsidiary of the small Thai airline Orient Thai, which continues to fly to Hong Kong and Incheon, in addition to charter services. No clear announcement has been made about its 700 staff or compensation for advance ticket sales, the usual booking service on their website having been replaced by a single notice of suspension.
Orient Thai website Contact numbers: (66) 2 229 4260
Posted on 20 July 2008 | 6:26 pm
High Travel Costs Could Impact Phuket
Tourist arrivals during the upcoming high season in Phuket may well be lower than earlier projections anticipated, as rising oil prices and economic gloom are likely to deter some visitors.
The president of the Phuket Tourist Association, Maitree Narukatpichai, is suggesting that hotel occupancy in Phuket during the November to April high season will probably be around 70% compared to 75% in 2006-07 season.
Phuket now boasts 50,000 hotel rooms, with capacity up from the 40,000 rooms available three years ago, when the areas was rebuilding after the 2004 tsunami.
The tourism association is projecting that revenue from visitors to Phuket this year is likely to be in the range of 94-95 billion baht.
May and June hotel occupancy rates were only at the 10-15% level, compared with 50% occupancy during the same months in 2007. The significant rate decrease is attributed to the rise in airfares.
Long-haul airfares are typically 60-70% of the cost of a holiday for visitors to the area.
Phuket and nearby Krabi have been popular destinations for European tourists for years. These travellers are now facing fuel surcharges that add hundreds of dollars to the cost of their tickets.
Posted on 16 July 2008 | 7:56 am
TAT lowers tourism projections
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is expecting a significant downturn in the number of international tourist arrivals for 2008 and 2009, owing mainly to the rising price of oil and subsequent cuts in inbound flights.
The TAT cut its projection from 10 per cent for 2009 over 2008 to a little over three per cent; a sharp downward. This translates to an initial projected of 17 million arrivals in 2009 down to 16 million arrivals, and just 15 million visitors for 2008.
This will naturally have a knock-on effect on the revenue generated by international tourism and TAT thus expect revenue growth to be half that of previous expectations - five per cent.
Spending per head is expected to increase from 38,760 baht in 2008 to 39,375 in 2009, however, owing mainly to the rising costs of consumables. The total revenue projection for 2008 is 600 billion baht, or about US $18 billion.
In comparison, TAT expects domestic travel of 87 million trips, bringing in revenue of around 407 billion baht, about US $12 billion.
International marketing deputy governor, Santichai Eua-Chongprasit, said the main negative factors affecting travel to Thailand were the high oil price, the downturn in the world economy and less flights to Thailand.
He also acknowledged that the travel industry to Thailand would be greatly affected if and when the oil price climbs to US$200 a barrel.
Posted on 14 July 2008 | 1:06 pm
Tourists undeterred as tsunami sirens sound
Tourists in Patong stayed put while the tsunami sirens blared out during a tsunami drill across Phuket.
Although many tourists had been notified of the forthcoming drill by their hotels and guesthouses, many clearly hadn’t but still opted to remain sunbathing while the sirens sounded.
The exercise was held right across Thailand’s six Andaman provinces, where a total of 79 tsunami warning towers were set in operation by the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC). Of the 79, 19 alone are positioned on Phuket’s main beaches.
One female tourist interviewed at Patong Beach said that she’d clearly heard the siren, but when she saw that no wave was approaching she decided to stay. Asked what she would do if indeed she did see a wave, she could give no answer.
Another tourist, from Kuwait, said he was notified by his hotel about the drill but felt perfectly safe in his ninth floor room, while another. Another tourist interviewed said he knew about the drill but couldn’t hear the siren.
The drill, controlled from the command centre in Saphan Hin, Phuket Town, lasted for two hours between 09:30 and 11:30.
The Vice-Governor of Phuket, Smith Palawatvichai said he was satisfied with Phuket’s part in the Andaman tsunami drill.
Posted on 13 July 2008 | 5:40 am
THAI resumes Tokyo-Phuket flights
Thai Airways International (THAI) has just announced that it will resume operating direct flights between Tokyo and Phuket.
Flights will resume with the Thai flag carrier from July 17, which was previously suspended in February 2005 due to the lack of passenger numbers visiting the ‘Pearl of the Andaman’ from Japan following the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.
The flight will retain its same number, TG 671, and will operate directly from Tokyo to Phuket and then onto Bangkok twice per week.
Thai Airways International will operate the two flights on Thursdays and Saturdays, leaving Tokyo at 10:00 (Tokyo time) and arriving in Phuket at 15:25 (local time).
Flights will then depart Phuket at 16:30 and arrive in Bangkok at 17:55.
There will be two classes of service aboard the Boeing 777-200, with 279 seats in economy class and 30 seats in Royal Executive class.
Posted on 12 July 2008 | 5:36 pm
Formula 1 Champion Opts for Phuket Lifestyle
The current Formula 1 reigning champion, Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, has recently purchased a beachfront villa on the resort island of Phuket, in Thailand.
The luxury purchase by this high-profile foreigner is continuing evidence that Phuket is firmly on the map as south-east Asia’s ultimate destination for purchasing property that delivers both a lifestyle as well as return on investment.
Raikkonen bought a 279 square metre beachfront unit at the Outrigger Serenity Terraces Resort Phuket, which is a 78-unit combined residential and resort property situated on the south-east coast of the island. When the 2007 Formula 1 winner opens the curtains in his bedroom, he will gaze out on the Andaman Sea’s tropical islands, including world-famous Phi Phi Island.
Noted Raikkonen: "Having this kind of place, which is very exclusive, brand new and very high quality, is exactly what I'm looking for when I have a week or two off in winter. I can go and relax, be at home almost -- but in a warm and sunny place."
According to Phuket real estate agents, properties on the island are appreciating at around 20% per year. Research conducted by global property adviser, Jones Lang LaSalle, demonstrates that luxury villas on the island, costing in the range of US$1 million to US$1.66 million increased by 25% in the past year alone.
Posted on 12 July 2008 | 5:41 am
Thirty Whales Beached off Phuket
Thirty false killer whales were found beached near the Thai resort island of Phuket, but most were saved by staff at nearby hotels and local residents, a marine official reported.
The whales were up to 4.2 metres long, swam onto the beach on the Racha Island in the Andaman Sea, according to Wannakiat Thubthimsang, the director of Phuket’s Marine Biological Center.
Island residents and hotel staff joined forces to carry the whales back into the rough sea waters, Wannakiat told the AFP.
Due to the rough seas, ten of the whales had to be moved by truck and then carried to another beach about a kilometre away, where calmer waters made the rescue effort feasible.
"One of them died from shock," said Wannakiat.
Scientists who were contacted said they couldn’t be sure why the whales swam ashore.
"They may have run aground because of the strong wave, or they could have been misled by their leader's sonar signal," he added. "It's not the first time this has happened, but this is a very large number."
False killer whales are considerably smaller and less aggressive than the Orca, which is a distant relative. They are not listed as a threatened species.
Like Orcas, false killer whales are classified by scientists as dolphins rather than whales. They are quite social by nature and are known to stand themselves in situations similar to this recent occurrence in Thailand.
Posted on 2 July 2008 | 4:15 am
