Scoot, Singapore Airlines’ budget subsidiary will fly the short haul route to Bangkok from 5 July adding even more stress on a cut-throat sector served by Thai AirAsia, Jetstar as well as its own subsidiary Tiger Airways.

Introduction of a Bangkok service came as a surprise, as it was not mentioned on the intended destinations list. Scoot was pitching at medium and long haul routes from Singapore namely Australia, New Zealand, China, India. Europe and even the US at a stretch. This strategy is reflected in its fleet choice of mid to long-range wide-bodied B777-200s (32 business seats and 370 economy seats).

Critics will say it was an opportunist move to tap the popular Bangkok with a daily evening flight departing Singapore at 1725 and returning from Bangkok at 2000.

But the airline will be stretched to make it work as competitors serving the route give passengers more choices. Thai AirAsia and Tiger Airways operate five daily services, while Jetstar offers two. Full-service carriers, Singapore Airlines fly five daily flights; Thai Airways International, four to five flights daily and Cathay Pacific Airways, a single daily service.

But a Scoot fare comes cheap and there are some incentives that might persuade travellers to move from a competing budget airline. One is more user friendly booking categories. They are: Fly (seat only with carry-on luggage); FlyBag (seat with 15 kg checked baggage); FlyBagEat (seat with 15 kg checked baggage and a meal) and ScootBiz (premium class with 38-inch seat, 20 kg baggage, up to two complimentary meals, priority boarding and check-in, in-flight entertainment, in-seat power and comfort kit if travel overnight). Extra charges apply for seat assignment, wider seat, exit-row seat, additional checked baggage allowance, sports gear, meals, iPad in-flight entertainment and amenity kit.

On the Bangkok-Singapore route, during the introductory period, all-in roundtrip fares start from Bt3,363, Fly fare; Bt3,963, FlyBag; Bt4,803,FlyBagEat and Bt10,123, ScootBiz. If the passenger only requires a checked baggage allowance on one leg of the trip, they can buy a Fly fare and 15 kg of checked baggage, Bt375 per sector, instead of paying the FlyBag fee. Passengers can buy up to 40 kg of checked baggage on top of any fare.

Looking at the fares quoted by other low-cost carriers, Thai AirAsia sells the route from Bt6,330; Jetstar, from Bt4,590 and Tiger Airways, Bt5,680 (seat with hand-carry luggage only). The fares of these carriers can be cheaper during promotional campaigns or the traditional teasers when they sell a basement fare without telling us the deal is limited to just a few seats. Scoot passengers should recognise the late arrival in Singapore means surcharges on taxi fares and by the time you check in the downtown room at S$500 a night it will be almost time to get up for breakfast.

Comparing fares with full-service carriers, the ScootBiz fare of Bt10,123 is more expensive. Singapore Airlines sells a fare of Bt8,400 per seat if two persons travel together and Bt9,150 for an individual and the seat is comparable to what ScootBiz offers. THAI’s 52nd Anniversary promotion quotes Bt9,475 up until 30 September and Bt11,330, outside of the promotional period. Cathay Pacific sells at Bt8,690 for its afternoon flight departing Bangkok at 1145 and returning from Singapore at 1335.

Scoot will kick off services, 4 June, with a Singapore-Sydney service (daily) and on 12 June, Singapore-Gold Coast (five weekly); then on 5 July, Bangkok and in August, Tianjin in China. All fares are inclusive of taxes and surcharges and subject to change due to availability and currency fluctuations. 

Originally published by www.ttrweekly.com

Ayutthaya, February 24, 2012 — More than 300 Muay Thai boxers will be in Thailand between 17-23 March 2012 for the 8th Thai boxing tournament and festival, one of the most unique events on the global sporting arena.

As in past years, the week-long event will bring together competitors as well as hundreds of Thai boxing enthusiasts from 30 countries including the U.K., Canada, Russia, South Korea, France, Ukraine, and South Africa.

Officially known as the World Wai Kru Muay Thai Ceremony and Miracle Muay Thai Festival, the event is being organised by TAT at the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Historical Park, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province.

Co-organisers of the event are the Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Provincial Administrative Organization, Association Institute of Thai Martial Arts, Kru Muay Thai Association, and the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand.

Muay Thai is Thailand’s national sport as well an intrinsic part of its history, heritage and culture. Its ancient origins can be traced back to Muay Boran or “ancient boxing”, a form of unarmed combat used by Siamese soldiers in conjunction with ancient weapons calledKrabee Krabong.

The festival’s main venue, the province of Ayutthaya, is the home of its legendary hero, Nai Khanom Tom, who according to popular narratives, gained his freedom from the former Burmese rulers by emerging victorious over a number of Burmese fighters with a combination of his fighting skills as well as the unique opening ritual that precedes all bouts.

TAT Governor Suraphon Svetasreni said, “There can be no better place than Thailand for such an event. The Festival aims to promote Thai martial arts as a legacy that reflects the wisdom of the ancestors and hails its role in safeguarding the independence of the country from generation to generation.”

In 2011, the World Wai Kru Muay Thai Ceremony and Miracle Muay Thai Festival also won PATA Gold Awards 2011 in the culture category.

This year, the highlights and activities include a Muay Thai exhibition, performance and tournament as well as educational sessions for visitors with special interests. There will be associated activities; such as, live demonstration of the making of Thai handicraft and Thai cuisine.

According to the programme, the Wai Khru Muay Thai Ceremony will be held on 17 March 2012 at Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Stadium and the Miracle Muay Thai Festival will be held at the Ayutthaya Tourism Centre from 17-28 March 2012.

Originally published by http://www.tatnews.org

BANGKOK, 11 November 2011 – Solar Air, a domestic airline that was based at Don Mueang Airport, until it closed due to floods, transferred its base to U-Tapao Airport Thursday.

Three airlines vacated the flooded domestic airport in late October. They were: Nok Air, Orient Thai Airlines and Solar Air. Both Nok Air and Orient Thai moved to the main aviation gateway, Suvarnabhumi Airport, while Solar Air decided to resume services yesterday from the Navy controlled airport 30 km south of Pattaya.

Yesterday, it kicked off a daily service to Hua Hin the first air link to the famous resort on the western side of the Gulf of Thailand 220 km south of Bangkok.  Nok Mini (then called SGA Airlines) halted services to the resort in March 2009.

The Solar Air flight departs U-Tapao at 1300 arriving in Hua Hin at 1340. The return flight departs at 1400 and arrives in U-Tapao at 1440. The fare is Bt2,590 per sector, all inclusive.

Solar Air hopes to finalise a timetable for flights to other destinations such as Chumporn, Phrae, Nan, Leoi and Mae Sot from its temporary base.

Initially, passengers have to arrange their own transport to and from U-Tapao; but the airline says it will set up a shuttle services between Bangkok and U-Tapao shortly.

Solar Air said it was not prepared to operate out of Suvarnabhumi Airport due to  flight congestion.

Passengers can book through travel agents or an online channel. Call 081 8109556, 082 1035656 or 089 8969556.

Originally published by www.ttrweekly.com

On 19th November 2011 Starch Band will give a free concert at Cicada Market, Hua Hin. The concert will kick off at 8 pm. Direct from Switzerland, Starch is a young bold and outrageous with fat funk blending with hip-hop rhymes and burning rock riffs.

The seven young and inventive musicians have played over 200 Swiss shows(Montreux Jazz Festival, openair at St Gallen) and tour through Germany, Austria, Spain, Hungary and Croatia.

Their most recent natural album entitled 'music' is a natural footprint of their vivid travels and vast cultural musical experiences together as a band uniting indie funk, crazy cosmopolitan rap and wild ska punk together, creating colorful yet powerful homogenous sound you've ever heard before.

For more information, please call 081- 880 4004 or visit www.cicadamarket.com

Originally published by www.thailand-huahin.com

Loi Krathong festival is a Thai tradition which has been conducted for a long time ago. Loi Krathong has been held since the middle of the eleventh to the middle of the twelfth lunar month, which is a great flood season- especially on the full moon night of the twelfth lunar month. When the moon shines at night, it makes rivers clear. It is very beautiful scenery which is suitable for floating krathong.

The villagers in northern and north-eastern parts of Thailand often float lanterns. They are made of color paper. If they float in the afternoon, they will use smoke for floating lanterns while they use torch to set smoke in lanterns to float them in wind chill at night. We can see the light from lantern in the sky with moonshine and stars glitter at night, which is very beautiful.