Police in the Myanmar city of Yangon have arrested three men for using a caricature of the Lord Buddha in an advertising flyer. The management of the V Gastro Bar were taken into custody for distributing images depicting a multi-coloured Buddha with a pair of headphones on.
A tourism operator in Myanmar is making the final preparations for the inaugural voyage of its heritage steam train service. The maiden service is due to depart from Bagan’s railway station next Tuesday for its day’s outing to Kyaukpadaung.
A leading hotel reservations website says the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai is fast becoming the destination of choice for domestic tourism. Hotels.com collated data over a three-month period and found that Chiang Mai was the number one choice among Thais searching for the best deals on hotels for the forthcoming festive season.
Staff at Doi Inthanon National Park have released a statement saying that entry fees for tourists will be waived on the New Year holiday. Park boss Pornthep Charoensuebsakul says rangers manning gates to the park will not collect fees on 31 December or 1 January.
The Vietnamese government has endorsed a plan to build a passenger cruise liner port on Phu Quoc Island. Hoang Trung Hai, the country’s deputy prime-minister, says the port will be big enough for ocean liners with up to 6,000 passengers aboard to dock at.
The CEO of AirAsia says there are no plans afoot to reduce the fuel surcharges that passengers pay every time they fly. Tony Fernandes told reporters that despite a 40 per cent drop in the price of crude oil in recent months the budget carrier could not afford to pass the savings on to passengers.
AirAsia garnered the best low-cost airline in the world award for the second year running on Sunday. The Southeast Asian airline took the winner’s crown in the World Travel Awards 2014 (WTA) at a prize-giving gala dinner staged on the Caribbean island of Anguilla.
Last week saw the long-awaited launch of mobile police patrols in the central areas of the Thai seaside resort of Pattaya. Chonburi provincial dignitaries and senior police officers were on hand at the official launch ceremony staged at Bali Hai Pier.
Asia’s equivalent of the World Bank has endorsed a loan that will enable Cambodia to build a new ferry port in the southwest region of the country. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has given the green light for the release of US$18 million in loans.
The annual Thai balloon jamboree held over the weekend in Chiang Mai attracted record numbers of visitors. More than 30 gigantic hot-air balloons could be seen wafting across the sky above the festival venue in the northern Thai city at one point.
Thailand’s main international airport has launched its long-awaited automated queuing system for taxis. Suvarnabhumi Airport is just outside the capital city of Bangkok and has 10 brand-new booths from which arriving passengers press a button and get an automatic taxi reservation.
People all over Thailand are in the process of staging celebrations in honour of King Bhumibol’s birthday today. It is the 87th birthday of the revered monarch and 5 December has long been a public holiday, Father's Day, in homage to him.
A café close to Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road is staging an open-mike comedy evening this coming Saturday, 6 December. The fun begins at the Overground Bar & Cafe at 20:30 with a performance by Alex Sypsomos who says he will be singing his customary soulful numbers.
A green company in Luang Prabang has announced an ambitious plan that will see cars in the town running on electricity in the near future. Lao-Green Company director Akhom Phommahane says the innovative project will eventually see 100 imported electric cars on the roads of Laos’s UNESCO's World Heritage town.
A court in Thailand has ordered the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to supervise the demolition of a luxury hotel. The Aetas Hotel is located just off Bangkok’s hip Soi Ruamrudee and three years ago the same court ruled that the BMA should not have given the go-ahead for the construction of the 25-storey structure.
The organisers of the annual Bangkok to Hua Hin vintage car rally have confirmed that this year’s event will run according to schedule. The rally sees upwards of 60 vintage cars make the 225km journey from the Thai capital city south to the Gulf of Thailand seaside resort.
Vietnam Airlines yesterday instigated earlier final check-in and boarding times for flights originating from in-country airports. The final check-in time for people departing on international flights has been increased by 10 minutes to 50 minutes.
Thailand’s national sports stadium is the venue for a challenge match this Friday in which international football legends are set to star. The likes of Michael Owen and Jerzy Dudek will be lining up in the pre-match ceremonies on Friday evening at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium.
The Vana Nava Hua Hin Waterpark opens today and is set to wow visitors with a collection of gravity defying amusements and rides. Prior to the official opening, managing director Proudputh Liptapanlop told media sources that the latest technology had been employed in safety at the park and the team of 160 lifeguards had been trained by industry leaders Ellis and Associates.
Last week saw the official opening ceremony of a new bridge to the main island in Laos’s Si Phan Don Archipelago. The 718-metre-long bridge connects the east bank of the country’s Mekhong River in Champassak Province to the island of Don Khong.