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) Luxury Thai resort planned by Mövenpick group
Swiss group M�venpick Hotels & Resorts has continued its Asian expansion strategy with the announcement of a new management agreement with Apex Development for a M�venpick Resort and Spa in Pattaya, Thailand.The new resort will open in 2010 and be situated near to the centre of Pattaya�s on one of its white sand beaches and be located around an hour from Bangkok International Airport.
There will be 300 bedrooms and an extensive spa and wellness area. A second, high-rise condominium building is currently under construction next to the hotel.
President and CEO of M�venpick, Jean Gabriel P�r�s, said: �Pattaya is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Thailand and is currently investing heavily in its infrastructure in order to firmly position itself as a leading tourist attraction. More>>
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) Bangkok: The old and the Buddha-ful
Shopping and gawking at the nightlife are what draw most visitors to Thailand's capital city. But for me, it was Bangkok's history and architecture that were truly spectacular.On the ride into the city from the airport, I was initially unimpressed. The high rises, the new mega shopping centers, even the old neighborhood markets were what one expects in most big Asian cities.
However, the charming traditional Thai welcome at the dazzling Shangri-La Hotel, and the view from my room of the bustling Chao Phraya River with its nonstop ferry traffic, began to make me feel that Bangkok would be something special.
It was my tour to the Grand Palace complex the next morning, given by a guide from the hotel's travel agency, that cemented the fact that Bangkok is unique. More>>
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) Women send panties to Myanmar in protest
BANGKOK, Thailand—Women in several countries have begun sending their panties to Myanmar embassies in a culturally insulting gesture of protest against the recent brutal crackdown there, a campaign supporter said Friday."It's an extremely strong message in Burmese and in all Southeast Asian culture," said Liz Hilton, who supports an activist group that launched the "Panties for Peace" drive earlier this week.
The group, Lanna Action for Burma, says the country's superstitious generals, especially junta leader Gen. Than Shwe, also believe that contact with women's underwear saps them of power.
To widespread international condemnation, the military in Myanmar, also known as Burma, crushed mass anti-regime demonstrations recently and continues to hunt down and imprison those who took part. More>>
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) Thailand hunts suspected Canadian pedophile
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police, who launched a manhunt on Wednesday for a Canadian pedophile suspect unmasked by a unique Interpol Internet appeal, plan to seek an arrest warrant after a boy accused him of paying for oral sex.Police said a Thai teenager alleged Christopher Paul Neil paid him for oral sex in 2003, when he was 14, giving them grounds to ask a court for arrest warrant for the Canadian fugitive who fled a teaching post in South Korea last week.
Neil left abruptly after Interpol broadcast his photograph and flew to Thailand, where border posts were put on alert in case he tried to sneak out again and police appealed to the public to be on the lookout for him.
Police scoured tourist hangouts for the 32-year-old Canadian, who was caught on camera arriving at Bangkok airport, officials said. More>>
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) Winery giving big to help elephants
If charities were like apparel, the tag on Perry and Carolyn Butler's favorite cause would read "XXXXX Large." Elephant-sized, in fact.To support the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation to the tune of $1,000-a-month for the Asian pachyderms of Thailand -- and more important, to support the families of their caretakers (mahouts) -- Perry contributes all of the proceeds from 40 cases of a premium boutique cabernet blend he had produced at his Juslyn Winery. Carolyn's contribution comes from 60 pairs of Italian-styled designer shoes at her Footcandy women's footwear shop in downtown St. Helena. . More>>