Aussie Exec Tours Bangkok - thumbs up by UWA

Reward for achievement!


A combination of Team Building, "Sharpen the Saw", lavish lifestyle and a good dose of kinship and hospitality Rejuvenation that "Thailand does like no other". "There can be but only one"

Our secret ingredient

"Laeh kha suan dtua" = "P.A."

Our authentic (not academic) local Thai team of P.A.'s (Personal Assistants) are avail 24/7 to ensure a seamless and dynamic experience.

Eeryone was so unhappy (that the tour ended) we will have to do it again!

The concept is K.I.S.S. - knowing the state of play for W.A. Biz (legacy of our mining boom) we offer an antidote.

Editorial by Dr. Kenneth Yap, Assistant Professor of Marketing
UWA Business School

University of Western Australia.

http://www.uwa.edu.au/people/Kenneth.Yap

I was a participant in a tour organised by “Aussie Exec Tours Bangkok”. The tour comprised Australian business executives (male and female) and commenced on the 28th of November, 2010 with a return-trip from Perth to Bangkok.

The concept of this tour revolved extensively around the objectives of team building, hospitality rejuvenation, business networking and cultural exchange.

I found this tour concept to be cutting-edge, where participants gained an immensely greater appreciation of interpersonal skills and group dynamics resulting from team building activities. This helped to build better rapport within the organisation.

 I observed that not only did the executives find fresh perspectives about their colleagues, but they also rejuvenated their impression of the wholesome hospitality that is unique to Thailand and Thai culture. The tour host also offered introductions to trade links, thus creating a platform for import/export opportunities.

The integration of local Thai Personal Assistants (P.A.) into the team was a significant factor in localising the experience.

The P.A. helped immersed executives in the culture by providing local knowledge, translation and orientation services. All of us enjoyed a seamless cultural bond as the P.A. participated in all team events including team building activities.

Certainly for me, this served to enrich the unique experience of cultural exchange and extended friendships. I enjoyed my visit to Bangkok thoroughly because the P.A. made the tour seamless and memorable. I look forward to my next trip to Bangkok, hopefully with my group of International Marketing students.

On a related note, I was asked to attest the skills set of Arwee Manigluck, to assist with her Visa application to visit W.A. to help promote this unique concept. Apparently the visa officer claims her fluency in English Thai-English translation ability is doubtful.

To this end, I have no hesitation in providing both my assessment and recommendation of her competency and skills set. Arwee’s fluency in English is well above-average and more than sufficient to perform her role in Perth. In my seven-day executive tour of Thailand, I had no difficulty in conversing with her. She was very capable in communicating and interacting with all participants of the tour group.

Picture left

Arwee receiving a token award from Tour Guest Noel carter, Director of W.A.T.C. (West Australia Turf Club).

In several circumstances, Arwee demonstrated significant maturity and problem-solving skills. This was most obvious during the occasional logistical hiccups, which would be expected of a pilot tour. These skills set enabled her to perform effectively in her role of Tour Manager, Translator, and Liaisons Officer.

Promo video

Links: Fourm article - Tour Group Feb 2010

Contents:  Summary feedback,  link to Detailed Tour book and Photo Album
http://auswathai.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=127609&topicID=40674876&p=3

Suvarnabhumi Airport named fifth best and more

Image via WikipediaSuvarnabhumi Airport has been ranked fifth best in its category of annual capacity of more than 40 million passengers.


In the 2010 list, there were 13 airports rated in the category by Airports Council International (ACI). The top four are in Hong Kong, Beijing, Dubai and Dallas.

According to Airports of Thailand, which operates the Bangkok airport, in 2009, Suvarnabhumi was ranked sixth in the category of airports with capacity of 25 million to 40 million passengers.

Auswathai reporter Arwee

In 2010, with the number of passengers reaching 42.7 million, it was moved up to the category of more than 40 million passengers. The ACI 2010 ranking covered 154 airports across the world. The ranking was based on a satisfaction survey of 260,000 passengers at those airports.

Suvarnabhumi Airport official Wilaiwan Nadwilai said: "AOT is committed to making Suvarnabhumi a top10 airport worldwide." The top three airports are now Incheon in South Korea, Changi in Singapore and Chek Lap Kok in Hong Kong.

 

The gateway to Suvarnabhumi Airport's New Railway link network. A portal into the airport rail travel including train times; fares, train running information & News.

BANGKOK,  After long delays Suvarnabhumi Airport's Link began commercial services Monday (23rd August, 2010). The estimated cost of the project is 25.9 billion baht.

Official opening to the Pubblic was proclaimed on 4th January, 2011.

On its first day, a luggage check-in system at Makkasan city air terminal delivering luggage directly to the airport will be available for travelers. For those who seek to check in and transport their luggage to the airport can do so 3 to 13 hours prior to their boarding time.

Image via WikipediaDuring the first stage, however, the service is available only for express line users, who are flying Thai International and Bangkok Airways.

About rail fares, express line users will be charged 150 baht for non-stop service from Makkasan terminal to the Airport and city line users will be charged between 15 and 45 baht based on distance. The services will be available from 6 AM to midnight everyday.

The service (Express) is very efficient, only last week we test the service to host a Tour group of Biz execs from Australia.  From our Base in Bangkok it is a mere 10 minute Taxi ride to Makkasan, no queues, straight onto the BTS and 15 minutes later we were walking up the airport escalator to welcome our guests.

In a related development, a skywalk connecting Makkasan terminal to the Petchburi underground Station is under construction and is expected to be finished Midyear

Flying high with Ladyboys

P.C. Air, which will fly to several Asian destinations starting in April, had its first training session this week for 30 recruits, including four from "the third sex."

Four Thai transsexuals -- known within the culture as "ladyboys" -- have been recruited as flight attendants for a start-up charter airline that says it will be Thailand’s first to include transsexuals among its cabin crew.

Thailand is known for its tolerance for transvestites and transsexuals, known locally as "katoeys" or "ladyboys." An annual transsexual beauty pageant is broadcast nationally, and Thai doctors’ well-honed skills at the surgeries needed to switch genders -- not to mention bargain prices -- have made Bangkok a sex-change capital.

But while katoeys are prominent in entertainment, frequently appearing on television series and in cabaret shows, other job opportunities are limited.

"I had applied to many airlines and was repeatedly turned down. They said because I was a transsexual, not a real woman," said Phuntakarn Sringern, 24, from Bangkok. "This is the first time somebody told me to come as I am and put on my best dress."

"This is the first time somebody told me to come as I am and put on my best dress."

Company president Peter Chan, 47, who worked as a flight attendant for 10 years, said he doesn’t "see any reasons we cannot let ladyboys work as flight attendants" as long as his carrier complies with civil aviation laws.

"I think it’s time for the Thai society to be more open and support freedom of all sexes," he said.

The airline has separate orientation sessions for male and female recruits, and the transsexuals have been placed with the natural-born women. Chan said the transsexuals must live up to feminine standards.

"For ladyboys, we have to spend more than one day with them to make sure they can keep their feminine personalities. Their voices and their postures must be naturally feminine and they must be very patient," he said.

Becoming a flight attendant has long been the dream of Dissanai Chitpraphachin, 23, a native of Mahasarakam province in Thailand’s rural northeast and a former winner of the Miss Tiffany pageant for transsexuals.

"When I was young, I couldn’t take my eyes off those nicely dressed ladies in the airline commercials every time they came on the screen," Dissanai said. "I simply want everyone to open up their hearts and judge us by our work, not because of our sex."

Ladbyoys Bangkok  - The good, the bad and the Ugly

Auswathai reporters recently visit several venues in Bangkok

1st timers should visit Calypso Cabaret, a high end tourism venue located in the 5star Asian Hotel. This is the Good

Photo left Auswathai reporter John with 2 of the many performers

ok lets' talk stage 2...

If you dare to adventure visit  "Esan Leela, Chong Nongsi, Bangkok Thailand.  This is not tourism, it's local - you need a Thai host!

INTRODUCING our 3rd gender friends Khun Oli and Khun Fah with Khun Phill from Auswathai.

Your not likely to know what's going on, unless you can speak Thai.  It was quite frightening, so much so we went back for more!

The girls/guys are real people with big hearts, a genuine smile and hospitality culture makes you feel welcome.  Khun Fah is now quickly becoming a fan of our visiting tour groups from Australia and joins some of our outings.

This venue is definitely not the bad, it's great but you will panic because your not sure of the surrounds!

The Bad - There are several ladyboy bars that are quite course and cheap (don't let them reflect your thinking of all all such places).

The Ugly - some venues (we don't mention them here) and more the freelance walkers will target you for scams ...  use some common sense otherwise remember the "rules for being human" (you can search that in this blog)

Watch this space for our up coming report on Ladyboy venues Bangkok.

in the meantime .. more on ladyboys...

1.blog: http://auswathai-sawasdee.blogspot.com/search/label/ladyboy

2. forum: http://auswathai.activeboard.com/forum.spark?aBID=127609&p=90&tag=ladyboy

3. web: http://www.wat.austhai.biz/Home/thai-culture/ladyboy

the origins, name correction, video (how to spot a ladyboy) and more

New Google search feature updates with social network

Image via Wikipedia

Google, the internet gioant, launched a new feature  that integrates social networking updates from sites like LinkedIn and Twitter into search results, showing users if a friend has tweeted or shared an article, video or piece of content.

Central Insurance Brokers 

Google's Media chief executive Jim Stewart says that is another reason why businesses need to be on social networks like Twitter, commenting on and sharing all types of content that can be spread through a fan base.

“About two years ago I said that Twitter was bigger than Google. And by that what I mean is that it has completely changed the way Google ranks search results,” Stewart says.

While Google has previously integrated results from social networks this new upgrade is much more – content your friends have retweeted or liked will now show up higher than it otherwise would have.

“This whole “real time marketing” aspect of everything is changing how Google works.

“Google was always lacking a type of integration with social media and this is the element that Twitter provides to them. This is just an exaggeration of that.”

In a new blog post Google outlined the way Google Social Search will work. Previously there would be a section of the results page dedicated to tweets but now they will be integrated throughout the results themselves.

“This means you’ll start seeing more from people like co-workers and friends, with annotations below the results they’ve shared or created,” Google says.

“So if you’re thinking about climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and your colleague Matt has written a blog post about his own experience then we’ll bump up that post with a note and a picture.”

In a second major update Google says links shared on Twitter will make their way onto the results page with a little note saying one of your friends has shared it before.

Image by search-engine-land via Flickr“For example, if you’re looking for a video of President Obama on “The Daily Show” and your friend Nundu tweeted the video, that result might show up higher in your results and you’ll see a note with a picture of Nundu,” the company says.

The third major update to Social Search is control over accounts. The new Social Search only works if you are logged into a Google account and you now have the option to connect an account or refuse content to be shared.

Google product management director of search Mike Cassidy has told TechCrunch that in some cases the search results may be changed depending on the content that shows up and one aspect to be considered is how many friends share a link.

Image via CrunchBase

As for Facebook, Cassidy said: “We’re focused on sites where it’s relatively easy to crawl for data … we’re interested in including any publicly available content.”

Twitter seems to be the main focus for now.

“One of the big arguments when Twitter first came out was that it would kill Google. But what Google has just done is combined them. It’s a good move,” Stewart says.

“This is simply another reason why businesses should be getting online as fast as they can and start sharing content with others.”