Travel apps keep you in touch and on schedule

Image via WikipediaBangkok: Where the fast-paced worlds of travel and technology meet, smart phone applications provide travellers with better control over their hectic schedules.

Though ash clouds, extreme weather and stringent security measures have cast their fair share of travel gloom, apps on smartphones which help users save time when booking flights; provide constant updates on flight status; allow internet access when on the hoof; and provide detailed maps and weather updates are a ray of sunshine for business travellers.

Here is a list of four apps aimed at business travel:

Image via CrunchBase
Tripit: An interactive app that ensures your travel information is never far from your fingertips. Email your particulars to Tripit and it will generate a detailed itinerary (maps, weather updates, images). Plans tend to change unexpectedly: it's easy to alter hotel/restaurants/cafe reservations and client meetings on the go. Tripit provides real-time updates to your calendar and even creates directions from the airport to the hotel, etc... All addresses and telephone numbers you need are generated in your itinerary. Networking addicts will enjoy a social component: "Who's Close" is associated to LinkedIn and allows you to sync your address book to find contacts close to where you are.

AllSubway HD: For those of us who regularly experience rising panic when racing against time to get to a meeting on foreign transport links, this app helps takes the edge off. Comprising 115 subway maps from city hubs worldwide, AllSubway provides a detailed map of the underground system along with the ability to zoom in and out. While this makes for a simple navigation tool, the app is not interactive.

FlightTrack: Say farewell to your travel agent; this app supports the frequent business traveller pre-flight with speedy updates and user-friendly layout. Access detailed information on flights covering more than 4,000 airports and 1,400 airlines. FlightTrack boasts alternative routes, includes real-time updates on departure and arrival times, and maps the flight route. Users can also sync timings with their calendar.

Boingo: A service-provider app which enables unlimited Wi-Fi at selected airports, hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and other venues in more than 200,000 hotspots worldwide. Boingo is useful for frequent business travellers, who can stay connected without having to deal with roaming fees at popular meet-and-greet venues across the planet. Users can select from various plans depending on required usage.

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Everything you asked about Travel tools we have it

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Tourism Bangkok more popular than ever

BANGKOK, May 2011  – Foreign tourists have more confidence in the Thai tourism despite domestic political situation, according to a recent survey conducted by the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. 

Tourism Department Director-General Supol Sripan said the survey of 1,200 foreign tourists was carried out during 9-30 April 2011, to collect their opinions for use in improving the Thai tourism sector.

According to the result, the majority or 84.7% of the respondents voiced no concerns over the situation in Thailand and its impact to the tourism sector. 77.5% said the Thai tourism offered a reasonable value. 71.4% confirmed that they would come back to Thailand.

Asked what had attracted them to Thailand, 36.3% of the respondents cited the sea while 59.3% said they were recommended by friends. 46.6% of the respondents were impressed by Thai delicacies. 45.6% were interested in Thai culture while 41.9% loved Thai spa and massage.

On problems to be addressed, 27.9% of the respondents wanted the authorities to solve overpriced private transport service while 25.6% wanted to see clean public places.

According to Director-General Supol, the tourism situation has been improving this year. The number of foreign tourists coming to Thailand by the end of this year is expect to be no less than 17 million, generating over 600 billion baht in revenue.

There is certainly no shortage of Smiling farang (Foreigners), just a few days ago the evidence was inarguably demonstrated with an overwhelming show of faces, local and abroad for the opening night of "The Clubhouse Bangkok"

Picture left
collage of opening night at The Clubhouse Bangkok, click here to expand image  or click "here to see photo album Clubhouse Bangkok"

Open night Photos courtesy of Matt Burns owner,

FREE Tourism Database Bangkok exclusively designed for Aussie Execs

Words of Wisdom

This was a speech made by Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD.

"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't Ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul.

People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.

Image via WikipediaHere is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone, and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre at my job if those other things were not true.

You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast?

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger. Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.

reporter Arwee

I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived".

Benjarsiri Park, an oasis in a Concrete Jungle!

The Benjasiri Park is located on Sukhumvit road next to the Emporium Shopping Center and right by the Phrom Phong BTS station in the center of Bangkok.

This is the only green spot along Sukhumvit Road providing a much-needed refuge from the traffic chaos that is Bangkok. It's where many activity take place for all ages.

report by Arwee

Built on 11.6 acres next door to the Emporium shopping complex, it commemorates the 60th birthday of Queen Sirikit on August 12, 1992.

Often referred to as the "Queen's Park" since it was built to celebrate her 60th birthday. Construction began in 1990 on land which originally housed the Bangkok Meteorological Department until its relocation to Bang Na. Built around an ornamental lake, it contains 12 pieces of contemporary sculpture by Thai artists and is often used for open air events.

Travel Thailand destination Bangkok

Image via WikipediaUnlike other Asian countries, Thailand was never colonized by the West, which means this fascinating country has retained much of its unique traditions and heritage, while Bangkok has combined this ancient culture with modern urbanism.

Bangkok is the capital of Thailand, but it is more than just the center of the country's government. Bangkok also serves as Thailand's commercial, educational, and cultural center.

Unlike other Asian countries, Thailand was never colonized by the West, which means this fascinating country has retained much of its unique traditions and heritage, while Bangkok has combined this ancient culture with modern urbanism. This has resulted in a cosmopolitan town where traces of its past can still be easily found by interested travelers.Image via Wikipedia

Those with a love for history and sightseeing will be fascinated by the city's 400 Buddhist temples scattered around the city. Those with an interest in the royal family will enjoy visits to the Grand Palace, Vimanmek Palace, and the Royal Barge National Museum. The National Museum offers a glimpse into Thailand's past, while Queen Sirikit Park is an oasis of calm and tranquility in the middle of a bustling urban city.

Bangkok is also renowned for its exciting nightlife, markets and bazaars (where travelers shouldn't be afraid to haggle for the best price!) and cuisine. Truly, there is something for everyone in this jewel of Southeast Asia.

Image via Wikipedia

Flights to Bangkok / How to Get There

Today, Bangkok is a major international hub for travelers to Southeast Asia, so flights are available from most major airports around the world.

There are quite a lot of options for getting around the city, but it may take new arrivals a little while to get accustomed to them, as they can be a little confusing. The fastest options are the elevated train system and the underground train system. These are both user friendly and free maps are available. Those that want to sightsee as they move around town will enjoy the water taxis, which are inexpensive and convenient. Taxis are also affordable, though travelers may wish to carry a card from their hotel as their driver may not speak English.

Hotels in Bangkok & Where to Stay

Image via Wikipedia

Like most major metropolitan cities, there is a hotel for everyone in Bangkok. Five star hotels and spas, such as the Four Seasons Hotel, will go for over $200 a night, while mid-ranged hotels are plentiful and budget hotels can be had for $20 a night. Youth hostels are also available for young visitors on a budget.

For those of you that have a busy schedule and need to fastrack then you need to connect with Bangkok Asoke PA Service

The service offers lots of D.I.Y. "Do it yourself" hospitality and  tourism information or get on board with the "PA" service, for a nominal cost you can have the services of a Personal assistant to get you fastracked for Orientation, Translation and Negotiation on prices ...

see more at Asoke PA

New Super skywalk for Bangkok 2015

The pledge from Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to spend Bt15 billion on building the Super Skywalk System, a 50-kilometre clutter-free elevated walking space. Pedestrians will be able to enjoy greater convenience and safety. 

This will offer a another value added attraction for Tourism making is more convenient for visitors to move efficiently through city zone. Pedestrians will not have to worry about sun or rain, as the skywalk will be covered and close-circuit television and adequate lighting will also ensure safety.

Reporter Arwee

The first phase of the walkway would cover 16km and construction would begin next month at a budget of Bt5.2 billion. The walkway will go down Sukhumvit Road, starting at Soi Nana and ending at Soi Bearing. This phase will also include some parts of Phya Thai, Ramkhamhaeng and Wong Wien Yai.

The second phase will be 32km long and cover Ratchadamri, Silom, Sathorn, Phetchaburi, Ramkhamhaeng, Ekamai, Thonglor, Phaholyothin, Thon Buri and the Bang Wa areas.

Image via Wikipedia "It will help Bangkok residents move around more easily in crowded areas," Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribratra said yesterday. BMA said the Super Skywalk System would be an integrated project that addresses the needs of pedestrians on a long-term basis.

Space for pedestrians is the only issue that has not been seriously addressed to meet the growing density of buildings in the past decade. "During the past10 years, walking areas have covered just a kilometre and half," Sukhumbhand said.

The Super Skywalk project is part of Sukhumbhand's "Krungthep Gao-na" campaign.

The walkway will be linked to the mass transit system, such as the BTS and the subway, Sukhumbhand hopes people would be encouraged to leave their cars at home. The construction is scheduled for completion in four years.

The BTS skytrain system is a significant attrtibute for Tourism Bangkok. "It's one of the very 1st aspects of our Induction for Tour guests, quotes Phill Smith of Exec Tours Bangkok".  We include the BTS skytrain map in our Guest arrival. We want our guests to be over confident to use the BTS and MRT (underground train) to avoid the unpleasant experience of being caught in peak traffic which at times causes Grid locks.

"We include a ride on the BTS in our Orientation program for guests, they quickly appreciate the efficiency of the BTS, we also point out that many of  the stations have skywalks which offer a fast bypass of the foot traffic on the streets".  

The BTS is an intrigual element in Bangkoks "Amazing Race" a fantastic "Team Building Challenge" conceived by the highly reputated team building group  "Excel Solutions Asia", Bangkok.  The game comrpises a serious of challenges in and around the Siam, the BTS is used as the primary method of transport to and from various locations where challenges must be completed based on a set of rules, budget and timeframe.

Our feedback from our tour guests is once they have had the rush of the challenge and pushed outside their comfort zone they are overly confident to tour many locations in and around Bangkok using the skytrain.

To see more Pics of Amazing Race Bangkok - click  here

Ghost Culture Bangkok

Ghosts and the supernatural is a deeply rooted belief in Thai culture, it’s origins are dated well before the introduction of Buddhism when in fact the religion, rather the beliefs were devotion of animism.

In order for the new and old to co exist there was a merger of the two beliefs and the elements of animism is evident in modern day Buddhism.

Animism (from Latin anima "soul, life") is a philosophical, spiritual idea that souls or spirits exist not only in humans but also in animals, plants, rocks, natural phenomena such as thunder, geographic features such as mountains or rivers, or other entities of the natural environment.

 

Image via WikipediaDifferent forms of worship and ceremony are significant to people in almost every part of the country. People of all ages and backgrounds, will on a daily basis visit a temple. In the backstreet of Bangkok to they pay their respect to the shrine of "Mae Nak," a famous female spirit believed to have died more than 200 years ago.

According to local tales, Mae Nak's husband was called off to war when Mae Nak was pregnant and a short time later she and her child died during childbirth.

Image via WikipediaHer husband came home not knowing of the deaths and was cast under a spell which made him live with Mae Nak's ghost and their child. A visitor said "The story of Mae Nak has been passed on from family for generations, so believed to be sacred. A lot of Thai people believe in her and pray to her to bring happiness to their family and that they don't fight."

In another corner of the Thai capital, a group of believers gather every weekend at the Power of Life Center to communicate with spirits. They sit together in a circle, chant, sing and meditate, in an attempt to reach out to the ghosts.

Image by a_whisper_of_unremitting_demand via FlickrOnce connected, they can feel what the spirits have to say. During the session, many mediums are in tears as they feel the grief of the souls they contact.

Sathittham Pensuk, director of Power of Life Center, said, "I think the reason Thai people believe in ghosts and spirits is partly because we study the rule of Karma and Samsara, or birth and rebirth. It's a Buddhist belief. Ghosts and spirits, therefore, are the end of life and the beginning of another life as the spirit."

Meanwhile, a new exhibition opening in Bangkok trying to explain the origin of the beliefs, and how Thais cope with and learn from ghosts.

It shows that even though Thai people's fear and beliefs have evolved with the changing surroundings and modern technology, in daily life, ghosts and different kinds of spirits are still prevalent.

Spirits, derived from , are still omnipresent. Spirit houses are erected on the compound of every building to serve as dwellings to house and befriend the spirits who inhabited the original spot, and every morning offerings – in the form of fruit, drinks and incense sticks – are brought to pay respect to them.

Links
WA Thai community Website - Superstition

Forum article - see the video