Home-Based Travel Agent - July 2008 - (Page 46)

Cover Story FOR THE AGENT BEYOND BANGKOK For clients seeking exotic destinations, Thailand offers a host of luxurious beach resorts The spa at Pimalai Resort in Krabi Getting There: All leading international airlines have direct flights to Bangkok. Most visitors will arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport, also known as the new Bangkok International Airport. Thailand’s four other international Airports are in Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket and Chiang Rai. Thai Airways (www.thaiairways. com) is the country’s national carrier. Thai Airways offers tours through its Royal Orchid Holiday Tour Packages. Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways (www.bangkokair.com) operate several daily flights from Bangkok to Phuket, with a flight of one hour. Phuket is 516 miles from Bangkok, a journey of about 12 hours by car. Visitors can fly to Surat Thani from Bangkok and then take a ferry to Ko Samui. Thai Airways International has two daily flights connecting Bangkok with Surat Thani. The flight time is approximately 70 minutes. The ferry for passengers and cars to Ko Samui departs from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., a trip that takes about 90 minutes. Thai Airways operates daily flights from Bangkok to Krabi, an 80-minute flight. You can also fly from Phuket to Krabi on Phuket Air, which offers a daily flight to and from Krabi. Accommodations: Pimalai Resort & Spa (www.pimalai.com), a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, is on the tiny island of Koh Lanta Yai in Krabi Province, in southern Thailand. The island is easy to reach from Phuket, Phi Phi, Krabi and even Bangkok. Your clients will most likely arrive at Krabi International Airport, where they’ll have a choice of transportation: by road from Krabi, which takes about 50 minutes, or from November to April, they can opt for a scenic cruise aboard one of Pimalai’s boats along the coast of Koh Lanta Yai to the resort’s beach jetty. Pimalai is spread out over 100 lush acres with direct access to 2,950 feet of sandy beach. There’s a choice of 121 accommodations, including Deluxe, Bayfront Deluxe, Pavilion Suite, Beach Villa and Pool Villa. All the accommodations are furnished in refined Thai style, with tropical wood floors, bamboo blinds and dark wood furniture. The Hillside Pool Villas come in one-, two- and three-bedroom configurations, and have magnificent views of Kan Tiang Bay and the surrounding tropical forest. The spa has seven treatment huts. Treatments include traditional Thai massage, aromatherapy massages and body wraps or body scrub treatments. Anchalee Chugit is the spa manager; you can make advance reservations for your clients by contacting her at spa@pimalai.com. Franck de Lestapis is Pimalai’s general manager; he can be contacted at generalmanager@pimalai.com. Travel agents can also reach out to Evelyne Gaudin, owner of California-based 46 Home-BasedTravelAgent JULY /AUG US T 2008 http://www.thaiairways.com http://www.pimalai.com http://www.thaiairways.com http://www.bangkokair.com

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Home Based Travel Agent - July 2008 Contents Editor's Note Publisher's Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Tips for a Smooth Trip Agent Symposium Hotels For the Traveler - Destinations - Mexico For the Agent - Destinations - Mexico For the Traveler - Destinations - Dubai For the Agent - Destinations - Dubai Thailand For the Traveler - Cruise For the Agent - Cruise For the Traveler - Tours For the Agent - Tours New Products

Home-Based Travel Agent - July 2008

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