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Tag: island

  • Crackdown on Underground Hospitality: Thailand Targets Illegal Hotels on Phuket Island

    Crackdown on Underground Hospitality: Thailand Targets Illegal Hotels on Phuket Island

    The Thai government is stepping up its measures against unauthorized accommodations, following the discovery of three illegal hotels on Phuket, the nation’s largest island. During a recent operation, Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee led a task force targeting three hotels consisting of approximately 200, 240, and 45 rooms. The investigation revealed that none of the properties held valid construction permits or operating licenses.

    Two of these establishments had initially received approval as residential buildings or condominiums but had been unlawfully converted into hotels. In addition, officials conducted online booking simulations, which showed that the hotels were mostly selling rooms to European and other international tourists, with very few Thai patrons.

    Illegal Ownership and Consequences

    The investigation further exposed suspected nominee ownership arrangements, involving companies with a shareholding structure that is 49% foreign and 51% Thai. In some instances, the properties were legally owned by Thai citizens but rented out to Chinese investors, who allegedly ran the hotels without the necessary licenses.

    This operation is part of a larger scheme covering over ten locations across Phuket. Local authorities, under the instruction of Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat, have been directed to immediately close businesses that fail to provide the necessary documentation.

    Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration, Narucha Kosasivilize, highlighted the triple-edged harm of illegal lodging operations. They disadvantage legal, tax-paying businesses, pose safety hazards due to non-compliance with government safety standards, and damage Thailand’s reputation, thereby undermining long-term confidence in its tourism industry. Efforts are being made in conjunction with the Royal Thai Police, Ministry of Commerce, Department of Special Investigation, and other agencies to broaden probes into foreign business networks nationwide.

    In a separate development, Deputy Government Spokeswoman Lalida Pervsivatan announced that Thailand will implement a new intelligence-based screening system on August 1 to enhance the detection of nominee businesses. This system will scrutinize company registration records, shareholder structures, and financial statements to pinpoint high-risk firms with Thai shareholders in suspicious circumstances. Lalida emphasized, however, that these measures are not designed to deter rightful foreign investment but to distinguish legal investors from those employing nominee structures to operate illicitly.

    Questions & Answers

    What is the focus of the crackdown in Thailand?
    The Thai government is focusing on the detection and closure of illegal hotels without the necessary operating licenses.

    What consequences do these illegal operations bring?
    Illegal hotels disadvantage legal businesses, pose safety threats due to non-compliance with government safety regulations, and tarnish Thailand’s reputation, undermining confidence in its tourism sector.

    What is the future plan of the Thai government to curb these illegal operations?
    Thailand plans to introduce a new intelligence-based screening system to improve the detection of businesses that are high-risk or suspicious, focusing on those with Thai shareholders.

  • Bamboo Airways announces first ever Hanoi-Con Dao Island direct service

    Bamboo Airways announces first ever Hanoi-Con Dao Island direct service

    Bamboo Airways will launch the first-ever direct flight from Hanoi to Con Dao Island, a tourism hotspot off the southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, on September 29. There will be two round trips daily.

    The airline will also begin daily flights to Con Dao from the northern port city of Hai Phong and central Vinh Town from September 29. It will use twin-engine Embraer jets with 120 seats on all three routes.

    Nguyen Ngoc Trong, deputy director of Bamboo Airways, said the airline would carry a maximum of 100 passengers on a flight to ensure safety amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Vietnam Air Services Company, commonly known as VASCO, a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, is the only airline currently operating regular flights to the island, flying from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern city of Can Tho.

    Con Dao has a 3C classification, meaning it can only receive ATR 72 and other similar aircraft. It closes at night since it lacks a runway lighting system.

    Property developer FLC, the parent company of Bamboo Airways, has sought to invest in a lighting system so that the airport could operate at night.

    Con Dao received 400,000 visitors last year.

  • Bamboo Airways banks on Con Dao Island flights

    Bamboo Airways banks on Con Dao Island flights

    Bamboo Airways plans to launch regular flights to Con Dao Island, a tourism hotspot in southern Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, starting August 1.

    The airline is waiting for Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) approval to fly to the 16-island archipelago, according to a company spokesperson.

    It plans to operate flights from the northern and central region using four twin-engine Embraer jets holding up to 120 seats.

    Currently, Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), a subsidiary of Vietnam Airlines, is the only airline operating regular flights to the islands from Ho Chi Minh City and the southern city of Can Tho using the ATR 72 short-haul aircraft that could carry up to 78 passengers.

    Con Dao Airport has a 3C classification, meaning it can only receive ATR 72 aircraft or equivalent. It functions for 12 hours a day and closes at night since it has no runway lighting system.

    Property developer FLC, the parent company of Bamboo Airways, earlier proposed to invest in a lighting system so the airport could operate at night.

    A 4C upgrade is planned for the airport by 2030 so that it could receive Airbus A319 jets carrying up to 156 passengers.

    Budget airline Vietjet had made a similar request in 2018 to operate flights to Con Dao with the same aircraft model but is still awaiting approval.

    Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province received 15.5 million tourists in 2019, up 15.2 percent year-on-year. A total of 500,000 were foreigners.

  • AirAsia offers up to 70% discount on Almost All Flights

    AirAsia offers up to 70% discount on Almost All Flights

    AirAsia has come up with a new offer to woo flyers in this festive season. AirAsia is offering up to 70% off on all its destinations. AirAsia’s latest offer started on 15 October and will continue till 28 October 2018, the carrier has mentioned on its website. This offer is valid for immediate travel until 30 June 2019. Bookings for this offer can be made on airasia.com or through the AirAsia mobile app.

    Air passengers can book tickets to over 130 destinations across the airline’s network under the new offer. There are some extra perks for AirAsia Big members, such as instant discounts on bookings through the mobile app.

    In order to enjoy the benefits of the discount, passengers are required to book their flight tickets in advance. The discount is applicable on the base fare of the flight ticket and is available only on select fare classes, during non-peak periods, the airline says.

    AirAsia, a low-cost air carrier, will introduce flight services from Visakhapatnam to Bangkok four times a week from 8 December 2018, with a one-way promotional fare of Rs 2,999. Passengers can book tickets up to 21 October to avail the offer.

    AirAsia Group operates scheduled domestic and international flights to more than 165 destinations spanning 25 countries.

    AirAsia is a joint venture between Tata Sons Ltd and low-cost Malaysian airline AirAsia Berhad

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  • AirAsia to change flight schedule due to Boracay closure

    AirAsia to change flight schedule due to Boracay closure

    AirAsia will change its flight schedule in line with the Philippines’ government order to close Boracay island for rehabilitation from April 26 to Oct 26, 2018.

    During the six-month period, AirAsia will make the following changes to its scheduled Caticlan (MPH) and Kalibo (KLO) flights.

    To not disrupt their guests’ holiday plans, AirAsia will mount additional flights to popular leisure destinations Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, and Davao in the Philippines.

    Guests who are affected by the changes and hold flight bookings from 26 April to 26 Oct, 2018 will be notified via email and SMS.

    “AirAsia strongly urges all guests to keep their email address and mobile number (with country code prefix) updated in their AirAsia member profile to ensure we can reach them for timely assistance,” said the low-cost airline in a statement on Thursday.

    For immediate assistance and additional information, customers can reach AirAsia via their contact channels listed on support.airasia.com.

    Listed below are the guides provided to assist customers.

    Affected guests will be able to choose one from the following service recovery options:

    a.     Change destination: Option to be accommodated on any domestic flights operated by AirAsia Philippines (carrier code Z2) within 30 days of the original travel date at no extra cost, subject to seat availability and government mandated taxes. Fare difference shall apply for international flights and changes to travel date beyond 30 calendar days; or

    b.     Move flight date: Change to a new travel date on the same route without additional cost, subject to seat availability; or

    c.     Credit account: Retain the value of fare in your AirAsia BIG Loyalty account for future travel with AirAsia. The online credit  account is valid for booking within 180 calendar days from the date of issue; or

    d.     Full refund: Obtain a full refund to your original payment method for the amount equivalent to your booking.

    Guests who wish to opt for move flight date, change destination or credit account are urged to fill in an e-Form available on support.airasia.com:

    1.     Click on the Email Us tab on the right panel

    2.     Select Enquiry/Request under Type of Feedback

    3.     Select Booking under Sub Category 1

    4.     Select Boracay Closure for Sub Category 2

    5.     Type in your option under Subject: “Boracay – Move Flight” OR ”Boracay – Change Destination” OR “Boracay – Credit Account”

    6.     Complete the remaining form fields and click Submit to proceed

    a.     For move flight, please provide new flight details (date and time) and passenger name(s)

    b.     For change of destination, please provide new destination, flight details (date and time) and passenger(s)

    c.     For credit account, please provide your AirAsia BIG Loyalty member ID

    Guests wanting a full refund must fill in an e-Form available on support.airasia.com:

    1.     Click on the Email Us tab on the right panel

    2.     Select Refund under Type of Feedback

    3.     Select Flight Cancellation under Sub Category 1

    4.     Type in Subject field: “Boracay – Refund”

    5.     Complete the remaining form fields and click Submit to proceed

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  • AirAsia X flies into Jeju Island

    AirAsia X flies into Jeju Island

    AirAsia X Bhd made its maiden entry to the South Korean island of Jeju yesterday following the successful landing of flight D7 501 on Airbus A330-300 at Jeju International Airport.

    The low-cost carrier became the only airline with direct connections between Kuala Lumpur and Jeju, after Seoul (Incheon) and Busan, it said in a statement.

    The four times weekly service between Kuala Lumpur and Jeju would further expand the airline’s network in North Asia and make it the only airline operating direct non-stop services between the two cities.

    This latest route would also strengthen the AirAsia and AirAsia X Group’s position in the South Korea market by having a total of 75 weekly flights and 1,183,468 capacity a year for one way flight.

    AirAsia X Malaysia Chairman Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said the direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Jeju had the potential of generating a capacity of over 156,000 a year between Kuala Lumpur and Jeju.

    “Guests can also save a great deal of hassle for domestic transit.

    “South Korea is fast becoming an important market to us and we are very grateful for the tremendous support from the governments and relevant authorities for making this new exclusive route possible,” she added.

    In conjunction with the launch of the latest destination, AirAsia X is offering promotional all-in-fares from RM249 (inclusive of taxes and fees) one-way on standard seats and from today until  Dec 19, 2017 for travel between Dec 16, 2017 and Oct 27,2018.

    The award winning premium flatbed is also available for booking at promotional all-in-fares from RM799.

  • Indonesia Island Connectivity Plan

    Indonesia Island Connectivity Plan

    The Indonesian government has invited 33 companies from Norway and Denmark to explore business opportunities as part of plans to enhance inter-island connectivity by upgrading infrastructure and constructing 24 seaports and deep sea ports.

    Both Norway and Denmark are eager to invest in Indonesia’s rapidly growing market, with the Indonesian government proposing investment in its business-to-business and business-to-government schemes focusing on port maritime industry sectors such as management and security.

    Denmark and Norway’s fisheries, shipping, offshore energy and maritime equipment and services make the countries ideal partners, according to Susi Pudjiastuti, Indonesia’s Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister.

    Danish energy firm Danfoss A/S, ship maker Odense Maritime Technology, Norwegian shipping company Wilh Wilhelmsen ASA and technology systems and solutions enterprise Kongsberg Digital were among the companies visiting Jakarta.

    According to Stig Traavik, Norwegian Ambassador to Indonesia, Nordic countries will be able to advise Indonesia on technological matters due to the country’s development of energy efficient ships.

    Traavik said: “We have produced ships running on natural gas instead of diesel, basically it’s like a mini power plant in the ship [able to] reduce the consumption of gas by 20% compared to modern ships that use diesel fuel.”

    Indonesia has faced high operational costs from its ports due to facilities being located hundreds of kilometres apart and operated by different ministries in the country. Rini Soemarno , Indonesia’s State-Owned Enterprises Minister, visited Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden in September to approach the countries for partnerships in energy and fishery sectors.

    Casper Klynge, Danish Ambassador to Indonesia, said: “Denmark is a very small country, but in the maritime area, Denmark and Norway are global superpowers. Every 15 minutes, somewhere around the world, a Danish-operated ship leaves a port.”

    Klynge highlighted that Denmark transports 10% of the world’s goods despite accounting for 0.1% of the global population.

    “Every 15 minutes, somewhere around the world, a Danish-operated ship leaves a port,” he added.

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  • GMR Hyderabad International Airport Hosts Island Café & Bar

    GMR Hyderabad International Airport Hosts Island Café & Bar

    GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. (GHIAL) offers a new and exciting chill-out zone for passengers at Hyderabad Airport. Island Café & Bar by HMSHost is now available at International departures offering passengers the exciting options of food and beverages (F&B) in an innovatively carved out ambience making their visit at Hyderabad Airport worth cherishing. Island Café & Bar offers the customers delectable coffee, fresh juices, snacks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks & light bites.

    Uniqueness of Island Café & Bar lies in the fact that it is an in-house brand conceptualized and created jointly by HMSHost and the Commercial Team of GHIAL. HMSHost operates F&B outlets at Hyderabad Airport at Departure (International and Domestic) levels. HMSHost is a part of renowned global conglomerate Auto grill SPA and is the leading F&B Operator at hundreds of Airports across the globe.  They offer expertise in travel F&B and presence only in Airports. 

     Speaking on the occasion, Mr. SGK Kishore, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd, said, “Island Café & Bar at Hyderabad Airport is a novel platform for passengers to enjoy F&B options. I appreciate GHIAL team and HMSHost for innovatively creating this platform for our customers. Island Café & Bar gives our visitors a whole new experience while they can enjoy the myriad options of food & beverages. The tastefully designed ambience of Island Café & Bar makes the passengers’ visit to the Hyderabad Airport even more memorable.” 

    Island Café & Bar is a new and exciting concept at Hyderabad Airport. It has been creatively designed keeping the interests of all segments of visitors at the airport offering a vast range of food, coffee and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. There is an aesthetic play with lights in this section of F&B. Embellished by a combination of pendants lighting subdues the brightness level in this space, which evokes an intimate and cozy feeling during the day and creates a bar type ambience by night.

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  • Bali prime residential prices up 15% last year

    Bali prime residential prices up 15% last year

    Prime residential prices on Bali surged 15 per cent last year, the most among comparable destinations tracked by broker Knight Frank LLP. The cost of villas on the Spanish island of Ibiza climbed 5 per cent and those in Italy’s autonomous region of Sardinia fell 8 per cent, the report said.

    Bali’s gains are set to continue as Indonesia’s government this week begins to discuss revising rules to allow foreigners to directly own luxury apartments in the archipelago, with hopes of implementing changes within two to three months.

    Mr Nathan Ryan, owner of property brokerage Bali Realty, expects interest from China and Singapore once the revisions are made.

    “Asian buyers are no doubt a sleeping giant for Indonesia,” Mr Ryan said from Kerobokan, an area north of Kuta known for its surf and nightlife. “These buyers have plenty of money, but they are turned away by the leasehold property options, as they would prefer to be able to buy freehold.”

    Currently, foreigners can get around the ban against owning real estate in Indonesia by using local citizens as proxies or by structuring the purchase as a long-term lease.

    The government will coordinate with the immigration and tax offices to draft the revisions, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Sofyan Djalil said last Thursday

    Under the proposed amendments, foreigners will be allowed to buy only luxury apartments and not landed property.

    Property prices in Jakarta rose 11 per cent in March from a year earlier, Knight Frank data shows. That is the biggest gain in Asia after Bengaluru in India, where real estate costs climbed 13.6 per cent.

    “If you look at how close Jakarta is to Singapore and given that a lot of Singaporeans also work in Indonesia, there will be interest from Singaporeans,” said Ms Christine Li, director of research for Singapore at Cushman & Wakefield.

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