King for a Week

So after wrapping up my meetings and inspections in Bangkok, it was time to escape city life! With my wife in tow, it was off for a one hour flight to our next destination - Koh Samui. Famous for its spas and laid back attitude this was naturally my first choice. It was really hard to pick the place to stay as there are so many luxury resorts, after many hours of searching I found the perfect place - Sala Samui. I cannot even describe how nice this place is but I will try...

Everywhere you look, it is like you have stepped into a Restoration Hardware catalogue, but with more colour. Blue skies, swaying palm trees coupled with a calming décor of teak furniture, cotton linens, smooth hardwood floors, cool marble bathrooms accented with rainbow coloured orchids. And every villa has its own private swimming pool. It's like having your own beach villa. We barely left our room, let alone the resort!

On the days we did leave the resort, one day was spent visiting the protected marine park. If you must do one touristy thing, this is highly recommended. The day was spent power boating, snorkeling, hiking, swimming, kayaking and of course, eating. The water looked so velvety and color was like a soft jade green. Just beautiful.

Another night was spent on the town taking in an authentic action packed Muay Thai fight card headlined by Rob from Canada. The stadium was loud, hot and smoky. The card had 7 fights, 5 which ended by brutal knocks out so time was well spent on a Tuesday night.

My one guilty indulgence - I spent 4 hours at a 5-star spa, for a fraction of what it would cost at home. Scrub, wrap, massage, facial were all words of the day. I did, however, draw the line when they suggested I sit in a pool where fish would nibble the dead skin off your body...yuck.

I can't believe I have only 3 more hours here before I spend the next 20 hours getting home. There have been very times in my life when I felt a trip was too short and Thailand was definitely one of them. If you are looking to plan a trip for your clients that they will never forget, I highly recommend booking them on 2 week trip to Thailand.

Best Regards,

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations

Three Days Until Thailand

So in three days I will be off to Bangkok to attend the Thailand Travel Mart. 40 appointments in two days, multiple functions, dinners, and meet & greets. Sounds like a job for 5-hour energy and lots of coffee. The weather in Bangkok is currently lows of 26 and highs of 32 and accommodation is at the 5-star Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong so for a business trip, this show is looking pretty exciting.

The only possible hiccup is where will I be able to watch the Canucks sweep the Stanley Cup playoffs...

If you have a special group request for Thailand or have something you would like for me to investigate on your behalf, do not hesitate to drop me a line.

Go Canucks Go!

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations

Time for Thailand!

In just under two weeks I will be heading to Thailand to participate in the Thailand Travel Mart Plus. This event is the largest B2B travel show in the greater Mekong sub region. I will have the opportunity to reconnect with our preferred local operators and hotels as well learn what is new and exciting for this region. I expect it to be fun, busy and hot with lots of activities planned for the days and nights. The first half of my trip will be spent in the Thailand's lively capital, Bangkok. After that we will fly 1 hour south for a change of scenery to the beautiful island of Koh Samui. Nice!

If you have a special group request for Thailand or have something you would like for me to investigate on your behalf, do not hesitate to drop me a line.

Chok dee (Bye in Thai)!

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations

New Year Celebrations Going Strong

Thailand is enjoying the Songkran Thai New Year celebrations, meaning that we are approaching the half way through April at the peak of the Thai hot season.

But Thailand has been experiencing some strange weather the past few weeks with heavy rains and flooding in parts of the south. Thankfully, this is behind us and the situation at the Samui archipelago has returned to normal with beautiful weather.

And now in Bangkok, they are having some strange weather. With temperatures dropping to 18ºC , the locals have been donning jumpers and scarves in the mornings and evenings. Even foreigners were sighted wearing jeans and fleeces to accommodate the cool weather and winds.

I am confident that the temperature will be nice and warm when I go in June to Bangkok and Koh Samui. If your clients are interested in visiting Thailand over the next year, I highly recommend our 12 Day Beaches, Bangkok and Beijing starting from CAD 2169 featuring 4 and 5 star hotels.

Go Nucks!

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations

Happy New Year! Again!

This time we are celebrating in Thailand! The festival is known as the Songkran festival which will last for three consecutive days April 13-15. This festival is observed nationwide and the most famous Songkran celebrations are in the northern city of Chiang Mai, where it continues for six days and even longer.

The most common celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. People will roam the streets with containers of water or water guns and drench each other and passersby. April is the hottest month in Thailand so the cool water is refreshing.

Besides the throwing of water, people celebrating Songkran may also go to a Buddhist monastery known as a wat to pray and give food to monks. In cities such as Chiang Mai, the Buddha images from the city's important monasteries are paraded through the streets so that people can toss water at them, ritually 'bathing' the images, as they pass by on ornately decorated floats.

If your clients interested in visiting Thailand over the next year, I highly recommend our 12 Day Beaches, Bangkok and Beijing starting from CAD 2169 featuring 4 and 5 star hotels. I will also be returning to Thailand this June so expect more exciting news and specials from Chinapac.

Have a wet and happy Songkran!

Regards,

Otis Ashby
Sales & Operations