Flood in Thailand

Since mid-October, flooding has taken place in Thailand’s Northeast and Central regions. The flooding is mainly affecting low-lying agricultural land and areas near major waterways such as the Chao Phraya River. Tourist destinations within Thailand, most of which are located outside of these areas, have not been affected by the floods. Transportation links to tourist destinations within Thailand are operating normally, as is Suvarnabhumi Airport. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is well prepared and monitoring the situation closely. While some flooding is occurring in suburban areas adjacent to the Chao Phraya River, the BMA is confident that the other parts of the city will not be affected by the floods.

Q&As

1. Is it safe to come to Thailand with all of the floods that are taking place?

· Yes, as the flooding has taken place in Thailand’s Northeast and Central regions, mainly in low-lying agricultural land and areas near major waterways such as the Chao Phraya River

· Tourist destinations within Thailand, most of which are located outside of these areas, have not been affected by the floods.

· Transportation links to tourist destinations within Thailand are operating normally, as is Suvarnabhumi Airport.

2. The flood water appears to be approaching Bangkok. Will the city be flooded?

· Rainy season happens annually in Thailand, so the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMS) is well prepared to handle the situation

· The BMA’s vast network of flood walls and dikes has been fortified, and other water management measures such as water gates and pumping systems are prepared to deal with the increased flow of water

· Some localized flooding is occurring in suburban communities adjacent to the Chao Phraya River but the majority of the city should not be affected.

3. What about Suvarnabhumi Airport – is there a chance it may be closed down by flooding?

· The airport is more than 20 Km away from the Chao Phraya River so should not be affected by the floods.

4. I have seen reports that highways and railways have been closed by floods. Won’t this make it a problem for tourists to get around?

· Some transportation links close to major waterways in the Northeast and Central Regions have been affected by the floods, but the majority of main routes remain open

· Traffic is being detoured around the closed sections until they are re-opened, which should be within the next few days

· Domestic air travel has not been affected by the floods.

5. Why would anybody want to visit Thailand right now, with all the rain and flooding? Isn’t it better to wait and come later?

· The rainy season is an annual occurrence, and only the Northeastern and Central areas have been affected by the flooding

· The flood waters are receding in the Northeast and are expected to pass through the Greater Bangkok area by the end of this week

· Tourist destinations elsewhere within Thailand, most of which are located outside of these areas, have not been affected by the floods and are enjoying good weather.

6. Is the flooding worse this year than in other years? I haven’t heard about major floods in Thailand before.

· The rainy season is an annual occurrence, and only the Northeastern and Central areas have been affected by the flooding

· The rains have been heavier than normal this year, which has caused the flooding of low-lying agricultural land and areas near major waterways such as the Chao Phraya River.

7. Has the flooding cause any fatalities, and are any of the victims tourists?

· The floods have caused around 41 fatalities, and none of the victims have been tourists.

Tourism Authority of Thailand and MasterCard Launch “Bangkok Welcomes You” Campaign

Mr. Sansern Ngaorungsi, Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) together with Ms Eileen Wee, Vice President and Senior Country Manager, Thailand, MasterCard Worldwide last week announced the launch of the “Bangkok Welcomes You” campaign. Leveraging the success of previous campaigns such as Unseen Paradise Stay in Style II and the various 72hrs Amazing Thailand campaigns, which were received very well by visitors, this campaign is aimed at stimulating tourism domestically and in the Asia/Pacific region and raising more online marketing channels to attract tourists from neighboring markets to travel to Bangkok.

The campaign will run for close to four months, from 18 August 2010 to 30 November 2010, offering up to 100,000 packages to travelers. Cardholders will be eligible for various hotel and merchant privileges. Tourists who are eligible for the benefits of this campaign include overseas MasterCard cardholders from various markets in the Asia/Pacific region and Expat MasterCard cardholders living in Thailand as well as local MasterCard cardholders. Travelers may choose from six pricing starting at 999, 1,599, 1,999, 2,499, 2,999, and 3,999 (all prices in baht or approximately 99, 159, 199, 249, 299 and 399 MYR) per night for two persons. Bookings have to be made via www.bangkokwelcomeyou.com and cardholders will have to use their MasterCard cards to make payment.

Travelers will receive “Bangkok Welcomes You” privilege card and special vouchers when checking in at the hotel and will be eligible to enjoy privilege offers for dining, spa & beauty and accommodation in popular Thai destinations in upcountry resorts like Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, Pattaya, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Phuket and Ko Samui etc. Other privileges will include show & entertainment, transportation and shopping benefits.

Follow these easy steps to enjoy the many “Bangkok Welcomes You” special privileges:

1. Book your hotel at www.bangkokwelcomeyou.com
2. Get your “Bangkok Welcomes You” Privilege Card when you check in. Or call (66) 8 1929 3273 if travelers do not get the privilege card.
3. Enjoy the many exclusive privileges listed at www.bangkokwelcomeyou.com

As part of the campaign, TAT will send out the project leaflet to TAT’s overseas offices in different countries in Asia/Pacific and push for communication.

MasterCard Worldwide as the official sponsor will promote the campaign to its cardholders through financial institutions region-wide. Special usage programs and benefits will be tailored in each local market to drive interest. More information on the available packages and pricing can be found at www.mastercard.com/sea.

MasterCard, in collaboration with TAT, will also host familiarization trips in Bangkok for international press from various markets in the Asia/Pacific region and road shows in selected countries including Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.

So, make your reservations for Bangkok Welcomes You now! Take advantage of the many special privileges listed at www.bangkokwelcomeyou.com. Bangkok is waiting to welcome you.

Bloggers invited to compete for prizes in Thailand’s Medical Tourism Blog Contest

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Medical Tourism Blog Contest kicks off, with cash and prizes worth nearly US$20,000 up for grabs, including a seven-day all-inclusive medical tour of Thailand for 12 finalists.

The competition is easy and fun, with the aim being to promote medical tourism in the Kingdom by awarding winning contestants trips to the Land of Smiles and other prizes.

Twelve finalists chosen from the entries will win an experience of a lifetime: an all-inclusive seven-day Medical Tourism Familiarization Trip in Thailand, which will take place from November 20-26, 2010. Some of them will travel to Phuket, Chiang Mai, Pattaya and Ko Samui, while others will explore Bangkok. The TAT will arrange additional sightseeing tours for finalists so they can experience the attractions of Thailand as a medical tourism hub.

During the competition period from November 20, 2010 to January 31, 2011, each finalist will use blog posts, photos, videos and other social media tools to share their daily experiences with the medical services available in Thailand with a global audience. The goal is to inform readers about what is available and to persuade them to learn more about Thailand’s top medical tourism destinations.

In order to win, finalists must write the best blog post and attract the highest number of unique visitors. The blogger who attracts the most unique visitors to their URL will win the top prize of $13,000 ($10,000 in cash plus luxurious hotel vouchers worth $3,000 at Sri Panwa, Phuket and Westin Grande, Bangkok), and the finalist who the judging committee decides has created the best blog will receive prizes worth $5,000 ($3,000 in cash plus luxurious hotel vouchers worth $2,000 at Ratilanna Riverside Spa Resort, Chiang Mai and Absolute Chandara Resort and Spa, Phuket).

The competition is open to anyone who has experience writing blogs related to tourism or medical tourism. To enter, visit: www.MedBlogContest.com

This is a great opportunity to discover firsthand why Thailand has become one of the world’s top destinations for medical tourism.

Submissions are welcome until October 31, 2010. Check out www.MedBlogContest.com

For media enquiries, please go to the *Contact Us* page and select the subject Press Media Enquiry. A team member will contact you shortly after your submission is received.**

APHORISM: A SHORT, POINTED SENTENCE EXPRESSING A WISE OR CLEVER OBSERVATION OR A GENERAL TRUTH

1.
The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow.

2.
Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.

3.
If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense.

4.
Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.

5.
A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water.

6.
How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark
to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?

7.
Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.


8.
Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?

9.
Scratch a cat and you will have a permanent job.

10.
No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.

11.
There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity.

12.
There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 AM. It could be a right number.

13.
No one ever says 'It's only a game" when their team is winning.

14.
I've reached the age where the happy hour is a nap.

15.
Be careful reading the fine print. There's no way you're going to like it.

16.
The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.

17.
Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos?


18.
Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a BMW than on a bus.


19.
After 50, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead!!

20.

Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind, and the ones who mind, don't matter.

A new spin on an old tale

A first-grade teacher, Ms Neelam (Age 28) was having
trouble with one of her students

The teacher asked, "Boy what is your problem?"

Boy answered, "I'm too smart for the first-grade. My
sister is in the third-grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I
should be in the third-grade too!"

Ms Neelam had enough. She took Boy to the Principal's
office. The principal told Ms Neelam he would give the boy a
test and if he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back
to the first-grade and behave. She agreed.

Boy was brought in and the conditions were explained to
him and he agreed to take the test:

Principal: "What is 3x3?"

Boy: "9"

Principal: "What is 6x6?"

Boy: "36"

And so it went with every question the principal thought
a third-grade should know. The principal looks at Ms Neelam and tells
her, "I think the boy can go to the third-grade."

Ms Neelam says to the principal, "I have some of my own
questions. Can I ask him?" The principal and Boy both agree.

Ms Neelam asks: "What does a cow have four of that I
have only two of?

Boy, after a moment: "Legs"!

Ms Neelam: "What is in your pants that you have but I do
not have?"

Boy: "Pockets"!

Ms Neelam: "What starts with a C and ends with a T, is
hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin whitish liquid?"

Boy: Coconut

Ms Neelam: " What goes in hard and pink then comes out
soft and sticky?" The Principal's eyes open really wide and before he
could stop the answer, Boy quickly answered..

Boy: Bubblegum

Ms Neelam: "What does a man do standing up, a woman does
sitting down and a dog does on three legs?" The Principal's eyes again
open really wide and before he could stop the answer...

Boy: Shake hands

Ms Neelam: "Now I will ask some "Who am I" sort of
questions, okay?"

Boy: "Yep"

Ms Neelam: "You stick Your poles inside me. You tie me
down to get me up.. I get wet before you do."

Boy: "Tent"

Ms Neelam: "A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me
when you're bored. The best man always has me first."
The Principal was looking restless, a bit tense and took one
large Patiala Vodka peg.

Boy: "Wedding Ring"

Ms Neelam: "I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I
drip. When you blow me, you feel good."

Boy: "Nose"

Ms Neelam: "I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I
come with a quiver."

Boy: "Arrow"

Ms Neelam: "What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K'
that means lot of heat and excitement?"

Boy: "Firetruck"

Ms Neelam: "What word starts with a 'F' and ends in 'K'
& if u don't get it u have to use your hand"

Boy: "Fork"

Ms Neelam: "What is it that all men have. It's longer
for some men than on others. The nuns don't need it. The pope doesn't
use his and a man gives it to his wife after they're married?"

Boy: "SURNAME"

Ms Neelam: "What part of the man has no bone but has
muscles, has lots of veins, like pumping, & is responsible for making
love?"

Boy: "HEART"

The principal breathed a sigh of relief and said to the
teacher:

"Send this Boy to University, I got the last ten
questions wrong myself!"

Home science computer

(This is an old thing. But it's just too good not put up. Some may have seen it before)


Dear Tech Support:

Last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up a lot of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs and now monitors all other system activity. Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0 , Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6
I can't seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I'm thinking about going back to Girlfriend 7.0 , but the uninstall doesn't work on Wife 1.0. Please help!

Thanks,

A Troubled User.

REPLY:

Dear Troubled User:

This is a very common problem that men complain about.

Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 7.0 to Wife 1.0, thinking that it is just a Utilities and Entertainment program. Wife 1.0 is an OPERATING SYSTEM and is designed by its Creator to run EVERYTHING!!! It is also impossible to delete Wife 1.0 and to return to Girlfriend 7.0. It is impossible to uninstall, or purge the program files from the system once installed.

You cannot go back to Girlfriend 7.0 because Wife 1.0 is designed to not allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 manual under Warnings-Alimony-Child Support. I recommend that you keep Wife1.0 and work on improving the situation. I suggest installing the background application "Yes Dear" to alleviate software augmentation.

The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway.

Wife 1.0 is a great program, but it tends to be very high maintenance. Wife 1.0 comes with several support programs, such as Clean and Sweep 3.0 , Cook It 1.5 and Do Bills 4.2.

However, be very careful how you use these programs . Improper use will cause the system to launch the program Nag Nag 9.5 . Once this happens, the only way to improve the performance of Wife 1.0 is to purchase additional software. I recommend Flowers 2.1 and Diamonds 5.0 !

WARNING!!! DO NOT , under any circumstances, install Secretary With Short Skirt 3.3. This application is not supported by Wife 1.0 and will cause irreversible damage to the operating system.

Best of luck,
Tech Support

The Human Body

It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

One human hair can support 3kg (6.6 lb).

The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.

Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.

There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Women blink twice as often as men.

The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain..

Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

Women reading this will be finished now......

Men are still busy checking their thumbs