Pride of place for Koh Phithak

       Koh Phithak, a small fishing community in Chumphon's Lang Suan district, is the most admired homestay destination in Thailand, according to a survey by the Tourism Development Office.
       The island off mainland Chumphon was a hideout for pirates and criminals until the 1870s and without a name.It wasn't until 1943 that it's given a name and registered as a fishing village.
       Fifteen homes on the island have opened their doors to tourists to whom they offer activities such as boat rides around Koh Pithak and nearby islands, snorkelling,a taste of their daily lifestyle and how to catch fish and bait squids.
       In addition to Koh Phithak, other homestay destinations featuring in the survey's top-10 list are Ban Pho in Mukdahan, Koh Ket in Kalasin, Ban Tham Phung in Surat Thani, Ban Rim Klong and Tha Kha in Samut Songkhram, A Homestay on Koh Muk, Trang and Thong Tom Yai in Chumphon.
       Disability no bar
       The Institute of Health Promotion for People with Disability has joined hands with Chulalongkorn University to introduce a tourism programme for senior citizens and physically handicapped people.
       The programme is listed in a book titled Living Life complete with maps. It cites five routes - BangkokChon Buri-Rayong, Bangkok-Nakhon Ratchasima-Nakhon Phanom, Bangkok-Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai, BangkokNakhon Pathom-Kanchanaburi, and Bangkok-Song KhlaNakhon Si Thammarat - that are travel friendly to elderly people and those with disability, together with a list of accommodations and restaurants.
       Visit www.thaihealth.or.th or call 02-298-0500 for details.
       Late boomers
       Tour operators and the Tourism Authority of Thailand have compiled a list of 13 tourist spots around the country that have experienced a tourism boom in recent years.
       Top of the list are the Sino-Portuguese buildings in Phuket's old quarter. Dating back more than a century these buildings, under which sit quaint shophouses, are outstanding for their unique mix of Chinese and Portuguese architecture.
       Other attractions on the list are Pai in Mae Hong Son,the Chiang Mai Zoo, Bang Namphung floating market in Samut Prakan, Khaosok National Park in Surat Thani, a hot waterfall in Krabi, Ban Wat Chan in Chiang Mai,Kathu Mining Museum in Phuket, the old Wat Kate community in Chiang Mai, the century-old Ang Sila in Chon Buri, Tha PomKlong Song Nam nature trail in Krabi, Phi Hua To cave in Krabi noted for its pre-historic paintings and the Office of Agricultural Extension and Development in Krabi.
       A shot in the arm
       The government has set aside almost 150 million baht to renovate three tourist spots in Suphan Buri and Phichit.
       The allocation is part of the government's "Thai Khem Kaeng" initiative to boost and strengthen tourism in the provinces.
       Some 46 million baht will go to beautification of the Suphan Buri city shrine and its surrounds, and used for building a fence around the shrine, a drainage system and a facility for sale of OTOP products, while Bung Chawak public park will receive 40 million baht to install a garbage incinerator, a bio-fertiliser plant and for park upkeep and expansion.
       Bung Si Fai, the country's third largest lake and home to more than 100 bird species, in Phichit Province has been allocated 60 million baht, to be spent on boosting its profile and appeal among tourists.
       Online bookings up
       Online travel agency bookings in Asia Pacific has grown 34 per cent compared to last year, according to Amadeus,a provider of IT solutions for tourism and travel industry.
       "Travel agencies need to evolve in line with this trend and leverage the Internet to their advantage," said Amadeus' director for Asia Business Solutions Olivier Froger.
       To promote online bookings among travel agencies,the company has launched an upgraded version of its Agency Internet Engine (AAIE) solution that is customised for the Asian region.
       Called AAIE (Asia), it allows travel agencies to align content and other applications such as profiles or midoffice functions with their web sites and customise the web site with functions of hotel booking and car rental service.
       It also has options for online payment by credit cards,PayPal, AsiaPay and also has a graphical seatmap function enabling travel agents' customers to select their seats online.
       Lufthansa relaunch
       Lufthansa will relaunch on-board broadband Internet service on long-distance flights in the middle of next year after suspending it three years ago due to weak demand.
       Called FlyNet, the service allows passengers to use laptop computers or smart phones such as iPhone and BlackBerry to read email, access web sites and send SMS mid-flight, thanks to a satellite-based technology provided by Panasonic of Japan,
       "In terms of communications, Lufthansa customers can look forward to a top-tier inflight service," said Wolfgang Mayrhuber, its CEO and chairman."On longhaul routes, we offer business travellers, in particular, a range of communications options on par with those available at powerful hotspots or upmarket hotels."