The Sinking, Shrinking Greenback: Good News or Bad News? Last week the value of the US dollar fell below 30 Thai baht, a new low. People here love to speculate about the cause. Some believe that the U.S. government is manipulating exchange rates intentionally to correct trade imbalances. We've also heard that Washington's intent is to punish the Chinese, who own a lot of dollars. Maybe Thailand is inflating the value of its own currency. Who can tell? While we would love to see the dollar back at at 40 baht, we do not foresee that happening any time soon. This is a good news/bad news story for people planning to travel in our part of the world. The bad news for Americans is that Thailand is a somewhat more expensive than it has been, although still a bargain compared to a summer in Tuscany. The good news is that the current rate of exchange only impacts visitors to Thailand who spend dollars. Most of our contracts with hotels and other suppliers in the other eight countries where we work are in U.S. dollars, so our dollar prices remain unchanged. If you spend pounds, Euros or Australian dollars, prices are lower than they have been because the dollar has weakened against those currencies as well. Euros and pounds have appreciated slightly against the Baht since last month, although they remain marginally lower than a year ago. In many cased in Thailand, we have reduced our own profit margins to keep prices where they have been. The bottom line is that the costs of visiting most of southeast Asia for most of our Members have been creeping down for most of our Members. Todd Built a HouseYou may have worked with our Operations Manager Todd. For nearly a year his life has revolved around building a house in his home village near Surin, in the Isaan region of Thailand's northeastern rice belt. For months we have heard grim stories about contractors, painters and plumbing and banks. Todd took some time off in March to personally supervise the final touches. Finally, we got to see the place for ourselves. Early this month most of our crew jumped on an overnight train.... >Read the whole story Jeff & Mark Loved India
India’s history is a kaleidoscope: rich, varied, and influenced over the centuries by many cultures. The resulting diversity is evident at every glance; from the Hindus to the Buddhists to the Muslims, and the Maharajas.... > Read the whole story Green Season Specials Save Money James and Dave saved 24% on their October adventure in China by taking advantage of Club Sanook discounts and special offers. This is the eighth year in a row that we have offered discounts and special offers to Members who plan well in advance for the next high season. Last year we added something new that offers much more flexibility and greater potential savings, and we are repeating it this year. You can read about it HERE along with other Member goodies for 2011/12. If your dates are set and you know where you want to go, we will give you a handsome price reduction for booking well in advance. And even if you are not sure of your dates or final itinerary, you can buy a "gift certificate" at a cost well below face value and give it to yourself! We all deserve a nice gift once in a while. We are also offering Members these "green season" goodies. (Most offers are good through September):
You can find all of the current Member Specials HERE. Been There, Done That: Shopping Heaven in Beijing In this regular feature we explore some of the more offbeat, lesser-visited attractions in the cities where we work, especially for those who think they have already seen and done it all.
Step into one of Hanoi's newest, most luxurious boutique hotels, the Silk Path. Smartly located near the city's famed "old quarter" and Hoan Kiem Lake, the Silk Path is a great value for those who enjoy luxury. Each of their rooms offer the kind of rich, contemporary decor you would expect in a five-star hotel in London or Milan, with plenty of marble and polished wood. You will enjoy luxurious linens, spacious bathrooms, flat panel television, complimentary internet access and paintings by fine Vietnamese artists. Guests can enjoy a Vietnamese or a Mediterranean restaurant, two bars, and roof-top spa and fitness center. Guests literally get white glove treatment. We now include the Silk Path among Purple Dragon's hotel options in Hanoi. Pot PouriTransgender recruits in Thailand's armed forces no longer need to be offended by the way their gender and sexuality are officially described. "Psychological abnormality" and "gender identity disorder" will now be referred to as "Type 2" or "Type 3" to avoid offending them. Heterosexual Thai men will be referred to as "Type 1." Rules were changed to allow conscription of others individuals if the army runs short of Type 1. However, under the "two beer rule" the boundaries between the types can become quite blurred. Military service might fun after all. Danang (Central Vietnam) Airport's splendid new $75 million terminal and long runway are due to open next month. Runways will be able to handle wide bodied aircraft, so those in the know are calling Danang the "new gateway to Vietnam." Saigon, one of the "old" gateways to Vietnam is planning to build a mega airport that will be able to handle three times the number of passengers and tons of freight than the current airport.
Retirement in Thailand certainly appeals to many. In fact, we have been exploring ways to assist many of our customers who decide to spend their golden years in the Land of Smiles. Now comes a new social networking website called GayCareThailand.org. Their primary interest seems to be the development of a residential complex for silver daddies. If you are considering making the move here, you might find some good resources on their site.
If you have not already heard, Thailand has a sparkling new monthly gay magazine called Out in Thailand. You can find it in all of the usual places, including some unusual ones, like a number of major bookstores. If you cannot make the monthly trek to pick up your own copy you can read the current edition online: www.out-in-thailand.com The UK has appointed an openly gay Ambassador to serve in Cambodia. Mark Gooding is currently Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives in Colombo, and is due to take up his new post in September. He is openly gay and has a civil partner, Dr. Christopher McCormick. Unfortunately, they will miss Phnom Penh Pride, scheduled for 10 through 16 May. Premium Club Sanook Membership? Tell Us What You Think This opinion poll appeared in our last newsletter. We liked the feedback we received so much that we decided to continue to invite the opinions of our Members. Please take a short poll. It's completely anonymous, unless you wish to be contacted. Tell us what you think about offering a more exclusive membership that is not free. We are debating whether or not this is a great idea, so we are grateful for your input. But please do not participate if you have done so already. Return of the Photo Contest Way back in 2010 we announced our 4th annual photo contest. Then came a litany of distractions that included civil unrest, a world economic crisis, loony political drama, and the development of an iPhone app. It seemed that practically everyone was distracted, so we put the contest on the shelf. We have dusted it off and are picking up where we left off. We will be updating entries received to date over the next two weeks. For more information view our Photo Contest page. We are actually working on pages that will show all of the current entries. Seeing Double? If you received two or more emails announcing this issue of Bulletin from Bangkok, that means we have duplicate records in our Membership list. Please let Miss Fu know so that we do not clutter your In box with redundant email.
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Have you ever thought of going to India? We had, but we had also assumed that at least a month was needed for the trip; perhaps you have thought the same. Thanks to Purple Dragon’s “India’s Golden Triangle” itinerary, we got a wonderful introduction to India in far less than a month, and are looking forward to a return visit!
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