PATA announces details of Pre and Post PATA Travel Mart 2004 Tours

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and the PATA Travel Mart 2004 (PTM04) Host Committee have created 16 tours for buyer, seller and media delegates attending this years Mart to be held in Bangkok, September 22-24. All tours are either complimentary or substantially discounted.

Of the 16 official PTM04 tours, seven are before the Mart and nine are after it.

On September 18-19 or 20-21, delegates can enjoy the Chao Phraya river with a two-day/one-night pre-Mart cruise to or from Ayutthaya onboard the traditional Mekhala barge. Ayutthaya is one of four UNESCO world heritage sites in Thailand. The trip also visits Bang Pa-in palace. The tour is priced at US$124 per person for single, US$100 sharing and US$45 for child sharing with two adults.

Interested delegates should contact PATA Thailand Chapter member East West Siam. E-mail: piak@east-west-siam.com.

The other six pre-Mart tours are complimentary half-day tours on September 21:-

1) The Royal Temple and Grand Palace
2) The Outer Boundaries of Old Bangkok, including flower market and Chinatown
3) The Rose Garden Cultural Centre
4) Vimanmek Palace and Dusit Museum
5) Early Morning Canal Trip
6) Chinatown and the Backstreets of Bangkok

For further information, e-mail wtsconven@mozart.inet.co.th. For the Royal Temple and Grand Palace, e-mail: chuleepan@destination-asia.co.th.

Upcountry Thailand and the Mekong region is the focus of the nine post-Conference tours. The post-Mart tours showcase the diversity of natural and man-made attractions in Thailand and its neighbouring countries. PTM04 buyers, sellers and media can choose from:-

1) Unseen Royal Tropical Paradise, September 25-27 (beaches, temples, caves, waterfalls and more in the Ratchaburi, Petchaburi and Hua Hin). E-mail: etc@etc.to.th

2) Mythical Path of the Northeast, September 25-28 (northeast Thailand's Khmer temples, markets, spicy cuisine and silk handicrafts). E-mail: inbound@nstravel.com

3) Treasures of the East, September 25-28 (Pattaya, Rayong's beaches and the orchards of Chanthaburi). E-mail: dabkk@destination-asia.co.th

4) Harmony of Two Frontiers, September 25-28 (Thai-Laotian border temples, Wat Phou cruise and Preah Vihear temple on the Cambodian border). E-mail: piak@east-west-siam.com

5) Timeless Lands of Buddhism, September 25-29 ("old Asia" revisited at Luang Prabang in Laos plus Buddhist temples and Burmese arts in Yangon, Bagan and Mandalay). E-mail: dabkk@destination-asia.co.th

6) Glorious Bridge to an Ancient Civilisation, September 25-29 (Yunnan in China (PRC) offers ice-capped mountains, tropical rainforests, a third of China's ethnic minorities and half the country's plant and animal species. It is one of the most alluring provinces in China.) E-mail: dto@dto.co.th

 7) Two Kingdoms, One Culture, September 25-30 (into Cambodia visiting Battambang, Tonle Sap lake, Siem Reap, the magnificent temples of Angkor plus the attractions of Phnom Penh). E-mail: res@asiantrails.org

8) Lanna Folkloric Ways of Life, September 25-26 (into the Golden Triangle to see Chiang Rai's mountains, hilltribes and Lanna cultural legacy). E-mail: dto@dto.co.th 

9) Green Andaman Hideaway, September 25-28 (discover the less-travelled beaches, waterfalls and rainforests in Surat Thani, Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Ranong provinces). E-mail: jub@turismothai.co.th

"All the tours take advantage of Bangkok's unique position as a regional gateway," said Tourism Authority of Thailand Deputy Governor for International Marketing Ms Phornsiri Manoharn. "Within an hour of Bangkok you can be on a beautiful beach, in a pristine forest or a temple in a neighbouring country." She added: "I would like as many PATA Travel Mart buyers, sellers and media as possible to experience what the region has to offer."

The pre- and post-Mart tours are available for booking until September 1, 2004.