Travel News

[erection day]

I have been to Heathrow Airport many times and it's definitely one of my least favourite airport in the world. Recent news about the sad state of affairs at Heathrow has confirmed my belief.

'Want to know what hell on Earth

[Massagee]

Want to know what hell on Earth

[lonely]

In retropect, I feel that our own Changi Airport is begining to lost it's edge. Ground crews are not as friendly as I recall, baggage return seems slower than the past too.

[erection day]

Even though they sent the luggage right up to my hotel room the next day, it still sorta spoiled the holiday mood. Oh, did I mention they pry open my luggage, making it unusable?

I felt a sense of deja vu when you wrote that. Many years ago, my luggage didnt arrive together with me (it came fashionably late the next day). The anxiety of not knowing what happened was unbearable- all my winter clothes and xmas presents were in the damn bag. The next dat I got back the bag alright but it bad been prised open and the lock subsequently damamged and they told me to go back to the airport to 'pay duty free' for some of the items 'seized'. I had to go next day all the way to the Heathrow Airport and explained why I dont have to pay duty-free and all. :yuk:

[erection day]

More Revellers Drawn to Spore for Weekends Away

Singapore is positioning itself as a great weekends getaway destination for tourists coming from Bangkok, Chennai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jakarta, JB and KL (and some say, Tokyo: so Andy when you coming for weekend visit?: )

'Clarke Quay was definitely in a party mood over the National Day weekend, with at least 35,000 revellers keeping the tills ringing. The higher number over the past few days marked a good start to a new Singapore Tourism Board drive to woo tourists here for some weekend fun. On arriving, travellers could pick up special discount booklets from hotels or Spore Visitor Centres. About 20,000 booklets were snapped up over the three-day period. Watering holes such as Fashion Bar and Ministry of Sound saw a good number of tourist redeeming their free drinks. Retirees Michael and Veronique took advantage of the cheap weekend packages to fly in to celebrate Mr Waas's birthday along with Spore National Day, and to spend the weekend. The Swiss couple, who moved to Thailand last year when they retired, were entralled with what Spore had to offfer.' ST

Well, it certainly is good to see the busier weekend buzz. Wonder if our local gay pubs and saunas are doing brisk business as well?

[Andy@Tokyo]

Haha ED.. i met up with a BW last wkend! He 'escaped' to tokyo instead.

Went to the gay parade on 11th Aug and it was superduper hot.. we were literally melting away under the sun. Guess we were 'hot' as well, hehe. Wonder how many men tic-toc had conquered during the gay pride lastwkend in swiss.

[Massagee]

Haha ED.. i met up with a BW last wkend! He 'escaped' to tokyo instead.

Went to the gay parade on 11th Aug and it was superduper hot.. we were literally melting away under the sun. Guess we were 'hot' as well, hehe. Wonder how many men tic-toc had conquered during the gay pride lastwkend in swiss.

Our photos!!!!! Our juicy parts!!!!! Quick, I need my fix!!!!!

[Andy@Tokyo]

give me some time massagee. hehe. i am experiencing a headache and a tummy ache.. coz of the hot hot weather.. or maybe too much action over the wkends.

[Massagee]

give me some time massagee. hehe. i am experiencing a headache and a tummy ache.. coz of the hot hot weather.. or maybe too much action over the wkends. 

You know I am kidding. But if I can ice-cube you everywhere to cool you down, to speed up the upload of pics, I would.

Too much action gives 'head'-ache, that we all know. But tummyache. Hmmmm. Spit or Swallow? Hmmmmm.

Take your time.

[Guest fm am]

I think Massagee has to send Andy some of his recently bought CK undies to facilitate speeding up of the upload of pics lah.

[Massagee]

I think Massagee has to send Andy some of his recently bought CK undies to facilitate speeding up of the upload of pics lah. 

you are funny lah, fm! FM, go register in the forum leh. I hate the idea that anyone can pretend to be you.

[Andy@Tokyo]

give me some time massagee. hehe. i am experiencing a headache and a tummy ache.. coz of the hot hot weather.. or maybe too much action over the wkends. 

You know I am kidding. But if I can ice-cube you everywhere to cool you down, to speed up the upload of pics, I would.

Too much action gives 'head'-ache, that we all know. But tummyache. Hmmmm. Spit or Swallow? Hmmmmm.

Take your time.

fm am, i am only turned on by fundoshi

massagee... the BWers said that i might be pregnant

[Massagee]

fm am, i am only turned on by fundoshi

massagee... the BWers said that i might be pregnant

The magical kind or the soiled near the crack kind? The latter is so sexy.

Pregnant!??!?!?! It is only possible in a Bukkake when a guy drinks more than 6 ounces of it at one go and later drives on the road.

[erection day]

Guess we were 'hot' as well, hehe. Wonder how many men tic-toc had conquered during the gay pride lastwkend in swiss.

So, Andy, tic-toc is some sort of a man's magnet ah?? Waiting for your 'hot' pix with bated breath. he he

[erection day]

An interesting article on lost bags during airport transit and it reported that 'an average of 10 passengers per flight in Europe lost their bags'

''It's the summer of lost luggage for travellers in Europe. Such is the magnitude of the problems that travellers have been advised by the Association of European Airlines to avoid checking in bags altogether and to take carry-on luggage instead. British Airways was cited as the worst among Europe's major alrlines, and is on track to lose a record 1.3 million bags this year.' New York Times

[erection day]

Woman Fined for Smoking on Plane

'She was on a budget airline, but the flight ended up costing her a great deal more. Yesterday, Thai national Suparat was fined $1.000 for smoking in the plane toilet. She has been on a Tiger Airways flight form Bangkok to Spore when a crew member smelt cigarette smoke coming from a toilet. Another crew member went in and found the cigarette butt inside a dustbin. Suparat was arrested when the plane touched down at Changi Airport. Pleading for leniency, Suparat, who is here on a holiday, told the court that she would remember this 'expensive lesson.'' ST

[erection day]

Tiger eyes Korean Air Market

'Tiger Airways, on a fast track to grow into a pan-Asian entity, is on the prowl for a piece of South Korean's air-travel market. The Spore budget carrier has ambitious plans to start an airline to operate domestic and international services out of South Korean city of Incheon' ST

Wow, this is good news. Though this is still in the early stages, it is something that budget travellers like me can look forward to, hopefully in the not-to-distance future.

[Guest Guest]

BANGKOK: -- The Cabinet yesterday agreed that adjustments be made to all nine coins in circulation, expecting to cut minting costs by Bt1.9 billion a year. Published on August 8, 2007

Chodechai Suwanap--n, a deputy government spokesman, said the resolution would affect all new coins. "The changes are to reduce minting costs, which is higher than the nominal value. The changes will cut costs by Bt1.9 billion per year," he said.

"To continue producing the current coins, the Treasury Department will have to bear Bt1.1 billion in losses. As of April this year, the price of metal rose sharply against the levels during the same period last year - nickel by 280 per cent, copper by 121 per cent and aluminium by 107 per cent," Chodechai explained.

He said the current cost of minting was 40 per cent more than the coins' face values. New coins will also bear an updated image of His Majesty the King, replacing the one that has been used since 1987.

New coins will be smaller, lighter and coated with cheaper metal, like copper for 25- and 50-satang coins and nickel for Bt1. The Bt2 coins will be made of a copper-coloured bronze-aluminium composite, while the Bt5 coins will be coated with a silvery metal such as nickel.

The Treasury Department will work with the Office of His Majesty's Principal Private Secretary to apply for a royal approval on the new coins' patterns and wording before officially announcing regulations on usage.

A source at the Cabinet meeting said the Finance minister had also said that the Bt1 as well as 25- and 50-satang coins would be gradually phased out, and the Bt2 coins used instead. The change will be slow to prevent public panic. 'The Nation

[erection day]

Changi Airport to go Private

'Plans are on to corporatise the CAAS in its role as Changi Airport's operator. However, the Government will continue to oversee its other role as a regulator of civil aviation matters, Transport Minister Raymond Lim said yesterday while touring the new Terminal 3.' TNP

[erection day]

Read this complaint letter in ST forum today:

'On Aug 11, I returned to Spore from BKK via flight TG413. A security check was set up to screen passengers and their hand-held baggage from this flight.

When I was cleared from the security checkpoint, a male security officer curtly told me to 'take your bag and go there', meaning 'move out of the area.'

He was cold, unfriendly and spoke in an arrogant condescending manner, as though everyone in the queue was an unwelcome suspect.

My friend also encoutered such cold treatment from security officers on different occasions when he returned from his BKK and Jakarta trips.

He pointed out that Caucasian passengers were usually treated courteously. In contrast, I noticed that the security officers at the new airport in BKK were courteous to both Thai and foreigners. They always have a welcome smile for them.

No one can quarrel with the need for more security checks to be conducted for safety reasons. But it would be good if our security officers could emulate their coounterparts in BKK, and render first-class customer service to all passengers.' -Nelson Quah

While I agree with most of the points he raised, I think it's just a matter of luck who you met. I have seen unsmiling customer officers in both the arrival and departing booth in BKK. And also friendly Spore officers who smiled as they asked politely to check your bags. Of course, I cant forget that bitchy unsmiling woman officer at Terminal 1 who snarled at me to get my bag scanned.

[erection day]

'A businessman in Sydney has paid $152,898 for a pair of one-way ultra first-class ticket offering once-in-a-lifetime VVIP treatment on the world's first Airbus 380 flight. SIA which is operating the maiden flight in Sydney on Oct 25, will fly Mr Julian Hayward a partner first-class to Spore for the inaugural service. All proceeds go to charity.' ST

[erection day]

'A late-night fire at a popular Bangkok hotel injured 16 foreign guests and took three hours to extinguish because the 30-year-old building had no water sprinkler system, police said Wednesday.

The blaze, which started in a second-floor room at the downtown Mandarin Hotel, forced hundreds of guests to flee, police Lt. Col. Chakarin Panthong said.

Smoke spread to the 10th floor and 16 people

[erection day]

Singapore is getting more expensive, not just for us, but also for the tourists.

'GUEST room rates here may have been among the fastest growing worldwide, but Singapore hotels are still far from being among the world's most expensive to spend a night in.

According to corporate services company Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) UK's 2007 half-year hotel survey, the average room rates here stood at

[Guest Guest]

I smile when I read this news.

'A Taiwanese woman was too sleepy to realize that she was left behind in an empty cabin of a Northwest Airlines plane until her absent-minded boyfriend alerted authorities 30 minutes later, local news media reported Wednesday.

The unidentified woman boarded the Northwest Airlines along with her boyfriend to return to Taiwan from Japan's Osaka last week, and fell asleep in the back-row seats of the plane, cable news network TVBS reported.

The woman slept through th loud cabin broadcasts announcing the plane's arrival and the departure of the passengers and crew. Her absent-minded boyfriend realized only 30 minutes after leaving the plane that his companion was missing, TVBS said.

He sought help from ground service crew and found her on the plane, still sound asleep, TVBS said.

TVBS said the airlines was unhappy that the air steward failed to do his duty to check every row of the seats and planned to punish him. Northwest's Taipei office declined to comment on the report.' digital journal

[TopChinese]

Aiyoh.. what kind of bf is this? Must dump

[gpfun]

Increased security procedures for visitors to Japan

Visitors to Japan will soon have to have their fingerprints and photograph taken when entering the country. All foreign nationals will be subjected to the security measures from November 23 this year.

At present only the US requires visitors to scan their fingerprints when entering the country, a move designed to tighten security following the 9/11 attacks. The Japanese embassy says it is following suit in order to "identify persons considered to pose security risks, such as terrorists, and persons travelling with passports that are not their own."

All foreign nationals over the age of 16 (with the exception of certain permanent residents and those performing diplomatic or official duties) will be asked to place the index fingers of both hands on a digital fingerprint reader, before having their photograph taken. Anyone refusing to submit to the new regulations will be refused entry.

In the US the two-finger scan takes around ten seconds per traveller, which might not seem like much but soon mounts up when there is a queue of people waiting to pass through immigration. The US government is due to change to a ten-finger scan from March next year (see online news March 14), which will increase the process to around 13 seconds, but according to the US embassy will eliminate inconsistencies and false readings.

Video show is available: http://nettv.gov-online.go.jp/prg/prg1203.html

[erection day]

APPLY FOR PASSPORTS EARLY

'The immigration and Checkpoints Authority yesterday urged Singaporeans to beat the holiday crowd by applying for or renewing their pasports early.

Applications can be submitted online at www.ica.gov.sg or www.ecitizen.gov.sg or personally at the ICA building'

[erection day]

FREE Wi-Fi at Changi Airport. Hurray!

'Travellers at Changi Airport will be greeted by free internet access on New Year's Day. Rather than the paid service, the new wireless access will be available at all the passenger terminals including the Budget Terminal and the upcoming Terminal 3. This means that passengers can easily go online to read news, download email and even make free Internet calls using services like Skype- all for free.' ST

[erection day]

Going to Japan in future would mean longer queues to clear custom now that they are starting the 'fingerprint and photograph' procedures on most visitors-

'Japan said on Thursday it will start fingerprinting and photographing foreign visitors from next month under stringent new security measures that have been criticised by civil rights advocates.

The new measures, approved by parliament last year, are expected to take effect from November 20, a justice ministry official said.

All foreigners aged 16 or older will be photographed and electronically fingerprinted when they enter Japan, under a similar system to the one introduced by the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Permanent residents, including ethnic Koreans born in Japan, will be exempt from the law, along with state guests and diplomats. The information will be stored for potential criminal investigations.

"Pending the cabinet's approval, the measures will become effective November 20," the ministry spokesman said.The decision is expected to be formalised on Friday.

The government says the measures are necessary to tighten security in Japan, which was alarmed by allegations that French Muslim militant Lionel Dumont entered on a forged passport and raised money for extremists.

Opposition lawmakers and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations have expressed concern that the measures may infringe on privacy.

The Korean Residents Union, which represents Koreans born in Japan who are loyal to Seoul, argues that the bill promotes the view that all foreigners are criminals, even though its members are not subject to the law.

The tourism industry is also watching closely amid efforts to boost Japan's low visitor levels.

The United States, Japan's main ally, introduced similar security measures after the September 11, 2001 attacks, to a mixed reaction by foreign visitors.

Japan hosts more than 40 000 US soldiers, who are also exempt from the new rules. It has repeatedly been threatened in Al-Qaeda statements over its deployment of troops on a humanitarian mission to Iraq.

Japan, which has a very low crime rate, does not require visas from nationals of most developed countries for short stays, although it imposes strict restrictions on immigration.' Independent Online

[Guest Guest]

Still not so safe to visit certain area of Thailand as this morning news revealed.

'Bangkok

[erection day]

'Changi Airport has won a special award for being named the best airport in the world for 20 consecutive years.

The "Twenty Years at the Top, Best Airport in the World" award was handed out by the UK's Business Traveller Magazine.

It is the first time the magazine is handing out such an award. The director of Busines Traveller said "This is the only place where my bag arrives on the carousel before I."

The magazine presented the award to the CEO of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in a special ceremony at the Changi Airport on Tuesday.' CNA

[erection day]

Another hurray for our national airline.

'SINGAPORE : Singapore Airlines (SIA) has once again won the World's Best International Route Airline Award.

The carrier emerged tops in a poll conducted by US-based travel magazine "Conde Nast Traveler", which reaches out to three million readers.

SIA has won the award 19 times so far since it was launched 20 years ago.

In another survey conducted by the UK edition of the same magazine, SIA was rated the Favourite Business Airline 2007 by Business Class travellers' CNA

[erection day]

'Major airlines have agreed on a standard that will allow travelers to check in using a bar code sent to their cell phones, the International Air Transport Association said Thursday.

Passengers will register their cell-phone number when buying a ticket and receive a bar code by text message, the group representing most commercial carriers said.

Check-in staff will scan the bar code directly from cell phones, doing away with the need for a boarding pass. Alternatively, passengers can also received the code by e-mail and print it out.

IATA said the move would help the industry phase out paper tickets by 2010 and save more than US$500 million (

[erection day]

Another story of interest-

'A man who survived hidden in the nose wheel well of a plane on a flight from Malaysia has been charged with entering Singapore without a valid pass or permit, according to a report on Saturday.

The 27

[Guest fm am]

Another near disater at Heathrow airport-

'Two packed passenger aircraft collided at Heathrow airport last night as they taxied on a runway in preparation for take-off.

Witnesses reported scenes of panic on board the flights as passengers were evacuated after a British Airways Boeing 747 clipped the wing of a Sri Lankan Airlines Airbus A340, bound for the Maldives.

Although the London Fire Brigade said that nobody was injured in the incident, questions will once again be raised over safety procedures at the world's busiest airport.

Just three months ago two BA planes were involved in a similar collision, yards from the Terminal 4 building, when they ran into each other while one was reversing. Last night's incident occurred at 10.13pm. A spokesman for the British Airports Authority (BAA), said: "Heathrow Airport can confirm two aircraft were involved in an incident on the ground earlier this evening."

Sources for Sky News initially reported that an engine had fallen off one of the planes. But an airport spokesman later denied the claim, and said: "Absolutely false." He said those on board the flights were quickly calmed down.

He added: "Passengers were offloaded, they were put up in hotels and the flights were cancelled."

The fire brigade also disputed the initial television reports. "It was a minor collision between two planes who just clipped each other," said a spokesman. "There was no fire, no injuries, no damage."

Sky also reported that there were 40 fire engines in attendance at the scene, but last night the fire brigade said its vehicles had left.

In the incident in July, the left wing of a Boeing 777 carrying 200 passengers to Washington DC smashed into the tail-fin of an Airbus causing millions of pounds of damage. That collision was followed by criticism of safety levels at Heathrow, with BA staff quoted saying it was an "accident waiting to happen".

BA launched an inquiry that time, saying: "We are aware that two British Airways aircraft clipped one another as one pulled on to its stand on arrival at Heathrow and the other left its stand. Safety and security is paramount to British Airways and we would never compromise that."

At that time, a BA insider was quoted as saying: "The Airbus which had just arrived from Zurich was supposed to go straight to its parking stand. There was space. But the dispatcher who gives permission for it to proceed was not there. So it had to wait on the taxi-way.

"As it was waiting, the American-bound Boeing was pushed out of its stand in reverse. The reversing Boeing's left wing hit the back of the Airbus's tail. It's created a lot of damage. Some people were suggesting both planes had been written off."

The incident provoked sceptical analysis on an internet chat room for pilots, one of whom, who described himself as "Captain H. Peacock", wrote: "If the aircraft was struck from behind with the possibility of fuel lines and electrical cables connected to an operating APU (auxiliary Power unit then there is a risk of fire ... Nasty!"

Last month, BAA appointed Sir Nigel Rudd as its new chairman. Sir Nigel said "improving Heathrow" was his priority as it was "important to the nation".

Sir Nigel, deputy chairman of Barclays and a former chairman of Boots, said his new job was the "most challenging role I have ever undertaken".

British Airways was unavailable for comment.' Independence

[DirtyOldMan]

More Revellers Drawn to Spore for Weekends Away

Singapore is positioning itself as a great weekends getaway destination for tourists coming from Bangkok, Chennai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jakarta, JB and KL (and some say, Tokyo: so Andy when you coming for weekend visit?: )

'Clarke Quay was definitely in a party mood over the National Day weekend, with at least 35,000 revellers keeping the tills ringing. The higher number over the past few days marked a good start to a new Singapore Tourism Board drive to woo tourists here for some weekend fun. On arriving, travellers could pick up special discount booklets from hotels or Spore Visitor Centres. About 20,000 booklets were snapped up over the three-day period. Watering holes such as Fashion Bar and Ministry of Sound saw a good number of tourist redeeming their free drinks. Retirees Michael and Veronique took advantage of the cheap weekend packages to fly in to celebrate Mr Waas's birthday along with Spore National Day, and to spend the weekend. The Swiss couple, who moved to Thailand last year when they retired, were entralled with what Spore had to offfer.' ST

Well, it certainly is good to see the busier weekend buzz. Wonder if our local gay pubs and saunas are doing brisk business as well?

Singapore is nice, I like the view of Orchard road where the old Dynasty is ( now Marriott ). You can walk on the street with joking style no problem. The food is fantastically nice, I enjoy very much also at the hawker centers. But sometimes it is hard to get taxi at night though. What are latest cool thing in Singapore ? Please share.

[erection day]

'Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew was impressed with Changi Airport's Terminal 3, when he went on a tour of its facilities and Singapore Airlines' new A380 jumbo jet yesterday.

"It takes us to a new level of attractiveness and competitiveness," he said, as he and his wife and former Chief Justice Yong Pung How and his wife, were driven around the terminal in a buggy.

But topmost on his mind was whether the terminal will measure up against other international airports

[erection day]

It's more than an inconvenient truth to read that Bangkok may be submerged in water in many years time.

'At Bangkok's watery gates, Buddhist monks cling to a shrinking spit of land around their temple as they wage war against the relentlessly rising sea.

During the monsoons at high tide, waves hurdle the breakwater of concrete pillars and the inner rock wall around the temple on a promontory in the Gulf of Thailand. Jutting above the water line just ahead are remnants of a village that has already slipped beneath the sea.

Experts say these waters, aided by sinking land, threaten to submerge Thailand's sprawling capital of more than 10 million people within this century. Bangkok is one of 13 of the world's largest 20 cities at risk of being swamped as sea levels rise in coming decades, according to warnings at the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change held in Khun Samut Chin.

"This is what the future will look like in many places around the world," says Lisa Schipper, an American researcher on global warming, while visiting the temple. "Here is a living study in environmental change."

The loss of Bangkok would destroy the country's economic engine and a major hub for regional tourism.

"If the heart of Thailand is under water everything will stop," says Smith Dharmasaroja, chair of the government's Committee of National Disaster Warning Administration. "We don't have time to move our capital in the next 15-20 years. We have to protect our heart now, and it's almost too late."

The arithmetic gives Bangkok little cause for optimism.

The still expanding megapolis rests about a metre above the nearby gulf, although some areas already lie below sea level. The gulf's waters have been rising by about 0.25 centimetres a year, about the same as the world average, says Anond Snidvongs, a leading scientist in the field.

But the city, built on clay rather than bedrock, has also been sinking at a far faster pace of up to 10 centimetres annually as its teeming population and factories pump some 2.5 million cubic tonnes of cheaply priced water, legally and illegally, out of its aquifers. This compacts the layers of clay and causes the land to sink.

Everyone - the government, scientists and environmental groups - agrees Bangkok is headed for trouble, but there is some debate about when. Anond, who heads the Southeast Asia START Regional Centre, believes total submersion may not be imminent, but Smith disagrees.

"You notice that every highway, road and building which has no foundation pilings is sinking," says Smith. "We feel that with the ground sinking and the sea water rising, Bangkok will be under sea water in the next 15 to 20 years - permanently."

Once known as the "Venice of the East," Bangkok was founded 225 years ago on a swampy floodplain along the Chao Phraya River. But beginning in the 1950s, on the advice of international development agencies, most of the canals were filled in to make roads and combat malaria. This fractured the natural drainage system that had helped control Bangkok's annual monsoon season flooding.

"It's the only city in the world where a car has collided with a boat," says Smith, recalling a deluge where residents commuted by rickety boats down roads flanked by high-rises.

As head of Thailand's meteorological department in 1998, Smith warned with little success that the country's southwest coast could face a deadly tsunami. He was proven right.

He urges that work start now on a dike system of more than 90 kilometres - protective walls about five metres high, punctured by water gates and with roads on top, not unlike the dikes long used in the low-lying Netherlands to ward off the sea. The dikes would run on both banks of the Chao Phraya River and then fork to the right and left at the mouth of the river.

Anond, an oceanographer who studied at the University of Hawaii, says other options must also be explored, including water diversion channels, more upcountry dams and the "monkey cheeks" idea of King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The king, among the first to alert Bangkokians about the yearly flooding, has suggested diverting off-flow from the surges into reservoirs, the "cheeks," for later release into the gulf.

"There is no one single solution to respond to climate change," says Anond, whose team is putting forward recommendations based on several scenarios. "We have to start doing something about this right now."

As authorities ponder, communities like Khun Samut Chin, about 20 kilometres from downtown Bangkok, are taking action.

The five monks at the temple and surrounding villagers are building the barriers from locally collected donations and planting mangrove trees to halt shoreline erosion.

The odds are against them. About a kilometre of shoreline has already been lost over the past three decades, in large part due to the destruction of once vast mangrove forests. The abbot, Somnuk Attipanyo, says about a third of the village's original population was forced to move.

The top of a broken concrete water storage tank protrudes from the muddy sea, which swirls around rows of electricity pylons and telephone polls now stuck offshore.

The monastery grounds are less than a tenth of their original size, and the waterlogged temple is regularly lashed by waves that have forced the monks to raise its original floor by more than a metre.

Among a group of villagers attending morning prayers at the temple, 45-year-old shrimp farmer Rakiet Phinlaphak looks toward the watery horizon from the promontory and says, "I have seen the sea rising higher since I was a child."- The Canadian Press

[erection day]

It's history in the making today as the very first A380 jet makes its maiden commercial flight out of Changi just this morning.

'Singapore Airlines

[erection day]

Cheap travel fare to KL soon? I think so. All signs are pointing to that direction which should be good news for those planning to visit their Malaysian relatives during the CNY.

'THE long wait could finally be over. If all goes as planned, it may be possible, perhaps as early as December, to fly from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur without burning a hole in one's pocket.

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said yesterday that his government had approved in principle to allow low-cost carrier AirAsia and one budget airline from Singapore to start flights between the two cities.

The lucrative route has long been monopolised by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Malaysia Airlines (MAS), resulting in passengers having to pay more than $400 for a round-trip ticket (including the various taxes and charges) on a flight that takes less than 45 minutes.

A Reuters report quoted sources "familiar with the decision" as saying that AirAsia and Tiger Airways, which is partly owned by SIA, would be allowed to fly two flights per day on each route but only during off-peak hours, to soften the blow for MAS. But, the Associated Press quoted Malaysia's Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy as saying it is up to Singapore to decide which budget carrier will be allowed to operate the flights.

While Singapore's Transport Ministry did not comment on this, Today understands that details of the agreement to liberalise the Singapore-KL route are still under discussion. Another question still up in the air is whether routes to other destinations in Malaysia would be opened up soon as well.

Mr Chan said Malaysia was not about to sign an open skies agreement, due by January 2009, with the Republic yet. Responding to press reports on Mr Abdullah's comments, Singapore's Transport Minister Raymond Lim said that he was "pleased" with the latest development and that both sides were trying to fix a date to meet "as soon as possible". The discussions would include not only the liberalisation of the Singapore-KL route, but also between Singapore and additional cities in Malaysia, he added.

Under the current air service arrangement, signed in 1972, all air traffic rights between the two countries have been fully used up

[DirtyOldMan]

is it safe for the low cost flight between Spore and KL ? Any seat or have to stand at the exit like a bus ? How much ?

Note: The quoted passage was deleted away.

DOM: This is THE second reminder not to quote the whole passage immediately after a post u are responding to.

[Guest fm am]

is it safe for the low cost flight between Spore and KL ? Any seat or have to stand at the exit like a bus ? How much ?

Yes, it is safe to take the low cost flight but you have to stand throughout the journey. And you have to balance the luggage on your head also.

Just joking lah. The news out today is just an indication of better things to come. The Malaysian government has given an in-principle approval for Airasia to fly (during off-peak hours for a start) in the lucrative KL-Spore route. This will definitely open up the competition and cut the fare between KL to Spore to a reasonable level. Do you know it's much more expensive to fly to KL fm Spore than it is to fly to Bangkok?

[Guest travel bug]

'THINK of places with slot machines and poker tables and immediately top gaming destinations like Las Vegas and Macau come to mind.

Leading the way is the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which made the headlines in March with an astonishing US$965 million takeover of Hard Rock International.

And having secured the purchase of that famous chain of rock-themed tourist attractions

[erection day]

More good news for budget travellers on the opening up of Spore-KL route.

'AFTER opening up the route to two budget carriers, the Malaysian government said yesterday it would consider Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) request for its budget outfit, Firefly, to operate the lucrative Kuala Lumpur

[erection day]

More good news on the horizon for travellers to KL or from KL to Spore-

'IN typical flamboyant style, AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes was all ready to sell his grand plans for the future: To see his six-year-old budget carrier ply the lucrative Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route with 20 flights a day, with seats costing only slightly more than coach tickets. Each flight would depart every half an hour

[erection day]

It's the wet season in Thailand. For tourists heading to Koh Samui in particular, please read below:

'More than 1,000 tourists were left stranded at Samui airport yesterday as torrential rain battered the resort island and other parts of the South. The bad weather grounded planes on Koh Samui and at Surat Thani airport on the mainland. Tourists and local residents struggled to return to hotels and homes along roads submerged under deep floodwater.

The air force was called in to help. ''We had to use our six-wheel trucks to help them. Otherwise they could not have returned to their hotels and homes on such flooded roads,'' said Flight Lieutenant Surapong Sarakul.

Surat Thani governor Winai Buapradit declared six tambons and 11 villages on the island disaster zones. Soldiers were assigned to help people carry their belongings out of flooded areas. Samui airport was turned into a temporary shelter for stranded tourists as Bangkok Airways, which has a monopoly on all flights in and out of Samui airport, cancelled all its 72 flights yesterday because of the weather.

A One-Two-Go airliner crashed while trying to land during bad weather at Phuket airport less than two months ago, killing 90 people on board, mostly foreign tourists. Some tour operators did not appreciate the safety precautions being taken by Bangkok Airways.''The company has not done the right thing,'' complained a frustrated tour operator on Koh Samui.''It could have solved the problem by landing their planes on the mainland in Surat Thani province so we could transport people here by ferry and boat.''

The island has suffered severe floods since Wednesday night when heavy rain fell across much of the South. After a brief lull, monsoon storms continued to slam the island late yesterday afternoon, hampering efforts to drain water from flooded areas. Flood waters rose quickly to reach one metre deep in areas of Talad Dow, Talad Laemdin and Chaweng beach, said Koh Samui district chief Adisorn Kamnerdsi.

Chaweng beach road is a seaside thoroughfare often crowded with tourists and is regarded as a key part of the island's business zone. Officials closed some sections of the main road around the island because of the flooding and at least 10 schools were also forced to close. Mr Adisorn said local authorities would be able to bring the flooding under control if the rain stopped soon. However, the Meteorological Department said heavy rain, caused by a low pressure front, would continue to fall across the South for the next two days.

Apart from Koh Samui, floods crippled movement in four districts in Surat Thani and seven districts in nearby Nakhon Si Thammarat province, affecting thousands of villagers. Nakhon Si Thammarat was hit particularly hard, with over 24 centimetres of rain yesterday, officials said, and over 30,000 people were affected by the floods.

About 20 families in tambon Pakpoon of Muang district were forced to evacuate their homes, Nakhon Si Thammarat's disaster prevention and mitigation unit reported. Provincial officials were also closely monitoring coastal erosion in tambon Laem Talumphuk in Pak Phanang district where strong waves were pounding the coastline and threatening to destroy some fishing communities. '

Bangkok Post

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'Indonesian police have arrested 25 baggage handlers at Jakarta's international airport over thefts from airline passengers' checked luggage.

Local police crime investigation chief Taufik Hidayat said the syndicate was broken following complaints from passengers.

"It involved some baggage handlers working for state airline Garuda Indonesia, Air Asia, Lion Air and Batavia Air," he told AFP today.

He said both international and domestic passengers had been victims.

Hidayat said the thieves went through bags while they were inside the aircraft's hold as they were being loaded on or taken off.

Sukarno-Hatta International Airport's police chief was quoted by the English-language Jakarta Post as saying that 160 stolen items had been seized, included mobile phones, cameras, jewellery and video cameras.' AFP

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Light news for Sunday

'RETIREE Thomas Lee had a good laugh when he received an email from a friend showing three signs put up at the new Changi Airport Terminal 3 that showed the way to facilities such as the taxi stand and moneychanger.

When translated, the "sky train" multilingual sign's Japanese characters read "sky toilet", he thought. A Japanese language teacher has confirmed it is not the character for "train"."This should have been checked," said Mr Lee, 57, who understands the Japanese language. "Had the mistake gone unnoticed, it would have been very embarrassing." It was not clear if this was the lone signage error at the terminal, which will open in January.

On Friday, a spokesman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, which oversees airport operations, said it knew about the error, which would be rectifed by the end of the month. Meanwhile, from Monday until Dec 9, the public can get a sneak peek into Terminal 3 when it will be open for viewing from 10am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on weekends.

Admission is free but visitors to the restricted Transit Mall pay $1

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'The Champs Elysees, held up by France as the most beautiful avenue in the world, has become blighted by prostitution, racketeering and violence, a top police officer said on Saturday.

The broad boulevard, which connects Napoleon's grandiose Arc de Triomphe with the regal Tuileries Gardens, was always a byword for elegance and a focal point for national celebrations.

But in recent years, the avenue has increasingly drawn low-life criminals, its famed cinemas giving way to night clubs, and its tourists frightened away by gangs of drunken youths.

"It's no longer the nice child it used to be," Guy Parent, head of Paris's anti-prostitution unit, told Le Parisien daily.

"The Champ Elysees' clientele is often unstable ... there are regularly fights between guards and clubbers. The tension is palpable," Parent added.

Le Parisien also quoted the mayor in charge of the Champs Elysees district, Francois Lebel, as saying the famous road was becoming: "A meeting place for thugs and suburb-dwellers".

Locals have complained that large groups of youths from poor neighbourhoods bordering Paris descend on the avenue in the evening, drawn to its vibrant nightlife.

They also estimated that an army of 200 to 300 prostitutes pace the pavements seeking wealthy clients.

Parent said he thought that number might be exaggerated, but confirmed the 2-km (one mile) long street attracted many foreign call girls, especially from north Africa.'

Reuters

[Guest cliff]

are there any gay saunas or pubs near heathhrow airport ?