Author: Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand
President of Skål International Bangkok: An alternative to compulsory quarantine needed
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- January 22, 2021 16:14I am very optimistic for our industry and the future of SKÅL International’s role as a leader in both the business and friendship of hospitality Read More
Thailand to receive 63 million doses of COVID vaccine from China
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- January 10, 2021 09:11Thailand released a plan to get all its citizens vaccinated against COVID-19 In addition illegal workers from Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar will be allowed to stay and work legally for ... Read More
Relying on Tourism is now unacceptable for Thailand
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- December 20, 2020 06:33Amazing Thailand was the slogan for the Kingdom's visitors industry for many years bringing in $56.2 billion in tourism revenue last year alone. The Thai smile, thai food became the ... Read More
Thailand tourism industry meets, asks for opening of borders and skies
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- December 11, 2020 18:02The two esteemed associations held their joint Annual SKÅL BANGKOK and PATA THAILAND CHAPTER 2020 Charity Christmas Lunch this week. With over 130 of Thailand’s top travel and tourism executives ... Read More
Skål Bangkok’s Wood warns of a deepening Thailand tourism crisis
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- December 4, 2020 16:09It is becoming increasingly evident that the damage being inflicted to Thailand’s massive travel and tourism industry is proving to be critical with deep long lasting structural economic damage that ... Read More
Thailand Hotel Industry: Bleeding to Death
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- November 21, 2020 19:37Thailand has reported just 3,880 COVID-19 cases and 60 deaths since the start of the pandemic and is considered one of the lowest risk countries in the world. But travel ... Read More
Thailand: Red Tape Guillotine
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- November 18, 2020 03:00The Foreign Chambers Alliance (FCA) recently held its annual meeting with the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC)/Board of Trade (BoT) of Thailand. The British Chamber of Commerce Thailand (BCCT) is ... Read More
President-Elect Biden gale-force Intensity and Passion for Tourism seen by SKAL
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- November 9, 2020 05:46History will show us the damage or otherwise, the Trump era has had on the hearts and soul of not only America but the world. Andrew Wood is a contributor ... Read More
Skal International Goa named Skal Club Of The Year 2020
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- November 5, 2020 15:46The 81st Skal World Congress was held on 17th October 2020 where Skal International Goa ( 691 ) was announced as the best of the best winning Skal Club Of ... Read More
Indian hotelier chiefs: Paradigm shift in global hospitality trends but its only temporary
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- October 31, 2020 19:06Key players in the Indian hotel market came together at a recent Industry awards event - they shared their experiences and spoke of the way forward. The key take-aways one ... Read More
DESCAP 1 Private Equity Trust to acquire up to 8 hotels in Thailand
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- October 16, 2020 06:21Destination Capital PTE., LTD., (DC) and KTB Securities (Thailand) Public Company Limited (KTBST SEC) announced the launch of DESCAP 1 Private Equity Trust, which will acquire hotels in Thailand targeting ... Read More
SKAL online event gets biggest attendance in AGM history
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- September 21, 2020 19:27The Skål Asia AGM which due to the Covid-19 pandemic was without a home, instead the 49th SAA AGM was conducted online and turned out to be the highest attended ... Read More
Tourism Authority Thailand hosts first Krabi Carbon Neutral Meeting
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- August 22, 2020 18:20The green image of Krabi came alive on the Sky Garden of ANANA Ecological Resort Krabi at a TAT carbon neutral tourism event courtesy of the Anana Seagrass Carbon Compensation ... Read More
SKÅL Meetings Live and In Person
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- August 11, 2020 02:37On my road trip visit to Krabi and Phuket, I was fortunate to attend SKÅL meetings in both towns. As President of SKÅL Bangkok it is always a great opportunity ... Read More
Skål Bangkok sees record turnout for re-starting tourism
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- July 16, 2020 15:58To a sold out gathering of travel and tourism professionals SKÅL INTERNATIONAL BANGKOK reconvened after a four month hiatus, with a networking lunch and panel discussion on “Restarting Tourism” at ... Read More
Thailand MICE: Tourism Students Shine at Contest
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- July 11, 2020 19:38Students from Assumption University's MSME Business School returned victorious from the 2020 Thailand MICE Youth Challenge competition held July 9, 2020 at the Hyatt Regency, Bangkok. The Assumption University team ... Read More
Thailand Travel Restrictions: What can we expect next?
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- June 28, 2020 22:33Right at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, I was absolutely sure people will only travel again if they feel it is safe to do so in the new Covid-19 ... Read More
Getting Thailand’s travel and tourism industry back on it’s feet
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- June 24, 2020 15:23Industry expert and respected marketeer David Barrett in discussion with Andrew J Wood on recovering from the impact of the coronavirus on Thailand’s formidable travel and tourism industry. 💠Q1. As ... Read More
Thailand International Flights: On Hold Until September?
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- June 20, 2020 01:37A senior director of civilian aviation recently said that Thailand international flights are not likely to resume in Thailand until late September. Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand director Chula Sukmanop ... Read More
Thai government sells shares in Thai Airways
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 20, 2020 18:49Thai International (THAI) on 19 May confirmed it would file under chapter 3/1 of the bankruptcy law for protection while it goes through a court-supervised reform plan. The Thailand government ... Read More
Government sends Thai Airways to Bankruptcy Court
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 19, 2020 17:57The cabinet on Tuesday resolved that cash-strapped Thai Airways International (THAI) would file for bankruptcy at the Central Bankruptcy Court in order to work out its rehabilitation according to the ... Read More
Global aviation in crisis
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 18, 2020 17:05Global aviation has been battered and air traffic remains largely grounded as countries enforce their lockdowns and restrict travel, with few signs that the end is in sight. For the ... Read More
Thai Airways Faces “Life or Death” with Less Support
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 16, 2020 19:15Not surprising opposition to another huge government handout to debt-ridden Thai Airways International (THAI) is mounting, as far as public sentiment is concern there is a change (excuse the pun) ... Read More
Thailand billionaire keen to restart tourism
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 14, 2020 20:36Billionaire Dhanin Chearavanont, chairman of Charoen Pokphand Group, is urging the government to relax lockdown measures and welcome foreign travelers as soon as possible, and turn the country into a ... Read More
Hotels in Asia increasingly worried as debts mount
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 13, 2020 05:51Hotel property owners across Asia are increasingly turning to creative financing solutions to ride out near-term turbulence. Owners are seeking greater access to debt financing to bolster cash flows as ... Read More
How will Asia Prepare for Recovery?
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 8, 2020 01:41How do we sensibly and effectively restart travel and tourism, the industry that employs 1 in 10 workers globally? This is a workforce that has been decimated by the COVID-19 ... Read More
Asia tourism prepares for recovery
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 6, 2020 18:39How do we sensibly and effectively restart travel and tourism, the industry that employs 1-in-10 workers globally? A workforce decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Travel & ... Read More
The Future of Thailand Sustainable Tourism
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- May 5, 2020 21:12Wolfgang Grimm President of Skål International Thailand and owner of the Anana Ecological Resort in Krabi, Thailand, is passionate about the environment and how we as humans interact with mother ... Read More
Travel and Tourism Predictions: What might the future hold?
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- April 16, 2020 02:39Skal International Bangkok President Andrew J. Wood gives his thoughts on what might be expected once the COVID-19 coronavirus starts to dissipate in this article on travel and tourism predictions. ... Read More
COVID-19: Best Advice in the World
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- April 7, 2020 22:02We are living in extraordinary times. With the world forced into a complete shutdown and travel by any means frowned upon and commercial aircraft largely grounded GLOBALLY, we are all ... Read More
A Practical Guide to Recovery Post C-19 coronavirus
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- April 4, 2020 02:35As the travel and tourism industry struggles with the ongoing C-19 crisis, with hotels and tourism businesses closing and teams laid off, the industry is being decimated. Business owners are ... Read More
Thai Airways prepares to ground its fleet to battle COVID-19
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- March 24, 2020 18:48Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) announced, “Due to the ongoing global outbreak of COVID-19, several countries in Europe and Asia has intensely increased preventive measures including screening by ... Read More
Skål Executive Committee Meets in Christchurch
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- January 30, 2020 00:45Skål International (SI) recently held its first 2020 board meeting in NZ. The 3-day meeting of the global travel and tourism association’s powerful Executive Committee (EC) steers the association’s future ... Read More
Chinese Government is taking bold steps
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- January 26, 2020 21:28Freeland, the international counter-trafficking organization, congratulates the Chinese Government for taking bold steps, including a ban on wildlife trade, to contain the current Coronavirus outbreak. “China is to be congratulated for taking ... Read More
Road trip Bangkok to Phuket: The Great Southern Thailand Adventure
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- January 16, 2020 08:52I needed to attend a meeting in Phuket and had time to visit and explore. We decided to drive and make a road trip out of it with a chance ... Read More
Star Convention Center in Thailand under new management
Andrew J. Wood - eTN Thailand- January 13, 2020 06:50The Star Convention Hotel will be rebranded to Novotel Rayong Star Convention Centre in 2020. Located in the city centre of Rayong province, the hotel will undergo a major renovation ... Read More