Desiree

I'm a woman who is 29 and holding. I enjoy reading, traveling, listening to great music, raising children, and have more dogs than I need. They seem to keep finding a home at my house.

Has anyone tried the Ooma VoIP system? I've used Packet8 exclusively for two years and am looking for something better. Here's an Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/ooma-Phone-System-Monthly-Service/dp/B001C1MGKI/ref=sr_1_1?tag=slickdeals&ie=UTF8&qid=1252430555&sr=8-1

Australian airlines and Thai AirAsia give a boost to Phuket By Luc Citrinot, Etn Asia Staff Writer | Sep 02, 2009 Phuket will grow in popularity with foreign travellers as many new airlines will operate new flights this winter. Australian holidaymakers this winter will benefit of new routes inaugurated by two Australian carriers, Jetstar and Virgin Blue. Jetstar Group is already present in Phuket with frequencies to Singapore and Sydney. The airline will however add a second daily frequency from Phuket to Singapore with continuation to Perth in Western Australia. The new Jetstar route will be served with an Airbus A320 and is due to start from December 15th, offering then some 7,000 weekly seats to Thailand’s southern island. Jetstar operates already three weekly flights from Phuket to Sydney in Airbus A330-200. Jetstar will however get a competitor on the same route with Pacific Blue, the subsidiary of Australian Virgin Blue starting twice-weekly service from Perth to Phuket, from November 14. It will be Pacific Blue second international destination out of Perth, following the opening of daily flights to Bali in June. Tassapon Bijleveld, Thai AirAsia CEO, confirmed also the official launch in November of TAA newest base in Phuket. According to Bijleveld, the airline will base one aircraft in Phuket launching two new international destinations. Hong Kong is already confirmed but M. Bijleveld did not unveil the second destination -still not confirmed by authorities. " It could be a Phuket-Bali", he says. TAA wants to position three to four aircraft over the years to come and envision to operate flights to Ho Chi Minh City, Siem Reap and Vientiane in Indochina as well as to Jakarta, Medan and Surabaya. Airports of Thailand AOT), Phuket international airport’s owner, announced at the end of last year to invest US$ 170 million into the expansion of the crowded airport with ageing passengers’ facilities. Phuket receives over 5.7 million passengers a year and needs a complete overhaul to be brought to international standards of comfort. AOT plans is to build a new international terminal for 6 million passengers, bringing the total airport’s annual capacity to 12.5 million passengers. AOT now expects that Phuket airport’s expansion -which includes the new international terminal, the improvement of the existing terminal as well as the upgrading of the jet fuelling system and runway’s layout- will commence by the end of 2010 and be completed by 2013. AOT gave already last May the green light to Hong Kong-based aviation services company ASA Group to develop Thailand’s first dedicated VIP private jet terminal at the airport. Phuket is Thailand’s second largest destination with over three million tourists a year. From January to September 2008, the island received 1.531 million foreign travellers, down from 2.373 million a year earlier. Largest inbound markets to Phuket are in 2008 Sweden, Australia and Korea. Link: http://www.eturbonews.com/11429/australian-airlines-and-thai-airasia-give-boost-phuket

Bangkok fest embraces homegrown cinema Will promote Thailand as filmmaking destination By Patrick Frater Aug 17, 2009, 01:48 PM ET HONG KONG -- The seventh Bangkok International Film Festival is set to be an event more focused on regional cinema than in previous years, organizers said. "The film program will reflect and display the growing strength of filmmakers in the ASEAN region, the role of film in rapidly changing societies, and the technological developments that have made this possible," said Jareuk Kaljareuk, chairman of the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand and festival director. "The program will focus particularly on the new generation of filmmakers in the region, throughout Asia, and around the world." Kaljareuk said the lineup would include more than 80 films, but at a news conference in Bangkok on Monday he did not name any. He confirmed, however, that celebrities including Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lee Byung-hun and action star Armand Assante are scheduled to attend. The event, which is backed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, will unspool at the SF World Cinema and Paragon Cineplex in downtown Bangkok from Sept. 24-30. Promoting Thailand as a filmmaking destination is also high on the agenda. "(The festival) is a great opportunity to promote the Thai film industry and also promote Thailand not only as the entertainment hub of the region, but as an increasingly important international filmmaking center," Tourism Authority chairman Weerasak Kowsurat said. "For a number of years, the Thai film industry has expanded both in its technological advances, its professional skills, and its artistic development. It is ready to take its place as a leading member of the international filmmaking community," Kaljareuk said. Link: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3i96d4521eedf15d13f4fead86af2321a4

Jet Airways introduces twice weekly Bangkok–Gaya–Varanasi flights on the Buddhist circuit Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will connect the Thai capital of Bangkok with Gaya and Varanasi, two important Indian cities FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 02, 2009 – Jet Airways, India’s premier international airline, will connect the Thai capital of Bangkok with Gaya and Varanasi, two important Indian cities on the famed Buddhist circuit, effective October 6, 2009. The airline will operate with twice weekly services on the sector, on Tuesdays and Fridays respectively. These flights will allow people from the South Asian region to visit the famed Buddhist pilgrimage sights. Effective October 6, 2009 to October 24, 2009, 9W 69 will depart Bangkok at 0845 hrs, arriving in Gaya at 1015 hrs. Flight 9W 69 will then depart Gaya at 1145 hrs, arriving in Varanasi at 1230 hrs. Flight 9W 70 will then depart Varanasi at 1400 hrs, returning to Bangkok at 1845 hrs. However, effective October 25, 2009 to March 27, 2010, 9W 69 will depart Bangkok at 0830 hrs, arriving in Gaya at 1015 hrs. Flight 9W 69 will then depart Gaya at 1145 hrs, arriving in Varanasi at 1230 hrs. Flight 9W 70 will then depart Varanasi at 1400 hrs, arriving in Bangkok at 1835 hrs. While Varanasi is one of the oldest cities in the world, Gaya is home to the famed Mahabodhi temple, a UNESCO heritage site, and the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment, according to Buddhist traditions. Jet Airways Jet Airways currently operates a fleet of 83 aircraft, which includes 10 Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft, 12 Airbus A330-200 aircraft, 47 next generation Boeing 737-700/800/900 aircraft and 14 modern ATR 72-500 turboprop aircraft. With an average fleet age of 4.57 years, the airline has one of the youngest aircraft fleet in the world. Flights to 64 destinations span the length and breadth of India and beyond, including New York (both JFK and Newark), Toronto, Brussels, London (Heathrow), Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Colombo, Bangkok, Kathmandu, Dhaka, Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Jeddah. Jet Airways and its no-frills Economy Class service Jet Airways Konnect together operate over 365 flights daily. About Jet Airways Konnect Jet Airways Konnect is Jet Airways’ no-frills Economy Class service on key domestic routes, designed to meet the needs of the low fare segment. Jet Airways Konnect links five major metros- Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata - with several destinations across India. Jet Airways Konnect service is available from Mumbai to Bhopal/ Udaipur/ Ahmedabad/ Bhavnagar/ Jodhpur/ Chennai/ Kochi/ Vadodara and Jaipur, Delhi to Chennai/ Bengaluru/ Amritsar and Vadodara, Chennai to Madurai/ Kochi/ Coimbatore/ Hyderabad/ Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru. The service also links Bengaluru to Mumbai / Mangalore/ Pune/ Hyderabad/ Thiruvananthapuram and Kolkata and Kolkata to Jorhat/ Agartala/ Guwahati. Besides these sectors, Jet Airways Konnect also connects Hyderabad to Goa / Ahemdabad / Indore / Bhopal and Raipur. Jet Airways Konnect currently operates over 130 flights daily Link: http://www.prlog.org/10329334-jet-airways-introduces-twice-weekly-bangkokgayavaranasi-flights-on-the-buddhist-circuit.html

Bangkok's Bumrungrad Hospital: Expanding the Footprint of Offshore Health Care It's been called the Mecca of medical tourism. For the past 10 years, Thailand's Bumrungrad International Hospital has been wooing patients from Boston to Bahrain with a combination of lower-cost, state-of-the-art medical care along with service worthy of a five-star hotel. In what seems far from the hustle and bustle of the streets of Bangkok, more than one million patients, including some 40% from over 190 countries, visit every year for treatment at Bumrungrad's high-tech, upscale facilities. Patients certainly seem sold on the idea. Having become Southeast Asia's largest private hospital since opening its doors in 1980, the Thai stock exchange-listed company (with annual revenues of around $260 million) can't keep up with demand. Indeed, one of Bumrungrad's biggest challenges today is increasing capacity without decreasing quality. Plans are now under way to ramp up inpatient admission rates by as much as 30% over the next few years and double capacity for outpatients, while also expanding partnerships elsewhere in Asia. But is this what will help offshore medical care go mainstream and gain the acceptance of national policy makers, major insurers and employers? As the U.S. and other wealthy countries grapple with escalating health care costs, it's a question that needs an answer sooner rather than later, says Mack Banner, CEO of Bumrungrad. He believes the long-term signs are "positive" that this will happen, as long as hospitals like Bumrungrad keep the bar high with the same, if not better, standards of care and service found at U.S. and European hospitals. Joined by Kenneth Mays, the hospital's director of marketing, Banner recently met with Ravi Aron, a senior fellow with the William and Phyllis Mack Center for Technological Innovation at Wharton, to discuss what this and other recent trends mean for the future of global health care. More here: http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=2327

Return of advance booking heralds tourism recovery By SUCHAT SRITAMA THE NATION Published on September 3, 2009 Thailand's hotel and tourism industry is seeing a return of some advance holiday bookings by foreign travellers for the high season later this year. That could lead to a recovery in the industry next year if the country's political situation remains stable, executives said yesterday. At a conference entitled "A Bright New Future: The Vision for Asean Hospitality in 2010", executives shared their opinion that next year should be better. Dusit International CEO Chanin Donavanik said a recovery would happen next year, although business would not be as good as in precrisis 2007. "Arrivals have been down 20-30 per cent over the last 12-18 months, but it should improve over the next 12-18 months," he said. Thai Hotels Association president Prakit Chinamourphong said the industry had already seen signs of a recovery. Many hotels are receiving advance bookings for the upcoming high season, which starts around November, so the association believes the industry will return to normal next year. While the number of tourists from key markets like Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong has dropped, other markets have seen a recovery, such as Germany. However, he cautioned new hotel rooms would be added over the next three years, particularly in the luxury category, which meant operators might find themselves in a difficult position. Prakit said average occupancy for this year was expected to rise to 70 per cent, less than last year's 80-90 per cent. Minor International chief financial officer Pratana Mongkolkul told the same seminar on Tuesday that occupancy rates would rise next year, but room rates might not. The group's local hotels have witnessed drops of 20 per cent in occupancy and 10 per cent in the average room rate, while its foreign properties have suffered drops of 15 per cent in occupancy and 2-3 per cent in room rates. NO WAY OUT "There's no way out now. We hope the political situation can stabilise so we can forge next year's plans. That is now the most important factor, because the chaos hurt tourism last year," Pratana said. Regale International Travel managing director Jumpol Chadavadh said cruise vacations were becoming a new emerging market in Thailand and the region, with some operators including Thailand on their global routes. "Some markets, such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, have already been successful with the cruise-vacation business, because they have good seaports. If we had good facilities, we could attract more operators to come here," he said. Link: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/09/03/business/business_30111368.php