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Business Travel in Thailand
Thailand is at the geographical heart of South East Asia and it is a major travel hub. Infrastructure is good, banking services are efficient and telecommunications are state of the art. There are several mobile networks to choose from and roaming is no problem. Internet can be found almost everywhere and hotels generally provide a decent wireless connection.
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Where Thailand really excels is in the quality of its hotels and for the tired business traveler this is a real boon. In Bangkok there are many to choose from. The Peninsula Bangkok and the Shangri-La on the river are two of the most established hotels. The The Sukhothai is in the heart of the business district and the Dusit Thani is not far away on Rama IV. The JW Marriott and the The Four Seasons are conveniently located on Sukhumvit and Rajdamri roads in the major shopping areas. There are many more and it is partly the competition that keeps standards so high and prices so reasonable. Many will provide all the facilities that one would expect from an international hotel with a certain added Thai flavor that takes the edge off the normally anonymous nature of business orientated accommodation.
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The new airport, Suvarnabhumi (pronounced Soowanaphoom), is situated to the east of Bangkok and has fast road connections to the city. Bangkok was and is cursed with a dreadful traffic problem. Fifteen years ago it could take hours and hours to get from the airport to the center of town which, after a long haul flight, made it a daunting place to do business. The highways and toll ways have taken care of that problem and now getting from the airport to central Bangkok is swift and easy. The sky train and subway also make getting around Bangkok a lot simpler than it once was.
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For those doing business in other parts of Thailand, there are a number of carriers providing frequent internal flights to all major towns. Telephone and internet booking is commonplace. Some of these flights still go from the old airport at Don Muang. It is worth double checking which airport your flight is departing from, especially if you have a connecting flight, since the two airports are on different sides of the city.
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There are three well equipped convention centers in Bangkok. Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (BITEC) offers technologically advanced facilities. It can accommodate as many as 100,000 visitors a day. IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Centre is a 60,000 square meter, exhibition and convention venue in Muang Thong Thani, just outside Bangkok. There are 8 halls and advanced facilities for exhibitioners and conferences. Named after the current queen of Thailand, the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center is right in the center of Bangkok between Rama IV and Sukhumvit. It has hosted some of the biggest events ever to take place in Thailand including the World Bank/IMF Conference of 1991 and the 10th Session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in 2000.
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If the airline loses your luggage and you find yourself with nothing but the crumpled suit you arrived in, then there are worse places to be than Bangkok. There are tailor's shops on most street corners where suits and shirts can be made up to order, usually in less than twenty four hours, at a very reasonable cost. It is always best to choose one on a knowledgeable recommendation since some are vastly more skilled than others. It is also an excellent place to buy ties since Thailand is rightly celebrated for its silk.
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As long as you don't get caught up in a Bangkok traffic jam Thailand is a pleasant country in which to do business. The excellent quality of the hospitality industry means that most things are quietly taken care of leaving the business traveller free to get the job done.
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About The Author
Alex Smith maintains and manages the Cheap Thailand Travel website at http://www.cheapthaitravel.com - All of the materials on this site are the sole property and responsibility of Cheapthaitravel.com. This material may not be reproduced in any form without express written permission.
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Business Do's and Don'ts in Thailand