You must be wondering where do all people travel but just imagine your life without traveling. We all like to travel and it is part of our life. People travel for many reasons as mentioned below.

Most of us do travel, as we want to spend our time with our friends and relatives no matter at what distance they live. This type of travel is solely decided by you just to be with them. Sometimes people travel in search of soul mates and they try their luck by traveling till they get their life partners. Sometimes people need to travel due to job reasons. In search of work you may be forced to travel or as a business traveler, you have to move around leaving your families behind.

Some people travel to different places to learn their culture. Culture aspects like celebrations, food, dressing, language etc are always strange and new to a traveler. Travelers want to experience this significant difference and learn with fun while traveling.

Some writers travel to destinations for writing articles and story relevant to the place. There are people who are nature lovers and they travel to different countries to see the nature and enjoy all beautiful sceneries.

There are people who travel just for shopping alone. Rich people alone do not travel; everyone travels depending on budgets. Travel always makes you relaxed with lot of fun and gaining rich experiences. Today the development in transportation and communication technologies has changed the people’s lifestyle with a lot of movement. You have a number of options for travel planning and by choosing wisely you can save your money and time.

Travel agents provide you all the services needed for your travel and there is a misconception that you have to pay the travel agent, an extravagant fee. It’s not true because the travel agent provides you all the services at a discounted price but they get commissions from the service providers like hotels, airlines and car rentals for the sales done by them. Another advantage of using a travel agent is that your travel package will comprise travel insurance and that’s a bonus to you.

By using the Internet you can do online booking and compare the rates and services offered by different companies. Online booking saves your time and also hard earned money, by sitting in your home.

The best friend for a traveler is the guidebooks and these books will be available in the local libraries free of cost. Seasoned and experienced travel writers compile these guidebooks and all our requirements will be available. Cruise lines and tour companies have special deals for customers who do bookings directly with them. If your travel plan is flexible, you will get best rates on last minute bookings.

In the Unites States, the following forecast for travel industry is made. First, the baby boomers will have huge effect on the industry and the recent estimation is there are one million of them reaching their sixties. So they won’t settle down for tea after retirement but they have serous travel plans. Secondly, consumer spending is increasing because of the outgrowing economy and so the economists strongly believe that travel will get double in this decade. Travel encompasses all facets of transportation and lifestyles like dining, boating, lodging, air transport, safari etc. and the list of activities does not have an end.

Have you been in Thailand before? Thailand has many of the best beaches and islands in the world. The culture is unique and people are friendly. Many of foreigners are relocating to Thailand for several reasons.

In the town, Bangkok, has all the civilize and technology. Convenient transportation by Bus, Sky train and underground transportation. There is also boat transportation for the river, Chao Praya River, which is in the center of capital city.

Night life in Bangkok is very crowd of people. There is pub and bar for straights and gays on the same road in Silom and many areas.

Before October 1, 2006, get Thailand visa is very easy. Many countries can have visa on arrival for 30 days. Then just leave at any border and get in again you will get another 30 days waive visa stamp.

Now all change!

“On October 1 the Kingdom of Thailand introduced a new visa policy to restrict the number of times a foreigner can enter the country during a certain period of time.

The policy states that one can only stay in Thailand for 90 days in a period of six months, after which one must leave the country and stay outside for another 90 days before they can re-enter.”

This mean you will still get 30 days visa on arrival and if it going to expire, you just leave at the border and get in again you will get another 30 days. If you already stay in Thailand for 90 days, you need to leave the country or stay outside for another 90 days!

If you apply for visa at any Thailand Embassy, you will get 60 days single entry visa and then you can extend only another 30 days for 1,900 Baht. ($US 50)

Vsa expiration date as shown on the visa, is called visa validity.

The Expiration Date for the visa should not be confused with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand, given to you by the immigration officer at port-of-entry. The visa expiration date has nothing to do with the authorized length of your stay in Thailand for any given visit.

More information, please call

Thai Immigration, Bangkok. Head office: +66 2287-3101 to 10

website: www.immigration.go.th

By Jose Allan Tan

Booming economies mean more people are traveling. Whether for business or pleasure the entire industry is taking advantage of this.

Consider the upward spiral of hotel prices in Singapore, Hong Kong and Beijing. With prices up across the board, you’d think there is a conspiracy within the travel industry to milk the cow for what its’ worth. Then again blame it all on the law of supply and demand.

According to the Barclaycard Business Travel Survey 2005/06, almost 45 percent of business travelers said they traveled more for business in 2005/2006 than they did in 2004/2005. One third of these are due to business expansion overseas.

The report, “Traveler Tribes 2020″ (published by the Henley Centre HeadlightVision — a global strategic futures & marketing consultancy) notes that both cosmopolitan commuters (domestic travelers) and international commuters are on the rise. A personnelzone.com survey suggests that the growth in international commuting will be facilitated by a decline in fixed hour jobs.

Time efficiency and flexibility will become increasingly important to commuters. These travelers will select to use suppliers who facilitate smooth and fast travel. “They will not want to waste unnecessary time traveling. Therefore the ease of booking, speed of check-in and security, along with the convenience of a travel hub location will influence their travel choices significantly,” says David Brett, president of Amadeus Asia-Pacific.

The second type of business traveler is the Global Executive who travels in premium or business class. According to the report, by 2015, the number of business travelers using business class services will rise from 17 percent (in 2005/6) to around 33 percent in 2015, driven by the demand for improved service and better working conditions. Travel providers will need to think about technology and premium services that fit in with their needs.

Airline operators will also see an uptake in business-class travel as Global Executives take to the sky in style and comfort. For these executives, it is not so much the perk of comfort and luxury, as it is the ability to work on board the aircraft and continue working uninterrupted after the executive has disembarked the plane and headed for the office.

The trouble with traveling

To be fair, there are problems on the horizon. Security remains one of the biggest hurdles to frequent travel. Political and economic instability arising from insurgencies and bombings continue to escalate with no immediate resolution in the near-term. This may lead to the need for additional security measures, visa regulations and entry controls, which could restrict travel. Fear of the spread of global pandemics (bird flu, SARS) may also impact international travel.

This also impacts the cost of fuel which remains uncertain in the mid-term. A paradox to this is the apparent resilience business travelers have developed over the last 18 months.

While new technologies do offer an alternative method of communication for meetings, it is still maintained that this channel will be no substitute for face-to-face interaction and personal contact will be preferable as long as it remains economically viable.

Awareness of environmental issues such as global warming may lead some businesses to restrict travel in an effort to do their part to reduce carbon emissions. However, research today reveals that consumers will continue to travel as needed to meet work commitments and may only choose other more ethical options when they are comparable in price and quality.

Technology not to the rescue

Advances in video conferencing and VoIP promise to reduce the need for business travel, this has not translated into a reduction in travel particularly in Asia where businesses are often conducted face-to-face, allowing for executives to share insights into different cultures.

Airports and airline operators are not sitting idly in the stands. Working with industry bodies such as IATA, many are looking at various technologies to see what would contribute to the continued positive business atmosphere even in the face of threats beyond their control.

“Airports are also turning to technology to help solve the challenges associated with the changing security requirements while minimizing passenger inconvenience. One area where we are beginning to see convergence is between security and self-service. New applications and peripherals will allow this convergence to take place without compromising security and transaction or processing time, keeping it simple for the passengers,” says Russ Lewis, Regional Vice President of Airport and Desktop Services, Asia Pacific at SITA.

Technology is not taking a backseat to development. Brett believes that “key trends in technology that will impact the profitability of the industry are integrated information systems that offer more convenience for customers and new ways for travel providers to reach them. Over the next few years, we will see travel bought and sold as a commodity via non-traditional retail outlets, and the offerings will be personalized according to customer profiles.”

Integrated sales systems will allow travel providers to cross-sell additional products and services, and the ability to sell to customers via mobile telephony.

Coming process innovation

“Traveler Tribes 2020″ offers one caveat — it does not mandate nor predict with certainty what the future will be. “We see the report as supposed to start a conversation within the travel industry and stimulate debate about what the future of travel holds and the implications for travel service providers such as airlines,” notes Brett.

Executives are increasingly demanding more technologies to make their travel easier and more efficient. In the future, humanization of technology will mean more personalized services to meet the needs of business travelers, and information that is readily available to support their business activities.

This means that travel providers can deliver exceptional and engaging customer experience that makes travel hassle-free. For example, a business traveler who is going to miss his flight would appreciate the ability to quickly and easily reschedule another flight.

The continuing evolution of processing power will support technological developments, and it is expected that mobile communication devices will become even more advanced. Open systems architecture and web-based applications will further enable travel providers to meet the needs of customers.

The Traveler Tribe report outlines a number of technologies that are expected to be developed over the next few years. These include:

1. Digital personal identities (detailed customer information held digitally and therefore easily and quickly accessible), to enable a far more personalized service.

2. Integrated Information systems that combine information from a variety of sources.

3. Real-time information delivered to individuals based on need and location.

4. Increased customer interaction through social computing.

5. Visual information technologies becoming cheaper and more sophisticated.

It does not matter the size of the conference or where it is, travel agents can be a major help in their planning. Travel agents can be especially helpful if it is an international conference. Travel agents can have knowledge of the area as well as such things as transportation, accommodations, and hospitality issues. One of the main hassles when planning a conference is taking care of the needs of the people attending. It doesn’t matter if it is a press release, convention, training seminar, or product launch, travel agents can take care of many of the needs of the attendees so that the people attending or the people running the conferences do not have to worry about those details. The larger the conference the more travel agents can be of service.

One of the main ways that travel agents can help with conferences is with transportation and travel needs. Many times if the conference is international the people attending the conference will need a way to get there. Travel agents can help with flight, train or bus information as well as procuring tickets. The larger the group travelling to a conference the more travel agents can be used and many times they can also get better deals. Travel agents are in direct contact with airlines, train lines, and bus services so they can find out if there is space available as well as the best price for the ticket. They can also contact charter services, as it may be cheaper to travel this way for larger groups. Another advantage of using travel agents is that they can be available to coordinate travel times so that it can be easier, once the people arrive, that they do so around the same time making it easier to either get to accommodations or to the conference itself.

Another beneficial aspect when using travel agents when dealing with conferences are accommodation issues. Much like travel issues the travel agent can have direct contact with hotels and inns as they can find accommodations for people that are travelling to the conference. Also much like travel they may be able to find better rates than if the people travelling to the conference booked accommodations themselves. One thing that travel agents have as well are information about package deals, which can save people, or a company, a lot of money as travel, accommodation, and transportation services can all be packaged in one deal. When people travel out of town to go to a conference they will also have transportation needs so they can get to and from the conference itself. They can also help with such things as arranging for car rentals and taxi services to and from the conference. Travel agents can also find accommodations that are closest to the conference site. If a travel agent is working with one group of people there is also a better chance that they will be staying in one location, or, at least, close to each other. This is a crucial aspect of a conference if many people from one organization or company are in attendance.

While travel agents can be used for many types of conferences one of the most important ways in which they can be used is for companies that need to have many employees in attendance. For example, if the company is having a training seminar for hundreds of employees their main goal is to make sure that the seminar runs smoothly. The company needs to find a conference site and deal with the information that will be presented at a seminar. If the company uses travel agents there is a huge amount of time and resources that can be saved that can be used in areas of more importance. Any time that the company needs to take care of the travel needs of the people in attendance travel agents should be used.

Travel agents can also be of service when dealing with hospitality issues as well. If the conference runs more than one day they can find out information such as where to eat and what there is to do in the area that people are travelling to. If the people that attend the conference do everything for themselves they will not be as informed, as if a travel agents took care of them. Travel agents can find restaurants, make reservations, book lunches, and rent out halls, just to name a few things they can do.

The hassles that can arise when travelling to conventions can be great for the people travelling to them and the people running them. By using travel agents many of those hassles are taken care of. When dealing with conferences, especially international ones and ones where many people will be in attendance, the things that travel agents can take care can be invaluable to both the company and/or the traveller.

Some people are adventurous and outgoing; too adventurous, in fact that they tend to find someone to share the adventures with. More than sharing their adventures, they want to educate people on the places that they have been to. This is the usual last frontier that traveling people face. By offering their services as travel guides, they are not only able to repeatedly travel to places that they have fallen in love to but they can also share their experiences and adventures to other people.

People also resort to travel guide occupations not only to be able to share their adventure but also to meet people. Meeting all sorts of people is always an exhilarating experience, especially to foreigners with an eye for curiosity. These people are like children that never tire to look the beauty and know the history of the places and monuments that they encounter in their travels. In fact, travel guide professionals must have a good deal of knowledge in history to be able to answer the inquiries. He must also be ready to do animations, improvisations and representations in topics or subjects that are very hard to understand for the foreigners.

Aside from this, it is also a sort of nationalistic pride that fires the travel guide professionals to their work. They do their best to promote the tourism and beauty of their country. In doing so, they feel contented that they are able to do service to their country in their own little way as travel guide professionals.

Common Tasks Of Travel Guide Professionals

Travel guide professionals plan and organize expeditions, tours and cruises that are usually long distance travels. They usually book the tour or cruise details such as accommodation, transportation, equipment and even availability of medical aid. The arrangement usually takes place after he is able to reach a specific required quota in the number of customers.

If necessary, the travel guide professional is responsible for securing the visa, passport and health certificate needs of his tour participants. These permits and important; they are necessary to afford convenience in travel for tour participants. Usually, assistance from the travel guide professional is enough for the tour participants. But nowadays, because of the seemingly never-ending travel requirements, travel guides form partnerships with agencies for securing such important documents.

Throughout the tour, the travel guide professional must attend to the needs of his tour participants, while also giving advice and tips on the best sightseeing or shopping areas available. Some travel guide professionals usually have pre-formed partnerships with shopping establishments or sightseeing areas regarding his tour participants.

In each stop of the travel, he will have to discuss the significance of the area, why they have traveled on those parts and what part in history took place there. Throughout the tour, the travel guide professional already did a research on the best possible travel routes and the destination sites. Also, while on tour, he will evaluate the services received during the duration of the tour, the results of which will be reported to the organizers of the tour beside him.

Tours are usually not free from problems. The travel guide professional must be ready to resolve any problem in accommodation, service or itineraries, and to verify the amounts or fees as well as quality of the equipment to be used prior to the expedition and tour. These types of problems, nonetheless, are manageable for a professional travel guide. More alarming and pressing problems are usually in the form of mishaps or accidents during the tour that can do harm on the health or may even cost the lives of the travelers. In this case, the tour guide must be ready to administer first aid to injured patrons and be able to get medical aid or ambulance for the seriously hurt, immediately.

The travel guide professional must also be adept in various skills. He must be knowledgeable of existing hunting or fishing laws enforced in the area and capable of explaining it to his tour participants. When required, he must be ready to instruct his tour participants in climbing and mountaineering techniques, wilderness survival and be able to demonstrate the use of equipment used in fishing, hunting and climbing.

Characteristics Common To Travel Guide Professionals.

Travel guide professionals must be realistic since his occupation usually includes practicality and ability to manage hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with real-time situations that need fast decision-making attitudes. Since the occupation requires one to work continuously outside, the travel guide professional must be street smart and knowledgeable in current issues and trends. He does not do a lot of paperwork and usually exposes himself or herself to the outside world.

A travel guide professional must be artistic as he is realistic. Artistic in a way as to allow self-expression and does his work without a clear set of rules to follow. He needs to be creative in presenting the various tour stops to his participants. He must try different strategies to avoid letting his participants to be bored with the tour.

A travel guide professional must also be sociable and willing to interact with all sorts of people, of various race and nationalities. Primarily, the occupation of travel guide professionals aims to share interests and experiences to other people and so great people skills are required.

Although it is not necessary, travel guide professionals will be at the advantage compared to other individuals if they are knowledgeable in one or two foreign languages. The English language, although being universal is not very helpful in times of explaining the significance of a particular event in history to a foreigner with a different tongue. Speaking to foreigners in their native language will make them at ease and comfortable throughout the trip.

Travel guide professionals must also have thorough knowledge in geography and also in public safety and security. Knowledge in these areas will make the travel guide professional more effective in ensuring the safety of his tour participants. Knowledge in geography will also arm him with better decisions especially in times of weather change. The comfort of the tour participants is the prime objective of the travel guide professional.