The Boutique Villas

The Boutique Villas Copyright (c) 2008 - 2010 The Boutique Villas. All rights reserved. http://www.theboutiquevillas.com The Boutique Villas News and Press Release en-us Thu, 2 Sep 2010 23:25:03 EDT Phuket's Annual Ritual of Pain Fri, 6 Aug 2010 00:53:51 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_1194.html Phuket's Annual Ritual of Pain It may be known as one of Thailand's top tourist spots. A place to escape to the beach, drink cocktails and party the night away, but Phuket also has a more spiritual side. Every year in the 9th Lunar month, the Phuket Vegetarian festival transforms the island into a sacred place, where rituals replace relaxation and locals make merit instead of tourist dollars. The festival is rooted in Phuket's Chinese ancestry and for 10 days, those of ... Hand-held Holiday Pad Thu, 5 Aug 2010 23:15:12 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_1186.html Hand-held Holiday Pad Despite a few glitches and an apparent underestimation of the scale of demand, even from its own manufacturers, Apple's iPad™ has taken the world by storm. The all-in-one multimedia machine seems set to become the future of personal entertainment and has set a new standard for others to follow. Despite its obvious portability, how does it fair on the road? As travel companion, the obvious advantages of an iPad™ are its uses as a person... English Asian Football Frenzy Thu, 5 Aug 2010 03:11:27 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_1178.html English Asian Football Frenzy Football has long been a money spinner for English clubs that enjoy a strong following in Asia, but the coming season could be the most lucrative yet, particularly in terms of television rights. Recent figures suggest that intense bidding in Asia for rights to the English Premier League have sent prices sky high. In Singapore, for example, SingTel bid 200 million pounds to oust StarHub, which had paid 67 million pounds for rights in the 2007-2010 contr... Thailand Back on the Tourism Map Fri, 9 Jul 2010 00:58:58 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_1169.html Thailand Back on the Tourism Map By Jules Kay Tourism is showing strong signs of recovery in Thailand with political turmoil now calming and travel warnings lifted by countries worldwide. According to the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Khun Suraphon Svetsreni, the number of foreign tourists visiting the kingdom is set to increase to around 16 million next year, which will generate a revenue of around USD 18.75 billion through 2011. Meanwhile, domestic tourism is ... Protecting Marine Resources in Asia Thu, 8 Jul 2010 01:20:33 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_1161.html Protecting Marine Resources in Asia By Jules Kay The Asia Pacific is an important region for marine resources and home to over half of the world�€�s underwater species. Coral reefs provide the ecosystems that support this diversity and also provide an important source of their livelihood for people in Asia, mainly from fishing and tourism. In many areas, rapid economic development and associated pollution problems have caused widespread destruction of coral ree... Thailand still draws Stars Wed, 7 Jul 2010 03:59:41 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_1153.html Thailand still draws Stars By Jules Kay Celebrities know all about bad publicity, which is perhaps why they can't resist visiting Thailand. Despite all the travel warnings and negative media, big name personalities continue to grace Thai shores, either in search of a little escapism or to boost their careers with a little Asian mystique. Top of the holiday 'A' list this month were newlyweds Katie Price and Alex Reid, who actually took a film crew with them on t... A Tale of Thai Weddings Wed, 9 Jun 2010 05:31:12 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_963.html A Tale of Thai Weddings By Jules Kay Although hundreds of western couples now choose to get married in Thailand, few ever experience the full pageantry and ritual of a traditional Thai wedding day. Images of orange-robed monks splashing holy water and chanting over the bride and groom are just a small part of what is generally an all day event in Thailand. In fact, many modern Thai couples now choose to omit the traditional community rituals in favour of a more western influenced... Beach Wedding Romance Wed, 9 Jun 2010 05:21:29 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_954.html Beach Wedding Romance By Jules Kay In the last few years the wedding business has taken off in a big way on tropical islands like Phuket and Koh Samui in Thailand. Resorts and private villa specialists like Signature Weddings now offer a range of tempting packages, with specialist wedding planners and a team of dedicated staff on hand to help tailor make the perfect �€�joining of souls�€� on the beach. The image of a marriage with white sand between your toes and c... Asian Tour Golf on Samui Wed, 9 Jun 2010 05:01:14 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_950.html Asian Tour Golf on Samui By Jules Kay From June 17 to 20, Thailand will host the annual Queen�€�s Cup golf tournament on the beautiful, tropical island of Koh Samui at the spectacular sea view Santiburi Samui Country Club. Now a fixture on the Asian Tour, the competition has gained a reputation for bringing bright new golfing talent to the international circuit, as well as helping push Thai golf to the next level. Held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, th... Tropical Island Regatta Tue, 1 Jun 2010 23:59:32 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_942.html �€�Tropical Island Regatta�€� Koh Samui, Thailand. 31 May, 2010 �€" The 2010 Sawadee.com Regatta began today in glorious conditions, with blue skies overhead and clear blue waters below, as the racing fleet headed out to sea for this tropical island regatta off the shores of Chaweng Beach, located on the eastern coastline of Koh Samui, Thailand. 2009 Sawadee.com Regatta Racing Class Winner, Neil Pryde and the crew of Hi Fi... Redefining Thai Flavour Wed, 19 May 2010 23:42:26 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_935.html Redefining Thai Flavour The popularity of Thai food worldwide has undoubtedly contributed to the country's appeal as a destination. Thai food is now on the menus of cafes and restaurants in most countries around the world and rated alongside Italian and Indian as one of the world's finest feasts. In fact, many people in Europe also count Thai dishes amongst their repertoire of home cooking skills and the main ingredients for a number of Thai classic meals are readily available in many... Koh Samui's Yachting Festival Mon, 17 May 2010 00:29:30 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_928.html Koh Samui's Yachting Festival by Jules Kay Koh Samui's five-day tropical regatta is already considered one of Asia�€�s most glamorous sailing events. The competition is now in its 9th year, but this time around is set to reach even greater heights, taking on more of a festival feel thanks to the introduction of some new and exciting auxiliary events, such as a golf tournament, a jazz concert and South East Asia�€�s largest Boot Camp. The first �€�Sawadee.com Regatta Op... The Charmed life of Thai Islands Mon, 17 May 2010 00:25:12 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_921.html The Charmed life of Thai Islands by Jules Kay Although it may not be true for the whole country, on Thailand's tropical islands tourism has always been king. Hotels have learned to expect a steady flow of bookings to keep their staff employed, developers have enjoyed consistent interest in second home investments, even taxi drivers can generally guarantee a minimum number of daily fares. The common denominator for most island businesses is a continuous stream of visitors and ev... Original Health and Healing Mon, 5 Apr 2010 00:07:27 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_911.html Original Health and Healing by Jules Kay With spa culture gripping the globe, there are now so many health and wellness centres offering modern massage and indulgent body treatments that it is sometimes easy to forget the original healing powers of more traditional techniques. Even in small villages, massage is still widely applied as a health treatment in Thailand and families pass the techniques down through the generations with dedicated schools and training academies also ... Trip Confuser Fri, 2 Apr 2010 01:41:22 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_904.html Trip Confuser by Jules Kay Personal online recommendations and reviews have undoubtedly shaped the travel industry in recent years. TripAdvisor™branded sites alone now make up the largest and most popular travel community in the world, drawing over 40 million monthly visitors who have written around 30 million reviews of more than 500 000 hotels and attractions across the company's 15 different travel portals. But with these and many smaller travel blogs and websites moving be... Thailand's Cleansing Water Wars Wed, 31 Mar 2010 06:13:40 EDT http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_897.html Thailand's Cleansing Water Wars by Jules Kay With Thailand in a state of political disharmony, April could not have arrived at a better time for the Land of Smiles. People all over the country celebrate the Lunar New Year from the 13-15 April and generally do this by engaging in the biggest water fight in the world. This year, with the political heat rising and the country divided between those wearing Red or Yellow, traditional water wars may be the pe... On Top of the Web Wed, 3 Mar 2010 02:11:35 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_895.html On Top of the Web by Jules Kay Have you ever wondered why is is that you find certain websites and not others when you do a search? Even if your search criteria is quite narrow, the number of possible websites on offer is vast, so how do search engines like google decide which ones to list on the first page? The answer is not luck, it's SEO. Search Engine Optimisation is one aspect of online business that has developed almost as fast as the web its... Recycling Tourist Waste Tue, 2 Mar 2010 23:20:36 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_892.html Recycling Tourist Waste by Jules Kay The fast pace of development and lack of regulation in tropical holiday destinations like Koh Samui have caused damage to the natural environment. Prevention is better than cure, but when issues like waste disposal and water pollution reach critical levels it falls on the community to act. The local government is currently focussing on major infrastructure improvements such as road repairs, while the private sector and community organisat... Running Through Thailand Tue, 2 Mar 2010 23:17:34 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_889.html Running Through Thailand by Jules Kay Thailand may be known as one of the top destinations in the world to do nothing much at all, but visitors are also drawn to the Kingdom's emerald shores to exert themselves. Marathons in all the main cities and resort destinations attract large numbers of international competitors and there's a full calendar of events awaiting those with the urge to run, jog or walk around Thailand's most popular locations. The biggest marath... Smart Travel Technology Mon, 8 Feb 2010 01:08:47 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_884.html by Jules Kay Travelers have long used the web as a guide when choosing a holiday destination, but recent additions to the technological landscape have made the world even smaller and more accessible. Hand held devices with GPS locators and downloadable applications now offer users the kind of inside information that was once only available to intelligence agencies. No matter where you are heading, even on your first visit, you can arrive pre-armed with detailed and upd... Affordable Thai Wine Sat, 6 Feb 2010 00:10:12 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_883.html by Jules Kay International visitors to Thailand are often surprised by the high cost of wine in restaurants and hotels across the country, particularly in popular holiday destinations like Phuket and Koh Samui. But the signing of an Asean Free Trade Agreement may soon ease the pain. Although a good selection of both new and old world wines is readily available in Thailand, high import taxes have thus far meant wine is one of the few commodities that f... Chinese New Year in Thailand Fri, 5 Feb 2010 01:11:46 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_882.html Chinese New Year in Thailand by Jules Kay Thailand has long enjoyed close links with China and this is reflected in the many celebrations that take place across the country during Chinese New Year, which falls between the 12-15 February in 2010. The biggest celebrations will take place in areas which boast a significant Thai-Chinese community and although today's festivals often include contemporary elements, they also offer a rare glimpse into the... Developing an Island Infrastructure Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:49:36 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_881.html Developing an Island Infrastructure by Jules Kay Infrastructure issues on popular tourist islands present an increasingly difficult challenge for those in charge of holiday destinations. In Thailand, a new administration on Koh Samui is looking at ways to keep pace with development. Ever increasing numbers of international visitors place heavy demands on the natural resources in tropical islands. Tourists generate excessive amounts of waste, increase... Events in Thailand Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:15:34 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_880.html Events in Thailand By Jules Kay Famed for its pristine beaches and tropical scenery, Thailand has fast developed into a multi-dimensional holiday destination. Major international events are an appealing new addition to the visitor hot list. International visitors already enjoy an eclectic choice of destinations, activities and adventures when they visit the "Land of Smiles". A new addition to the vast and varied attractions on offer is an e... Online Travellers Tue, 12 Jan 2010 01:12:12 EST http://www.theboutiquevillas.com/news_879.html Online Travellers The internet is the world's greatest travel portal. Customers now surf the globe from home in search of the perfect holiday and hospitality providers have to work hard to match their expectations online. The proliferation of web based travel portals, combined with easy access to online photos and video clips means travellers can now pay a virtual visit to their planned holiday destination before they ever leave the house. Beach view wallpap...