Beginning this month, Cambodia will be less than three hours away, thanks to direct flights that will be leaving Manila three times a week.
With Cebu Pacific airline offering direct flights from Manila to Siem Reap and back every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday starting April 19, expect an influx of more investors from both countries and the development of tourism, according to Philippine Ambassador to Cambodia Noe Wong.

The ambassador said the special air services agreement between the two nations was a result of discussions by the Joint Conference for Bilateral Cooperation held in December last year, the first in 10 years.

“We are trying to hasten..the signing of the existing memorandum of agreement on special air services…scheduled after the ASEAN summit before the end of April,’’ Wong said in an interview with Radio-Television Malacañang.

“This is a big thing for Filipinos here and also for Cambodia (as) it will pave the way for Cambodia to really appreciate what the Philippines is..in terms of tourism and development,’’ Wong said.  “(The air agreement) would also “hasten the influx of investors from both countries,’’ he added.

Among the Philippine products being marketed in Cambodia are those of San Miguel Corp., Pure foods and United  Laboratories. Mega sardines are  also being sold here, Wong said.

According to the Cebu Pacific website, Cambodia-bound flights are scheduled to depart Manila at 7:50 p.m. every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, arriving at Siem Reap at 9:30 p.m. (Cambodia time is one hour behind.).  Return flights will leave Siem Reap at 10:30 p.m. on the same days, and arrive in Manila at 2:10 a.m. the following day.
Source – inquirer.net

With Burma’s first “free and fair” elections for more than 20 years having passed off peacefully this week, the country can expect a huge influx in tourists. But while the changes have been welcomed, there are doubts as to whether the country’s infrastructure can cope with such the expected surge in tourist arrivals.
Robin Ball, director of Bamboo Travel, which organises tailor-made trips to Burma said the country’s transition to tourist development would not be easy.

“It’s great news that tourism is on the increase to Burma now that they are on the road to democracy and this will be of a massive financial benefit to many ordinary people. But we are noticing hundreds of new group tour departures available from UK companies over the next 12 months, which the Burmese will struggle to cope with,” Ball said. 

One of the company’s ground handling agents in Burma agreed. “It will take three to five years until new hotels are up and running and the economy is at a normal growth of speed. We need UK operators to push business during the low season from May to September. This will help with capacity issues and give clients travelling in the ‘green season’ (April-October) an opportunity to see Myanmar at a less busy time as well as taking advantage of lower prices and easier access to the most popular sites and hotels,” it said.

Ball said Bamboo Travel was responding to this request by offering year-round itineraries. “We are… trying to encourage visits throughout the year, rather than just during the peak season. 
“We have created [tours]… specifically designed for Burma’s green season, when the crowds thin dramatically and the atmosphere returns to how it was before the recent tourist boom. You can expect the occasional shower in Burma during this time, but they will not impact on the cultural sightseeing, and the conditions in north and central Vietnam tend to be fine in these months,” he added.

The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has forecast that Burma will be one of the world’s fastest-growing inbound tourism markets in 2012, with arrivals expected to increase 25%. This follows a similar rise last year when the number of international tourists passing through Burma’s main gateway, Rangoon International Airport, jumped 22% to 360,000.

As Myanmar is opening up for investment, airlines are mapping out strategic plans to cash in on the surging traffic flows for business and leisure travel.
International carriers including Thailand’s Bangkok Airways and Thai Air Asia are looking at raising capacity to Yangon and operating flights directly to other major cities like Mandalay, Bagan and even the new capital Naypyitaw.
Airlines see a potential boom in air travel demand to Myanmar as its political reforms saw opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) win a historic victory in Sunday’s by-election.
Business travel is expected to significantly increase, particularly to the commercial city Yangon, as foreign investors, businessmen and executives fly to the resource-rich nation for business opportunities and deals.
Tourist flows to Myanmar, which started to jump the past two years, will continue as Naypyitaw plans to attract 1 million visitors this year, up from 816,369 in 2011 and 791,505 in 2010, according to state figures.
Tour operators specialising in Southeast Asia have been receiving robust demand for Myanmar-bound trips.
Several international airlines, including Cathay Pacific, are pondering using Bangkok as a possible gateway to enter Myanmar, as it has been for years.
All five Myanmar carriers and 16 international airlines operate out of Yangon International Airport, through which about half of foreign visitors arrive and depart the country.
Bangkok Airways is looking at adding more frequencies to its Bangkok-Yangon service, now at two flights a day, while discussing a partnership with Air Bagan to cover more cities such as Bagan and Mandalay.
“We are exploring code-sharing arrangements and looking at the timing to get such a plan off the ground,” said Bangkok Airways president Puttipong Prasarttong-Osot.
No-frills carrier Thai AirAsia is pondering the viability of offering incremental service beyond its current two flights a day using the 180-seat A320 jet, which enjoys a high load factor. It is also waiting for approval from Myanmar on a Bangkok-Naypyitaw route.

Sa Pa town in the northern province of Lao Cai is set to become an international standard tourist site able to receive 3-4 million visitors annually by 2030. 
Under a plan recently announced by Lao Cai People’s Committee, Sa Pa is expected to record an average growth rate of 7.2 percent annually, becoming an economic and cultural centre of the province. 
The plan is the outcome of cooperation between the Lao Cai People’s Committee and experts of the Aquitaine region of France . 
The town will work as a cultural bridge for ethnic minorities in the northern region and a key trade hub in the north-western mountainous region and the Vietnam-China border area. 
According to the plan, Sa Pa and its adjacent localities will be divided into five major tourist areas which will be developed on the basis of tourism themes including heritage tourism, in combination with agricultural ecological landscapes, primeval tourism, and tourism exploring the cultures of ethnic minorities. 
Sa Pa town will be developed into nine sub-divisions, including a 363ha core urban area with an expected population of 13,000 people. 
During the development process, attention will be paid to issues regarding technological infrastructure and environmental pollution.(Source: VNA)

HANOI, 2 April 2012: Vietnam National Administration of Tourism estimates the country welcomed 561,877 international travelers in March representing an increase of 18.11% from 475,733 visits  during the same month last year.
China shines as the top supplier in March with 101,482 visits. It represented an improvement of 5.20% from 96,467 visits in the same month last year followed by South Korea, Japan, the United States, Taiwan and Cambodia.Thailand’s outbound trips to Vietnam continued to slip far from the top 10 list. It was ranked in the top markets in December when the market supplied 17,940. The market has been in decline to Vietnam since 2010.
VNAT specifically identifies just the top 10 markets in its monthly assessments.Overall 2011, Thailand’s outbound market supplied 181,820 visits down 18.41% from 222,839 visits in 2010.
In the top chart, neighbouring Cambodia was in sixth place supplying 28,887 visits, but also represented a slight decrease of 4.05% from 30,017 visits.All of the top markets are in the Asia/Pacific region with the exception of the United State and France.

The bulk of arrivals in March (475,877) passed through the two main aviation gateways Hanoi and Ho Chi Min City.In the first quarter of 2012, international travelers showed an improvement of 23.97% from 1,873,726 visits compared to 1,511,472 visits during the same period last year.VNAT updated its data on website, 1 April, sourced from the government statistics office.

Source: GSO

In the absence of a Cambodian New Year parade this year, organizers of the fourth annual Cambodia Town Culture Festival are expecting a big turnout for the daylong event Sunday.
“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback,” said Richer San of Cambodia Town Inc., which is co-sponsoring the event. He predicted up to 2,000 visitors could attend.
A variety of music, fashion and dance presentations will be held on the main stage throughout the day and about 60 booths will be on the site with artisans and performers providing exhibitions and information on a wide array of art forms from Cambodian culture.
“This year will be very special,” San said, noting that for the first time representatives for Cambodia’s Islamic community, or Cham, have said they will attend.
Another first will be a YMCA documentary, “A Cambodia Journey: Cambodian- American Experience,” which will be aired twice during the day at the Manazar Gamboa Theater in MacArthur Park.
Other arts and cultural demonstrations will include Cambodian court dance and costuming, drawing, shadow puppets, music and musical instruments, textiles, dressmaking, weddings, games and food-tasting.
Source – presstelegram

BALLOON OVER BAGAN

There are ways to uncover the beauty of Bagan, which was once recognized as a world heritage site ( by Unesco) in Burma. The Balloon Over Bagan offers a great chance to float above the spires of the haunting temples and pagoda scattering along the vast plain of Bagan.

The balloon basket provides an excellent platform for photography, with unparalleled  views of the whole Bagan Valley.
The balloon pilots and technicians are qualified and registered in the UK. The balloons, built to the highest standards of the British aerospace industry, are provided by Cameron Balloons Limited, UK, the world’s largest manufacturer of high quality balloons.
The Balloon over Bagan service operates twice daily early in the morning just before sunset and late in the evening just before sunset between late October and April.
Each journey takes about 45 minutes to one hour long, but it also depends on the weather condition. There are 12 passenger balloons. Three balloons operate at any one time for maximum

Price: 300 USD/ person
Note: Balloon Over Bagan is subject to fly depending on the weather.

YANGON (Reuters) – Myanmar will launch a new currency regime on Monday that will bring in a managed float of the kyat, a senior banker said, outlining the boldest economic reform yet as a civilian government opens up the country after years of isolation.
The Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) has published little so far about the new system. It has announced that the currency regime would change from April 1, which is the start of a new fiscal year but also a Sunday, when commercial banks are closed.
The CBM is expected to announce a reference rate for the kyat against the dollar at around 9:30 a.m. on Monday (0300 GMT) after banks put in bids at an auction, the banker told Reuters on Saturday, declining to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
“April 2 will be the first day of the auction,” he said.
In the auction, banks can make up to six bids each but are committed to their rates, if accepted by the CBM.
Banks will then be allowed to buy and sell the currency in a trading band 0.8 percent either side of the reference rate.
A band of 2 percent on either side of the reference rate had been planned but that had been changed after a meeting between the central bank and commercial banks this week, the source said.
The new rate is expected to be near the recent black market range of 800 to 820 kyat per dollar, which is already used for most transactions in the country.
An official rate of around 6.4 kyat to the dollar has been used in the past by the government and some state firms, although the budget for the coming fiscal year was set using a rate of 800.
LENGTHY PROCESS
The process of unifying the rates could take two to three years, Maung Maung Win, deputy governor of the central bank, told Reuters on Thursday.
The overhaul of Myanmar’s dual currency system is the centrepiece of dramatic economic reforms as the Southeast Asian country opens up to democracy and foreign investment.
The banker said 11 banks had taken part in a trial auction with the CBM earlier in March and these would be taking part in the auction on Monday.
Maung Maung Win said 11 private banks plus three state-run banks would initially take part and there were plans to include an additional eight private banks.
Although auctions will be held every business day at the start, Maung Maung Win said the central bank hoped they would not be needed every day once the system was up and running, although it was not clear when that might happen or what the reasoning was.
State firms are the main beneficiaries of the existing currency regime. They use the official rate of 6.4 kyat to the dollar for their imports, compared to the black market rate of about 800 used by other businesses and ordinary people.
The government may extend subsidies and loans to state firms to cushion them from the impact of the new exchange rate regime, Maung Maung Win said.
He said disruption to economic activity from the reform was expected to be limited as state firms only make up about 10 percent of the economy.
The kyat’s unofficial rate has jumped from more than 1,000 per dollar in 2009 as foreign money has flowed into the timber, energy and gem sectors. That has hurt a swathe of Burmese, from farmers and manufacturers to traders and employees of foreign firms paid in dollars.
“Some entrepreneurs in fisheries say they can only continue business above 900 (kyat to a dollar). For other traders in beans and pulses it is 850 to 900,” said the bank source.
“(The new rate) cannot please everyone but higher or lower is not the matter. The only thing is not to have a lot of fluctuation, but to have it stable so businesses can make adjustments as necessary,” he added.
(Writing by Alan Raybould; Editing by Ed Lane)

Emirates Airlines has announced that it will open a direct air route from Dubai to HCM City on June 4.
As of September 12, a connection will be available from Dubai to Washington Dulles International Airport, for one-stop trip from HCM City to Washington. 
On the Dubai-Ho Chi Minh City journey, Emirates will use Airbus 330-200 and Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft with economy and business class seats. Flight EK 391 will depart Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 8.50 p.m. and arrive in Dubai at 12.45 a.m the following day, while flight EK 390 will take off from Dubai International Airport at 9.25 a.m. and land at Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 7.20 p.m.
On the Dubai-Washington Dulles journey, the airline will use Boeing 777-300ER with economy, first class and business class seats. Flight EK 231 will depart from Dubai International Airport at 2.20 am and arrive in Washington Dulles at 8.50 am while flight EK 232 will depart from Washington Dulles at 10.55 am and arrive in Dubai at 08.00 am the following day. 
With a fleet of 170 aircraft, Emirates operates flights to 122 destinations with new air routes to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Seattle, Dallas/Fort Worth, Lusaka and Harare. The airline’s network will expand to include Barcelona and Lisbon on July 3 and 7 this year, respectively.

BANGKOK, 29 March 2012:
Mekong River tourism has the potential to be the star attraction of the Mekong Region, but there needs to be stronger regional support and partnerships, said ASEAN-Japan Centre director, In Thoeun.
Mr Thoeun was speaking at a seminar hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC), Tuesday.He was commenting on river tourism mainly in the four Mekong Region countries; Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, but with references to Thailand as a gateway destination

“AJC conducted a survey and one of the findings suggested that river tourism in this area would appeal to Japanese travelers, but information on the river was limited,” said Mr Thoeun.
The seminar was attended by just 50 participants from the five countries including Thailand, focusing on the potential of river tourism.
The six countries of the Mekong Region (Cambodia, China (Yunnan and Guangxi Zhuang), Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam) have funded a tourism office since 2000 and last year it identified the need to promote river related tourism

Earlier, an Asian Development Bank Tourism Strategy for the region was revised to state that the core strategy should  focus on the Mekong River fanning out to include routes further afield.But that is as far as the Mekong Tourism Office has gone and very little information is available on specific river related attractions even on its official website.
The Asean-Japan Centre confirmed that in 2010, there were 188,400 Japanese who joined river related tourism activities.“Currently, 43% of Japanese cruise in European countries, while 30% cruise in Southeast Asian countries,” said Mr Thoeun. “With proper development and cooperation, that percentage could change.

“We can position Mekong River as a shared tourism asset among ASEAN countries,” said TAT Services Promotion Division director, Prommate Nathomtong. “Instead of competing with each other we can share the work and benefits to help establish and market river cruises on the Mekong River.”Mr Prommate added that there were still some difficulties working at country level.
“There are two things to be concerned about; first is the difficulty in visa processing as the Mekong River passes through many countries so visas are needed to access to each country,” he said. “Safety is another issue
”Earlier this year, China sent patrol boats to ply the river to fight piracy and end attacks on cargo vessels that ply the Mekong River near the Golden Triangle.Another issue not mentioned officially at the seminar was the vast swings in water levels on the river that made it very difficult to navigate safely year-round.The Chinese are blamed for damming the river at its upper reaches, but  irrigation dams are being built downstream on the 6,000 km long river that eventually spills out in the South China Sea in southern Vietnam.

Wander the Shwedagon Pagoda
YangonThere is no doubt that you will be impressed by the golden flash of this pagoda once you arrive in Yangon. Shwedagon Paya  or known as Great Dagon Pagoda or the Golden Pagoda, which dominates the skyline of Yangon brings you authentic experience about Burmese Buddhism.For praying time, you will witness thousands of people come to practice their religion.

Learn to row the boat with one leg in Inle Lake
The special technique to control the boat and do fishing on Inle Lake is really really unique and worth paying time to learn about that. The Inthar fishermen are very friendly and would be very pleased to show you their life with visits to their habitats

Behold the sunset in Mandalay
There are many awesome moments but the most colorful ones are by Ubein bridge or on the top of Mandalay Hill. While in Ubein bridge, the sight attracts your camera with is longest teak wood chains, Mandalay Hill boasts its sunset beauty with wonderful panorama of the area and Irrawaddy River.

Floating on the sky in Bagan
Balloon TripBagan is home to thousands of temples, ruins and untouched villages. The best way to enjoy the stunning of this beautiful land is to embark on a Balloon Over Bagan. The trip takes places for sunset or sunrise time. Personally, the sunset time with incredible sights of sunlight gliding over the temple spire features a haunting moment for anyone who once enjoyed it.
Balloon Over Bagan >>

Cycling off road in Bagan
Pedaling along the path of lush maze plantation or vegetation, passing through villages and get some authentic interactions with local people will highlight your time in Bagan. Your discovery goes further than just sightseeing to unspoiled temples or witnessing how local people produce lacquer products.

Go to the Marionette Theatre (Yok-thei pwe)
The unique art of Shadow Puppet differs itself from water puppetry in Vietnam or Apsara dance in Cambodia. The Burmese consider yok-thei pwe as a way to pay homage to the spirit world. It is also viewed as an expression of their cultural identity. If you’re in Mandalay, the best show to catch would be the Moustach Brothers Troupe (39th Street between 80th and 81st Streets).

Cruising into the pristine water of Mergui Archipelago
As Burma is not a popular destination in Asia and Mergui Archipeloga does not appears on the tourist maps for all travel agencies, this ares remains its unbeaten charm for those who love the water, beach, islands and cruises. Secluded beaches with white sand and green coconut groves, green island with friendly people are what we will receive once we settle a trip to this spectacular area.

 
Practice Meditation
Burma is not only famous for its Buddhism development but also known as one of the best place to practice meditation. Various of lessons will be taught for a course of meditation either in Yangon, Golden Rock or Mt. Popa. We highly recommend you to do this on the top of Popa Kalat.

Adventure Putao
Among the expedition to Putao including trekking, rafting and birdings, the greatest adventure is to conquer Hkakabo Razi is the highest mountain in Myanmar. The summit tip borders also Tibet and India. The mountain is an extension of the Eastern Himalayas. Although low in comparison with Himalayan giants Hkakabo Razi is perennialy snowcapped.

Explore Mrauk
UThe lost land Mrauk U lures tourists to visit by its original charm. From magnificent temple vistas to traditional workshops, Mrauk U reflects its attractiveness through a real sense of legend and mystique.

The website, which features user reviews of hotels, tours and other travel services, has announced its 2012 Travelers Choice Awards for  hotels around the world.
The 25 Trendiest Hotels in Asia category includes properties in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Japan. Making the cut to represent Cambodia are the Lebiz Hotel & Library, ranked 13th, and The Quay, which came in 21st.
Yem Socheata, a reservation agent at The Quay, says  the award is encouraging for the hotel’s 24 employees.“Guests have told me that our hotel is quiet, romantic and different from others,” Yem Socheata says.
“We’re located close to the Royal Palace. The river is in the front of the hotel with a beautiful view. We try to make guests feel at home.”The Quay is a quirky, 16-room modern building tucked into the riverfront. Its eight standard-size rooms, which cost US $85 a night, have a large bed, a TV and a luxurious bathroom.
The remaining eight rooms, the Panorama Suites, have the same amenities but are bigger and have balconies facing the riverside, as well as a bathroom with a tub. These rooms cost $130 a night and offer simple, sleek design and seating area for TV viewing.
Guests are able to dine from the Spanish-themed menu in the ground-floor restaurant or enjoy cocktails on the rooftop, and wireless internet is free.Closer to the city centre, the Lebiz Hotel and Library, which came 13th on the TripAdvisor list, boasts a unique leisurely concept and décor.
The four-floor Lebiz opened in August, 2010 near the city centre. What sets this boutique hotel apart is, as the name suggests, its library, with shelves stocked with books that guests can enjoy for free during their stay.“Our guests always give us good feedback. They admire the design and cleanliness of our hotel,” says Julien Mousnier, the manager of Lebiz.
With only 27 rooms, this hotel certainly provides an intimate stay. Twenty single rooms include a deluxe king-size bed and go for $78 a night, while the seven double rooms include deluxe twin beds and go for $88.There is free wi-fi, and breakfast is included.
Unique to the Lebiz is the series of murals that adorn the hotel’s walls.Each floor has its own mural, a one-off design executed by commissioned artists including Phnom Penh based graffiti muralists Peap Tarr and Lisa Mam.
The decor alone makes it tempting to grab a library book and stay in for the day. “It’s an honour to be elected. We hope it will attract more guests,” says Julien Mousnier, adding that he will display the TripAdvisor trophy at the reception desk.
Although the awards may help put the local hospitality industry on the Asian map, Cambodia still has a way to go to catch up to one of its trendier neighbours – Thailand led the category with 11 of the 25 spots on the list.

Source – phnompenhpost

Myanmar is stepping up auctions of land plots in prime locations in Yangon for hotel development.
Authorities are rushing to address a room shortage as foreign investors and tourists begin flocking back to the country.
Myanmar is embarking on reforms and opening up after 50 years of isolation under military rule.
The country will also be the site of the SEA Games 2013 and the ASEAN Summit 2014, creating even more demand for hotels.
Thinn Htut Thidar, CEO of Myanmar-based Universal Link Service Co Ltd, a business consultant and expert on the country, says all land plots and properties the government selected for bidding are in prime locations in Yangon.
In the first phase of the bidding in late January, 25 properties were offered. Some of them were old buildings suitable for either renovation or new construction while some were vacant plots. Only two were reserved as heritage sites and allowed only for renovation.
“There will be many more buildings or land plots the government plans to open bidding for in the next phase. They need hotels, as the current supply is not enough.”
In Myanmar, all land is owned by the government, which in turn leases it to the private sector for 30, 60 or 90 years.
“Among all property segments in Yangon, hotels are the most attractive for investors as the supply, particularly four- to five-star, is scarce,” Mrs Thidar told the Bangkok Post.
Myanmar now has about 25,000 hotel rooms nationwide. Most are three- to four-star establishments, while five-star ones account for 5%. This year, international chains such as Sofitel and Marriott will enter the former capital.
Mrs Thidar said foreign investors were welcome in the property sector but they need to form joint ventures with local companies. Foreign shareholding can be up to 99%.
“Land prices and value in Yangon are soaring, like in Hong Kong and Singapore,” she added. “Another interesting sector for investment is industrial estates in economic zones.”
Mrs Thidar is a former deputy director of the International Trade Promotion Department, Ministry of Commerce of Myanmar. Her company is a group of experts and experienced retired senior government officials from the trade and investment sector.
According to research by the property consultant Colliers International Thailand, there are 1,730 upscale hotel rooms in downtown, inner-city and outer areas of Yangon, compared with Bangkok and its more than 15,000 upscale or luxury hotel rooms on offer.
No new hotel rooms have been added in Yangon since 1998, while serviced apartments number just 700 units, unchanged from 2003.
Paradorn Kunkongkaphan, managing director of the Myanmar-based MK Group of Companies, says the group wants to invest in and develop a five-star hotel in Yangon this year.
“For the past decade, there have been no new hotels in Yangon. Only a handful of the existing ones are four- to five-star with only five sites,” he said. “Most hotels were invested in by foreign investors.”
The group will invest through a subsidiary, as it has had a presence in Myanmar for two decades. With a total of 29 subsidiaries and 400 employees, it has expertise in retailing and is a distributor for the Thai consumer product giant Saha Group’s ICC International and the Thailand-based retail giant Central Marketing Group. It also has a joint venture in Myanmar with Berli Jucker, owned by Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.
“The business growth rate in Myanmar was around 5-10% a year until 2008. In the past few years, it was in an astounding range of 50% and 100%. We see positive growth and a bright future,” Mr Paradorn said at a seminar with Myanmar experts held last week by Colliers International Thailand.
Throughout its 20-year presence in Myanmar, MK Group faced many obstacles, particularly logistic ones and high transport costs, as well as currency fluctuations.
In the retail sector, Colliers reports that the average occupancy rate of retail space in downtown Yangon, inner-city and outer-city areas rose less than 1% over the past six months. The outer-city areas were the most active, with an occupancy rate of almost 99% in the second half of 2011.
For the condominium sector, the average selling price of newly launched units in 2010 and 2011 increased from US$1,000 per square metre to $1,300 downtown and from $1,000 per sq m to $1,100 in outer-city areas but dropped from $1,300 to $1,000 in inner-city areas.
“The definition of condominium in Myanmar is unlike that in Thailand. They call it a condominium if it has an elevator but call a building an apartment if has no lift,” said Tony Picon, associate director at Colliers. Units on the ground and second floors have higher prices than upper floors, the reverse of what is typical in Bangkok.
Office space in Yangon is also limited. There was 60,000 sq m of space last year, with 17,000 sq m added in 2010 alone. The total office space across Yangon was only half of what is offered at Bangkok’s Empire Tower, at more than 140,000 sq m.

Cebu Pacific has become the first Philippine airline to operate a flight between capitals Manila and Hanoi. Its flights to HCM City began in April 2008.

The flights, which began on March 18, were conducted to strengthen relations between major cities in Southeast Asia, according to a Cebu Pacific spokesperson.

The deputy director of the HCM City Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, La Quoc Khanh, said the Manila-Hanoi route and the upgrading of Manila-HCM City flights have helped increase trade as well as business and investment opportunities between Vietnam and the Philippines.

Together with aviation and tourism cooperation, Manila is also increasing the number of cultural and artistic exchanges with Vietnamese cities, with friendship concerts in Hanoi on March 19 and in HCM City on March 21.

According to Colliers International Thailand Research, the average selling price of property in Burma is increasing continuously. For downtown areas, the price in 2011 was more than US$1,400 (Bt42,000) per square metre when compared with about $1,200 in 2010. The supply of hotel rooms has been flat since 1998. That is why the number of hotel rooms to serve tourists and businessmen is a big problem for Burma.