New Update on Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and Travel Situation in Thailand (26 Nov 2008, 5pm Bangkok time)

Dear Partners,

Bangkok – 26 November 2008: 17:00pm

Currently, the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport remains closed and it is not clear when it will open again. Exotissimo Thailand has contacted all clients in Thailand to inform them about alternative itineraries of either flying to different airports or travelling overland.

Domestic flights
Our reservations and operations teams are trying to re-book domestic flights to other airports or arrange overland services for our clients. If the domestic flight ticket was not booked by Exotissimo (but by clients directly or by agents), we will advise clients to buy new tickets and try to get refunds for any un-used tickets at a later stage.

International arrival flights
Some international and domestic flights are being diverted to Don Muang Airport in Bangkok (which is still open), Oo Ta Pao Airport in Pattaya or other airports in Thailand or Southeast Asia). It is very difficult for us to get reliable information about re-routing from international airlines at the moment. Please inform our operations department (Tel: 0066-818672806) if you know of any changes in routing for your clients so as to ensure that we can pick them up at a different airport.

Transit
Exotissimo is not able to reach any clients who are currently in transit at Suvarnabhumi Airport (for example, on the way to Cambodia or other destinations). We hope that the ground staff of the affected airlines will give them as much comfort and information as possible.

International departure flights
Exotissimo is rendering full assistance to clients with international departure flights by contacting their airlines and checking when they can fly out. We are also assisting clients with extension of accommodation arrangements and negotiating with the hotels involved to keep the costs low.

Extra charges
If extra costs are incurred for accommodation extensions or purchase of new flight tickets, Exotissimo advises clients to pay themselves and keep the receipts for claims requests with their airlines or travel insurance companies later. Extra costs for short transfers and guides will not be charged.

Un-used services
Several airlines have already confirmed to give full refund for any cancelled services (to be claimed at the agent who issued the ticket). Several of our partner hotels are also showing flexibility in waiving cancellation fees. Exotissimo will always try to avoid cancellation fees and give refunds for unused services if our suppliers (hotels, airlines etc) give a refund.

We sincerely hope that the situation changes for the better and that the airport will open again soon. One of our operations staff is now stationed at Suvarnabhumi Airport to keep us informed of the latest developments and updates.

In general, clients have showed kind understanding to Exotissimo regarding the current situation and are cooperating very well with our suggested alternatives but of course nobody is happy with it.

The rest of Bangkok is peaceful and business is going on very much as usual away from the airport and government areas.

Best regards,
Exotissimo Travel Team