Why seasons are reversed in northern and southern hemisphere

Hotels in the northern province of Chiang Mai have been forced to cut their rates by up to 90%, in a desperate bid to attract more domestic tourists. According to a Bangkok Post report, La-Iad Bungsrithong, from the northern chapter of the Thai Hotels Association, says with tourists mainly favouring the southern beach destinations this month, hotel operators in the north of the country are preparing for the forthcoming low season. The resurgence of Covid-19 late last year meant that in December, only 1,000 Chiang Mai hotels, offering between 20,000 and 30,000 rooms, stayed open. This month, occupancy rates have plummeted to less than 3% and are not expected to rise beyond 5% during the Songkran holiday next month. La-Iad says traditional target markets such as China are currently off-limits due to the Chinese government placing restrictions on citizens travelling out of the country. “Even though vaccine distribution has started globally, the target markets for Chiang Mai such as ... » Learn More about Chiang Mai hotels slash prices amid ongoing slump in tourism

Global air passenger traffic and air cargo traffic moved in opposite directions in January, according to the latest data released by the International Air Transport Association (Iata) on Tuesday. While air passenger traffic fell amid more travel restrictions in the wake of new Covid-19 variants and a surge in infections, global air cargo rebounded to the pre-Covid levels of January 2019 as global supply chains rapidly ramped up. On the passenger side, industrywide revenue passenger kilometres - a measure of demand - slipped 6.6 per cent compared with December 2020 levels. It was down by 72 per cent compared with January 2019 levels. In contrast, global cargo demand in January this year, measured in cargo tonne kilometres, was up 1.1 per cent compared with January 2019 and 3 per cent higher compared with December 2020. Iata attributed the fall in passenger traffic (down 47.4 per cent compared with January 2019) to a deterioration in domestic markets, particularly in Asia. This ... » Learn More about Global air cargo traffic rises in January to level of two years ago

Hi all, In today's bulletin: Two people were killed and several others injured when Myanmar police fired on protesters in northern Myitkyina town; American and Chinese spacecraft reach Mars in quick succession last month, sparking talk of a space race between the two major powers; Indonesia eases rules to attract foreign investment; and more. Reading this on the web or know someone who might enjoy receiving Asian Insider? Our sign-up page is here . More killed in Myanmar protests as unions call for economic shutdown Two people were killed  and several others injured when Myanmar police fired on protesters in the northern town of Myitkyina on Monday (March 8), witnesses said. This was as shops, factories and banks were closed in Myanmar’s biggest city Yangon on Monday (March 8), after major trade unions called for a shutdown of the economy as part of the uprising against the country’s military rulers who had ousted the civilian government in a Feb 1 coup. ... » Learn More about Asian Insider, March 8: More deaths in Myanmar protests; US-China rivalry extending to space

71 new Covid cases in Thailand today, the generals are being told they’re going to face pay cuts and a Thai doctors has issued a warning about the link between Thai’s love for sugary sweets and life-threatening diseases… there goes my afternoon donut. And don’t worry, I’m not going to sing my way through the news today, it’s just nice and cool in my home studio so you can enjoy the cool with me. We’ve also got a new segment at the end of the news today… you’ll see that soon enough. 71 new coronavirus cases have been announced today, 31 of them from the hotzone of Samut Sakhon, just south of Bangkok. This beings the total number of confirmed cases in Thailand to 26,441. The death toll remains at 85 people. The Thai Army, Navy and Air Force are aiming to trim the number of generals in the ranks by 25% by 2029. But plenty of critics say the plan is probably just more words and won’t ever happen. A Thai doctor is reminding Thais about the clear links between eating sugary foods and ... » Learn More about Thailand News Today | Thai army trim the Generals, sugar making Thais fat | March 8