Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Tourists beware: You can be fined and deported for vaping in Thailand

This could put you in jail in Thailand. GETTYIMAGESBANKBy Jung Min-hoActivists in Thailand called on their government early this month to come up with appropriate solutions to regulate e-cigarettes to protect the country's image among foreign tourists.The move came after local police detained and demanded bribes from a French tourist for possessing an e-cigarette.The popular tourist destination has very strict laws against vaping. People can be fined and even jailed for possessing vaporizers such as e-cigarettes and e-baraku.Unaware of the ban, which came into force in 2014, the tourist was caught holding an e-cigarette in January. She claimed that after refusing to pay bribes, she was detained in a cell, where she shared “a hard, dirty floor with 60 other people for four days” and fined 827 baht ($26).She also claimed the ordeal cost her about 8,000 euros in legal fees and travel expenses and ruined her holiday with her boyfriend.A survey last year ranked Thailand as the worst country in the world for e-cigarette users.

Mar 25, 2019By Jung Min-ho

Tourists beware: You can be fined and deported for vaping in Thailand

282 holidaymakers evacuated after fire breaks out at Paradise City

Holidaymakers wait outside Paradise City in Incheon, Sunday, as firefighters put out a blaze on the third floor. Courtesy of Incheon Fire DepartmentBy Jung Min-hoA fire destroyed the women's sauna in Paradise City. Courtesy of Incheon Fire DepartmentMore than 280 holidaymakers were evacuated from Paradise City in Incheon, Sunday, after a fire broke out on the third floor of the luxury resort hotel.According to the Incheon Fire Department, the fire started in the women's sauna at around 3:16 p.m. Thirty-eight fire engines and more than 200 firefighters put out the fire in 40 minutes.No casualties were reported, and no one was using the facility when the fire occurred.Firefighters are investigating the cause of the fire.“After hearing the evacuation announcement, I started to walk down the stairs and, from the fifth floor, I could smell burning. I was scared,” said a guest surnamed Kim.Guests were allowed back in at around 6 p.m.A hotel official said all guests affected by the incident were given coupons for Sunday dinner and Monday breakfast as well as a free stay.

Mar 25, 2019By Jung Min-ho

282 holidaymakers evacuated after fire breaks out at Paradise City

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-wooGrand Hyatt Seoul launches three Korean grilled burgersThe Grand Hyatt Seoul's Steak House has launched three new unique burgers as part of its special luncheon menu.The galbi burger, kimchi burger and pumpkin burger were all born from its steak house origins to offer a creative twist on its beef steak burgers by adding a unique set of Korean flavors. All three Korean grilled burgers include two special side dishes, dirty fries mixed with special homemade kimchi sauce and a side of sweetly marinated thin sliced vegetables.The menu is available from noon until 2:30pm, Monday through Saturday. Glad Hotel and Resorts unveils package for foreign travelersGlad Hotels and Resorts is presenting its “Glad for you” package for individual foreign travelers visiting Seoul.The package is available at the operator's four properties in Seoul, including the Glad Yeouido and the Glad Gangnam Coex Center until the end of the year. The two others are the Glad Mapo and the Glad Live Gangnam.The promotion features a one-night stay and one breakfast buffet. In addition, it p

Mar 25, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Interview Booking.com appealing to Koreans with distinction

By Kang Seung-wooAmid an ever-growing appetite for travel-loving Koreans to get away, an increasing number of global online travel agencies (OTAs) have been flocking here to encourage use of their platforms.Justine Lim, Booking.com's North Asia regional manager, speaks during a press conference in Seoul, March 12. / Courtesy of Booking.comBooking.com, one of the leading travel e-commerce companies in the world, is no exception. The Amsterdam-based firm joined the hard-fought Korean market in 2012.However, Justine Lim, the newly appointed Northeast Asia regional manager at Booking.com, exuded confidence that her company has some selling points that differentiate it from other global and local players.“When we just look at the Korean major players, they are more likely focusing on Korean products. But for us, as a multinational company, we actually provide a variety of global selections,” Lim said in an interview with The Korea Times in Seoul, last week. “When they come to our platform there are more benefits they can choose ― Korea, Paris, Las Vegas and wherever they

Mar 21, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

[Interview] Booking.com appealing to Koreans with distinction

Fusion food pushing homegrown street food out of business

A vendor makes grilled cheese and skewered rice cakes. Myeong-dong is a cultural melting pot where various creative cross-cultural fusion foods are pushing aside the homegrown street food trio ― gimbap, tteokbokki and sundae. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-naStreet food in Myeong-dong adapting to international flavorsBy Lee Han-naSeoul's bustling shopping district of Myeong-dong has long been a hot place for international tourists. Streets there are always crowded with foreign visitors. The district is also a haven for shopaholics ― it is home to chic and trendy eateries, and homegrown cosmetics and almost all kinds of cuisines are available there. But there is a lesser-known aspect of the busy Myeong-dong district ― the delicious and innovative street foods.With an increase in foreign tourists year after year, street food there has been undergoing dramatic changes lately. The cross-cultural fusion food is pushing the traditional street food trio ― namely gimbab, tteokbokki and sundae ― out of business.Street food in Myeong-dong is adapting rapidly to international flavors. In the midd

Mar 21, 2019

Fusion food pushing homegrown street food out of business

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-wooEuropean-themed special gala dinner at InterContinental Parnas The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas will present its Double Taste Gala Dinner on March 28 only, featuring French and Italian cuisine in the same place. Its French restaurant Table 34 and Italian restaurant Sky Lounge offer exceptional meals made with fresh seasonal ingredients created by head chefs Lim Ho-taek and Luca Carrino.The gala dinner offers a seven-course meal starting from amuse-bouche to dessert. Two different dishes of French and Italian cuisine are offered for each course, offering a unique double delight culinary experience. Sheraton Gangnam goes pet-friendly The Sheraton Seoul Palace Gangnam Hotel has returned with its new package for dogs and their owners. Its Bow-wow Paw package features a deluxe triple room and amenities exclusive for canines such as a bed, dog food bowls and a dog paw balm. The pet package is open to dogs weighing less than 10 kilograms and the property's restaurants are off-limits to dogs so as not to disturb other guests. It will be available until Sept. 30.Millen

Mar 21, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Hana Tour under fire for poor handling of canceled package program

By Kang Seung-wooHana Tour, the nation's largest travel agency, is taking flak for inadequate alternatives for package tourists who failed to proceed on schedule due to inclement weather.According to media reports and the agency, Monday, a 12-member tour group was flying to Canada's Yellowknife via Vancouver in February, but heavy snow forced their flight to return to the departing airport. Yellowknife is noted as a great place to catch a glimpse of the aurora borealis, or northern lights.Despite their return to Vancouver, they were unable to contact the Hana Tour guide they were supposed to meet at Yellowknife, or the travel agency back home, forcing them to spend the night at the airport. After many inconveniences, the tourists finally met the tour guide in Vancouver, but they were surprised to hear the agency's new alternative plan.“Hana Tour told us to take a self-guided tour with our own money instead of going to Yellowknife,” a tourist surnamed Choi was quoted as saying by SBS. “It did not make sense at all because we went there on a package program and we alr

Mar 18, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Hana Tour under fire for poor handling of canceled package program

Japan, small towns new trends for Korean tourists

Tourists are heading to small and placid destinations such as Nha Trang, a costal resort city in southern Vietnam. / gettyimagesbankBy Kang Seung-wooToday's tourists are evolving constantly and Korean travelers are no exception as the country's travel trends have gone through noteworthy changes over a decade. According to the latest report by Korea's largest travel agency Hana Tour, Thursday, Japan has emerged as local travelers' favorite destination over Southeast Asia, while they are also fonder of quiet and rural areas rather than big citiesPlus, what to do and with whom they do it are now more important than where to go.Japan becoming darling of Korean travelersTen years ago, Southeast Asian countries were the most popular vacation spots for Koreans, accounting for 40 percent of all travel destinations, but since then, they and China have alternately taken the lion's share.However, Japan became the top vacation spot 2016 and the neighboring country tightened its grip on the leader board the following year with its portion reaching 42 percent ― a sharp increase from 21.8 percent i

Mar 14, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Hotel Lobby

By Kang Seung-wooGrand Walkerhill Seoul introduces mobile concierge service Walkerhill Hotels and Resorts has adopted a mobile concierge service at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul that has been in use at the Vista Walkerhill Seoul since 2017.According to the hotel, guests can take advantage of the service with their own mobile devices and it helps them order room service and give information on its amenities and promotions Plus, it is available outside the hotel, so guests can request services before returning to the property.Kolon Hotel and Resort searching for PR ambassadors Kolon Hotel and Resort is recruiting people to promote their three properties online.According to the operator, it plans to pick five for each property, whose job will be to review them on their own social media platforms after visiting and experiencing the facilities and services there.Kolon-owned properties are the Kolon Hotel and the Mauna Ocean Resort, both of which are in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and the Kolon Seacloud Hotel in Busan. Those who want to act as PR ambassadors can apply on the Kolon Ho

Mar 14, 2019By Kang Seung-woo

Seven Korean tourists injured in Vietnam bus accident

A tourist bus is overturned after an accident in Phan Thiet, Vietnam, Saturday. YonhapA tourist bus veered off course and overturned in the southern Vietnamese city of Phan Thiet, killing its Vietnamese driver and injuring seven South Korean passengers, according to Seoul's foreign ministry and reports Sunday.The 30-passenger bus suddenly lost balance and fell some 6 meters down a hill at around 1:13 p.m. on Saturday. Two suffered broken or dislocated bones, while five others suffered lacerations and bruises."Immediately after being informed of the accident, we sent a consul and other staffers to the scene to check the situation and offer support in terms of communication with the medical staff there," the foreign ministry here said in a statement. "We plan to offer necessary consular assistance until their safe return home," it added.Reports said the Vietnamese driver, who also served as a tour guide, was transported to a hospital but died. (Yonhap)

Mar 10, 2019

Travel & Food

Travel & Food

Tourists beware: You can be fined and deported for vaping in Thailand

282 holidaymakers evacuated after fire breaks out at Paradise City

Hotel Lobby

Interview Booking.com appealing to Koreans with distinction

Fusion food pushing homegrown street food out of business

Hotel Lobby

Hana Tour under fire for poor handling of canceled package program

Japan, small towns new trends for Korean tourists

Hotel Lobby

Seven Korean tourists injured in Vietnam bus accident

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