As the world has seen the complete halt of travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DMC community in Thailand has been hard at work formulating and implementing standards that will solidify Thailand and its tourism facilitators as a destination that is safe for travel. 

The Thailand Hygiene Plus Initiative (THPI) has been developed by a group of leading Destination Management Companies (DMCs), operating in Thailand’s tourism industry, to create a safe and healthy environment for travelers, with the aim to get the message out to potential travelers. 

The standards cover six areas: Offices, Staff, Ground Teams, Meals, Vehicles and Transportation, and Sports Equipment and Facilities. The standards include but are not limited to those to be certified by the “Amazing Thailand Safety and Health Administration” (SHA).

What's in the standards?

In addition to keeping our offices extra-clean and super-sanitized, our office staff are constantly monitored to keep ourselves and each other safe. Though, it’s what’s happening on the ground that we’re excited to share with you. 

Ground Teams

• Guides and drivers’ temperatures must be checked and recorded before work and they must be sent to the doctor if the temperature is too high. Any persons with interaction with an individual showing a fever will be immediately notified.
• Guides and drivers must wear a mask or face shield.
• Greet/welcome clients using a traditional wai greeting to minimize physical contact and maintain social distancing. 
• Guides and drivers to maintain at least 2 meter distancing from clients when possible. 
• Guides to give a proper briefing to the clients on the measures we have taken to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and request them to cooperate for their health, safety and environmental concerns. (not to touch the face, wash hands, no shaking hands). 
• Hand sanitiser, masks available for all clients if needed. 
• Guides to sanitise hands regularly and before handling food. 
• Guides to handle all banknotes and coins for all trip expenses. 
• Contactless payments where possible.

Meals

• Wash or sanitise hands before all snacks, meals.
• Guides to wipe down any tables and chairs not already sanitised by restaurant/food vendor.
• For sharing dishes, communal serving utensils to be used.
• Practice social distancing recommended by each venue.
• Chefs, cooks, service staff to wear face masks (where enforceable).

Vehicles & Transportation

• Vehicles disinfected and sanitised before each use (drivers to keep a log of these activities).
• Hand sanitiser, masks available for all clients if needed.
• Food and beverage in the car must be provided in line with food and beverage sanitary standards.
• All touch points in the vehicles need to be cleaned after every service. Including door handles, seat cushions, handlebars.

Sports Equipment

• Sports equipment cleaned and sanitised before and after each use (this includes gloves, helmets, paddles, etc.)

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“When COVID hit the industry our collective focus was on the swift and safe return of travel. The implementation a of united standard for future travel, formed through the collaboration of our peers, was natural,” says Daniel Fraser of Smiling Albino. “Collectively changing for the better, to create a safe and healthy travel experience for each DMC’s travelers shows that we are in this together and stronger as one.”

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The post Our New Health & Safety Standards first appeared on Smiling Albino.

In Southeast Asia, almost all drinking water and ice (and certainly all on a Smiling Albino trip) come from modern factories using treated water.  The main reason for this is no different from anywhere else – economics.  Ice from a homemade freezer simply can’t compete with the economies of scale and brand reputation of a large ice factory.  Check the brand and the seal on your bottle of water, and look for the cylinder shape of purified ice – you’ll have no problems.  Water from the tap is not recommended for drinking, but is fine for showering and heaving at your friends during Songkran.

While caution is warranted when you’re out on your own, the restaurants that Smiling Albino choose for our guests are outstanding.  They all use excellent ingredients and hygiene, taking care even whether the meals are served at the Peninsula Hotel or on the banks of the Mekong.  When dining on your own look for the food to be cooked fresh from ingredients you can see.  If you have the chance, try a meal from a cart – you’ll rarely have the same opportunity to inspect the kitchen for cleanliness.   

Remember, if you over-spice your food or haven’t yet gotten used to the local flora, you may experience some mild discomfort.  But, there’s always a dish that will help get you back into trip shape.  From our experience, if you eat with good sense you’re more likely to get ill at a Mediterranean resort than from a Bangkok noodle stand.

When eating out anywhere, extra care is needed if you have serious allergies, especially if you’re sensitive to ingredients common in local cooking. Across Southeast Asia, food allergies are generally less well known and differ from typical sensitivities in North America and Europe.  While shellfish allergies are more familiar, peanuts are not a significant concern and aren’t separated during food preparation. If you have a severe peanut allergy, your server or cook may not understand the risks. Learn the ingredient name and the word allergy in the local language.  Even better, get us to write “I am very allergic to peanuts” on a card, or in your phone.  You can pull it out when you’re ordering to ensure you are clearly understood, and get your dish exactly as you expect.

Southeast Asian cuisine rivals the best from around the world.  Enjoy the complexity and pleasure of a six  course dinner with the perfect mix of salty, sweet, sour and heat.  Take a chance on eel soup, dried cuttlefish, or a rich red curry.  Savour simple rice soup at breakfast or freshly picked bananas during your bike ride.  If there is a place to try new food experiences, Southeast Asia is it.   Keeping in mind a few simple rules makes a world of difference and ensures that you’re ready for every delectable bite.

Enquire here about our culinary tours in the region. Bon appetit!

The post The Lowdown on Food and Water in Southeast Asia first appeared on Smiling Albino.

One issue that comes up every now and then – not just for us, but for any travel company out there – is the guided

experience vs. the DIY travel. Of course there are many types of people and no single type of travel experience will appeal to all of them, but we believe that guided experiences give you the best bang for your buck when it comes to exploring the world. I know what you might think – of course we’ll say that, it’s our business! But as world travelers ourselves, we always prefer to have a guide show us the lay of the land when we’re in a new place, be it an old acquaintance, a new friend or a professional business. Here are 5 quick reasons why we prefer to avoid DIY travel on our journeys.

1)    The unpredictable

Making plans in a foreign country is often an exercise in frustration. Beyond the language barrier, there are plenty of other wrinkles that can pop up and ruin things. Everything from local festivals and political problems to fast-changing weather and poorly communicated schedules at local attractions can derail your well-laid plans and leave you out in the cold. It’s very hard to know about all of these things in advance, and having someone on your side who knows what might happen is a huge plus.

2)    In case of emergency

Quick – what number do you call in an emergency in Thailand? Cambodia? Vietnam? It’s not something you think about often but every country has their own emergency telephone system. Knowledge of what to do in an emergency in a foreign country is of the highest importance, and a DIY traveler might not know how to react in a situation like this. A local guide will know the ins and outs of things like insurance, which hospitals to avoid, how to make a quick overseas call, and what to do if you get detained by the authorities. Not only can these questions be answered easily by a local, but you’re much less likely to run into problems when a guide is with you. Oh, by the way, the numbers are 191, 117 and 113, respectively.

3)    The cost of convenience & safety

Let’s be honest – it’s not that hard to walk into a motorbike rental shop and rent a bike for a few days. What is hard is making sure that the bike is waiting for you – with a full tank of gas and insurance in order – when you get out of the kayak after riding down a river all morning. It might look easy, but it’s not, and this type of thing takes a great deal of planning. Things like ensuring your room’s air-con units are working; making sure your driver doesn’t show up hung over; choosing shops/vendors that won’t rip you off; avoiding tourist traps; and making sure your deadly allergy to peanuts doesn’t go ignored at dinner…these are the things that are easy to overlook but can often be the difference between a life-changing trip and disaster.

4)    Making it Unique

It’s easy to assume that because you’re DIY-ing around (fill in continent or country here) that you’re getting the experience you really want. That can certainly be a part of it, but are you really making the most of it? Language barriers alone can prevent you from adding many unique angles to your trip, and extra touches can make a trip that much more unique. Things like having lunch and cold drinks ready for you when you come around the corner at that jungle temple, or arranging to have your hometown newspaper ready for breakfast at your hotel, or even chartering a private helicopter instead of flying on a regular ol’ airline…these aren’t things that you can simply decide to do while you’re on the road.

5)    Taking the Beneficial Shortcuts

Every town and city and country and culture in the world has its shortcuts and pitfalls and if you’re not familiar with how things work you’ll likely end up taking none of the former and more of the latter. When you’re with an SA guide, they may look calm and collected, but in their minds they’re thinking five steps ahead – water stop, food stop, making sure the elephant is ready to ride when we arrive, do the bikes have gas, will it rain, and if so, do we have ponchos and shelter? Want to visit the Hall of Opium at the Golden Triangle? No problem, usually – but they close on Mondays, and royal holidays, and sometimes the schedules aren’t clear.  These are things that are difficult to know, but important to learn and if you’re doing all the planning, keeping track of all of these things can keep you from doing what you’re here to do – enjoy yourself!

The post DIY Travel – Five Ways it Can go Wrong first appeared on Smiling Albino.