Thai Air News from Connectedglobe.com Issue 43 dated 25 November 2006

Thai AIrways has recently announced three nw destinations in India. THAI’s Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretariat Department, said: “The country of India is a country with high growth potential, particularly in the areas of trade, investment, and tourism. Therefore, in the Winter Schedule 2006/2007, THAI introduces 3 new routes in India, those being Hyderabad, Bodhgaya, and Varanasi, all of which are important for national identity and varied points of interest. Hyderabad is important as a center for information technology, as the 2nd Silicon Valley of India after Bangalore. Bodhgaya and Varanasi are 2 out of 4 places of importance for Buddhism, as the site of Buddha’s enlightenment and where Buddha preached his first sermon, respectively. These new destinations in India begin service as of 30 October 2006 onwards.

The introduction of THAI’s new destinations supports the expansion of business and investment opportunities, as well as religious tourism for Buddhists seeking travel to India. It is also of importance because these destinations connect to THAI’s important destinations in Southern India, for passengers connecting flights to Los Angeles, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, and other cities served on THAI’s routenet worldwide.

One of the fastest growing cities in India and a centre of "HiTech", Hyderabad combines futuristic technology with fascinating history. One of the best starting points for information on this fascinating city is the Wikitravel site where you will find an ever increasing amount of fascinating and useful information.

Christmas is almost here and with it the usual problems of finding suitable Christmas presents for friends and family. This year why not send presents with an oriental flavour? The growing interest in Japanese Calligraphy as a way of combating the stress of modern life makes calligraphy sets and books a present that will be much appreciated.

"Bodh Gaya is the place where Gautama Buddha attained unsurpassed, supreme Enlightenment. It is a place which should be visited or seen by a person of devotion and which would cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of impermanence". Since 1953, Bodh Gaya has been developed as an international place of pilgrimage. Buddhists from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Burma, Tibet, Bhutan and Japan have established monasteries and temples within easy walking distance of the Mahabodhi compound. The site of the enlightenment now attracts Buddhists and tourists from all over the world.

On buddhanet you will find this excellent site which provides you with all the information you need about Bodhgaya and its history.

Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world. Many names have been given to Varanasi, though its recently revived official appellation is mentioned in the Mahabharata and in the Jataka tales of Buddhism. The anglicised version of the name is Benares and it is the city where Buddha preached his first sermon.

Another gift that would be much appreciated this Christmas is an introduction to Zen Buddhism. In a world every day more stressful and hectic we all need help in maintaining the calm whcih is a hallmark of Zen Buddhism. I have produced an introduction to Zen and there you will also find links to my Zen bookshop, where you can ship books on Zen Buddhism to your friends and loved ones all over the world.

For useful books on travel in India, you will find a comprehensive listing with prices and reviews on my books page (with links to buy direct from Amazon.com) on:

Hotel accommodation in India is plentiful and using a reputable agent can secure you substantial discounts. Agoda can usually find you a good deal and you can check their availability below.

For flights to India for 2007 originating anywhere in the world use this ConnectedGlobe link

• ConnectedGlobe links to information on India for 2007 and South East Asia
• TravelShop for all your India for 2007 travel needs