On Thursday 3 December, LATTE attended a media celebration at the Sydney Rugby Club to discover the latest from Pandaw River Cruises and Laksasubha Hua Hin boutique beachfront resort in Thailand, enjoying drinks, canapés and a ukulele-accompanied rendition of ‘Blue Christmas’.

In 2015, Pandaw River Cruises celebrated 20 years of pioneering voyages in Asia, having launched the first tourist journey up the Irrawaddy River since the Second World War in 1995, although its story dates back to 1865, when the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company was founded. In 1942, it was the largest merchant fleet in the world with 620 boats, until the owner sank them all just before the Japanese army invaded Burma. Pandaw’s 15 ships are based upon these original steamboats, building to the exact specifications after one was pulled out of the far reaches of the Irrawaddy River.

John Boyd, Business Development Manager, has represented Pandaw River Cruises for the last 10 years, seeing the company first branch out into the Mekong in 2005 to now have cruises in Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. In September 2016, Pandaw will introduce a cruise from Vientiane, Laos, to Jinhong in China, a 14-night voyage passing jungle, remote villages, a tea plantation and China’s second largest botanical garden. A cruise through the little-known Mergui Archiplego is also a new offering for 2016.

Baan Laksasubha Resort Hua Hin is currently undergoing a name change to Laksasubha Hua Hin. Its owner and GM, ML Laksasubha Kridakon, was delighted to attend the evening and tell the unique story of her property. The land was passed down to Lak by her Great Grandfather, King Rama IV of Thailand, and was originally a private beach house for Lak and her family. In 2007, the boutique resort opened to the public, offering 65 rooms in 17 villas just five minutes from the centre of Hua Hin and three hours from Bangkok. The decor reflects the traditional lifestyle influenced by the Thai nobility.