New Way to get to Siem Reap from Thailand
 

I thought this would be of interest to some of you: Air Hanuman (no relation, I think) will start flying from Utapao airport (near Pattaya) to Siem Reap starting this month. They're advertising an introductory round trip fare of $99.

The airline already flies from Bangkok to Siem Reap, but I have no idea what the pricing is on that. They don't seem to have a complete on-line booking feature.

555 yes no relation! I think it's one of the new low cost charter operation operating from outside of Bangkok. Don't know what type of aircraft or who is servicing them.

good news for many

Certainly it is cheap... But I don't know how many people would be flying from Pattaya to Siem Reap. These seem like places that would appeal to different kinds of people.

And I'd sure what to know more about this airline... what kinds of planes do they fly? Who does the aircraft servicing? Where are their pilots trained? Are they financially solvent?

Good questions, Kathie. I did check their "About Us" page, but it was filled with the usual corporate crap about 'our mission', 'our vision', etc. but absolutely *nothing* about what planes they fly, etc. They do seem to be related to a travel company using the name "Garuda" which has a logo very similar to the airline. There has been a lot of investment in Cambodia by Indonesia, and I think this may be part of that. Whether that's good or bad, I'm not sure.

Oh, almost forgot, there's another reason to visit Siem Reap now: Friends International, who run the Friends shops and restaurants in Phnom Penh and Vientiane, are finally opening a training facility in SIem Reap, which of course has a restaurant attached. It's called Marum. Maybe Lori will check it out for us.

According to quick Google search, Air Hanuman operates a fleet of 737-300s and 737-500s. Presumably these are the aircraft they are planning to operate to Siem Reap.

On a side note, I'd fly in a hang glider with *our* Hanuman to Siem Reap any day of the week over this outfit...and that's saying a lot, considering that I think he has no idea how to fly. :)

Bite your tongue filmwill I, we, are flying today but in the comfy seats of Qatar Airways to London.