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Thai winner in UK's responsible travel awards November 2007- Several Thai travel and tourism companies came out top of this year's Responsible Travel Awards 2007. Andaman Discoveries, winner of the Conservation of Cultural heritage category were cited for 'putting people first - recognising that the best custodians of cultural heritage are the people. They have worked with communities to empower them and to create a sense of place, identifying what villagers see as important, and using this information to develop tourist activities...' More>>> 2,000 Brits a day head off to Thailand October 2007 - Official visitor figures from the UK to Thailand for 2006 show a 9% growth in numbers to 745,000. More British passport holders visit Thailand than from any other non-Asian country. They make up nearly a quarter of all European visitors to Thailand. The Tourism Authority of Thailand is delighted with the figures which idicate that tourists are now returning to pre-Tsunami levels. Homestay offers traditional Thai experience The Tourism Authority of Thailand has introduced a scheme certifying standards in homestay accommodation (similar to bed and breakfast) run by villages and community organisations. Standards cover areas such as accommodation, food, safety, project management and the environment. Participating projects, which are assesed every two years, offer a wide range of exepriences including demonstrations of ikat and mudmee textile weaving, temple visits, merit-making ceremonies, rolling incense sticks, planting rice and lots more! List of certified projects is now available.	Green Fins scheme protects coral Diving in Thailand is big business. There are thousands of operators, hundreds of thousands of tourists and a fragile eco-system that needs protection if it is going to survive. A number of organisations are working to support marine life in Thailand including Green Fins which protects and conserves coral reefs by encouraging the dive operators to sign up to environmentally-friendly guidelines. If you are planning a dive holiday to Thailand look for one of the operators listed on th Green Fins web site or displaying the logo. Sea Canoe offer high-quality tropical eco-tourism and adventure tours with sit-on-top sea kayaks in the south of Thailand. Paddle Asia run kayak trips into Kao Sok Marine National Park based on ecotourism principles.	. PhuketScubaDiver - Personal PADI Courses and Day trips - Private 1on1 training and guides available. . Green Fins aims to protect and conserve coral reefs through environmentally-friendly guidelines for dive operators. . REST: Shocked by the terrible damage which mass tourism was doing to Thailand’s cultures and environments, REST (Responsible Ecological Social Tours) challenged themselves to work together with local communities and develop a new model of tourism . Wild Watch Thailand runs small wildlife tours from Kanchanaburi into Erewan National Park and beyond. . Elephant Nature Park created by Thai conservationist Sangduen (Lek) Chailert in northernThailand. . Friends of the Asian Elephant: established by Soraida Salwala to support the welfare and conservation of Asian elephants, whether working or in the wild. . Naturetrails arranges popular birdwatching holidays into Thailand's protected wildlife areas. One of its leading guides, Kamol Komolphalin, is also a well-known wildlife artisit (see feature below). . Bird Conservation Society of Thailand: As the Thai partner of BirdLife International, BCST serves as a conservation, advocacy and research body for birds in Thailand . Andaman Discoveries: supports community-led development by acting as bridge to respectful visitors and volunteers through sponsorship of education, conservation, and cultural empowerment.

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