The 18th Session of Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) 24 – 28 February, 2014, Bangkok, Thailand Co-hosted by National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards (ACFS), Thailand In cooperation with Dirección General de Normas (DGN), Mexico 1 INFORMATION FOR DELEGATES The 18th Session of Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) 24 – 28 February, 2014, Bangkok, Thailand ----------------------- 1. Meeting information Date and Venue of the meeting Date : 24 – 28 February, 2014 Venue : Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok 11 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Klongton, Klongtoei, Bangkok, Thailand Tel : (+66) (0) 2 620 6666 Fax: (+66) (0) 2649 6709 E-mail : [email protected] Accommodation Hotel room blocks have been reserved for participants attending the 18th Session of Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CCFFV) at the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok, until th 16 February 2014. Registration/Opening Registration services will be provided at registration desk in front of Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor, the Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok from 08.00 to 12:00 hrs: - The official opening ceremony will be taken place before plenary session on 24 Febraury 2014 at 9.30 hrs at Grand Ballroom, 3rd Floor Name badges will be provided at the registration desk. Delegates are requested to wear their name badges at all functions during the meeting. 2 Documentation For this session there will not be hard copies of the working documents provided except (CRDs). Delegates are requested to bring their own documents to the meeting. These are available in English, French and Spanish on www.codexalimentarius.org Translation and Interpretation Services The 18th CCFFV Meeting will be conducted in English, French and Spanish. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in these languages during the meeting. Accommodation The Meeting will be taken place in Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok where the participants will get the special rate. Delegates are reminded that they are responsible for making their own hotel accommodation arrangement. It is recommended that the reservation should be made by 16th February 2014 to guarantee this special rate. Daily Room rates Single Twin Guest Room Category THB 5,300.*- Net THB 5,800.*- Superior Room Net *The room rates quoted above are: - Inclusive of buffet breakfast - Inclusive of broadband internet access in room. Reservation can be made directly to the hotel. Please use the attached hotel reservation form to secure your reservation. Travel from Airport to the Hotel 1. Taxi Taxi is the most convenient transportation from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport to Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel. The taxi stand is on the 1st floor. The taxi fare will be charged by metering which is around 350-450 Thai Baht (depend on traffic) plus 50 baht service charge ad 75 baht express way fee. The transportation time is around 1-1.30 hrs depends on traffic. 3 2. Airport Rail Link The Airport Rail Link City Line provides service between Suvarnabhumi Airport (underground floor) to Phayathai station where the passenger can take taxi or connect to BTS skytrain to Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel. The fare of City Line is 45 Baht while the running time is 30 minutes.The nearest BTS skytrain station to the hotel is Phromphong (ES) on Sukhumvit Line. Walking from the station to the hotel is ≈ 10 minutes. 4 Other hotels located nearby the Meeting Venue Please use Code : 18th CCFFV Walking Hotel Contact detail Room rate Distance to the Venue 1. Double Tree by 18/1 Sukhumvit Soi 26, Bangkok, 10110, Single THB 4,100.-Net 5 min Hilton Sukhumvit Thailand Double THB 4,400.-Net Tel: +66 (0)2649 6666 Fax: +66 (0)2649 6709 Email: [email protected] 2. Ariston Hotel 19 Sukhumvit Soi 24, Sukhumvit Road, Superior 5-10 min Bangkok Bangkok 10110, Thailand - Single THB 1,800.- Net Tel. +66(0)2 260 0088 - Double THB 2,000.- Net fax: +66(0) 259 0970-1 Executive suites E-mail: reservation@ariston - Single THB 2,500.- Net hotelbkk.com - Double THB 2,700.- Net Deluxe suites (with Jacuzzi) - Single THB 2,900.- Net - Double THB 3,100 .- Net Princess suites (with Jacuzzi) - Single THB 2,900.- Net - Double THB 3,100.-Net 5 Walking Hotel Contact detail Room rate Distance to the Venue 3 Arize Hotel 8/8 Sukhumvit Soi 26, Sukhumvit Road, Superior 5-10 min Sukhumvit Bangkok 10110, Thailand - Single THB 2,590.- Net Tel +66(0)2204 4888 fax: +66(0)2204 4848 - Double THB 2,825.- Net E-mail: [email protected] Deluxe - Single THB 2,707.- Net - Double THB 2,943 .- Net 1 Bed room suite - Single THB 3,296.- Net - Double THB 3,531 .- Net 6 2. General Information About Thailand Location Thailand is situated in the heart of the Southeast Asian mainland, covering an area of 513,115 square kilometers and extending about 1,620 kilometres from north to south and 775 kilometres from east to west. Bordering Lao PDR, the Union of Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia, the country is topographically divided into four distinct areas: the mountainous North, the fertile Central Plains, the semi-arid plateau of the Northeast, and the Southern peninsula. Historical Background Siam is the name by which the country was known to the world until 1939 and again between 1945 and 1949. On May 11, 1949, an official proclamation changed the name of the country to “Prathet Thai” or “Thailand” which means “Land of the Free”. Capital The capital city of Thailand is Bangkok. It is located in the central part of the country on the low-flat plain of the Chao Phraya River, which is the main waterway of the country. The metropolis has a total area of 1,568 square kilometres. The current population of Thailand approximates 65 millions, of which around 8 millions in the capital city, Bangkok. 7 Climate Thailand has a warm, humid, tropical climate all year which affected by an annual monsoon. There are basically three seasons; cool, summer, and rainy whilst the southern region of Thailand has only two. The cool season mark from end of November to early of February. The weather in Bangkok during late February ranges from 18ºC to 32ºC. The day temperature sometime may climb down to below 30°C. The night temperature may occasionally drop to lower 20°C while in northern and northeast Thailand, temperatures can get quite cool with night temperatures as low as 8º C to 12º C. The rainy season begins from June through October, with temperatures ranging from 24 oC to 34 oC. The amount of rainfall varies with topography. However, it is usually broken up with a moment or a day of sunshine. Summer is generally dry from March to May with average temperatures around 34 oC in Bangkok, but sometimes it can reach 42 oC with the humidity levels of 75%, especially during April. Electricity 220 volts 50 cycles throughout the country Currency and Exchange The official monetary unit in Thailand is BAHT. The exchange rate of 1 US$ is equivalent to approximately 31 baht (as of November 2013). Currency exchanges are available at banks and foreign exchange houses. 1 Baht = 100 Satangs Bank Notes: 20, 50, 100, 500, 1000 Baht Coins: 1, 2, 5, and 10 Baht Foreign Exchange Delegates may bring with them into Thailand unrestricted sums of foreign currency in the form of traveller’s cheques, drafts, letters of credit or other banking instruments which may be exchanged for Thai currency at the prevailing bank rates. However, participants may be required to declare the amount of traveller’s cheques or foreign currency in their possession upon arrival at the International Airport in Bangkok . 8 Credit cards Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and shops. Business Hours (Monday to Friday) Government sector: 8.30 to 16.30 hrs. Bank: 8.30 to 15.30 hrs. Public agency: 8.30 to 16.30 hrs. Shopping centres: 10.00 to 21.00 hrs. Telephone Services : The international dialing code for Thailand is 66. When making international calls from Thailand, first dial 001+country code + area code + telephone number Smoking Smoking in the public area is prohibited Drinking Water Tap water is clean but drinking from it directly is not recommended. Bottled water is recommended Entry Requirements Visitors must be in possession of a valid passport or travel document with a minimum validity of six (6) months beyond the intended visiting period. Delegates are strongly recommended to check with visa requirement and apply for visa, if required, at least 30 days before travel date. For updated information on visa requirement, please visit: http://www.immigration.go.th. VAT Refund Visitors entering the Kingdom on tourist visas are entitled to refunds of the 7% value- added tax (VAT) paid on goods purchased at shops and department stores displaying “VAT Refund for Tourists” signs. Thai Fruits Thailand is home for wide variety of nutritious tropical fruits, both seasonal, such as durian(the king of fruit), rambutan, mangosteen, longan, lychee and all-year-round, such as papaya, guava, coconut, banana, pineapple, rose apple. Thailand is the major durian producer. The durian season is generally peak in the middle of the year around June-July. Four major cultivars grown commercially are Mon Thong and 9 Chanee, which covered 90% of the fruit produced while the remaining 10% are the cultivars Kaan Yao and Kradum Thong. BANGKOK ATTRACTION The Grand Palace The Grand Palace is where every visitor must pay a visit. It was built in 1782 during the reign of King Rama I, the founder of Chakri Dynasty, The Grand Palace is divided into three zones: The Outer Court, that is home to royal offices, public buildings and Wat Phra Kaew or the Temple of Emerald Buddha; the Middle Court, which is where the most important residential and state buildings are; and the Inner Court, which is exclusively reserved for the king, his queen and his consorts.