News roundup: Thailand to spice up tourist experience with “ghost tourism,” and other updates

One wonders if the unsuspecting tourists are ready for the more blood-curdling Thai ghosts which can be quite unpleasant. For a start, there’s the unfriendly one-legged, three-toed hairy forest vampire that is said to hang around a cave in Loei province. Then there’s the hugely hungry half-tiger, half-man creature that goes on the prowl in Tak when there’s a full moon.

Tourists will also need to be quite brave to tackle the most feared ghost in Thailand, the phi grasue which consists of a bloody head with entrails, tubes and innards dangling from it. That would be enough to give even the most hardened tourist a bit of a scare. But the biggest test would be to venture into the territory of the fearsome ghost that prompted the unforgettable case of the “shrinking willies” that swept the Northeast a few years ago. Now, that would be a real test for tourist resilience.

Aussie hoteliers unite to raise record funds for homelessness support

New South Wales hoteliers have not lost sight of the true meaning of service as they joined forces at the Hotels Have Hearts Gala Dinner in aid of the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.

Almost 600 people attended the event last Thursday, 6 June, at the Hilton Hotel in Sydney. The event raised more than AUD850,000, a new record for the bi-annual event. The Hotels Have Hearts event has now raised AUD5.5 million since the first Gala Dinner.

“Hotels Have Hearts is a statement from the NSW hotel industry that we care, that we are prepared to give, that we believe in a society where those who can help, do so for those who are struggling to keep their heads above water,” said Kim Maloney OAM, Chairman, Hotels Have Hearts Committee, in The Hotel Conversation.

“The record result from this year’s event is proof of what can be achieved when we all work together for an important cause. I am proud that the money raised will continue to go towards the critical work that Vinnies undertakes to encourage personal and community resilience by giving the homeless a hand up rather than a handout.”

Pavilions in cities: 14 Structures that foster human interactions

As dwellers of big cities, we tend to be dragged into a very fast-paced lifestyle. Surrounded by monumental buildings and infrastructure, we can easily lose sight of key spaces that connect us with our neighbourhood and provide us with rare moments of peace and enjoyment. Appropriation of the environment we inhabit becomes an uncommon circumstance.

The need for human-scale structures is fundamental in cities where public spaces are sometimes overlooked or misused. To foster civic participation, recreation, socialization, and overall, make the city more livable and enjoyable for its citizens, relatively small public landmarks generate opportunities for users to interact with the surrounding space in various ways. To create these discoveries, one common and easy resource used has been the creation of simple pavilions or installations, seizing the attention of passersby, on their scale.

Whether it is a performance stage, an artistic interactive installation, or a pavilion with a social purpose, all of these select projects in ArchDaily are an invitation to open up the space for users, creating outdoor encounters and fostering human interactions.

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].