Ascott to host 2nd edition The Famous CFC in Bangkok
The Ascott Limited (Ascott), the Official Global Hotels Partner of Chelsea Football Club, is excited to bring The Famous CFC to Bangkok, Thailand, as the event’s presenting partner. Building on the remarkable success of the Singapore edition, Ascott is proud to bring the immersive global fan experience series to another of Chelsea’s passionate Southeast Asian fanbases. Scheduled for 25 and 26 April 2025, the two-day celebration will be held at Ascott properties across Bangkok, including Ascott Embassy Sathorn Bangkok and Somerset Rama 9 Bangkok, promising an extraordinary experience for Chelsea supporters and members of Ascott Star Rewards (ASR), Ascott’s loyalty programme. The upcoming Famous CFC in Bangkok will feature Chelsea…
Visa-Free Travel: Which ASEAN Passports Open the Most Doors?
Southeast Asia’s passport strength has become a key indicator of global mobility and regional influence, with recent rankings underscoring the impressive travel freedoms enjoyed by citizens in the region. In early 2025, the Henley Global Mobility Report revealed that Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei possess the most powerful passports among Southeast Asian nations. According to the report, holders of a Singaporean passport can travel visa‐free to 195 countries and territories, cementing its position not only as the strongest in Southeast Asia but also as one of the world’s most coveted travel documents. Malaysia follows closely behind, with its passport offering visa-free entry to 183 destinations. Brunei’s passport, while slightly less powerful…
Hong Kong elevates Muslim-friendly travel experiences for Muslim travellers
Hong Kong continues to make progress in becoming a Muslim-friendly destination of choice, with enhanced services and facilities that cater to the needs of Muslim travellers. A key milestone in Hong Kong Tourism Board’s (HKTB) efforts is the increasing number of hotels participating in Crescent Rating’s (CR) accreditation program – a program rating hotel on their Muslim-friendliness developed by Crescent Rating, an internationally renowned Muslim travel marketing company. As of February 2025, 52 hotels in Hong Kong have successfully obtained an accreditation rating from Crescent Rating, depending on the Muslim-friendly facilities available at the hotels. In addition, Hong Kong has significantly expanded its selection of Halal-certified and Muslim-friendly restaurants, accredited…
Honouring Excellence in Culinary and Tourism at the ASEAN Food & Travel Awards 2025
The prestigious fourth edition of the ASEAN Food & Travel Awards celebrated the remarkable achievements of 45 distinguished personalities and brands from Malaysia, recognising their outstanding contributions to the culinary and tourism industries. Organised by the renowned culinary and tourism platform, ASEAN Food & Travel Media, in collaboration with ‘Top 10 of Asia’ and ‘NiagaTimes’, this annual awards ceremony honours the key players in the Southeast Asian food and travel sectors. These individuals and organisations have demonstrated unwavering dedication and excellence in managing their businesses, significantly shaping the industry landscape. The highly anticipated event, attended by esteemed figures from the tourism industry, was officiated by Mr. Lee Thai Hung, Deputy…
Temu partners Atome for flexible payment checkout in Malaysia
Global ecommerce platform Temu is teaming up with Atome, Southeast Asia’s leading digital financial services platform, to allow its customers to select Atome as their preferred flexible payment method during checkout on Temu. This enables Malaysian customers to enjoy interest-free installment payment options when shopping for a wide range of products on Temu’s platform. New Atome users will also benefit from exclusive discount vouchers with their first purchase with Temu. Online shopping continues to surge in Malaysia, thanks to rapid digital adoption and changing consumer shopping habits. According to Ipsos Malaysia’s 2024 Ecommerce landscape report, nearly 1 in 2 Malaysians shopped online in 2024, with the growth especially significant among…
