Planning Meeting

MID-DECADE ASSESSMENT STRATEGIC

PLANNING MEETING

UNESCO Bangkok

Thailand

Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting: 27-29 March 2006

UNESCO Internal Meeting: 26, 30-31 March 2006

Information Note for participants

I.Meeting-related information

Venue and opening session

1. The Mid-Decade Assessment Strategic Planning Meeting will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 26 - 31 March 2006, divided further into two distinct parts:

The Asia and Pacific Regional Meeting will be held from 27-29 March. Expected participants will be members of the Thematic Working Group on EFA, UNICEF and UNESCO officers from Asia and the Pacific, regional institutes. Global partners are welcome. (please refer to the Regional MDA Strategic Planning agenda for specific details)

On 27 and 29 March 2006, the meeting will take place at the Imperial Tara Hotel. The address is:

Imperial Tara Hotel

18/1 Sukhumvit Soi 26, Bangkok 10110

Tel +(66) (2) 259 2900

Fax +(66) (2) 259 2896

On 28 March, the meeting will take place in the Conference Room, 5th Floor, UNESCO Bangkok. The address is:

UNESCO Bangkok

920 Sukhumvit Road,

Bangkok 10110

(UNESCO is located between Soi 40 and 42, or between Thonglor sky train station and Ekamai sky train station)

The UNESCO Internal Meeting will be held 26 and 30-31 March 2006. Expected participants will be UNESCO officers from Headquarters, Regional Bureaus for Education, UNESCO Institutes, and Field Offices in Asia and the Pacific. (please refer to the UNESCO Global MDA Strategic Planning agenda for specific details)

On 26 March 30-31 March 2006, the meeting will take place in the Conference Room, 5th Floor, UNESCO Bangkok

1. The official opening session will be convened at 0900 hours on Monday, 27 March. Registration will begin at 0830.

Funding of participation

1. Funding for travel and accommodation will be borne by the participants, except in special circumstances. All participants are expected to have a sponsor arranged separately. In those case where participation costs are borne by UNESCO Bangkok, participants will be provided a daily subsistence allowance (DSA) of 90 USD for Bangkok in March. UNESCO Bangkok will pay the DSA to participants in Bangkok in local currency. This allowance is intended to cover expenses during the stay in Bangkok, including hotel bills, dinners and other miscellaneous expenses incurred outside the meeting.

Registration and identification badges

1. Participants are requested to register and obtain meeting badges at the Registration Desk, located in front of the Conference Room, between 0830 and 0900 hours on 27 March. Participants who are not able to register on the opening day are requested to do so on subsequent days, to ensure that their names appear on the list of participants.

1. For identification and security reasons, all participants are requested to wear the meeting badges at all times during the workshop, in the UNESCO Bangkok .

Documents

1. The meeting will be conducted in English. The workshop documents will be posted on the EFA web site ( as they become available. Documents that participants wish to circulate during the workshop should be handed to the secretariat in advance.

Internet and e-mail services

1. There are 3 computers at the Library, second floor, which participants can use free of charge during meeting breaks. All terminals have access to the Internet. The Library currently from 0730-1600 hours.

Catering services

1. Lunch and morning and afternoon snacks will be provided throughout the week. In addition, UNESCO cafeteria has Thai food, coffee/tea and soft drinks. The cafeteria is located next to the main building in the UNESCO compound. It is open from 0730 to 1600 hours. They provide meals at reasonable prices.

Officers concerned with servicing the meeting

1. Questions regarding the meeting arrangements can be directed to the following persons:

Visa requirements

1. Participants should obtain an appropriate entry visa from the Thai diplomatic or consular missions at the point of origin or en route prior to entering Thailand.
2. Those entering Thailand with a United Nations laissez-passer should obtain an entry visa before departing.

Hotel accommodation

1. Hotel reservations may be arranged by the secretariat at the request of participants at the following hotels which offer special rates.

1. To facilitate their hotel reservation, participants are requested to send the hotel reservation form at least 5 days in advance to Ms Apiradee Wittayathawornwong, AIMS Unit, UNESCO Bangkok (e-mail: ; Fax: +66-2-391-0577).

Arrival at the airport

1. Participants should make their own transportation arrangements from Bangkok International Airport (Don Muang Airport) to their respective hotels. Taxi services are readily available at the airport at the following prevailing rates:

Thai Limousine ServiceBaht 1,000 to 1,500 per car (pre-pay at the limousine counter and obtain a coupon)

Public metered taxiFare shown on meter, plus Baht 50 surcharge. The tollway charge of Baht 30 and the express way charge of Baht 40 are additional. Taxi fares to hotels near UNESCO should be around Baht 200-300 and will take approximately 40-60 Minutes.

To take a limousine or public metered-taxi, it is strongly recommended that participants contact only the officials manning the respective counters at the airport. The officials will issue a ticket for the assignment of either a limousine or a taxi. The counters for public metered taxis are located outside the airport arrival lounge.

Airport buses (available between 0500 to 2300 hours, dispatched at 15-minute intervals)

-Bus A3 (Airport-Thonglor) with stops at the following hotels: Century Park, Indra Regent, Arnoma, Ambassador and Delta Grand Pacific. (This is most appropriate if you are staying at the Tara or Impala Hotel, though you will have to walk a bit after the bus ride)

- Bus A1 (Airport-Silom) with stops at the

following hotels: Century Park, Indra Regent,

Arnoma, Erawan Grand Hyatt and Dusit Thani.

-Bus A2 (Airport-Sanam Luang) with stops at the following hotels: Siam City and Royal Princess.

- Bus A4 (Airport-Hua Lampong) with stops at the following hotels: Inter-Continental Bangkok, Novotel, Pathumwan Princess, Mandarin and Bangkok Centre.

II. Other information

Weather

1. The weather in Bangkok in March is quite hot, with the temperature ranging between 30 and 37 degrees Celsius, and averaging 35 degrees Celsius. Light tropical clothing will be appropriate when outdoors. The conference room where the meeting is to be held is air-conditioned and the temperature is maintained in the range of 21-26 degrees Celsius.

Local transportation

1. Metered taxis are generally available. It is advisable to ask the hotel staff to write down the destination in Thai as not all drivers understand English.

Foreign exchange

1. Participants may bring with them into Thailand unrestricted sums of foreign currency in the form of travellers’ cheques, drafts, letter of credit or other banking instruments which may be exchanged for Thai currency. The February 2006 exchange rate was around Thai Baht 41 to 1 US dollar.

1. Participants may be required to declare the amount of travellers’ cheques or currency in their possession on arrival at Bangkok International Airport.

1. Exchange facilities are normally available at the Airport, hotels, Banks, and currency exchange kiosks located near the hotel.

Return bookings

1. Participants are advised to ensure that their return bookings are confirmed soon after their arrival in Bangkok. For this purpose, they should directly contact SEA Tours, the in-house travel agent located on the first floor, UNESCO Building.

1. Participants are required to pay an airport tax of 500 Baht on their departure from Bangkok International Airport.

Electrical Systems in Thailand

1. The standard voltage in Thailand is 220 Volts at 50Hz. Plugs are Type A (flat blade attachment plug) and Type C (round pin attachment plug).