Claiming to be the largest aquarium in Southeast Asia, it took four years to build. It is a joint collaboration between Zoological Park Organisation and MarineScape (Thailand).

The aquarium measures 13,895 square metres and is 4.5 metre deep with a capacity for 8,000 cubic litres of water. It will also have the world's longest acrylic walk-through tunnel about 133 metres long.

It will house more than 8,000 aquatic animals representing 250 fresh and sea water species kept in two separate compartments.

The aquarium, according to Zoological Park Organisation director Sophon Dumnui, is expected to attract around one million visitors per month and generate 250 million baht annually.

Set on a 10-rai plot, the aquarium is more than 95 per cent complete. It is scheduled to open on October 26.

The entrance fees is 250 baht for Thai adults and 180 baht for children, while foreigners pay 450 baht and 350 baht respectively.

Announced last week on the sidelines of the 11th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Environment in Hanoi, the awards are accorded to villages or cities that have achieved the goals of enhancing quality of environment, raising awareness about environmental protection and sustainable development.

The other winners are Temburong district of Brunei, Phanom Penh in Cambodia, Palembang city in Indonesia, Luang Prabang in Laos, North Kuching City Hall in Malaysia, Taungyi city in Burma, Puerto Prices in the Philippines, South West Community Develop Council of Singapore and Halong city in Vietnam.

Romantic dining

If you are looking for romantic dining in Bangkok, online hotel booking company Agoda.com has compiled a list of 10 outlets located atop city high-rises that fit the bill.

The list begins with Lebua at State Tower Sirocco on the 63rd floor of The Dome which offers great views of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River, followed by Vertigo Grill & Moon Bar on the 61st floor of The Banyan Tree, Fifty-Five restaurant on the 54th and 55th floor of the Centara Grand at CentralWorld, D'Sens of Dusit Thani Hotel, and the roof-top steakhouse and bar RR&B at the Landmark Hotel, Horizon Sky Lounge and Karaoke at the Westin Grand Sukhumvit, restaurants at the country's tallest building Baiyoke Hotel, the Verandah at Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Three Sixty Lounge at The Millennium Hilton, and Thiptara Restaurant at The Peninsula Hotel.

Park curbs pay off

Speed limit and closure of a key road - No. 3259 - at night have helped save animal lives at Khao Ang Leu Nai Wildlife Sanctuary in Chachoengsao, says a study.

Sanctuary head Yoo Senatham said the sanctuary which covers 67,562 rai straddling five provinces in eastern Thailand was a fertile jungle home to rare and endangered species.

After the road was cut through the sanctuary, around 14,400 animals died every year from car accidents. A year after the sanctuary introduced the curbs limiting car speed to 60km/hour and closed the road during 9pm to 5am, the number of animal deaths was down by nearly half to 8,000.

"No elephants have been hit since the curbs came into force" he said.

The sanctuary plans to install more closed-circuit cameras and erect more road bumpers to deter speeding motorists.

Airline adds flights

Bangkok Airways will increase flights to three times a day between Bangkok-Chiang Mai, Bangkok-Phuket and Phuket-Samui starting October 26.

It will fly to Chiang Mai at 8am, 12:20pm (except Friday) and 7:05pm. To Phuket, the flight times are 8:10am, 11:45am and 5:30pm.

The flights from Phuket to Samui depart at 9:35am, 1:45pm and 4:35pm.