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Published on December 30, 2007

The group was made up of Weena Ratanadejtrakul and her son Arthasit; sisters Saowakon Tanchotikul and Orathai Namsri, who have their own business in Surat Thani;

Jakkit Chuwitsakunlert and his wife Jinnipha, who work at General Motors in Rayong;

and office worker Samisa Kunkamalanon.

The trip's concept was inspired by the last James Bond movie, "Casino Royale". Though it was actually filmed in Italy, On Air's marketing director Taveesak Bureerak decided to send the group, which also included two staff members, one tour guide and this reporter, to the US.

"It wasn't a case of changing the destination. Las Vegas is the first choice when we think about casinos," explains Taveesak.

"We wanted everyone to enjoy a world-class experience. Las Vegas is the world's biggest casino city, Bellagio is the

most luxurious hotel in the

city, and O Show is the 'must-see' show, as evidenced by the fact that it's solidly booked for more than three months in advance."

We travelled on China Airlines, changing planes in Taipei before going on to San Francisco. Once there, we headed to Fisherman's Wharf for a tour to the former prison of Alcatraz, one of the city's most popular attractions after the Golden Gate Bridge.

Two days later, we arrived in Las Vegas and checked into the luxurious hotel before heading down to the theatre for Cirque de Soleil's sold-out show. That night, we took photos along the famed Boulevard and the Strip, where Las Vegas' landmark hotels boast huge re-creations of exotic wonders, among them New York's Liberty Statue, Paris's Eiffel Tower, and Egypt's Pyramids.

The next day, we were driven to Los Angeles. One of our first stops was Hollywood Boulevard where we were duly impressed by the autographed cement blocks along with the hand- and footprints of the world's movie stars.

It was also time to do some shopping and those Platinum Visa cards were soon being pressed into service as the group treated friends back home to a little of the Bond life.

Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul

The Nation