The history of the language of the Philippines is easily understood. You will have noticed after meeting a Filipina or two in HK or Japan for example, that they can all speak English very well. In fact, this country is one of the few countries where English is an unofficial first language. Which is, incidentally a luxury that aids the economy still further. (the official language is Tagalog). If you take a brief look at the history of this country, you will see why. In a nutshell; this country of thousands of islands had been occupied by various countries. First the Spanish for about three hundred years; (the people are pretty proficient in Spanish). Then the British rule for a couple of years. The Americans for a while followed by the Japanese (during WWII) then back to the Americans again. Unsurprisingly, the culture is sort of mixed between its races of Malay, Chinese, Spanish and Arabs with languages of Tagalog, Spanish, American English and a smattering of Chinese and Japanese. Hence the true identity of this country and its people is relatively new. They are alike the Thais, an attractive people. They are alike the Thais very friendly and hospitable, they have had their fair share of colonial rule and they are alike the Thais very religious. Philippines majority religion is Christianity and of course the Thais are mostly Buddhist. When visiting the Philippines you can enjoy visiting Churches and museums all part and parcel for a luxury or standard package tour to the area. The San Augustin Church museum in Intramuros-which happens to be part of the original Spanish walled city of Manila is a beautiful part of the city and is a must for those who have a particular interest in the history of the area. Bangkok of course boasts some of the most beautiful Buddhist temples in the world. No one can leave this city and say that they haven't at least visited the revered Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha in the center of Bangkok.

Business here and there + hotels

Like Bangkok, Manila is becoming an investment hub for a lot of foreign companies. Both cities? have the luxury of holding land prices that are relatively cheap when comparing with land prices of other major cities around the world. Both cities have good infrastructure, telecommunication networks, rapid transport systems and great hotel accommodation-perfect for that business conference.

Beaches galore

Another thing both these countries have in common is their great beaches and luxury hotels. Available from just a short flight from these capitals are the palm fringed luxury resorts of Phuket and Pattaya in Thailand or the idyllic islands of Borocay and Cebu islands awaiting you just hours away from Manila. Luxury accommodation is another common denominator for this pair: first class luxury hotels to the more modest type hotels are available; one such hotel that reveres itself as flag bearers of both countries is the five star Dusit Thani Hotels in Manila and Bangkok. Dusit International boasts around twenty first class hotels around the world with ten more in the pipeline due for completion in 2012. They pride their hotels on service and comfort. Surely a treat for the holiday maker that seeks luxury combined with that extra famed Thai or Philippine hospitality.