Back to Luzi Matzig's Home Photos New beginning for Matzig LM at Bali Opening of Asian Trails on 2.2.2000 Matzig wins awards LM on blades "LM on mule trek in Northern Thailand" LM as "Chef" "Exploring the Tibetean Highlands by 4WD" "Enjoying the glacier views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lijiang" Luzi Matzig with his Piper Malibu 'Conquering' Angkor Wat in Cambodia "Emperor" Luzi Matzig together with Barbara Peisert Luzi Matzig in Lijiang, Yunnan "Air Matzig" - Pilot and Plane Luzi Matzig in other news sources Luxurious cruise to Kanchanaburi - Bangkok Post, May 15, 2003 Man with a mission - Bangkok Post, December 27, 2001 Asian Trails’ Luzi Matzig ditches plane in fish lake - Travel Trade Report, July 19, 2000 The story of Diethelm & Asian Trails - Travel Weekly East, June 30, 2000 Traveller Magazine, October 1999 Issue Travel Trade Report, August 23-29, 1999 TTG Asia Jul 02 - Jul 08 1999 Travel Trade Report, June 1999 Travel Trade Report, December 28, 1998 Bangkok Post, November 30, 1998 Bangkok Post June 11, 1998 Issue of TTG Asia May 15 - May 21 1998 High flier up above the clouds Issue of TTG Asia Jan 23 - Jan 29 1998 Issue of TTG Asia Oct 03 - Oct 09 1997 Issue of TTG Asia Jul 18 - Jul 24 1997 Send email to LM

Asian Trails’ Luzi Matzig ditches plane in fish lake Issue of Travel Trade Report, July 19, 2000 AVIATOR and inbound travel agent, Luzi Matzig crash-landed his single-engine plane last week after it developed engine trouble while flying off the Gulf of Thailand coast. Mr Matzig, who is managing director of Asian Trails, ditched the plane in a former fish farm, 25 km south-west of Bangkok. He emerged unscathed along with his wife, Viparat Thongyoo and a flight instructor who had accompanied the couple on the flight. The six-seat Piper Malibu PA46 had just undergone engine repairs at Don Muang airport. According to Mr Matzig, the engine stalled at 7,000 feet while on a test flight to Hua Hin, about 15 km off the coast of Samut Prakan province. "We turned the aircraft round and glided back to the coast looking for a suitable landing spot," he reported. Mr Matzig, who also holds a valid seaplane licence, ditched the plane in the largest pond he could find with the landing gear up to prevent the plane from flipping over. An army rescue helicopter rescued the crew and passengers 20 minutes after the plane was ditched. No one was injured. The incident will probably end Mr Matzig’s flying hobby for at least a year. Repairs to the aircraft will cost in excess of Bt8 million. Mr Matzig, who turned 55 last year, is occupied with the task of building accounts for his two-year-old company Asian Trails. One priority is the need to create a network in Southeast Asia to match his former employer, Diethelm Travel, if he is to capture large tour accounts from Europe. He is currently waiting for a licence to be approved that would allow him to open an office in Laos. Meanwhile, a key decision on which company will be awarded the TUI account for Southeast Asia is still pending. Diethelm Travel is battling to hold on to the account, while Asian Trails was, up until quite recently, the favourite to clinch the business. Over the last few weeks the gap between the two companies closed, although yet another round of changes in Diethelm Travel’s top management could erode confidence. More on Luzi Matzig