Working Across the Pacific: A Southeast Asia DMC for North American Tour Operators

DMC Connect is a Southeast Asia DMC for North American tour operators and travel advisors: a B2B destination management company that runs the on-the-ground side of trips in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia and China. We work only with the travel trade, never with travellers directly, and every request is answered with a tailored proposal within 24 hours.

The time difference works for you

From North America, Southeast Asia is roughly half a day ahead. Bangkok, Hanoi, Phnom Penh, Vientiane and Jakarta are on UTC+7 all year; Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bali are on UTC+8. That puts Bangkok:

• 11 to 12 hours ahead of New York, Toronto and Montreal;
• 12 to 13 hours ahead of Chicago and Winnipeg;
• 14 to 15 hours ahead of Los Angeles, Seattle and Vancouver.

Thailand does not change its clocks, so the gap moves by one hour when North America switches to daylight saving time. In practice, a brief you send at the end of your working day reaches our team in the Bangkok morning. Our consultants work on it while your office is closed, which is how the 24-hour proposal fits around a North American schedule.

Long-haul trips, built to be worth the flight

A trip to Southeast Asia from North America usually connects through a major Asian hub, so clients tend to stay longer and see more than one country. That is where one regional partner helps:

• One partner, eight countries: ground operations in each destination, so a Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam trip is one programme and one contract.
• Hand-overs we own: when a group moves between countries, both teams are ours. See our guide to Indochina multi-country programmes.
• Pacing for jet lag: we plan a gentle first day after arrival and keep the early starts, such as sunrise at Angkor Wat, for later in the trip.

What we run

• Tailor-made travel: custom itineraries from our operations team and itinerary specialists, briefed on your clients and your brand.
• Group-series travel: series programmes with product enhancements, exclusive rates, on-the-ground feedback and guide training. Read how we run group series.
• Educational travel: themed school tours, experiential and service learning, with rigorous health and safety audits.
• MICE: meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions and trade missions. Read our incentive travel guide.

Starting points from our catalogue

• Thailand Comprehensive Tour (8D/7N): Bangkok, Ayutthaya and the beaches.
• Vietnam Heritage Trail: North to South (8D/7N): Hanoi and Ha Long Bay to Ho Chi Minh City.
• Angkor Wonders & Koh Rong Paradise (9D/8N): Phnom Penh, three days at Angkor and island time.
• Singapore & Malaysia Combined (6D/5N): two countries in one programme.

See all sample itineraries. Every one can be adapted to your brief.

Pages by market

• Southeast Asia DMC for US tour operators and travel advisors
• Southeast Asia DMC for Canadian tour operators

Who we are

We are Bangkok-headquartered, licensed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT 14/04338), an ATTA member (5259), with registered entities in Singapore (TA03536) and Malaysia and more than 15 years of experience in the region. Read more about us, or compare operators in Top DMCs in Southeast Asia.

Frequently asked questions

What is the time difference between North America and Southeast Asia?

Bangkok is 11 to 12 hours ahead of the US and Canadian East Coast and 14 to 15 hours ahead of the West Coast, depending on daylight saving time. Singapore, Malaysia and Bali are one hour further ahead.

How quickly will I get a proposal?

A specialist contacts you within 24 hours of your request. Because of the time difference, our team works on your brief during your night.

Do you sell to travellers directly?

No. DMC Connect works only with tour operators, travel agents and advisors, and corporate buyers, so your clients book through you.

Do you handle entry requirements for my clients?

Entry and visa rules are the traveller's responsibility. We point every group to the official sources for each country and plan arrival times around the formalities.

Request a proposal

Send us your travel dates, group size and destinations, and we will reply with a tailored proposal within 24 hours. Request a proposal.