Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from August 2005

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from August 2005

DR. FIXIT CENTRE FORAYS INTO WESTERN INDIA (has set up centres in Mumbai and Thane).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Dr. Fixit Centre (DFC) has forayed into Western India and has set up centres in Mumbai and Thane. The centres will offer consultancy services on the correct practices of waterproofing and protecting...

TWIGA BREAKS GROUND ON NEW 10,000 TON/YEAR GLASS WOOL INSULATION PLANT (at MIDC Additional Ambernath Industrial Area near Mumbai).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) U.P. Twiga Fibreglass Ltd (UPTFL) has initiated the construction of its new Fibreglass Wool insulation plant at MIDC Additional Ambernath Industrial Area near Mumbai. The plant will be commissioned in...

BHUWALKA STEEL GETS INTO TMT REBARS (will produce the bars using the technology provided by Henningsdorfer Staahl Engineering Gmbh).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Bhuwalka Steel Industries Limited (BSIL) is one of the largest producers of steel rolled products in India and it registered a turnover of about Rs450 crore during 2004-2005. It has manufacturing plants in...

DCCILS NEW MANUFACTURING UNIT IN JAIPUR (to meet demand for construction and speciality chemical products in Northern and Western India.).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Don Construction Chemicals India Ltd (DCCIL) is a 100 percent subsidiary of Don Construction Products Ltd of the UK. It has put up a new manufacturing plant at Viswakarma Industrial area in Jaipur that...

RAM RATNA GROUP (is engaged in sourcing, manufacturing and marketing of copper products).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The Ram Ratna Group is engaged in sourcing, manufacturing and marketing of copper products including winding wires, busbars, building wires, panel wires, flexible wires, control cables and special cables....

NATURAL RUBBER PRODUCTION GROWTH SET TO FALL IN INDIA (NR production during 2005-2006 likely to record a lower growth of 4% at 0.78 million tonnes).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) India's natural rubber (NR) production in 2005-2006 is expected to decline. According to the Rubber Board, NR production during the year is likely to record a lower growth of four percent at 0.78 million...

INDIAN BOARD IDENTIFIES 0.5 MILLION HA FOR PLANTATIONS IN N-ESTATES (only 10% of the north-east area has been covered).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The Rubber Board of India has identified 0.5 million hectares of land in the North-Eastern States to develop plantations, so as to double India's total rubber growing area. According to the Rubber Research...

WESTERN-AUSTRALIA-RESULTS-1-8.
August 31, 2005... (From New Zealand Press Association) Wellington, Aug 30 -- The weather is overcast and the track good for the Western Australia Harness meeting at Gloucester Park tonight. RACE 1 PETERS & BROWNES C1-C4 MOBILE PACE DOUBL, $4300,...

BUSINESS SUFFERS PRE-ELECTION JITTERS.
August 31, 2005... (From New Zealand Press Association) (EDS: Embargoed 1am, Wednesday Aug 31) Wellington, Aug 31 NZPA - Business confidence improved fractionally in August, although it is still firmly in negative territory, the latest ANZ National...

AUSTRALIAN-TROTS-RESULTS 1-19.
August 31, 2005... (From New Zealand Press Association) Wellington, Aug 30 -- The weather is fine and the track fast for the Australian trots meeting at Harold Park tonight. RACE 1 SKY CHANNEL T0-T6 MOBILE TROT TREBLE, $5000, MOBILE, 2160m 3-3...

Bank of Thailand sees no need to revise economic growth estimate for now.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Economy - Bank of Thailand's Governor M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula reiterated the central bank saw no need to frequently adjust economic figures to global fuel price volatilities. He said the oil...

Thailand: Sukhothai senator dies of lung infection.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Gen. Phanom Chinavicharana, 66, a senator from the northern province of Sukhothai, died today of a lung infection. Senator Phanom had suffered from a lingering brain disease and had...

Vietnam: National radio broadcasting festival opens.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Regional News - The seventh National Radio Broadcasting Festival opened in Hanoi on Sunday with the participation of Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) director general Vu Van Hien and representatives...

Thailand: MCOT announces interim dividend of Bt0.75 for 1H05.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Stocks - MCOT Plc. (MCOT) reported to the SET that it will pay interim dividend for 1H05 operations of Bt0.75, representing 95% of net profit generated in the period. MCOT will pay the dividend on 27 Sep...

Media Release: Tiger Telematics Inc.
August 31, 2005... (From MediaNet Press Release Wire) MEDIA RELEASE PR19854 Tiger Telematics' Gizmondo(TM) Maps Out New Functionality LONDON, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ -- Award-Winning CoPilot Software Advances Gizmondo's Functionality Repertoire and...

MOTHER DAIRY TO ENTER THE PROCESSED CHEESE SEGMENT (will launch initially in Delhi and National Capital Region).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Mother Dairy, the marketing division of National Dairy Development Board, will foray into the processed cheese market to complete its milk products line. The product, which will be made from cow milk...

SUGAR IMPORTS MUDDLE-INDUSTRY WOES (modifications to policy cause confusions).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The Government's modification to the Foreign Trade Policy for the sugar industry in Apr 2005 has caused confusions. Prior to the modification, the policy restricted the transfer of advance licence and...

COFFEE AND TEA PLANTATIONS REVIVAL: FISCAL PACKAGE FROM GOVERNMENT (relief package from the Ministry of Economic Affairs).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The Ministry of Economic Affairs, Government of India, has declared a relief package for the coffee industry, which has been burdened by the interest on Special Coffee Term Loan (SCTL). Under the package, the...

IMPORT OF EDIBLE OILS: THE RISING TREND (21,95,770 tonnes imported between Nov-Apr 2004-2005).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The Solvent Extractors' Association of India has recorded that India's imports of edible oils between Nov-Apr 2004-2005 rose by 21 percent year-on-year to 21,95,770 tonnes. During the period, the import of...

WHEAT `WORRIES' OF TAMIL NADU FLOUR MILLS (the Tamil Nadu Roller Flour Mills Association has appealed for duty-free import of wheat).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The Tamil Nadu Roller Flour Mills Association has requested the Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, to permit duty-free import of wheat. The association aims to combat the rising prices of...

SUBHIKSHA'S `EXPLOSIVE' RETAIL BUSINESS EXPANSION (will invest Rs150 crore to open 180 stores).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Subhiksha Trading Services Ltd, the retail shops chain of Chennai, will invest Rs150 crore to open 180 stores between Aug-Feb 2006-2007. In the first phase of expansion, the company will use Rs75 crore to set...

`AMRUTH' FROM HORTICORP-A NEW BRANDED HONEY (the Kerala State Horticultural Products Development Corporation Ltd has introduced Amruth brand honey).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The Kerala State Horticultural Products Development Corporation Ltd (Horticorp), set up by the Government of Kerala, has introduced Amruth brand of honey in Kerala. The honey is obtained chiefly from...

COCONUT IN `DISTRESS': GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION (105 projects, worth Rs213 crore, launched under Technology Mission).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The annual production of coconuts in India has fallen to 12 billion nuts on account of rampant mite attack on coconut trees. To improve the situation, the Government of India has introduced 105 projects worth...

`MOTHER DAIRY' TO GO NATIONAL (to sell milk-based products throughout India).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Mother Dairy India, the marketing division of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), intends to expand its presence throughout the country. Now, Mother Dairy India has presence in northern and...

PARLE PRODUCTS-OVERHAULING AND DE-FOCUSING (withdrawing variants of Hide and Seek cookie).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Parle is withdrawing the butter/cashew/almond variants of its Hide and Seek cookie to confine the brand only to chocolate-chip cookie. However, the variants will still be made by Parle franchisees and...

BASKIN ROBBINS: WAKING UP TO THE POTENTIAL (has tied up with Adlabs and PVR).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) Baskin Robbins, the manufacturer of premium ice cream, will enhance its infrastructure and service network in the country to reinforce its presence in the competitive Indian market. The company, which...

CADBURY VERSUS ITC-THE `ECLAIR' WRANGLE (Cadbury loses to ITC in the Ahmedabad civil court).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) A civil court in Ahmedabad has rejected the petition of Cadbury India that Candyman Choco Eclairs of ITC Ltd resembled its eclairs in packaging. Cadbury India had contended that ITC had entered the...

K.K. MODI GROUP: LATEST ENTRANT IN RETAILING (opening convenience stores called Twenty Four Seven).
August 31, 2005... (From India Business Insight) The K.K. Modi group is foraying into the Indian retail industry through convenience stores called Twenty Four Seven. The stores, which will be open 24 hours on all days of the week, will market fast moving...

Thailand: Thai Airways aims to turn financial performance around in Q4.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Management at Thai Airways International Plc are determined to turn around the airline's financial performance in its fourth quarter, after surprising the market with a...

Thailand: Government allocates Baht2bn for economic restructuring.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - The government is set to inject two billion baht to restructure the economy in the next fiscal year starting October 2005, with the focus on four sectors - energy, agriculture,...

Thailand: Legal experts explain benefits of partnerships.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Law - In the business world, nothing sounds better than obtaining new business and paying low tax. As individual income tax is calculated on the progressive tax rates, earnings from additional business...

Thailand: Thai Airways president says no malfeasance involved in ticket issuance at overseas offices.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - A decade-old case involving irregular ticket sales was not a scandal and would be dealt with through internal changes, according to Thai Airways International, the Bangkok Post reports....

Thailand: Star Sanitaryware makes revenue forecast.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Star Sanitaryware Plc forecasts that its revenue will grow by 15-25% this year from 285 million baht in 2004, thanks to robust export sales, the Bangkok Post. "Our growth prospects...

Thailand: PTT Plc, PTTEP deny share split rumours.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - PTT Plc and its subsidiary, PTT Exploration and Production Plc, say they have no plans to split their share par values as rumoured in the market, as any such plan would entail a lot of...

Thailand's automotive parts maker Aapico Hightech to expand production nearly 30%.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - The SET-listed auto parts maker Aapico Hitech Plc (AH) will increase production facilities for its chassis frames, and boost production by almost 30% from 25,000 to 32,000 units per...

Thailand's retail developer Central Pattana to add 8 shopping centres.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Central Pattana Plc, the property development arm of the Central Group, plans to open eight new shopping complexes, both locally and abroad, through 2010, the Bangkok Post. The plan...

Thailand: Distinguished architect to stay active after retirement.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - M.L. Sudavdee Kriangkrai, an architect renowned for her natural-style design, is preparing to retire from the day-to-day grind of her profession now that she has turned 60, and will...

Siemens to expand water solutions business in Thailand.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Siemens is targeting Thailand as one of 14 destinations worldwide for expansion of its water solutions and technology business, according to Joergen Ole Haslestad, president of Siemens...

Thailand: Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services wants to pay for jet fuel in baht instead of US dollar.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Bangkok Aviation Fuel Services (Bafs) is negotiating with major jet-fuel companies to change the currency of its service fees to baht from US dollars in order to reduce foreign-exchange...

Thailand: Haco Group to built factory in Rayong.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - The Haco Group, an importer and distributor of European bathroom accessories and furnishings, is investing 550 million baht in a new factory in Rayong to produce Grohe fittings, the...

Pfizer (Thailand) makes sales forecast.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - The pharmaceuticals manufacturer Pfizer (Thailand) remains optimistic that the company will post double-digit sales this year despite the slowing slowdown and higher oil prices, the...

Thailand: MCOT announces interim dividend payment.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - MCOT Plc on Monday announced it would pay an interim dividend to shareholders at 0.75 baht per share for its first-half performance. The payment is scheduled on Sept 27 with the share...

Thailand: Sugarcane growers urge government to raise pre-harvest crop prices.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - Sugarcane planters have urged the government to raise the pre-harvest crop price for the next milling season by 37% to 850 baht per tonne, the Bangkok Post. Anucha Nakasai, the...

Thailand: Company Earnings Reports.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - FAsia Credit reported Q2 audited net profit of 298.26m bt (0.50 bt/share), vs 191.23m (2.21 bt/share) last year. 6M net profit was 576.48m bt (0.99 bt/share), vs 482m (5.59 bt/share)...

Thailand: Thaksin accused of disrespecting press freedom.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's Meet the Press session continued to draw fire from media and democracy advocates who criticised his "lack of respect for press freedom," the Bangkok...

Thailand: Ministry wants to change bidding procedure on drought reduction projects.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry plans to apply an alternative bidding procedure to find contractors and speed up the construction of projects needed to tackle the water crisis...

Thailand: Ministry wants to provide temporary shelter for unwanted newborn babies.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Social Development and Human Security Ministry plans to allow women with unwanted pregnancies to leave their babies to the state for temporary or permanent adoption, the Bangkok Post...

Thailand: Thai workers in Taiwan to receive pay for day during which they rioted.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Thai workers involved in a riot in Taiwan on Aug 21 will continue to be paid, the Thai labour attache in Taipei, Somchai Rattanathai, said. The chairman of the Kaohsiung Rapid Transit...

Thailand: No easy way out of the big mess over nomination of new auditor-general.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - By coincidence or by karma, the annual military reshuffle list and the Senate's nomination of Wisut Montriwat as the new auditor-general appear to have become stuck at the palace...

Thailand: Price collusion can still happen under government's e-bidding system.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Commentary - The Thaksin government has been trumpeting the success of electronic bidding, which it claims is an effective measure against price collusion among bidders for government projects. In...

Thailand: Fired Bangkok Post reporter receive support from colleagues.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - About 100 Bangkok Post reporters (Monday) wore black to show solidarity with a senior reporter who was fired by the newspaper management on Monday and to protest against the dismissal...

Thailand: Thai Rak Thai members urges senate speaker to withdraw nomination of auditor-general.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - An outspoken Thai Rak Thai Party MP (Monday) called on Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua to withdraw the controversial nomination of the new auditor-general, The Nation reports....

Thailand: Government denies negotiating with insurgents.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The government on Monday denied news reports that it had entered secret talks with the southern separatist Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO) in Lausanne, Switzerland, The...

Thailand: Alternative fuels get boost as oil prices hit new highs.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Prices of retail oil products rose by Bt0.40 per liter Monday morning, a new record high for retail oil prices in Thailand as world's crude oil price is close to US$68 a barrel, The...

Thailand: Government reconsiders acquiring mass transit companies.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Govt rethinks plan to acquire indebted Skytrain, subway firms; still favours single-operator system with fare subsidies, The Nation reports. The government is likely to scrap a plan...

Thailand: Minister urges MPs to monitor Bangkok governor's performance.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - The PM's Office Minister has called for Bangkok MPs to evaluate the work of Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin, The Nation reports. Prime Minister's Office Minister Suranand...

Thailand: Senate speaker on hot seat over nomination of new auditor-general.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - Pressure grew for Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua to make a decisive move to find a way out of the impasse over the controversial appointment of a new auditor-general, The...

Thailand: press council urges journalists to examine liability issues.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Press Council of Thailand (PCT) has urged the Thai Journalists Association to hold talks and develop a stance for dealing with libel suits filed against members of the press, The...

Thailand: Age of recently found dinosaur fossil estimated at 130 million years.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - A fossil more than 130 million years old, possibly of a plant-eating dinosaur's lower leg, has been found in Kalasin's Lai Singha Mountain, a geologist said , The Nation reports. ...

Defence minister says soldiers may replace police in South of Thailand.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - If police cannot quell the violence in the troubled deep South, then soldiers will take over, Defence Minister Thamarak Isarangura said , The Nation reports. He was attending a...

Thailand: Poll shows people put faith in Thaksin to solve social problems.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - A majority of people have pinned their hope on Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra being able to tackle the country's social problems, a survey by Suan Dusit Poll disclosed, The Nation...

Thai-Indian FTA talks to resume.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Trade officials to resume negotiations on Sept 19, The Nation reports. Thai and Indian officials will resume trade talks next month to discuss phasing sensitive products into the...

Thailand: G-Steel Plc IPO may face problems due to falling world steel prices.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - G-Steel Plc's debut performance may be adversely affected by the recent sharp decline in world steel prices, analysts have warned, The Nation reports. The company, which is a...

Thailand: Dairy farmers urge dairy product makers to buy more milk domestically.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Dairy farmers have asked large-scale dairy-product manufacturers to use more local raw materials instead of increasing imports of powdered milk, The Nation reports. The move aims to...

Thailand: Foreigners can qualify for loans to buy condominiums.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Expariates working here can obtain 70% financing for condos, The Nation reports. Until recently, one of the great obstacles to Thai condominium sales had been the inability by banks...

Thailand: Asia Insurance CEO says company to be innovation leader.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Online is where the business is, says boss, The Nation reports. Chula-Payap Srikarnchana, CEO of Asia Insurance, aims to build up the brand image and reputation of his little-known...

Thailand: Amata Corp to get into water business in Eastern Seaboard.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Amata Corp is ready to diversify into water distribution for the Eastern Seaboard if the government allows it to challenge concessionaire East Water Resources Management and...

Thailand: Telecoms commission approves testing of WiMax broadband technology.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - NTC agrees to trials prior to regulation, The Nation reports. The national telecom-regulator has approved in principle a plan to permit firms to test provision of Internet connections...

Thailand's agro industry giant Charoen Pokphand sets to swing axe at non-core units.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Charoen Pokphand Group plans to shed stakes in non-core concerns so as to focus on its animal-related business, The Nation reports. Adirek Sriprathak, managing director of CP...

Hutchison to build terminal in Thailand.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Ports-to-telecoms conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa Ltd says it is leading a consortium that will build and operate a new terminal facility in Thailand, The Nation reports. It gave no...

Thailand to launch campaign to introduce OTOP in French outlets.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - The Export Promotion Department, in cooperation with four leading French supermarkets, will launch a campaign to introduce Thai premium Otop (One Tambon One Product) items and...

Thailand: Should Thais be allowed to invest in hedge funds?
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Commentary - Ministry, BOT asked to let locals trade. Should local institutional investors and rich individuals be allowed to invest in global hedge funds? The question has arisen because Deutsche...

Thailand: Consumer electronics market slows down.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - The consumer electronics market, comprising both visual and audio products, is forecast to grow by only 2 per cent to Bt41.3 billion this year, according to a report, The Nation reports....

Thailand: Thai foreign minister works with North Korea to get nuclear talks to resume.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Kantathi a go-between to kick-start six-nation Pyongyang negotiations, The Nation reports. Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon has found himself involved in the vital six-nation...

Justice Minister terms Thailand's southern situation as developing positively.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The situation in the three southern border provinces has developed positively as a result of the fact that more insurgents are turning themselves in to authorities, according to Deputy...

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives issues statement warning of possible floods in Northern and Northeastern regions of Thailand.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has issued a statement warning people in the northern and north-eastern regions of possible floods caused by the depression that is moving...

Thailand: Responsible Chumphorn agencies ready for emergencies or rescues following heavy rain.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Almost 107 villages in Chumporn still on alert for immediate landslides and flood that caused by this week's heavy downpour. Chumporn Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Chief...

Thai delegation to Japan to negotiate relaxation of SPS measures for Thai produce.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives will push the Thai Kitchen to the World project in Japan, to create a purchasing point for Thai agricultural produce. It will also negotiate...

Thailand: BRT buses for substituting parts of purple & orange lines to be completed in 2 years.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The transport minister has asserted that BRT buses will be used in substituting the Purple Line electric train in the Bangyai-Bangsue section, and the Orange Line in the Ramkhamhaeng...

Thailand: DSI expects to arrest at least 2 middle-ranking insurgency leaders by September.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The chief of the Special Investigation Department believes that the agency will be able to arrest at least 2 middle-ranking insurgent leaders by September. The Director-General of the...

Thailand's Social Development and Human Security Ministry to go after racing shops.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is advising the government to prosecute racing shops that are modifying vehicles for racing, instead of arresting the automobile...

Thailand's Ministry of Labour looks into Taiwan protest incident.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Labour Ministry is setting up a committee to investigate facts related to the Thai labour protests in Taiwan, and has invited independent bodies to join the committee. Minister of...

Thailand: Phuket struggling to solve land encroachment issues.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Phuket Province is pushing for solutions on protecting its forests from encroachment by resource exploiters. Phuket Governor Udomsak Asawarangoon stated that following incidents of...

Thailand: Job employment in Phuket improves while Job Employment Service Department to organize job fair next week.
August 31, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - The employment outlook in Phuket is starting to pick up for the first time since the tsunami crisis. Business places in Phuket such as gold shops, restaurants, and superstores are now...