Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from September 2005, page 2

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from September 2005

Thailand: Senate faces criticisms over selection of NBC members.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - Selection of broadcasting watchdog's members likely to end in the courts, The Nation reports. When it selected the seven members of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)...

Thailand: Constitutional Court says it is prepared to review case of appointment of auditor-general.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - The Constitution Court on Tuesday entered the fray over the job status of Auditor-General Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka, expressing readiness to review the matter, The Nation...

International aviation agencies should participate in test flight at Thailand's new airport, Democrats say.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The opposition on Tuesday suggested the government allow international aviation agencies to join the inaugural flight to Suvarnabhumi Airport tomorrow to ensure safety standards, The...

UNCHR wants more details in Thailand's report on Emergency Decree.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The United Nations Commission on Human Rights has asked Thailand to add details on the controversial emergency decree to its annual human-rights report, the deputy permanent secretary for...

Thailand: Killing at Narathiwat teashop not done by police death squad, senior official says.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - A senior police officer in charge of the five southernmost provinces on Tuesday dismissed accusations that a government death squad was behind last week's fatal shooting at a teashop in...

Thailand: Prime minister agrees to review transfers of Public Health Ministry officials.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - Thaksin vows to review transfers following visit by removed permanent secretary, colleagues, The Nation reports. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Tuesday delayed the...

Thailand: Tax law enacted by government benefits Shin Corp, witness says in court.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - A defence witness in the defamation case against media reformer Supinya Klangnarong on Tuesday told the court that a subsidiary of plaintiff Shin Corporation had benefited to the tune of...

Thailand: Groups urge boycott of 7-Eleven for violating cigarette display regulations.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Health and youth advocacy groups called on Tuesday for a boycott of 7-Eleven stores across the country, accusing the group of intentionally ignoring the government's new ban on cigarette...

Thailand: Investors may not be interested in Provincial Electricity Authority.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Commentary - Egat privatisation plan casts doubt on utility's own ability to attract investors, The Nation reports. Prospects for the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) to list on the Stock Exchange...

Thailand: Media operators favourably impressed with National Broadcasting Commission members.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Media operators on Tuesday cheered the Senate's creation of the seven-member National Broadcasting Commission, saying it marked a new chapter in the regulation of the local media industry...

Thailand: Mangpong Plc invests in new distribution channels for music and movie products.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Mangpong Plc has spent almost Bt50 million on opening new distribution channels for its music and movie products, The Nation reports. The money has also been spent on improving its...

Thailand: Cabinet approves tax benefits for elderly.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Cabinet on Tuesday approved a tax measure that would exempt more elderly folks from paying personal income tax, The Nation reports. Deputy Finance Minister Chaiyot Sasomsub said...

Thailand: SEC to wait until after Buddhist Lent to discuss listing of alcoholic beverage company.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) confirmed that its board of directors would discuss after the end of Buddhist Lent whether to allow alcohol producers to offer shares to the...

Thailand: Thai Airways jumps the gun is advertising new flight to Moscow.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Commentary - Thai Airways International on Tuesday ran an advertisement for a direct flight between Bangkok and Moscow commencing on November 1, The Nation reports. In the ad is a crystal ball...

Thailand: TAMC to auction 700 distressed properties.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - State-owned company sees property auction attracting small entrepreneurs, The Nation reports. Thai Asset Manage-ment Corp (TAMC) is preparing to unload 700 distressed properties worth...

Thailand: Fitch Ratings warns of risks involved for banks following use of Basel II standards.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - Commercial banks that apply the standardised approach to credit-risk management under the impending Basel II standard are in danger of attracting a high number of low-quality customers,...

Thailand: TMB Asset Management applies to set up gold investment fund.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Investment - A chance for investors to own some gold by paying as little as Bt2,000 has inched a bit closer to reality, after TMB Asset Management on Monday submitted to the Securities and Exchange...

Thailand: Bangkok Bank may not renew credit cards with poor payment records.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Nearly 10,000 holders of Bangkok Bank (BBL) credit cards will not get their cards extended this year because of their late payment records, The Nation reports. The bank's senior...

Thailand: Futures exchange predicts trading of 1000 contract a day.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - The Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) is anticipating an average of 1,000 contracts a day once it is inaugurated next year, The Nation reports. The market has set a price of Bt500,000...

Thailand: University doctor launches S Medical Spa.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Chulalongkorn doctor sets up on Wireless Road, The Nation reports. A medical doctor from Chulalongkorn University has established a spa on Wireless Road, in the heart of Bangkok....

Thailand: TOT Corp's new chief marketing officer confident of building company's image.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - TOT Corp Plc's new chief marketing officer Adit Harinasuta, 37, is confident that his brand-building skills can make the state enterprise's image outshine its rivals, The Nation...

Asian countries push for lower tariffs on bicycles, jewelry, and IT products.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - Thailand and other Asian countries have been active in World Trade Organisation negotiations on cutting or eliminating tariffs on bicycles, jewellery and information technology products,...

Computer-based learning not yet in full bloom in Thailand.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Organisations in Thailand are finding it difficult to gain commitment and support from their employees for computer-based learning, according to a personnel research and consulting firm,...

Thailand: National telecoms commission drafts 3-G regulations.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Rules are only for companies wanting to test next generation services, The Nation reports. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has completed a draft of guidelines for...

Thailand: Both Thai Airways and Nok Air to fly to Mae Hong Son.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) and Nok Air will share the four daily Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son flights, The Nation reports. The national airline will continue to operate three...

Thailand: US postpones hearing on anti-dumping duties on Thai shrimp.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The US International Trade Commission has postponed a public hearing on suspending anti-dumping duties on Thai shrimp due to the devastation hurricane Katrina caused to the US industry,...

Thailand: Many Asia Pacific countries to see higher prices of rice.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - Retail rice prices will continue to climb in many countries in the Asia-Pacific region partly because of increased costs of fuel, fertilisers and transportation, according to the UN Food...

Thailand: Sawasdee Duty Free Plaza to open in Phuket on October 15.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Sawasdee Duty Free Plaza will open in Phuket on October 15, offering more than 2,000 items free of duties to local and foreign tourists, The Nation reports. Weeravit Lew, managing...

Thailand: Leading UK restaurant Floyd's Brasserie opens branch at Burasari Resort in Phuket.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Tourists visiting Phuket now have another world-class dining option with the recent opening of the Burasari Resort - a boutique hotel housing leading UK-based restaurant chain Floyd's...

Thailand: Major Asian conference on housing for the poor to open in Bangkok next week.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Thailand will host one of Asia's biggest conferences on housing for the poor next week, The Nation reports. The event will demonstrate the government's cheap housing program as a...

Thailand: Election Commission lacks efficiency and professionalism.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Commentary - The dismal verdicts of the Election Commission show it may be better for a court to rule on disqualifications, The Nation reports. Among the various "independent" agencies mandated by...

Thailand: Chairman of National reconciliation Commission said state media try to discredit him.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Anand Panyarachun, chairman of the National Reconciliation Commission, on Monday takes the state media to task for allegedly trying to jeopardise NRC's proposals regarding the violence in...

Thailand: IATA says new airport's advisory committee must meet to prepare for commercial flights in 2006.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - An advisory body created four months ago for Suvarnabhumi airport must meet "urgently" if it is to clear the way for commercial flights next year, the world's major airline industry group...

Thailand: Part of Lampang province flooded as typhoon Damrey arrives.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Heavy flooding caused by the remnants of Typhoon Damrey, which has weakened to a tropical depression, has put three districts of Lampang province under water, killed two people and left...

Thailand: Resignation of beauty queen exposes ugly side of pageant business.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Former Miss Thailand World 2005, Achara MacKay, also known as Angela, may have unnerved conservative Thai society through her explicit photo shots and her straight talk on money matters,...

Thailand: Senate speaker tells Khunying Jaruvan to resign as auditor-general.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - Calls for Khunying Jaruvan Maintaka to formally resign and end the auditor-general controversy came loudly and clearly from Senate Speaker Suchon Chaleekrua's camp on Wednesday,...

Thailand: Senate accused of being pawns of big media business in selecting NBC members.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - Activists have condemned the Senate for voting what they called proxies of media authorities and powerful media business groups to the National Broadcasting Commission on...

Thailand: Senators testify in libel suit that Shin Corp benefits from government tax policy.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Two senators told the Criminal Court on Wednesday that Shin Corp, a telecom giant owned by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's family, stood to benefit from the issuance of an executive...

Thailand: Government to showcase Ban Mankong housing project at international conference.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The government's Ban Mankong housing project for the urban poor will be held up as a model at an international event hosted by Thailand next week to mark World Habitat Day, the Bangkok...

Thailand: Minister Sudarat instructs Agriculture Department to focus on research.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan has instructed the new Agriculture Department chief to focus on research and development to match the country's needs,...

Thailand: Establishment of National Broadcasting Commission long overdue.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Commentary - Establishment of the country's first broadcasting industry regulatory body, known officially as the National Broadcasting Commission, has been long overdue. Eight years since the...

Thailand: Keep close eye on committee set up by government to reroute subway lines.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Commentary - Everyone should keep a close watch on the sub-committee appointed by the government to reroute some of the seven new subway lines to be built in Bangkok. The subway lines are part of the...

Thailand: Bank of Asia shareholders gives greenlight to merger with UOB Ranadasin Bank.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Shareholders of Bank of Asia Plc have approved the bank's merger with UOB Radanasin to form United Overseas Bank (Thai) in November, the Bangkok Post reports. The merged bank will...

Airports of Thailand wants more than one company to provide telecoms services at new airport.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) made clear on Wednesday that it could not allow TOT Plc to be sole provider of telecommunication services at the Suvarnabhumi airport, the Bangkok Post...

IATA points out needed improvements at Thailand's new airport.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Wednesday urged immediate improvements to ensure a smooth launch for the new Suvarnabhumi airport, the Bangkok Post reports. ...

Thailand SET slips slightly on Wednesday.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Stocks - The SET index slipped 0.14% on Wednesday, failing to react to the improved credit ratings of six major Thai banks, the Bangkok Post reports. Standard & Poor's Ratings Services announced on...

Thailand: Finance minister steps in to help overcome impasse in TPI loan restructuring.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya is intervening personally in hopes of ending the standoff over the rehabilitation of Thai Petrochemical Industry Plc (TPI), the Bangkok Post reports. ...

Thailand: Kiatnakin Bank to debut on October 3.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Kiatnakin Finance Plc will begin operating as a full-service bank from Monday with a target of 100 billion baht in assets within three years, the Bangkok Post reports. The company...

Thailand: Siam City Bank says new marketing unit doing a good job.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Siam City Bank (SCIB) says its nine-month-old sales and marketing management unit is helping it to tap business opportunities not covered by its branches as a way of expanding its...

Thailand: Treasury Department leases land to Egat.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - The Treasury Department on Wednesday sealed an agreement to lease 38,377 rai of land nationwide to Egat Plc for 9.44 billion baht, the Bangkok Post reports. After being corporatised...

Thailand: PTT and PTTEP test production of liquefied natural gas.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - PTT Plc and subsidiary PTT Exploration and Production Plc (PTTEP) are preparing for test production of liquefied natural gas (LNG), using gas that is a byproduct of oil production and...

Thailand: Relaunched Zuellig House hopes for full occupancy by year-end.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - The Zuellig Group, an international distributor of pharmaceutical and health-care products, has recently relaunched the renovated Zuellig House with the expectation full occupancy can...

Thailand: Faced with rising energy costs, Siam City Cement shifts to value-added products.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - To maintain its operating margin at a time of high energy prices, Siam City Cement Plc (SCCC), the country's second largest cement maker, is putting more focus on high value-added...

Thailand: Coca-Cola bottler Haad Thip Plc says foreign partner will help strengthen transport and IT development.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Haad Thip Plc expressed confidence on Wednesday that its new foreign partner will help strengthen its transport and IT development, and help boost the company's 2005 net profit. The...

Thailand: Son of Daily News owner sets up sukiyaki restaurant chain.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - The son of the owner of the Daily News, the country's second-largest newspaper, has established a small sukiyaki restaurant chain to cash in on the growing popularity of Japanese-style...

Thailand: Permanent-Secretary of Public Heath and Senior officials defends themselves against transfer order.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Government & Politics - The prime minister has asserted that he will not sign the transfer of the permanent-secretary of Public Health and 9 other C-10 officials. Meanwhile the permanent-secretary has...

Foreign Minister indicates Thai-US FTA negotiations to complete in next year.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Economy - The Foreign Affairs Minister has indicated the Thai-US FTA negotiation will be complete within next year. Foreign Affairs Minister Kantathee Suphamongkhon presented a keynote address on...

UNHCR says it will not interfere with 131 Thais case.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The spokesperson of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva yesterday announced that the UNHCR will not interfere with the case of 131 Thai Muslims who fled from the...

Sports Authority of Thailand Governor will not allow Rajamangala to be used as racing venue.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand would not allow the Rajamangala sports complex to become a venue for speed-car racing. The response of the governor arises from Social...

Thailand: Floodwater expected to hit Chiang Mai early this morning.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Chiang Mai governor has held a meeting with related agencies on contingency plan to cope with the waterflow expected to reach the city this morning (September 29, 2005). Reports...

Two military forces in Thailand's deep South to be merged to achieve better efficiency in Southern solution.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Ministry of Defence has plans to merge the working group of the Southern Border Provinces Peace Building Command with the Front Unit of the Fourth Army Area, for greater efficiency in...

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin to hold New Year countdown at Suvarnabhumi Airport.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Government will hold a New Year countdown at Suvarnabhumi Airport on December 31 to promote the nearly completed airport as regional air hub. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra...

Thailand: Anti-Money Laundering Office ready to confiscate assets of loan sharks nationwide.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Secretary-General of the Anti-Money Laundering Office has initiated a plan to confiscate assets of persons who charge higher-than-normal interest rates from borrowers of their money....

Thailand's BOI studies the likely impact of Shougang steel investment.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Investment - The industry minister has ordered the Board of Investment (BOI) to study the probable impact of a proposed project by China's Shougang to invest in steel production, a report in Krungthep...

Thai government supports increased NGV use.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The government is converting all government vehicles to use natural gas for vehicles (NGV), Krungthep Turakij reported. The Energy Conservation Fund is using a budget of 110 million...

Kiatnakin Bank of Thailand to open on 3 October.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Kiatnakin Bank is the newest commercial bank to open for business in Thailand, a report in Krungthep Turakij said. Kiatnakin group has been working in the finance business for 35...

DTAC of Thailand to establish new subsidiaries.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Total Access Communications (TAC) is preparing to set up three or four subsidiaries to run separate businesses, a report in Krungthep Turakij said. TAC is planning to establish at...

Khon Kaen Sugar of Thailand to expand ethanol production.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Khon Kaen Sugar (KSL) plans to expand its ethanol production to 400,000 litres a day, Krungthep Turakij reported. Khon Kaen Alcohol, a subsidiary of KSL, is preparing to ask...

Thailand's Saha Union invests more in textiles and power in China.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Saha Union is investing another 3.68 billion baht in China, a report in Krungthep Turakij said. The board of directors of Saha Union approved investments in three projects in China....

Pan Beauty of Thailand to invest 200 million baht in expansion in 2006.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Corporate News - Pan Beauty plans to open new branches and renovate its older ones in 2006, a report in Krungthep Turakij said. Pan Beauty wants to give its Pan Clinics a new image as holistic...

Bank of Thailand reaffirms policy to maintain interest rate hike.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Economy - Bank of Thailand (BOT)'s Deputy Governor Bandid Nigathavorn on Wednesday reaffirmed its policy to maintain an interest rate hike in the remaining period of this year, saying it needs to do...

UNHCR disclosure of Thai villagers' status put off.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has postponed the disclosure of its decision on the status of 131 Muslim villagers who earlier fled from Thailand's southernmost...

Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport to become special administrative zone.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Thailand's Suvarnabhumi International Airport will become a special administrative zone--independent from surrounding areas. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-Ngam said on Wednesday...

Interior Ministry head starts issuing smart ID cards in Thailand's deep South.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The Interior Ministry has begun issuing 'Smart ID Cards' to people in Thailand's three southern border provinces of Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani with no objections or obstacles, says...

Thailand's textile and garment exports expected to surge this year.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - The Commerce Ministry projects that Thailand's exports of textiles and garments will grow almost doubly to US$7.5 billion this year, led by the shipment of ready-to-wear clothes. ...

Suspected insurgents in Thailand's deep South to be released on bail after surrender: DSI.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The chief of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), Pol. Gen. Sombat Amornvivat, has urged suspected insurgents in Thailand's deep South to surrender, promising that they will be...

PM's weekly press conference to be held at Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will change the venue of his weekly press conference this Thursday from the Government House to the Suvarnabhumi Airport. Government Spokesman...

Thai cabinet nods for purchase of two new aircraft.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The cabinet has approved in principle a plan to purchase two new aircraft from Brazil to be used for official operations. The plan, proposed by a government panel chaired by Deputy...

Thailand: New ministerial regulation to control on-line games.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - The cabinet has approved an Interior Ministry proposal on drafting a new ministerial regulation to control computer on-line games, aiming to solve problems caused by children's addiction...

Thailand's Senators elect seven broadcast commissioners, critics fault selection process.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Thailand's Senate on Tuesday chose seven persons to sit as national broadcasting commissioners, a media-watchdog agency. After a five-hour open debate followed by a two-hour in-camera...

Thailand's vegetarian food market value expected to rise this year: KRC.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - The vegetarian food market value this year is expected to reach 1.65 billion baht, up 10 per cent from that of last year, since more city residents turn to consume the food for...

Depression Damrey delivers floods and dislocation to Thailand's northern provinces.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Depression Damrey was centered over Thailand's northern Nan Province Wednesday morning at around 10 a.m, carrying heavy rain and traveling in a westerly direction at a speed of 60km/hr....

NPLs likely to reduce faster: Bank of Thailand.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: Business News - Non-performing loans (NPLs) held in the Thai banking system are likely to reduce faster after asset management companies (AMC) are allowed to trade NPls and non-performing assets with...

Thailand to host World's Top Women in Business Award 2006.
September 30, 2005... (From Thai Press Reports) Section: General News - Thailand will be the first Asian nation to host the world outstanding businesswomen of the year award presentations, which celebrates its first decade early next year, and Thai...