The Nation (Thailand) articles from April 2006, page 3

The Nation (Thailand) archives from April 2006

Environmental designs honoured.
April 23, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bangkok will host the first global Holcim Awards tomorrow, in which 15 of the most environmentally friendly architectural, industrial, engineering and urban planning designs from five...

Use of lese majeste as political tool slammed.
April 23, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Academics and social activists yesterday called for an end to the abusive use of lese-majeste charges by people in power as a means of discrediting their opponents. They called...

Motorcycle taxis seek rise.
April 23, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. In the face of rising petrol prices, about 100 motorcycle taxi drivers in this northeastern province plan to obtain permission from the provincial transport office to increase the...

Bahrain to serve as trade centre model.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. As the Thailand Business Centre in Bahrain is completed, the Federation of Thai Industries has been approached to build similar centres in Saudi Arabia and in Qatar, a move that...

Oil cuts into earnings forecasts for listed firms.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Capital Nomura Securities Plc (CNS) yesterday cut its earnings growth forecast in half for the country's listed companies, citing the effects of high energy prices. With oil...

GMM squeaks into boardroom.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Entertainment firm gets only one seat after buying 23-per-cent stake last year Suthikiati Chirathivat yesterday succeeded in holding on to his management power at Post Publishing...

Ratch sees chance to spread its wings.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding Plc (Ratch) is approaching its parent company, Egat, for authorisation to take over new power-plant projects now that Egat is unlikely to take...

Bangchak to raise $378m.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bangchak Petroleum Plc is set to raise US$378 million (Bt14.3 billion) early next month for its product quality improvement (PQI) project through a share sale to PTT Plc and...

BOT downplays the baht's export effect.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Bank of Thailand insisted yesterday that export growth depended mainly on the economies of trading partners rather than foreign exchange rates. Assistant governor Atchana...

MCOT chief eyes another term.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Mingkwan Sangsuwan, president of MCOT Plc, which operates Modernine TV and many radio stations, yesterday submitted an application to a selection committee to stay his position for...

CNS spends Bt10m on Web trading.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Capital Nomura Securities Plc (CNS) has invested Bt10 million to develop its information-technology system to support online "credit-balance" trading accounts as well as the securities...

Ministry eyes Australian sales.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. To promote Thailand as a regional fashion hub, the Industry Ministry is to take a road show to Sydney. Pramote Vidtayasuk, director-general of the Industrial Promotion Department,...

Singha Paratech aims to floor Canada.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Singha Paratech Plc foresees a bright future for its wood flooring in North America thanks to its new partner, Canada-based Westcoast International Trading Co Ltd. Vice CEO...

TOT makes new appeal in True ruling.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. State agency alleges conflict of interest on the part of arbitration court chairman TOT Plc on Thursday appealed to the Central Administrative Court to override February's...

Ascon refutes allegations.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Ascon Construction Plc has dismissed allegations by former Democrat Party MP Alongkorn Pollabutr that the company is among those benefiting from government project bidding because the...

Some practical suggestions for improving safety during next year's Songkran festival.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Re: "Water-splashing is as lethal as drunk driving", Letters, April 17. Richard Stampfle's recent letter described a terrible Songkran road accident in Nong Khai, where revellers...

China moves onto centre stage.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Beijing desires equal-partner status with the US but still must prove it can act responsibly as a major player It was clear from the moment Chinese President Hu Jintao stepped...

PWO president dismissed.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Commerce Ministry decided yesterday that the Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) president and 11 officials were guilty of illegally awarding contracts to rice inspectors,...

Failing to understand Thai politics.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The recent spat between this publication and a respected British news magazine reveals how difficult it can be for the Western media - and Westerners in general - to understand...

Company Reports.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. AEON THANA SINSAP (THAILAND) announced net profit of Bt980.53 million for fiscal 2005 (to February 20). It will pay a dividend of Bt0.72 per share on June 22. AYUDHYA INVESTMENT...

Lessons from the North of Europe.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Less debate over economics would be needed if the world spent more time examining what actually works and what does not. Almost everywhere, debate has raged about how to combine...

Battling Thai Nacha settles for silver.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [TAEKWONDO] Korea ruled the roast on the opening day of the 17th Asian Taekwondo Championships yesterday, capturing three of the four gold medals on offer. The hosts had something...

Danai up.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Danai Udomchoke, who has been making a series of first-round exits this season, has overcome his jinx to reach his first semi-final in the US$25,000 (Bt950,000) Coffee Cup Challenger...

10-day Songkran road kills cost Bt1 billion.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Fatal road accidents over the 10-day Songkran holiday cost the country more than Bt1 billion, the director-general of the Probation Department Wanchai Roujanavong said yesterday. ...

Burmese lawmakers seek refuge.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Five Burmese lawmakers arrived at a rebel Karen National Union camp near the Thai border yesterday, saying they had fled Burma because they feared persecution by its military...

Students await their 12th-grade scores with bated breath.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Group hopes grades will be reassessed under new system to make things fairer for all A decision on whether to re-assess the scores of students who completed Grade 12 before the...

Sondhi takes police CSD chief to court.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Anti-government media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul yesterday sued the Crime Suppression Division commander for defamation in relation to a remark allegedly made by Sondhi regarding the...

Rehearsals afoot for anniversary celebrations.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The grand rehearsals of many ceremonies will take place next week in preparation for the upcoming 60th anniversary celebrations of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's ascension to...

'Sell the tractor, get a few odd jobs, grow some rice'.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Record oil prices are forcing change and making people work harder to survive in the provinces High oil prices loom not only over businesses and industries nationwide, but...

Kidnapper caught, baby saved.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. After an intense week-long investigation, police yesterday rescued a newborn twin girl kidnapped from a hospital in Lop Buri province and arrested a woman for kidnapping. Pimpa...

Violence feared over Samak.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Leaders in southern provinces yesterday condemned plans to nominate Samak Sundaravej as the new Senate speaker, describing him as "totally unqualified". "Samak obviously stands by...

Govt tries new tack to steady bus fares.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Coupons will help 20,000 vehicles to save on diesel cost as world oil price hits record $73 Oil prices opened yesterday at a record of above US$73 (Bt2,760) a barrel amid growing...

Honouring our King.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the crowning of the longest reigning monarch in the world's modern history - HM the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the ninth ruler of the Chakri...

Southern violence spills over into Songkhla, 2 hurt.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Violence continued unabated in the three southernmost provinces yesterday and extended into neighbouring Songkhla. Two people were seriously wounded in separate attacks. In...

Creative waves.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Four new-wave artists, Arin Rungjang, Kata Sangkhae, Kornkrit Jianpinidnun and Pratchaya Phinthong, display their diversities in "Melting Place Exhibition" at Bangkok University's...

Internet brings a healing touch.
April 22, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Believe it or not, in the next year doctors will be able to feel a patient with his or her own hands from thousands of miles away. Thanks to a collaborative project between Siriraj...

Tax relief not part of govt plans.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. 'Market mechanisms must prevail' Caretaker Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya promised not to use tax cuts to tackle the increase in oil prices, which briefly hit a record intra-day...

Board of Trade wants baht tamed.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A Board of Trade committee chair yesterday called on the Bank of Thailand (BOT) to tame the appreciating baht, which is rising at a time of poor economic indicators that normally...

Toyota ready for local NGV car production.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Toyota Motors Thailand is prepared to produce passenger cars that can use natural gas for vehicles (NGV) if the Finance Ministry agrees to cut excise tax to 20 per cent, said a PTT Plc...

Carrier denies any wrongdoing.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bangkok Airways Co Ltd hit out yesterday at charges that its cargo project at Suvarnabhumi Airport had involved collusive bidding and failure to comply with terms of reference. ...

New mag for women with hi-so ambitions.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Local entertainment company RS Plc yesterday officially launched its latest magazine, Fame, for up and coming women with a yen for a life of luxury. The new 290-page quarterly...

Able to afford a hefty subsidy.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Guess what - Thailand is not the only country in the world to use subsidies to maintain low fuel prices. China keeps its petrol prices at the pump artificially low to encourage...

Company airs acquisition plan.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Purchase of steel plants first step in diversification move Thai Heat Exchange Plc plans to acquire two steel plants this year as part of its effort to diversify following the...

SEC 'teacher' nets wayward students.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Unruly kids have always annoyed adults, especially those who are strict with the rules of behaviour. The relationship between asset-management companies and the Securities and...

Muang Thai's unexpected gains from rate hikes.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Muang Thai Insurance has reported a higher-than-expected return of about 9 per cent from its investment portfolio in the first quarter, thanks mainly to rises in interest rates. ...

GHB lifts interest on fixed-rate deposits.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Government Housing Bank said yesterday that it would raise the interest paid on its 12-month fixed-rate deposits to 5.5 per cent, the industry's highest, in a bid to maintain the...

KTB profit jumps 11%.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Six institutions log mixed first-quarter results, as higher corporate taxes bite A number of financial institutions yesterday announced their first-quarter results, with Krung...

Samart energy deal.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Samart Corp Plc will earn revenues of Bt2.4 billion within 10 years from a deal to supply electricity to a cement plant partly owned by the Siam Cement group in Cambodia's Kampot...

Toilet firm sinks into mid market.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Nahm Sanitaryware Co Ltd start concentrating more on the middle class in an attempt to expand sales 10 per cent to Bt560 million this year, after it missed its growth target last year....

Trade surplus finally logged.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. State promotion agency to hold outsourcing fair Thailand's trade balance moved into the black last month for the first time this year, bringing the trade deficit for the first...

'Ink Japanese FTA by July'.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce yesterday urged the new government to sign a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA) with Japan by July, to add momentum to exports and...

PTT won't follow price-increase blitz - for now.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. PTT Plc, the country's largest oil and gas conglomerate, is trying to keep its retail oil prices unchanged as long as possible, even though it means carrying a huge loss, one executive...

Goodyear to focus on high end.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Pricier products to the fore to balance rising costs Tyre manufacturer Goodyear (Thailand) will focus on the high-end market, particularly four-by-four and high-performance car...

Investors' Day.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. MAI, 'the new investment beat' The fifth Thai Investors' Day will be held on May 6 and 7 at the Stock Exchange of Thailand building, and will promote the Market for Alternative...

Environment is paying the price for political nepotism and corrupt profiteering.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. I never ceased to be amazed about the ongoing Thai political situation. Wives, husbands, sons and daughters of current Thai Rak Thai MPs running and apparently winning Senate seats....

New Senate shows a nation divided.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A majority of senators have alleged ties to TRT; the selection of a speaker will show if it is a 'house of slaves' Bangkok has sent another clear message, but so did the provinces....

One last chance to break out of a political chokehold.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. If you were hoping the April 19th election would produce a new Senate that would strengthen the checks-and-balances system, then you are in for another big disappointment. More...

Thai foreign policy's continuous thread.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. In a democratic society like ours, the conduct of foreign policy, like other administrative undertakings, has to be in line with the overall policy championed by each elected...

Thais 'lack the drive to succeed'.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand's teams have been showing a disturbing lack of killer instinct and that applies to the women's golf squad, said national golf coach Mongkol Varee. The team, which was...

Yaowapa gets a Lankan in round 1.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [TAEKWONDO] Two promising stars, finweight Yaowapa Boorapolchai and featherweight Chonnapas Premwaew, have a bright chance of making it to the final round of the 17th Asian Taekwondo...

Hydrogen offers hope as fossil fuels diminish.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. For those looking for stable electricity, the answer may be found in a new power source using fuel cells. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert hydrogen and oxygen...

Better coordination to fix traffic.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. To improve Bangkok's notorious traffic, the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning together with the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) plans to...

Hutchison upbeat on talks with CAT.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Hong Kong's Hutchison Telecom hopes it can wrap up negotiations with Thai partner CAT Telecom Plc on a co-marketing plan for cellular services through their two separate networks this...

Citicorp aims for top three.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Citicorp Securities (Thailand) has officially launched its securities business in Thailand, with a target to be among the top three brokers in the brokerage market within about one...

Aromatics completes upgrades.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Aromatics (Thailand) Plc is operating at full capacity after restarting production on March 28, after a 30-day pause for "turnaround" maintenance to boost efficiency and create...

New IBM systems will configure themselves.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Those who find it hard to handle computers at all levels may have their problems solved in the not-too-distant future as systems will be able to configure and reconfigure themselves...

Pushing fashion frontiers.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Today's ideas of style are derived from a willingness to break the rules Frills, long bohemian skirts, big monogrammed bags and wedge shoes are all the rage this month. You'll...

Cats get even more stressed dealing with owner's stress.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. All good things must come to an end. After many years living on Soi Thong Lor, my mini-zoo and I have moved on. The owner of my apartment building, recognising business...

Asean relents to give Burma more time to change.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean) yesterday stepped back from putting more pressure on Burma and gave the ruling junta space to achieve national reconciliation and...

Grade weighting is unfair, say students.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Students are calling on relevant authorities to significantly reduce the weighting of grades from senior secondary education years in the university-admission criteria. The Office...

Female inmates trained as maids, carers for elderly.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Corrections Department is training 90 female inmates to work as maids, giving them skills in caring for the elderly, babysitting, massage and general housekeeping. "There is a...

Progress in test assessments.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Office of the Higher Education Commission (Ohec) last night completed scoring the multiple-choice sections of the O-Net and A-Net exams and these scores will be announced on April...

BENESOVA SURPRISE.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Suchanan to fight it out with No 45 Suchanan Viratprasert will kick off the Fed Cup tie against world No 45 Iveta Benesova as Thailand launch their mission impossible against the...

A poison that heals.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Since 1998 doctors here have used the toxin to treat a range of medical conditions Known for some years by the name of Botox and more widely known to the general public as bamboo...

Lie tests for 'kidnappers'.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A suspected kidnapper and her mother are likely to be summoned for lie-detector and DNA tests, a police source said yesterday. Suspect Sakhon Kamto, 24, and her mother were...

Man blames hospital for twin sons' deaths.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A man carried his dead twin sons to the provincial health office yesterday and accused doctors at Nakhonping Hospital of causing their stillbirth. The man's relatives said they...

It's pay back time as Hendry loses to old enemy Bond.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [SNOOKER] Derbyshire professional, Nigel Bond, produced a Thunderball performance to remove Stephen Hendry from the 888.com World Championship in Sheffield's Crucible Theatre on...

Samak versus Klanarong'.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Two determined men from opposite ends of the political spectrum look set to fight it out for top post The race for the speaker's post in the new Senate is likely to be a battle...

'Unrealistic' Charter due for change: academics.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Constitution should be amended to reform the country's election of senators because existing rules and regulations are not politically realistic, an academic said yesterday. ...

Album launch via mobile phone to put Oh Lamduan out 'In Front'.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Pop singer Oh Lamduan has become the first Thai musical artist to launch an album exclusively via mobile phone. Bypassing music labels and record shops, Oh has signed up with...

Cutting edge OPERA.
April 21, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The kingdom's most innovative artists are set to make history in the field of contemporary Thai art with an avant-garde production of a Ramakien opera at New York City's Lincoln Centre...

Mentally mind-bending.
April 20, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A monthly mathematics magazine offers more than just boring equations and complex problems Now in its second year of publication, the monthly magazine, My Maths, is finding its...

AIS outlook downgraded by Phatra.
April 20, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Boycott over Shin Corp sale is main factor cited in report Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS)'s prospective earnings were revised downward by 8.2 per cent for 2006 and 6.5 per cent...

Home swaps open door to new growth.
April 20, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The home-swapping market is becoming increasingly vibrant and analysts say it could significantly boost the housing market this year. Realty World Alliance (RWA), a leading...