The Nation (Thailand) articles from August 2009

The Nation (Thailand) archives from August 2009

Outside View.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. An open letter to Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij Dear Khun Korn, I am confident I am not the only one who enjoyed your speech at the dinner reception hosted by ACI Thailand last Tuesday in Bangkok. It was an...

Law must be observed in forest encroachment.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. If guilty of forest encroachment, ex-PM General Surayud must be held liable to the fullest extent of the law, including jail, for "Nobody has a more sacred obligation to obey the law than those who make the law" (Jean...

Making AICHR work for Asean citizens.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, Thailand will be on the look-out for an ideal person to serve as the Thai representative of the upcoming Asean Intergovernmental Commission for Human Rights (AICHR). The candidate must be willing to...

Conflict flare up in Triangle.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. SOMETHING IS BREWING in the Burmese corner of the Golden Triangle and it's more than just the chemicals boiling in the clandestine heroin and methamphetamine labs. Bluffing between the military government and one of the...

Bangkok college helps regional services survive.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. 'Target customers change, so we must change' - director With today's helterskelter advances in electronic communications, it's not difficult for many people to believe the days of the postal business are numbered -...

We're unhappy with trains, buses: Poll.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Bus and train services rate lower in public satisfaction than other utilities like electricity, water, telephone and postal services, an opinion poll revealed yesterday. Local and interprovincial bus services both...

Panel to help BMA in scandal probes.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) will soon come up with its own anticorruption commission to oversee scandal investigations conducted by BMA's officers and executives, Transparency Thailand's deputy chairperson,...

Crackdown on homeless, hawkers in Sanam Luang.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. After a new Sanam Luang "orderly regulations" regime takes effect from tomorrow, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) tesakit (city police) officials will patrol the area 24 hours a day to deter homeless people from...

Hi! Managers: Pay attention to human capital during crisis.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Managing human capital has always been a challenge especially for relatively new companies that may not yet have the structure in place to manage, evaluate, and develop their staff. As a result, they tend to manage their...

Career Juice: Always making friends at work.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Besides the golden rules to follow when starting a new job mentioned last time, I would like to give some tips on how to adapt to your new co-workers and boss. We will be discussing adapting to new co-workers here first....

Communicate with empathy if you aim to bring about creative change.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Alexander Paufler, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (Thailand), explains the importance of communications and empathy, which are two of the eight ingredients or managerial toolboxes which an organisation's leaders can...

PM's top aide ready to quit over police chief issue.
August 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. As evidence that the dust has yet to settle in the scramble to name a new National Police chief, reports say Niphon Promphan, secretary-general to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, has asked to quit because of their...

Will a new govt in Japan find the right economic policy'.
August 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. JAPAN IS will elect a new lower house of parliament tomorrow and there is a good chance that the opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) led by Yukio Hatoyama will beat the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has...

Drunken cop is no laughing matter.
August 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. A joke about drink driving saw a comedian confronted by a drunken gun-wielding cop, who may now be thrown out of the force. Somchai Songklod, whose stage name is "Jakkaboom Chernyim", discovered that not all members of...

Cabbie nabbed with ya ba in city drug sting.
August 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. A cabdriver was arrested with half a million ya ba pills - methamphetamine or 'speed' tablets - when police raided four homes in Bangkok's Bang Kho Laem district yesterday alleged to be storage places for drugs, following...

'Occupational health centres badly needed'.
August 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Public Health Ministry has called on the government to set up occupational health institutes to undertake scientific research and provide better treatment for workers suffering serious illnesses caused by severe...

Wastewater plants planned for city.
August 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) plans to build two more wastewater treatment factories to curb water pollution. Governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra said yesterday the city had seven wastewater plants, but double...

SEX: What about risks and responsibilities'.
August 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Despite plenty of talk about a once taboo subject, education about safe sex is still insufficient The local media have eagerly reported about a new product launched by tennis star Paradorn Srichaphan that is billed as a...

Education moves are highly commendable.
August 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Basic Education Commission's announcement that 14 provincial secondary schools will be upgraded to international institute status to promote Thailand as a regional education hub is indeed commendable. Ten of the...

Surayud's home not excused from forest encroachment: official.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Former prime minister Surayud Chulanont's residence on Yaithiang Mountain in Nakhon Ratchasima was built in a forest reserve, and a leniency deadline 11 years ago is not applicable, a senior Royal Forest Department...

A million infected by flu in four months.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. More than a million Thais have been infected by the typeA (H1N1) virus in the past four months, the Public Health Ministry revealed yesterday Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said yesterday that some 60...

Public hearing next month on draft of 3G-auction terms.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The national telecom regulator will hold a public hearing |next month on draft terms and conditions for a third-generation wireless broadband-Internet auction, National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) deputy...

Thai air-con manufacturers feel the heat of China FTA.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Local air-conditioner manufacturers foresee fiercer competition from Chinese imports under the Asean-China Free-Trade Agreement, which will put pressure on local products despite eliminating excise tax. "For a...

New MCOT chief to focus on TV, new media.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. MCOT's newly-appointed president Thanawat Wansom vows to push the organisation into becoming a regional media leader, to cash in on its wide range of services. As chair of Asia Vision, the content-exchange programme of...

Recovery needs private investment.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The pace of economic recovery cannot be sustained without the return of private investment, Bank of Thailand Assistant Governor Paiboon Kittisrikangwan said yesterday. He said that while recovery would initially depend...

Makro on track.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Siam Makro, operator of Makro outlets, achieved 2percent growth in sales revenue in the first seven months, managing director Suchada Ithijarukul said yesterday. And thanks to its new branch in Pattaya, sales are on...

Suvarnabhumi starts second terminal in 2012.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Airports of Thailand plans to build a domestic passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport while inviting the private sector to invest in six projects at the old Don Mueang Airport. Construction of the new terminal will...

THAI mulls capital increase.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thai Airways International is mulling a plan to raise capital, as part of the airline's plan to strengthen its financial condition without depending solely on sales revenue. After THAI's board of directors meeting...

Bacteria filter maker targets overseas markets.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Pissamorn World Group International, producer of bacterial filtration product under the 'Sariwa' brand, plans to enter the overseas market next year hoping to achieve export sales volume more than two to three times its...

Power Line Engineering foresees revenue drop.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Construction firm Power Line Engineering expects revenue to decline 12.62 per cent to Bt7.96 billion this year, from Bt9.11 billion last year. The drop will be due to a delay in a construction contract for the Dubai...

Hurdles delay Suvarnabhumi's "hub" dream.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The president of Airports of Thailand (AOT) said yesterday that several obstacles prevented Suvarnabhumi Airport from becoming one of the world's top ten leading airports and the regional hub. Serirat Prasutanond spoke...

EGAT pushes 2 projects.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand is moving up two investment projects a year earlier than scheduled, to support the "Strong Thailand" project. The two projects, which entail a combined investment of Bt14...

Thailand faces relapse if US consumption doesn't pick up.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. TECHNICALLY, Thailand's economic recession, which started in the last quarter of 2008, ended when the GDP grew 2.3 per cent in the second quarter of this year on a seasonally adjusted basis from the first quarter. ...

May the divisions let us get on with our lives.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Re: "Jakrapob's new myth", Ask the Editors, National, yesterday Your editor's summary and comment on Jakrapob Penkair's latest article on three red-shirt leaders gave me some hope. A brilliant scholar in public...

Food and fuel - a balancing act.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Planning for sustainability in agriculture is imperative as climate change becomes a reality The recently concluded conference in Bangkok on trade, food, energy and sustainability pointed out a critical issue facing the...

Making alcohol pay.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. TDRI president Dr Nipon Poapongsakorn encourages the government to end |the distorted tax structure on alcoholic beverages so consumption can be reduced Dr Nipon Poapongsakorn, president of Thailand Development Research...

TALEBANISATION OF PAKISTAN: Is it the end of the road'.
August 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. THE INTERNATIONAL intervention in Afghanistan has had the unintended effect of giving birth to a new brand of militants in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. These fighters, who later came to know...

Heads will bang.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Stone Metal Fire aims to burn down the house next Friday, with axe fiend Pop in tow Headbangers can count on a massive heavy-metal fix next Friday when Stone Metal Fire starts hammering at the walls of the Thailand...

Limited foreign ownership would benefit Thailand.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Re: "Foreign ownership law needs to be reviewed", Letters, August 27. I agree with Burin Kantabutra that the foreign ownership law needs to be reviewed. Why won't the government of Thailand make it possible for...

New US policy is important for Burma's future.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The visit by US Senator Jim Webb to Burma, in which he won the release of John William Yettaw, who was sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment with hard labour for swimming across Inya lake to the home of Burmese democracy icon...

Here's hoping Thaksin is really tired himself.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Peaceful one moment, threats of belligerence the next; there seems no end in sight to the political quagmire Knowing Thaksin Shinawatra, his Wednesday message to his supporters could mean anything. In that phone-in,...

Discounts and new products aplenty at first insurance fair.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thailand's firstever insurance fair, Insurance Week, will offer discounts of up to 30 per cent on premiums, General Insurance Association president Jiraphant Asvatanakul said yesterday. At the fair - to be held from...

Worth Your Satang.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Below is financial products and services available this week - TMB Bank is rolling out the TMB Up & Up Term Deposit account. The interest rate of the 24-month fixed-deposit account is raised every six months up to...

The third series of Andrew Sheng.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Why did the yen become the reserve currency'Japan is the secondlargest economy in the world, with US$4.8 trillion (Bt 163.7 trillion) in GDP, after the United States ($14.3 trillion), as measured at the end of 2008. ...

Eight stocks offer the highest value over past 6 years.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. PTT, PTT Exploration and Production, Advanced Info Service, Siam Cement, Siam City Cement, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding, BEC World and Bumrungrad Hospital are the eight stocks that have returned the most value...

developers lured by incentives.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Lining up to benefit from new BoI rules; seek more easing Property firms are lining up to apply for Board of Investment (BoI) tax privileges on construction of residential projects - benefits that could help them reduce...

first-half signs offer hope.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. What's next for the overall property market' The first two quarters of 2009 have already passed and we have seen a better-than-expected market situation in residential property. The financial statements of listed...

TAN network hopes official launch will help it find sponsors.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thai-Asean News (TAN) Network, Thailand's only 24-hour English-language TV channel, aims to become a major broadcaster in Asean countries over the next five years. Though the channel has been broadcasting news and...

Land & Houses plans 'stable growth'.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. 'We don't mind if we lose leadership': boss Company rejects expanding business abroad to focus on domestic market Leading property firm Land & Houses has increased its budget for buying undeveloped land this year...

TCC Land eyes hot-spring property in Ranong.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. TCC Land, a property arm of beverage tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, is considering taking over two hotels in Ranong, said a source in the hotel industry. The source said TCC Land had sent officials to survey the...

Industrial indexes point to much healthier picture than at turn of year.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thailand's industrial indexes have improved significantly since the start of the year, with the July manufacturing index contracting only 9 per cent year on year compared to 25.6 per cent in January, according to the...

Inventory of new residences for Bangkok is shrinking.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The combined inventory of residences held by listed property developers shrank 2 per cent year on year in the second quarter, due to strong demand from new-home buyers. The significant fall was revealed in the...

Health products will be a hit, provided they are tasty.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Most consumers know what is good for their health but not many are ready to sacrifice taste for nutritious value, revealed a recent study conducted by leading marketing and media research house Mindshare. Mindshare's...

Noble Development lifts land purchases.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Company remains wary of possible increases in asking prices for plots Property firm Noble Development has revised its plans for investment in new land plots and will spend Bt1.6 billion this year instead of the original...

Cassava production set to drop.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Cassava production is forecast to drop 7.74 per cent to 27.75 million tonnes next year, due to farmers turning more to fuel crops that bring higher prices, especially sugar cane. Cassava was planted on 8.29 million rai...

A list of 10 events to watch next year.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. I do not pretend to be an expert. But from my observation, I predict 10 major events that will or might happen next year. First, Thailand will go through a political transition to reach more stable ground. Thaksin...

In the wrong place at the wrong time.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. If it happened in a forested area, a dead lizard would be seen as giving its body back to earth and making the soil fertile. However, people thought differently when a dead monitor lizard was found in the sewers at...

Still tough times for big firms.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Profits and losses from sources other than their usual business Construction firms listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand continue to report difficult business conditions extending into the second half despite some of...

Family reunions.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. For most South Koreans, the 1950-53 Korean War may be nothing but a historical fact, with little direct bearing on their everyday lives. But the fratricidal war is still etched in memory as an unbearable tragedy for quite...

High-minded park.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Being an American and having spent a fair amount of time in New York City, my recollections of the Meatpacking district are of Jackie 60, a nightclub deep in the bowels of a defunct meat-packing operation that was...

MOF seeks Bt120 bn loans for 2 train projects.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Finance Ministry is borrowing Bt50 billion from local banks to finance the Blue Line urban electric train and plans to borrow overseas loans to finance the Green Line. Pongpanu Savetarun, director-general of the...

Extension of social security benefits.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Labour Ministry will ask the Cabinet to extend social security benefits to its members' spouses and children. An informed source said the Cabinet would look into the ministry's request on Tuesday. If the Cabinet...

Khon gets an institute.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. It will become 'the centre for everything related to the classical mask dance' Thanks to Her Majesty the Queen Sirikit, the Fine Arts Department has established an institute devoted to khon. Khon is a Thai classical...

Rice committee delays crucial decision.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The National Rice Policy Committee yesterday decided to guarantee Hom Mali paddy rice at Bt15,300 per tonne and paddy rice at Bt10,000 per tonne. The committee, chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, delayed the...

'Crack down' on dangerous dental craze.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Up to 57,000 websites offer trendy orthodontic services and one-day courses in |orthodontic techniques to anyone interested in starting a business which can reportedly yield profits of up to Bt20,000 a day. However, the...

Police search Seripisut's property.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) yesterday obtained a warrant to search the resort of former national police chief General Seripisut Temiyavej in Kanchanaburi's Thong Pha Phum district. At 1am, Prayat...

Map Tha Put protest threat follows court decisions.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Map Ta Phut residents yesterday faced double blows in their efforts against expansion of an industrial estate in Rayong province - a request to temporarily delay the construction of 76 new factories was turned down, and...

Zoo enjoys 150 per cent increase of income.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai Zoo has gained a 150-per-cent increase in ticket income for the panda section thanks to the birth of panda cub Lin Ping, whilst the panda contest winner has complained of taxes that could amount...

No plastic found in seaweed imports, says FDA.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday released laboratory test results to confirm that locally made dried seaweed and imported dried seaweed being sold in local markets was not contaminated with plastic...

Vaccines should be at forefront in child health.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Paediatricians and health experts at an international conference have called for pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to be added to the country's routine immunisation program, as the World Health Organisation has reported...

Reprieve for forest monks.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Natural-Resources and Environment Ministry yesterday backed down from its tough stance against Buddhist monasteries located in forest reserves - saying it would not evict 68 of them built after a leniency deadline 14...

Banished by EPL, Thaksin's love of soccer dies hard.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Mbabane - Former England's Manchester City owner, Thaksin Shinawatra will land in Swaziland on Thursday afternoon and wanted to engage local premier league teams on how to turn their fortunes around, reported Times of...

Manufacturers, large firms first to benefit from recovery.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The industrial sector and large businesses are benefiting from the recovering economy, while other sectors and small and medium-sized enterprises are still suffering due to lower efficiency and liquidity as well as falling...

Group wants halt to Map Ta Phut projects.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Anti-Global Warming Association and 43 Map Ta Phut villagers yesterday petitioned the Administrative Court to freeze all petrochemical projects planned for the industrial zone. They also asked the court to reverse...

Exporters urged to benefit from 2nd wave of FTA tariff elimination.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Another 12,500 products falling under free-trade agreements with five trading partners will be subject to zero tariff rates come January in the second phase of import-duty reduction. Tariff elimination comes under the...

Bangchak to invest up to Bt4 bn in non-oil business.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Bangchak Petroleum plans to invest Bt3 billion to Bt4 billion over the next three years in non-oil businesses, such as natural resources and logistics. Patiparn Sukorndhaman, senior executive vice president for...

ATTA cuts arrivals forecast.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Association of Thai Travel Agents has revised this year's forecast for international arrivals down to 11.5 million due to a pessimistic tourism outlook. ATTA president Surapol Sritrakul said the conservative figure...

Streetwise: Wrong place and time.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. If it happened in a forested area, a dead lizard would be seen as giving its body back to earth and making the soil fertile. However, people thought differently when a dead monitor lizard was found in the sewers at...

Ample stock may cut orders from China.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Despite several improving economic indicators, the Finance Ministry has warned that China might import less from the world once it has stocked up again on the goods and materials it needs, resulting in a drop in Thai...

Property tax to Cabinet next month.
August 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Finance Ministry's Fiscal Policy Office will propose the property-tax law to the Cabinet again next month, after consideration was postponed this week. The office's director-general Somchai Sujjapongse, at a seminar...

Fund managers expect peaceful red-shirt rally, no negative.
August 27, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Fund managers believe the red-shirt protest this weekend will be peaceful and not have a negative impact on the stock market, and that Asian stock markets are promising for investors. Vana Bulboon, CEO of UOB Asset...

Dressed for peace.
August 27, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Vocational students to get single uniform nationwide in effort to stop lethal feuds The Education Ministry is organising a contest in October to design a student uniform. The winning design will become the uniform for...

Films are so daft.
August 27, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Sonthaya Suchada has poked fun at the way books and plays are written. Now it's the movies' turn If a movie's outrageous leaps from reality have ever made your jaw drop, Sonthaya Suchada has a funny story to share. ...

Guru Speak.
August 27, 2009... Byline: The Nation. If you are are looking for an alternative investment in order to enhance your return, property funds are worth considering - especially during the current low interestrate environment. Property funds are one of four...