The Nation (Thailand) articles from January 2007, page 2

The Nation (Thailand) archives from January 2007

Effective citizenship country's best hope.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Rural masses must be weaned off populist excess and the middle class off its dependence on the military More than four months have passed since the military, acting on the overt...

Thailand urged to ratify UN Convention to prevent enforced disappearances.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) today urges the government of Thailand to reaffirm its commitment to ending and preventing enforced disappearances by signing and...

Pet dogs to be trained to sniff out explosives.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. City police urge all Labrador, German shepherd owners to sign up for course Bangkok police have invited people who own German shepherds and Labradors to bring their pet dogs for...

NGOs say drug firms 'lying'.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. An assembly of non-government organisations yesterday called on the multinational drug manufacturers threatening to halt their investments if their patents are broken to stop "lying"....

Don't panic about new flu - ministry.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Authorities yesterday sought to calm public fears over an apparently more virulent form of human influenza, which has already claimed three lives this year. "Please don't rush to...

2 bombs greet PM.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Two bombs exploded in the heart of Pattani province, injuring four people, as Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont travelled to the restive region. The first bomb was hidden in a...

Ministers 'won't point the finger'.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. AEC complains that it can't do its job if people in power remain silent The Assets Examination Committee (AEC) is preparing to urge the government and the Council for National...

Sapling complaint lodged.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. In the latest development of graft proceedings against the Thaksin Shinawatra regime, authorities have filed a formal complaint charging the ousted Cabinet for being involved in...

Prem stresses value of ethics.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. From the recent past, the country has learnt a painful lesson that an unethical leadership can inflict great harm, the Privy Council president said yesterday. "The lesson is...

All bombing suspects freed.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. All 18 suspects linked to the New Year's Eve bombings have been released after police failed to produce sufficient evidence by yesterday's deadline for detention without charge. ...

Military's Matchima link.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The head office of the new Matchima political group is owned by a top military figure with close ties to the junta, sources say. Matchima is the old Wang Nam Yom faction of the...

national merit-making.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Date and time set Council for National Security chairman and Army Commander-in-Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin will next month lead elaborate, nationwide merit-making for the...

Danes hand Thais a football lesson.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [SOCCER] Thailand's Pre-Olympic side succumbed to a morale-sapping 3-1 defeat at the hands of Denmark in a friendly in front of a sparse crowd at the Royal Thai Army stadium yesterday....

Pattaya ready to host World petanque.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [PETANQUE] After staging two world-class tournaments successfully, the Petanque Association of Thailand plans to make the 43rd World Petanque Championships at the Pattaya Indoor...

Sonthi has advice for Thaksin.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Council for National Security (CNS) Chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin said yesterday that former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra must think of the country's interests before...

A presenthelp in adversity.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Don't settle for just any amulet: the Jataka promises instant relief The Deva amulet, better known as the "Jatukam", is becoming a hot item as it is believed to bring fortune...

Airport denied seal of approval.
January 27, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Will continue to operate despite many 'structural, management' faults Confidence over the safety of Suvarna-bhumi Airport has suffered another major blow, with aviation...

Nong Khai man died of human flu: official.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. H3N2 strain also blamed for 2nd death in Prachuap Laboratory tests have revealed that the Nong Khai resident feared to have been the latest human victim of bird flu died instead...

New move to assist teachers severely in debt.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Committee for the Promotion of the Welfare and Security of Teachers and Educational Personnel (CPWSTEP) has approved a new scheme to assist severely debt-stricken teachers. ...

New device to beat wire-tapping.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. If the junta's leading members are worried about foreign governments eavesdropping on their confidential calls, they can ask for help from a research team at King Mongkut's Institute...

Panel to check on telecoms.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The government moved yesterday to put the country's telecom networks under the microscope, following reports about local or foreign operators listening in on conversations. ...

Slain MP's family in plea for justice.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The family of an assassinated former Thai Rak Thai MP from Ratchaburi yesterday appealed to the prime minister and police chief to build a stronger case against the alleged mastermind...

Drugs firms delay investments after patents news.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. International pharmaceutical and bioscience companies have put investments in Thailand on hold following the Public Health Ministry's announcement that it plans to force them to...

Asthma epidemic near industrial area also.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A doctor urged the authorities yesterday to check whether there is any link between the alarming level of pollution in Rayong and the high incidence of asthma among children living...

Exploiter jailed.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a man to one year and four months in jail for exploiting a 13-year-old boy. Chatupol Bai-ngern, 24, had used the boy to sell flowers at...

Saprang to chair TOT board.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. ICT minister says strong personality of junta assistant secretary makes him suited to the post, despite also being AOT chief Information and Communications Technology Minister...

Research centre to help Tesco improve its house brands.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Tesco Lotus yesterday announced the opening of a research centre aimed at strengthening its house-brand business. Located at the Tesco Lotus store in Sukhapiban in Bangkok, which...

Govt insists iTV settle unpaid fees this month.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The government will not consider five proposals from the broadcaster iTV unless it pays the balance of unpaid concession fees totalling Bt2.21 billion by the end of this month. ...

Rising costs may push up milk price.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. CP-Meiji says the milk industry has been suffering from a severe shortage of raw supplies for two years now, which has caused all producers to shoulder higher costs and means the...

Map Ta Phut mulls new port.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Industrial Estates Authority of Thailand (IEAT) is studying plans to build another port at Map Ta Phut, to accommodate more vessels, says authority governor Uthai Junthima. ...

Worn down in just 106 days.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Having been in office for 106 days, Commerce Minister Krirk-krai Jirapaet realises that his life is quite different from the days he was spending in retirement. His ministry is...

Lending rates set to fall after deposit reductions.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Cost of borrowing likely to decrease as banks weigh up the cost of funding, says Bangkok Bank president Chartsiri Bank lending rates are expected to fall this quarter following...

BOT and the power of the left side.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The theory of the structure and functions of the mind suggests that the two different sides of the brain control two different "modes" of thinking. It also suggests that each of us...

Slower growth in plastic spending.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Credit-card spending and the number of cards in circulation are both likely to see slower growth this year, as consumers grow more concerned about their future income due to the...

KTAM aims for a return to top three.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. After letting other bank-backed competitors enjoy huge growth by using debt tool funds, Krung Thai Asset Management (KTAM) aims to climb back into the top three in the mutual fund...

Chartered directors to make their market debut.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Around the end of March, a group of chartered directors - persons whose sole job is to work as independent directors in listed companies - will be introduced into the market. Firms on...

BOT's advice over money laundering.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Bank of Thailand (BOT) has asked financial institutions to take a close look at customers who are politically involved overseas in order to prevent money laundering and the...

Local maker to produce more bikes under its own name in foreign-market push.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. LA Bicycle (Thailand) has set a five-year plan focusing on building its LA Bicycle brand to capture more export markets. The local company will make more bicycles for its own brand...

Thailand urged to get tough with movie pirates.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Motion Picture Association, an international trade organisation representing six major Hollywood studios, has called for stricter laws and more severe penalties to curb rampant...

Seminar: Deputy PMs to debate investment and curbing currency fluctuations.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Export-Import Bank of Thailand, in cooperation with the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and the Board of Investment, will organise a seminar titled "Investment Directions in...

Nestle Pure Life plans major ad campaign.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Nestle Pure Life has announced its plan to penetrate the bottled-drinking-water market further by introducing three new television commercials using the concept "Share Your Lively...

Call for better security.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Senior representatives of Thai tourism have been told that the industry needs to upgrade its security standards. Security consultant Vic Plessner of the Bangkok-based VHP Group...

SVOA to concentrate on modern trade.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. SVOA will focus its business on modern trade channels and expects to gain an 8-per-cent share of the local PC market this year. Vira Intanate, CEO of IT distribution at SVOA,...

Plan in place for economic downturn.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Cut in interest rate should serve to boost consumption and investment, says Somchai The Finance Ministry has prepared fiscal measures to boost the economy in case the economic...

True Move gives ground on access fee.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. True Move has agreed to pay an access charge to TOT, CAT Telecom's senior executive said yesterday. Phisal Chorpokaudom, president of CAT, which owns True Move's concession, said...

Industrial confidence falls further.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Industrial Confidence Index in December was still below the 100-point level for the ninth consecutive month, due mainly to the fluctuation of the baht and the cloudy political...

Cosmetics firm targets provinces.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. DHC (Thailand), importer and distributor of DHC cosmetics and skincare products from Japan, yesterday announced its 2007 strategy to penetrate provincial markets after witnessing good...

Small businesses rally in favour of retail law.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Small retailers nationwide yesterday urged the Commerce Ministry to hasten the progress of the country's first-ever retail business law for Cabinet approval, because they fear that any...

LPG export duty announced.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Energy Policy and Planning Office yesterday said it had started levying additional duty on exported liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The increase in duty is to ensure that there...

Book sales set to jump by 10 per cent.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. This looks like an unstable year for the economy but a good one for publishers and booksellers, as they are predicting sales will increase by Bt1.7 billion, or about 10 per cent. ...

New Raimon Land investors expect returns of up to 30%.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. New directors representing two Middle East investors with a combined 49.8 per cent stake in property developer Raimon Land have said they expect a return of up to 30 per cent on their...

True Value switches focus to become a distribution centre.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. True Value, an outlet for US tools, is being transformed from a retail channel into a distribution centre. Boonying Kha-achapat, deputy CEO of True Value Home Improvement, said...

Rags to riches.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The owner of the Gempeace by Chuchai stores started his working life at 16 making souvenirs for sale to tourists. He now has two of the capital's most fashionable jewellery outlets -...

Casavela to offer 6% yields.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Builder embarks on Samui project after selling out Clover estate When Aquarius chief executive Yongyuth Chaipromprasert quit as Plus Property Partner's head in 2005, to set up a...

More thoughtful measures needed to boost confidence.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. CB Richard Ellis monitors fall-out from state-proposed Business Act Following the government's proposals to amend the Foreign Business Act, which restricts the rights of foreigners...

Luxury and simplicity.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Two interior designers have chosen Martha Stewart furniture to contribute to the warm and soft feel in the high-end Narasiri Home Interior designers Kiattipong Boonpromsup and...

Old Thai proverbs shed light on airport fiasco.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Why can't they do one thing right at Suvarnabhumi Airport' In a way, the Suvarnabhumi Airport mirrors Thai society. We have an excellent location to be the transport hub of...

Iran eyeing regional powerbroker role.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The words were bold, ambitious to a fault, but sounded as nothing more than diplomatic sabre-rattling. Within a year of his triumphant return home from exile in Paris in 1979,...

Stopping a public health disaster.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The well-being of locals must not be compromised for the sake of profit at Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate The Industry Ministry took decisive action on Wednesday to try to contain...

Claims that Singapore abuses its access to Thai training facilities have 'no basis in fact'.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Re: "ShinSat sale 'tragic blow for defence", News, January 23. Singapore is grateful to Thailand for the access given to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to train there. We fully...

Vietnamese team lures Chanwit with a big pay cheque.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai football is in a state of shock after Chanwit Pholchivin, the national head coach, dropped a bombshell yesterday, hinting that he might resign to take over Vietnam's V-League...

Repeal of lotteries hits scholarships.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The government's repeal of the two- and three-digit lotteries has hit the Education Ministry's five scholarship programmes for poor and underprivileged children, a senior official said...

SSO request rejected.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Permanent secretary for Labour Juthathawat Inthornsuksri yesterday rejected a request by the Social Security Office (SSO) medical board to increase the medical-service subsidy from...

South 'near to turning point'.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand is nearing a turning point for the strife-torn South and the government's efforts to quell violence should start to bear results, Thammasat University rector Surapon...

Some airlines afraid to use new airport.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Theera says runway can be fixed without closing facility, while repairs force planes to circle overhead or land at U-Tapao Incoming flights were delayed at Suvarnabhumi Airport...

Little Prince starts pre-school.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Yesterday saw a milestone for His Royal Highness Prince Teepangkorn Rasmichoti. It was the first time he met and made friends with children of his age in a classroom environment. ...

Baht hits 34 to the dollar in offshore trading.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Buoyed by the yuan's new high yesterday, the baht surged to 34 to the US dollar in the offshore market, underlining the futility of the central bank's drastic measures to rein in baht...

Kasem looks forward to Danish test.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [SOCCER] Thailand's Pre-Olympic team manager Kasem Jariyawat expects a tough test when his side faces Denmark in a friendly match at the Royal Thai Army stadium today. Kasem...

Thais face tough task.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [BADMINTON] A Herculean task awaits Sudket Prapakamol and Saralee Thungthongkham as the Thai hopefuls go up against world champions Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms in today's...

Danai in QF.
January 26, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Red-hot Danai Udomchoke stormed past Algeria's Lamine Ouahab 7-5 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the US$125,000 South Africa Airways Tennis Open in Durban yesterday. Danai, who...

Bt10-billion plant to go ahead.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Compliance with environmental standards will not upset group's petrochem plans The Siam Cement Group (SCG) will spend Bt10 billion to build a new petrochemical plant in the Map Ta...

Desperate iTV mulls governmenttakeover.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Embattled broadcaster iTV has proposed five alternatives for dealing with its debt of Bt2.21 billion in overdue concession fees, including nationalisation of the station and revocation...

Bt1-billion marketing blitz from Samsung.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. South Korean-based Thai Samsung Electronics plans to spend a huge Bt1 billion on marketing this year, in a bid to outpace the rest of the consumer-electronics industry and boost its...

Rule to be eased for Thai firms.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Bank of Thailand (BOT) confirmed yesterday that by early next week, it would revoke the 30-per-cent withholding requirement for foreign borrowing for direct investment by companies...

New boss for Siam City Bank.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The board of directors of Siam City Bank (SCIB) yesterday unanimously approved the appointment of Chaiwat Uthaiwan as bank president, effective from March 15. Chairman Sompol...

Raimon Land buys Rajdamri site, introduces Gulf directors.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. After months of quiet negotiations, Raimon Land has bought a 4.5-rai plot of land on Rajdamri Road overlooking Lumpini Park and the Royal Bangkok Sports Clubs, chief executive Nigel...

Krirk-krai shows his true colours.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Two weeks after the Cabinet approved the draft amendments to the Foreign Business Act, confusion remains, despite many rounds of explanation from government officials and Commerce...

Creditors tell BMA to be the administrator of debt plan.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Proposal is under a cloud despite backing from court Major creditors of Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) have asked the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to step in as...

Customs blamed for lower tax.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Abuse of excise-free zones by carmakers partly responsible The Excise Department has blamed the Customs Department for its lower collection of excise on vehicles. The...

AIA says 'fear of the unknown' is the biggest challenge this year.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. American International Assurance (Thailand), or AIA, says fear of the unknown is the biggest challenge to its business this year, including unclear definitions and unknown details in...

Accused may beat embezzlement rap.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A case of alleged embezzlement against former executives of now-defunct First City Investment Finance (FCI) is in danger of lapsing because the 10-year statutory limit for prosecutions...

Mall plan for housing projects.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Developer targets building one or two such centres in '08 Property and shopping-centre developer Siam Future Development hopes to build malls in housing projects, with an initial...

TWZ upbeat on handsets.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. TWZ Corp expects its mobile-phone sales to more than double to Bt8 billion this year, thanks to taking on the Samsung line. Managing director Puttachat Rungkasiri said yesterday...

SC Asset homes at a discount.
January 25, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. SC Asset is offering discount prices between Bt100,000 and Bt1.28 million per unit for buyers at its seven property projects until the end of the month. The seven projects are on...