The Nation (Thailand) articles from July 2008

The Nation (Thailand) archives from July 2008

Open letter from 30 senators of the Kingdom of Thailand.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. The Senators of the Kingdom of Thailand present their compliments to all diplomatic missions, consular representatives and international organisations in Bangkok and have the honour of informing them of the following...

Central bank board looks suspicious.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. The Samak Cabinet's decision on Tuesday to approve the appointment of the Board of the Bank of Thailand received a sceptical response from many in economic circles who questioned if the appointments were in line with...

That's it, I quit.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. The confusing news about Deputy Prime Minister and Industry Minister Suwit Khunkitti's abrupt resignation from the Cabinet made headlines yesterday. Some said Suwit's Puea Pandin Party had pulled out of the government...

Collapse of trade talks is a lost opportunity.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Members of the WTO must regroup and work towards bringing down international barriers It is very unfortunate that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) members failed to reach a global trade pact agreement in Geneva...

A culture of violence has no place in Thai democracy.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. THE anti-government protestors have employed civil disobedience to fight the powers-that-be. In return, the pro-establishment groups have countered with street violence. If the trend isn't checked, the...

The world economy is still sitting on a knife's edge.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. SINCE 2003, I have been saying that the global economy is badly unbalanced and vulnerable to a macro-economic catastrophe that would yield one of the worst episodes of economic distress of modern times. Since 2004, I...

Merger of AFET and TFEX benefits investors.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. A merger of the Agricultural Futures Exchange of Thailand (Afet) and the Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) would help reduce investors' risk and make the market mechanism for commodities trading more efficient, brokers...

Getting your timing right.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. The last of a series on investment in derivatives looks at market timing: when to buy and when to sell. As stated in the previous article, offeringbidding price techniques and price chasing are very important for...

McDonald's on a roll with expansion.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. McThai, operator of McDonald's restaurants in Thailand, plans aggressive expansion and marketing in the second half of the year, following impressive sales growth in the first six months. It will open 1720 new...

Rethinking history'.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. The government has a new committee reviewing and analysing the country's history. Its work may affect state policy because the government will seek its advice when dealing with historical matters. It is...

Four test negative for bird flu.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Four people in Phichit province who were suspected of having contracted the birdflu virus have tested negative for the disease, the Public Health Ministry said yesterday. Deputy permanent secretary Dr Paijit...

Botulism drug to be made here.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. People suffering from botulism after eating toxins formed in food contaminated by bacteria spore need not wait for imported drugs as the serum may soon be produced locally. A collaboration between the Public...

Vilailux plans big foray into realty market.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Telecom company marks entry with hotel, resorts and residential projects Property company Vilailux Development has set aside an investment budget of Bt2.8 billion to develop three property projects in Bangkok,...

Randy Pausch, in memorandum: What a wonderful ride it was.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. ALTHOUGH we thought maybe he would beat the odds, Randy Pausch, author of the bestselling book, "The Last Lecture" and a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh passed away last...

Company Report.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. SAHAVIRIYA STEEL INDUSTRIES posted a consolidated secondquarter net profit of Bt787.8 million, doubling the Bt371.1 million earned in the same period last year. The gain is attributable mostly to higher revenue...

AIDS Groups Besiege Japanese PM.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. A network of Thai Aids advocacy groups yesterday sent a letter to the Japanese prime minister asking that HIV-infected Thai workers be treated properly even if they were being deported from his country for being there...

Teachers in debt need help.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Teachers yesterday called on the government to set up a more effective refinancing scheme to help them clear their debts. They said previous debtrelief schemes charged too much interest that forced them into even...

P&G in switch to gas.
July 31, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Procter & Gamble (Thailand) plans to save Bt10 million worth of fuel annually by converting its Bt18-billion regional manufacturing plant for skin- and haircare products to natural gas. The conversion...

Traffic-management system to ease road stress.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. In the near future, car drivers in Bangkok will get to drive smoothly without wasting time at junctions or in traffic jams, thanks to a project called the Smart Sign Area Traffic Control System developed locally by...

Nectec plan to give big boost to ict industry.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Agency aims to increase the sector's GDP contribution to 20 per cent The development of information and communication technology in Thailand in the next five years will help the country become "Smart Thailand"...

Big-cap banks lead set surge.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Index rises 3.4% on back of Q2 earnings, analyst upgrades Big-cap banks gained significantly on the bourse yesterday after brokers recommended "buy" on their stock. Their impressive second-quarter earnings were...

Home-owners face higher repayments.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Borrowers should prepare for a hike in mortgage costs Mortgage borrowers need to be prepared for a rise in monthly payments as interest rates are on the rise. Some bankers expect mortgage rates could be raised...

Cut-price Fair becomes talk of the town.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Despite critics' dismissal of the government's "Confidence Thailand Fair: Cut-Price Quality Products for Thais" as "propaganda", it has been the talk of the town. Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said the...

Lpg for vehicles set for price rise early next month.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Experts warn government against subsidies after evidence they do not cut consumption If things go as planned, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for vehicles will rise in price early next month, while the price of the...

Exports of lifestyle products to rise 5%.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Thailand's lifestyle-product exports will grow by at least 5 per cent this year as their value during the first four months reached US$530 million (Bt19 billion), a 12.23-per-cent increase compared to the same period...

Oil Fund to pay retailers Bt600m.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. The Energy Business Department will pay Bt600 million in compensation to oil retailers for their inventories, which will be sold at a lower price on July 25. Director-general Metta Bantherngsuk said ahead of the...

Company closures jump 22%.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Nearly 7,000 firms closed down in the first half of this year - a 22-per-cent rise from the same period last year, which reflects the business slowdown. In June alone, 1,681 companies ceased operations, up 70 per...

Narai Property sells 50 per cent of The Parkland @ Taksin Thapra.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Narai Property has succeeded in selling about 50 per cent of its 829 units of The Parkland @ Taksin-Thapra after a pre-sale opening last week, vice president Jenchai Limwatanakul said. The project has two...

New tax law to hit land prices.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Experts say proposal comes at a time when market is facing many negatives Property tax will have a negative impact on the property market especially because land prices are expected to drop following the tax...

MK real estate launches tropic-flavoured homes.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Property company MK Real Estate will introduce its latest project, worth Bt965 million, which features units with a contemporary design and tropical architecture, under the brand Chuan Chuen Modus Chaengwattana, this...

Qualitech to launch IPO before listing on market.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Qualitech will launch its initial public offering this quarter to sell 28.5 million shares before listing on the Market for Alternative Investment. Qualitech, a provider of non-destructive testing as well as...

NGN forum to be set up next month.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. The national telecom regulator will set up a next-generation network (NGN) forum next month. The role of the forum will be to promote a standard interoperability among telecom operators' different NGNs and...

CP All takes its distribution to the regions in new expansion.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. CP All, operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores, will spend Bt1.5 billion to build regional distribution centres in Khon Kaen, Surat Thani and Lampang. The move will bolster a product-distribution network that has...

Lanna set for profits hit: brokers.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Brokerage houses have revised down their forecast net profit for Lanna Resources by an average of 15 per cent after the company had a mining-project licence revoked. The company reported on Friday that the Supreme...

Rising oil prices boost 7-eleven sales.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Shoppers cut car trips to buy from neighbourhood outlets CP All, the operator of 7-Eleven stores, has recorded a jump in traffic and sales because high oil prices have changed shopping patterns with more consumers...

Eight years of cheap money lead to risks.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Fiscal office predicts 5.5% GDP growth in 2008 The loan-to-deposit ratio of the Thai banking industry surpassed the 100-per-cent threshold for the first time in eight years in May, indicating demand for loans was...

Good Risk Management owes much to 'sati' and 'panya'.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. What is banking business' Walter Wriston, former chairman and CEO of Citibank, defined "banking business" as "the business of managing risk". Although a recognition of risk management and its relevance to...

MPC had no choice if it wanted to cool inflation.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. With further inflationary pressure just around the corner, the big dilemma for the Monetary Policy Committee is how bold it can be in hiking interest rates while the economy is on course towards a soft landing. ...

Atchara to quit after five years in the hot seat.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Company sells 40% stake to Government Pension Fund Atchara Suttisirikul will leave her position as managing director of Siam City Asset Management after nearly five years at the helm. She said the firm's...

Mainstream outlets are 'doing okay'.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Magazines hit, but TV, radio, papers buoyant: Nielsen Media Research Total advertising expenditure was estimated to have grown 4.4 per cent last month compared to June 2007. Ad expenditure was estimated to total...

Weak sentiment strikes DTAC's growth forecast.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Total Access Communication (DTAC), Thailand's second-largest mobile-phone operator, has revised downwards its full-year revenue-growth forecast to about 5 per cent, due to overall weakness in economic sentiment. ...

Kang yong still upbeat despite slowdown.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Kang Yong Electric, a leading manufacturer of electrical home appliances, expects to boost sales 10 per cent this year despite the economic slowdown and lower domestic consumption. "Sales in the domestic market...

$3o2m contract for glow Energy plant.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Glow Energy has signed a US$302-million (Bt10 billion) contract with a consortium formed by Marubeni and Black & Veatch to supply equipment and construct a 382-megawatt gas-fired, co-generation power plant in Map Ta...

Thai Plastic and Chemicals looking strong, analysts say.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Thai Plastic and Chemicals (TPC), a producer and distributor of polyvinyl chloride polymer, is likely to report positive operating results for the second quarter, thanks to a rise in PVC profit margins. Costs of...

Waste-to-energy plant to open.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Better World Energy will proceed with its waste-to-energy investment, placing a US$7.95 million (Bt265 million) order for a plant from New York-based W2 Energy. The plant, expected to start operating in July 2009,...

Thailand still attractive for investment: pwc.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. High rank for manufacturing, services Asian countries including Thailand remain attractive to foreign investors, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) EM20 Index. The index shows that BRIC countries -...

'Pong Lang La-on' calling mobile gamers.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. RS Digital, under the umbrella of entertainment giant RS, has launched its first online game on a mobile. The game is based on its "Pong Lang La-on" TV animation characters. Launching the online game is part...

Sales rise gives a boost to asian.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Property firm Asian Property Development has revised its business plan to launch 12 new residential projects worth Bt17.26 billion in the second half of this year. Senior executive vice president Visanu...

Night bazaar 'left out of provincial promotion'.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Shop owners at the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar are up in arms after the market was ignored in a promotional plan for the province. Monchai Sthanchaivanich, a shop owner in the Night Bazaar, said the Tourism Authority...

Samsung's multimedia newcomer unveiled.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Samsung has unveiled its latest music phone, the Samsung F400, as a unique addition to its range of multimedia products. The new phone has deep and powerful audio quality delivered through integrated hi-fi dual...

Success of doha round more vital than ever.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Establishing rules of fair trade and giving farmers market access key to combating food shortages Trade ministers have begun talks to revive efforts to strike a global trade deal this week. Since it began in...

PAD the only force keeping Thaksin and cronies in line.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Re: "PAD: bulldog on a leash or another nail in democracy's coffin", Opinion, July 21. Chang Noi still clings to the idea that an election win constitutes popular sovereignty. In Thailand, the event is just a...

A Russian fairytale.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Matichon's entire economic page was devoted to criticising Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej's decision to bring in 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel a year, which would account for 25 per cent of domestic diesel...

Banks weather troubled times.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Despite the poor macroeconomic outlook, Thai banks are still healthy monsters. Downside risks look limited as valuations of all the big-cap Thai banks have fallen to near 2001 and 2003 levels. Unlike the United...

The wheels of justice will catch up with high crimes.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Suddenly we are almost at war with Cambodia. At stake are the ruins of Preah Vihear on top of a huge mountain, and sovereignty concerns over surrounding areas. Thai and Cambodian troops, armed to the teeth, are...

Promotion of drug kingpin looms large over wa army's outside relations.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Something has got into drug kingpin Wei Hsueh-kang, the notorious opium warlord who controls a sizeable army near Thailand's northern border. According to Chinese and Thai military sources and others monitoring...

Unesco, and Cambodia's solo bid for Preah Vihear.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. This article is the second part in a series by MR Pridiyathorn Devakula, former deputy prime minister and finance minister, focusing on the troublesome negotiations before, and the potential problems after, the...

Temple issue bogged.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. Legal matters 'need resolving' as troops told to stay calm Thailand and Cambodia yesterday failed to resolve a military stand-off at their border, due to legal constraints, the heads of the two countries'...

Some retail prices could drop.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. The retail prices of 1,000 food and non-food products could drop soon, as the Commerce Ministry is forcing manufacturers to reduce prices on the back of a sharp drop in global oil prices in the past week and the...

One-two-go, orient thai hit by 30-day flight suspension.
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. One-Two-Go and Orient Thai Airlines risk seeing their aviation licences revoked if they fail to tackle the defects that led to the suspension of their flight services today. That possibility comes amid growing...

LET THERE BE LIGHT!
July 22, 2008... Byline: The Nation. And, there was. After more than a decade of bickering and procrastination Bangkok gets its swanky new arts centre The country's first international-standard, multi-billion-baht art centre opens this Sunday after a...