The Nation (Thailand) articles from June 2006

The Nation (Thailand) archives from June 2006

BOT likely to cut growth target.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. BBL, chamber also voice concern over worsening climate The Bank of Thailand is likely to downgrade its growth forecast for this year from the current 4.25-5.25 per cent, due mainly...

Boots to cut prices and revamp its products.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Boots Retail (Thailand) Ltd plans to reduce its prices, revamp is product line and reassess its services in an attempt to achieve its 10-per-cent sales growth target after falling...

Tatung plans Thai hub for Asian sales.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. After keeping a low profile in the Thai market for almost 13 years, Taiwanese consumer electronics manufacturer Tatung yesterday announced plans to expand its market in the Kingdom....

Population growth redux.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. It is estimated that the world's population will rise to 7.2 billion by 2015, 8.3 billion by 2030 and 9.3 billion by 2050. The population of developing countries will be 5.9 billion,...

CPB 'should be more assertive'.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Academics say agency should take a more active role in promoting growth An academic seminar yesterday suggested that the Crown Property Bureau play a more assertive role as a...

Kasikornbank loans still performing well.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Despite rising interest rates, Kasikornbank's home-loan borrowers who bought houses from large listed developers have been able to service their loans. The bank focuses on...

FIDF expects Bt700m from July stock auction.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Financial Institutions Development Fund expects to collect more than Bt700 million from next month's public auction of shares in 37 non-listed companies. TSFC Securities Ltd,...

CNS sees profit dive 17% as sector struggles.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Capital Nomura Securities' third-quarter earnings fell 17 per cent year on year, illustrating the doldrums in the brokerage industry. The brokerage reported in a filing with the...

Rayong Refinery may take over Aromatics.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. PTT president Prasert Bunsumpun has hinted that Rayong Refinery Plc (RRC) might take over Aromatics (Thailand) Plc (ATC) as part of its group restructuring plan. "According to...

Smaller local makers 'to be at a disadvantage'.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. 2008 harmonisation rules will benefit multinationals: firm Small and medium-sized cosmetics manufacturers will be adversely affected and put at a disadvantage against multinational...

Wyncoast branches into transportation and logistics business.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Wyncoast Industrial Park Plc, the property company run by the prime minister's younger sister, Yaowapa Wongsawat, is in talks with petrochemical firms in the Map Ta Put Industrial...

Port Authority seeks new head.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) will accept applications from Monday to July 13 from candidates hoping to become the agency's governor. Preference will go to those with a...

ATC, RRC diversify with joint facilities.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Combined revenues of the two companies expected to nearly double in 2008 The combined revenues of Aromatics (Thailand) Plc (ATC) and Rayong Refinery Plc (RRC) will nearly double...

Derma Belle plans overseas laser foray.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Three weeks of successful operations have given Derma Belle the confidence to consider setting up aesthetic laser centres abroad. Director Rapeepan Luangaramrut said yesterday the...

Two firms up offers, set to win rice bid.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand's largest rice exporter, President Agri Trading, is expected to lose its bid to buy a lot of jasmine rice from the Commerce Ministry after the company refused to increase its...

Tentative approval for AIS unit's overseas call service.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A wholly owned subsidiary of Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) has won approval in principle from the national telecom regulator for a licence to operate an international call service....

Hitachi Data logs sales of $2.8 bn.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Hitachi Data Systems Corp, a provider of applications for optimised storage solutions and a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd, announced yesterday its annual business performance...

Drunk drivers recant after victim care.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A programme that forces convicted drunk drivers to have direct contact with maimed road accident victims is reporting great success in making irresponsible motorists realise the error...

AAPICO partners with Japanese, Singaporean investors.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai-Malaysian joint venture AAPICO Hitech Plc - a local producer of automotive parts - yesterday announced the launch of three new partnerships with Japanese and Singaporean investors...

Substandard fire trucks 'purposely sent to provinces'.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Police say suppliers skimped on quality, jacked up prices; DDPM being probed Another corruption scandal involving the procurement of fire-fighting equipment surfaced yesterday...

Online World Cup gambling up by more than 50 per cent.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. 'Thais betting from Bt5,000 to Bt10m on global websites' The World Cup has caused online football gambling among Thais to rise by more than 50 per cent, according to the Thai...

Panel to assess finding.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Caretaker Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit said yesterday he would set up an independent committee to study a finding in the fire-truck corruption scandal involving the...

Chalor gets 20 years for extortion.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Former police commissioner Chalor Kerdthet, was sentenced to 20 years in jail by Ratchada Criminal Court yesterday for extorting money from a jewellery trader who bought treasures...

New land values in the North 'out of touch with reality'.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The government's revised land values in the North have been condemned by the Chiang Mai-Lamphun Real Estate Association, which claims northern residents are being price out of their...

Kingdom edges up competitiverankings.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand put at 27th of 60 states; infrastructure rating still poor Thailand's competitiveness has been climbing steadily over the past five years, according to analysis by the...

SIFE contest decided today.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The local chapter of Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) will today select a team to represent the Kingdom at this year's SIFE World Cup, a competition that requires students to...

Another Aussie shot, out near Cambodia.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A second Australian has been shot in Thailand - a week after a Brisbane woman died in a drive-by shooting in Kanchanaburi. Australian Ambassador Bill Paterson confirmed yesterday...

Over 600 graft cases 'could expire without NCCC soon'.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The National Counter-Corruption Commission has more than 600 cases pending, but they may have to be dropped if a new commission is not chosen soon, an academic warned yesterday. ...

Only 140,000 applicants.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Labour Ministry's scheme to get foreign employees to seek or extend their work permits within this month has flopped with only 140,000 applications - compared with last year's...

Regardless of how many parties face dissolution, it's the only way forward.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Re: "Court ready to go on Monday", News June 29. The Thai political landscape is undergoing a major upheaval, testing whether the political system as conceived in the 1997 Constitution...

Containing North Korea.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Asean must join the international effort to curtail the rogue state's threat to global peace and security The news that North Korea has developed a longer-range and more powerful...

Fears growing of a military coup, street clashes.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The chances of a military intervention to end the political crisis increase significantly by the day. If there is no compromise resolution to the political deadlock by August,...

Work hard on development of better skills.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. During his three years as the director of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa), Manoo Ordeedolchest has rewired the software industry in Thailand. He has been determined to...

Motorcycle businesses to benefit from collaboration.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) has joined with the Association of Thai Software Industry (ATSI) to establish collaborative commerce infrastructure to help motorcycle and...

A cupboard full of Siam.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Tucked away for safekeeping, our royal gifts to the United States pay silent witness to a century of friendship Treasures of Siam lay hidden from view in a dark storage room at...

Govt to spend Bt150m on royal pictures.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The government will distribute 15 million photographs commemorating the 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne to Thai households nationwide, caretaker...

TAMARINE ROLLS ON.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai twins win their first match Tamarine Tanasugarn and the Ratiwatana twins kept the Thai flag flying at Wimbledon with the former reaching the third round and the latter...

This stalker is stalking no more.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. My apologies to non-cat-loving readers. I seem to be spending more time than usual on felines, simply because cat-loving readers have been e-mailing me questions about their pets. ...

PM fears 'plot to throw me out'.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thaksin warns top officials to avoid illegal moves to oust him; set to restart radio show Embattled Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday convened a meeting of top bureaucrats to expose...

Wasant fears for life after suspected kidnap attempt.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. NHRC member 'a target' for launching probe into Somchai, unidentified bodies Outspoken National Human Rights Commissioner Wasant Panich told the media yesterday he believed his...

Seven arrested for bombing.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Two people died and eight others were injured in a series of attacks in Narathiwat and Pattani provinces yesterday, while seven people in Yala were arrested in connection with a bomb...

TAT urged to set long-term tourism plan.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The private sector has urged the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to adjust its marketing strategy this year by focusing on quality rather than quantity. Apichart Sankary,...

Thaksin denies plan for hotel in Kenya.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday denied the Kenyan tourism minister's claim that the premier privately plans to build a hotel in the country. Thaksin, who is...

Premier off to World Cup final.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will fly to Berlin to attend the World Cup final on June 9, Chaipak Siriwat, the secretary-general of the Lawn Tennis Association of...

Jumbo protest a Thai problem: Aussie zoos.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A protest by animal rights activists that prevented eight elephants from being transported from Kanchana-buri to Australia was Thailand's problem, an Australian zoo official said...

Mum TV to air health shows in hospitals.
June 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Global media communications agency Initiative has launched the "Mom Channel" at 11 hospitals and a child development centre in Bangkok. The channel starts broadcasting tomorrow. ...

CAT board steps down.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Pressure from union forces a mass exodus The board of directors of CAT Telecom Plc has resigned, following pressure from its labour union. Caretaker Information and Communications...

Liquor firms lambasted.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The liquor industry has created wealth for itself at the expense of a society suffering from an increased consumption of alcohol, several economists argued yesterday. Even though...

PTT looks at Bt4-bn subsidy bill for the year.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. PTT Plc expects to spend Bt4 billion this year on its retail oil subsidy, after spending about Bt2.8 billion during the first six months in an effort to stop spiralling world oil...

TT&T kicks off Maxnet TV service.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. TT&T Plc yesterday kicked off the broadband TV service 'Maxnet TV' as a prelude to the launch of its Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) service early next year. The company's executives...

Foreign airlines to test Suvarnabhumi in August.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Airports of Thailand Plc, operator of the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport, will invite foreign airlines to test the new airport in August, following trials by six Thai airlines...

Luxury furniture maker sees room to grow in Thailand.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. JS Home Interiors Ltd, the exclusive retailer of Ethan Allen luxury home furniture products in Thailand, says it reached its sales target in the first half of the year. JS Home...

Casual attire at top of Thais' list.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Spend less on clothes, but opt for that laid-back look Thai consumers spent on average US$61 (Bt2,379) each on clothing over the past three months, according to a Cotton USA...

EU aims to protect 'home-grown' brands in FTA talks.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Protecting products that are associated with their geographical origins, like Bordeaux wine, will become a crucial topic in negotiations for a free-trade agreement between the European...

Diamond Roofing to boost export sales.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Diamond Roofing Tiles Plc aims to increase its exports to 10 per cent of sales from the current 5 per cent after a drop in domestic demand. Diamond's director Satid Sudbuntad said...

Buyers waiting before moving on mortgages.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Banks anticipated economic changes but political factors hitting hard Political uncertainty has hit Bangkok Bank's mortgage-loan growth harder than expected, executive vice...

Analysts upbeat on deal.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Advantages seen in synergy and debt-servicing ability for both companies G Steel Plc's acquisition of convertible debt claims of Nakornthai Strip Mill Plc (NSM), making it the...

Fiscal chief in budget warning.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The government's budget in the 2007 fiscal year will be delayed further if the planned October 15 general election has to be postponed, a senior Finance Ministry official said...

IEC, Bliss-Tel look at merger option.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. International Engineering Plc (IEC) is considering a merger with Bliss-Tel Plc, it said yesterday. The firms are studying various ways of working together, including a possible...

Academic leads tours for bank.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Since surviving a near-death experience - cancer in his lymph nodes - Phaotong Thongjure has been working hard as a cultural tour guide. His fame recently earned him a new position...

Biznews round-up.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. - The Stock Exchange of Thailand board of governors yesterday approved the appointment of Sopawadee Lertmanaschai, current executive vice president, to head the Thailand Securities...

BOUNCING DOWNHILL.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. For the third consecutive year Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan has had to pack his bags and leave Wimbledon early, despite the fact that grass is his favourite surface. His best...

A devil's bargain for democracy'.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand's latest dilemma is whether to let Thai Rak Thai off the hook or destroy a functioning political system Thailand's democracy has been taken hostage in a high-stakes drama...

Thaksin should consider a career as a Fifa referee in the event he's booted out of office.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Since our beloved caretaker PM Thaksin may soon be out of a job, I thoroughly recommend he apply for a job as a referee at Fifa. Instead of having to tolerate biased referees...

A perfect mess, and all from one man's design.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Just when you thought Thai politics couldn't get any messier, it got messier and then some. Worse, we have somehow convinced ourselves that normal chaos isn't good enough for us. ...

Rational debate on FTA nearly impossible.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Allegations have surfaced that the Bush administration intervened earlier this year to arrange the transfer out of Thailand of a World Health Organisation representative who published...

Danai's stay at the top is.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Asian No 2 Danai Udomchoke only had three days to enjoy his new ranking, and then he ran into Russian Dmitry Tursunov at Wimbledon, who unleashed a flurry of winners and eliminated him...

AMLO chief to head PM's Office inquiry into deal.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Peeraphan panel to study illegal deal with TV station; broadcaster 'to explain soon' Caretaker PM's Office Minister Newin Chidchob yesterday set up a five-member panel to look...

Police feud over gambling raid.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Police inspector-general Seripisut Temiyavej said yesterday he would sue the national police chief for abuse of authority for adding city officers to a panel probing alleged...

TRT demands to inspect fire-trucks.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Thai Rak Thai Party will submit a request to Bangkok city officials today to reveal the whereabouts of 176 fire trucks supplied by an Austrian manufacturer. TRT spokesman Sita...

Luang Phor Khoon ill.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Revered monk Luang Phor Khoon Parisuttho was hospitalised yesterday morning due to low blood-sugar levels. The 83-year-old monk, who suffers from diabetes, was found collapsed at...

BTS to add more trains.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Operators of the BTS Skytrain plan to increase services from next Monday to reduce overcrowding during peak hours. Dr Anat Arbhabhirama, an adviser to the directors of the Bangkok...

FTI: Growth may drop to less than 4%.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Investments on hold; policy direction unclear If five political parties, including Thai Rak Thai and the Democrats, are dissolved, economic growth could slow to less than 4 per...

Thai firms fail to focus on efficiency when expanding overseas.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai-owned multinational corporations (MNCs) differ from other MNCs in that they see investment in foreign markets as merely an expansion play rather than as a means of increasing...

Prices jump forecast for shrimp as industry suffers.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Thai Shrimp Association expects export price trends to increase as major producing countries like China struggle with extreme weather that has affected production. Somsak...

THAI, Itochu join in distribution venture.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai Airways International Plc and the Japanese trading firm Itochu will set up a joint venture to build a distribution centre at Suvarnabhumi International Airport to deliver parts...

Higher charges for cooking-gas delivery.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Commerce Ministry's Internal Trade Department yesterday approved cooking-gas retailers' request to increase their rapid-delivery transport charges by Bt5 per cylinder in August....

Step this way for the slum tour.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. It looks like India can add another product to its multifaceted tourism portfolio. Tours roaming around the streets of Delhi to experience the life of the poor - especially...

Each MP hopeful given Bt200,000 incentive to stay.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Ruling party leader attempts to lock in support as battle for TRT's future looms Thai Rak Thai Party leader Thaksin Shinawatra has doled out Bt200,000 for each of his MPs seeking...

Airport's city seen as magnet for investment.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Suvarnbhumi City is expected to be a magnet for foreign investment as it will have total control over its own administration, Saroch Kuthamath, director-general of the Local...

Crisis 'won't end any time soon'.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai politics might wallow in a grey zone for a considerable time as dissolving political parties was not easy and the election on October 15 appeared unlikely, outgoing Bangkok...

Justice is being reversed: Chuan.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Democrat Party chief adviser Chuan Leekpai wondered yesterday why his party, seeking justice as a complainant, was being prosecuted for committing the offence. "The public may...

Democrats unbowed, to take fight to PM.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Democrat Party is not shaken by the threat of dissolution and will fight for justice and to unravel the evils of "Thaksinomics", party spokesman Ong-art Klampaiboon said...

Opinions divided over political future.
June 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A law expert, a political scientist and a caretaker government minister have different views of what needs to happen for the Thai Rak Thai and Democrat parties to be dissolved and...