The Nation (Thailand) articles from March 2006

The Nation (Thailand) archives from March 2006

When a wat becomes a dumping ground.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Last week's column inadvertently caused a "puppy rush". When I put in the photo of the sleepy pup resting in Luang Por Boonsong's gentle hands, I meant only to show people one of the...

Behind the hype lies a poor record.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Are you better off now than five years ago' Thai Rak Thai is bragging that all of us are doing real well economically under the stewardship of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. In one...

Committed to telling the truth.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Despite being forced from our office, we remain dedicated to those who have stuck with us through troubled times Today's Nation may be thin, and the product may even look sloppy...

Italian-Thai prepares for massive expansion.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Plans Bt10-bn move into energy and resources in region Italian-Thai Develop-ment Plc, Thailand's leading construction firm, will spend Bt10 billion to expand into energy and...

AT Siam launches hi-tech coatings.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Having begun operations two months ago, AT Siam Co Ltd, a Thai-Japanese joint venture that aims to import products with energy-saving technology from Japan, has now launched Arayga...

Marketers, retailers facing more sophisticated buyers.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A rapidly changing retail landscape and a shifting consumer profile are among the major emerging challenges for today's marketers and retailers, says global retail-research agency...

EU expands duty-free access for Thai goods.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The European Union (EU) has agreed to allow additional duty-free access for Thai agricultural exports as part of compensation for the union's acceptance of 10 new members since 2004...

PROPERTY: MBK purchases land worth Bt664m.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. MBK Plc reported to the Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday that its subsidiary Olympic Club Co Ltd had purchased land located at Nongprue, in Bang Lamung district of Chon Buri. ...

AIS in major push throughout Kingdom.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) is spending Bt8 billion in the first half of the year to expand its network coverage and capacity throughout the country. As part of the plan the...

Latex futures bounce their way onto Afet.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Agricultural futures Exchange of Thailand (Afet) will emerge as the first futures market in the world to trade high-ammonia concentrated latex. Latex futures will start...

Sugar supplies doubled to ease shortage problem.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Commerce Ministry yesterday expressed confidence that its short-term doubling of sugar supplies to the domestic market would solve the prolonged shortage and the problem of illegal...

Business light as 'Siam' malls reopen.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Siam Paragon, Siam Discovery and Siam Centre reopened yesterday in a lacklustre mood after the departure of the huge crowds demanding the resignation of caretaker Prime Minister...

Economy cools as politics boils.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. February exports still healthy, but domestic demand slows - Fiscal Policy Office The Finance Ministry announced yesterday that economic expansion had slowed in February just as...

'Victory if some PTT assets are returned'.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Civic groups may not succeed in revoking the privatisation of PTT Plc, but their move could be considered a victory if their petition meant the return of some PTT assets to the state,...

Bush lobbied on UN.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra wrote a letter to US President George W Bush last month informing him that Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai remained the Thai and...

Tropical storm lashes Bangkok.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Heavy showers and howling winds whipped Bangkok for the second day yesterday, toppling trees and tents at the Red Cross Fair around the Royal Plaza and uprooting towering trees in the...

Democrat leaders attacked in Chiang Mai.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Chairs, eggs and paint thrown at party chiefs as violent episode blights lead-up to Sunday's ballot Democrat Party leaders were attacked and pelted with chairs and a rally they...

Daily shuts itself down for 5 days.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Kom Chad Luek daily agreed yesterday to cease publication for five days to show responsibility for publishing a news story that was deemed lese majeste. The decision ended a...

The press speaks out.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A joint statement issued by the Thai Journalists Association and the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association yesterday: Stop harassing the media for performing their duty. ...

Vote-buying allegations the final effort to kill PM's election chances.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. In a last-ditch effort to block Sunday's election, the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) will today ask the Administrative Court to hold an emergency hearing into the Election...

Reporters are persecuting Thaksin and betraying their profession's ideals.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The news and articles in leading English newspapers recently convey an obvious one-sided stand on the current political stalemate in the country. Articles and opinions were mostly, if...

Lese majeste charges dropped.
March 31, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Public prosecutors yesterday declined to press a lese majeste charge against caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his deputy Wissanu Krea-Ngam, citing lack of evidence. ...

Authorities hold 19 religious teachers following boat trip.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Police continued to detain 19 religious teachers from a Yala school and a boat driver for questioning after they returned from an island in Satun province. Police suspect the...

Toxic strains of botulism identified.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The strains of clostridium botulism found in contaminated bamboo shoots in Nan province have been identified as the toxic Types A and B, Phaijit Warachit, director-general of the...

Young lad who wai-ed to King has been found.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Many reliable sources have identified the young boy captured in a much-loved photo giving a "wai" at the feet of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej 33 years ago. He is Payungsak...

Rich, rude, risky, rough and in a rush.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Big salaries and prestige drives 'Generation R' Opportunities for job advancement, training, and good salary offers are the criteria high-calibre Thai graduates prioritise when...

Storm blacks out Bangkok.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A tropical storm hit Bangkok on Tuesday night causing road accidents and blackouts, and bringing down concrete pillars along the fence at Government House. The heavy storm hit the...

Consumer groups to petition court.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Network wants PTT decrees revoked following Egat ruling Consumer groups plan to submit a petition next month over the privatisation of PTT Plc to the Supreme Administrative Court,...

Multiplex owners unfazed by closures.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The anti-government rally that has forced the closure of three major shopping malls in Bangkok's main shopping district will only shave a few million baht off cinema ticket sales, a...

Ministry to wrap up Cedar, Kularb Kaew probe this week.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Commerce Ministry is expected to finish this week its examination of ownership-related documents of Cedar Holdings and Kularb Kaew as part of its probe into whether both were...

The heat's on, and so's the air con.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Now that a heat wave is hitting the capital, home-owners are turning on their air-conditioners. But given the higher electricity price, which was increased again last month,...

The Big Day leaves us trapped in the same mess.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. If you have already made up your mind about this Sunday, you may skip this piece. Well, I'm kidding, of course. A major rule of writing is never say anything like that. I mean,...

Charity golf.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Sasin Princess Cup Golf Tournament, a charity event, will start on May 28 and offers Bt500,000 in prize money as well as a prestigious trophy donated by HRH Princess Maha Chakri...

'Technical textiles' seen as way to go.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Strong demand for fabrics, garments tailored for special purposes, seminar hears Local manufacturers should focus more on "technical textile" production to avoid tougher...

Thaksinomics 'not a driver of growth'.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Members of the country's foremost development research think-tank said yesterday Thaksin Shinawatra's economic policy had not contributed to the country's bullish economic performance...

Major aims for big rise in movie-goers.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Major Cineplex Group is aiming to double the frequency of visits by movie-goers to its theatre complexes this year. The country's largest theatre operator wants to increase its...

Avoiding hype pays off in KL.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The country's five-year development plan is bound to fuel more than a Thaksin-style shopping spree As Malaysians prepare themselves for an upcoming debate over a five-year...

Sugar price float recommended.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Top state officials and the private sector are urging the government to consider a "floating price" policy for the sugar industry to stop the problems of a prolonged shortage and...

Castro revolution embraces Kingdom.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Peppo Fashions Group, the local distributor of Guess and MNG-branded apparel, expects the recent launch of the Israel-based Castro brand to contribute nearly Bt100 million or 12-13 per...

Tapioca down.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Tapioca exports will drop 0.7 per cent - a decrease of export volume by 4.9 million tonnes - this year, due mainly to the high value of tapioca in the domestic market through the...

SMEs advised to outsource logistics.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has urged the country's small- and medium-sized enterprises to outsource their logistics management in response to impending...

Oil 'will just keep rising'.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. US expert also questions NGV investment The world has moved into an irreversible era of high oil prices in which crude prices are expected to climb continuously and possibly hit...

Erawan in major hotel tie-up with Accor.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Erawan Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with the France-based Accor Group to build a network of up to 10 economy hotels under the Ibis brand in Thailand's major...

US tax riles shrimpers.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Hundreds of shrimp farmers from shrimp clubs in Surat Thani, Trang and Krabi yesterday threatened to protest at the Commerce Ministry early next week after their requests for the...

New charges ready for Prachai.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is preparing to press charges against Prachai Leophairatana, former owner and chief executive of Thai Petrochemical Industry Plc (TPI),...

Stock: Siam City Bank (SCIB).
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Recommendation: Buy Securities house: Phatra Securities The broker has cut its earnings estimates for Siam City Bank by 13.8 per cent for 2006 and 1.7 per cent for 2007, given...

SET slams firm over disclosure.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday warned investors that BNT Entertainment Plc had not complied with the best practices of a listed company and had failed to disclose necessary...

Hi-Tech confident of title.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Twenty teams will battle for the prestigious King's Cup, but reigning champions Hi-Tech and Bangkok Bank are tipped to retain their crowns in the men's and women's categories. A...

Asian meet attracts many.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [BEACH VOLLEYBALL] More than 50 teams from 16 countries will contest the Asian Tour Beach Volleyball Tournament in Thailand next month. The meet will be split into two legs, the...

City roars, south rumbles.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Rally paralyses parts of capital Tens of thousands flock to PAD demonstration outside Siam Paragon; separate protest blockades main highway to South Large sections of Bangkok...

Two rallies plus two fairs equals gridlock.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. If the anti-Thaksin rally in front of Siam Paragon didn't totally paralyse city roads, a few more events - a rally of farmers on Silom Road, the Red Cross Fair and the national Book...

Social security 'bankrupt' by '51.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Recommends that government launch a national pension fund to avoid crisis The International Labour Organisation has warned that Thailand's social security system is likely to...

Fixed rates bite into One Asset.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. One Asset Management yesterday posted disappointing net asset value growth of 1.6 per cent in the first quarter of the year compared to the fourth quarter last year. The firm said...

Two banks reduce farmers' debt again.
March 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Under pressure from protesting farmers, Krung Thai Bank and Bangkok Bank yesterday signed memoranda of understanding extending existing agreements to grant debt "haircuts" to farmers....

A taste of Canton.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Grand China Princess Hotel in the heart of Bangkok's Chinatown invites noodle aficionados to experience the creations of its executive chef Kamchai Chitmaneemongkol who,...

Humming around again.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Veteran bands and artists who can still walk the walk and talk the talk are scoring high in today's music scene Latest doesn't always mean finest. When the new kids on the block...

AIS reignites rate war in bid for new subscribers.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) yesterday ignited a rate war to woo new mobile-phone subscribers, following a possible slowdown in its customer growth due to the hostile operating...

Pensioners will burden society soon, pundits say.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Globalisation and dramatic demographic change are the major driving forces in the world economy,but are also creating business opportunities for marketing people, claimed an insurance...

Political paradox at Siam Paragon.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Shoppers who visit Siam Paragon are often amazed at the stupendous size of the place. It can take a visitor all day or more to stroll through all far-flung corners of the luxury mall....

New bug basher.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. New rotavirus vaccine comes to Asia and it could save millions of kids from misery - and death A new vaccine is now available in countries all over Asia to prevent infants from...

'Key stakes not held by relatives'.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Report about kin holding shares false, Shinawatra firm tells SEC Yingluck Shinawatra, chairman of SC Asset Corp Plc's Executive Committee, said in a filing to the Stock Exchange of...

Traffic fears spark mall closures.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Functions at three centres delayed; area hotels report no cancellations Several business functions have been postponed ahead of the gathering of the People's Alliance for...

Insurance man puts premium on protest.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Most business leaders are keeping their opinions about the political situation to themselves, but starting today Poomchai Lamsam, chief executive of Muang Thai Life Assurance Co Ltd,...

GHB plans home-linked loans.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Government Housing Bank (GHB) plans to introduce 11 new mortgage-linked loan products in the second half of the year, after laws related to its operations have been adjusted. ...

BOT has secret plan to cut banks' bad loans.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Bank of Thailand (BOT) will introduce new measures to encourage commercial banks to step up efforts to reduce their non-performing loans (NPLs). The move is part of its aim to...

Biznews round-up.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. - Naris Chaiyasoot, director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office, said participants in an official-level meeting of the Asia Cooperative Dialogue over the past weekend proposed that...

Weather Index insurance set for launch.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The World Bank and Thailand's Insurance Department will join the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) and a score of non-life insurers to create a "Weather Index...

Stock: BEC World Plc (BEC).
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Recommendation: Hold Securities house: Thanachart Securities The brokerage has upgraded its rating on BEC World to "Hold" from "Reduce", because it now believes the worst is...

'Protests turn Asians off of Thai tourism'.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Pacific Asia Travel Association sounds alarm on fallout, as foreign perception of Kingdom takes a dive Political tension has hurt the tourism industry and the decision by the...

P&G to revamp, hire more staff.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Procter & Gamble (Thailand) Co Ltd, maker of beauty and personal-care products, will spend Bt600 million this year to revamp its operating system after its parent purchased four...

New supply to end sugar shortage in one month.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Commerce Ministry yesterday said that the sugar shortage should be eliminated within a month after three million sacks of sugar are released into the market soon. As a result...

TMB signs up CashTech.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. CashTech Solutions, a Fundtech Ltd subsidiary and global provider of cash-management solutions, on Monday announced that TMB Bank had retained its services. TMB Bank will use...

Lenovo has global ambitions.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. David Shaw, marketing director for Lenovo Asia Pacific, the largest IT firm in China, said Lenovo was a key force in the mainland's foray into the global marketplace. Speaking at...

THAI plans cargo company.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Somchainuk Engtrakul, acting president of Thai Airways International Plc (THAI), said yesterday the national carrier was considering starting a cargo airline within two years. He...

Betagro expansion to spur sales.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bt2.7-billion investment in new factories, food products expected to yield big returns Agro-conglomerate Betagro Group expects to generate sales of Bt40 billion over the next...

Dubai becomes a top financial centre.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Dubai has embraced the call of globalisation by positioning itself as a financial and industrial powerhouse bridging East and West. Dubai's deputy director general of planning and...

Thailand becoming popular in the Middle East market.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. More than 100 delegates from 13 Middle Eastern countries attended the third Arab World Travel and Tourism Exchange at the Biel Centre in Beirut "under extremely difficult conditions",...

Aviation: THAI transfers two routes to low-cost subsidiary Nok Air.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai Airways International Plc (THAI) cancelled its Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat route on Sunday and will stop flying its Bangkok-Trang route on May 1. The Bangkok-Nakhon Si...

Syrup plant gets safety seal.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Coca-Cola's syrup plant in Thailand has earned the record as the first among 26 such plants globally to be given an ISO 22000 food-safety certification. It is also the sixth...

Company reports.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Asia Metal announced its annual general shareholders' meeting would be held on April 27. A vote will be held on the company's dividend payment for last year's second-half operations....

April 2 election: welcome to a minefield of political crises.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. While it's supposed to be a snap election, Thaksin Shinawatra is exploiting it as a referendum. It's technically a one-horse electoral race but he calls it a move to "return power to...

Indonesia's progressive form of Islam is not something that Thailand needs to fear.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Amid the heated debate about Islam and the global war on terrorism, Indonesia has emerged as a voice of reason and moderation, one that can bridge the gap between the Muslim and...

Sugar exports expected to rise following WTO ruling.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand, Brazil and Australia could enjoy increased exports of sugar after the World Trade Organisation's appellate body ruled that the European Union must stop its subsidy programme....

Asean's sad policy on Burma.
March 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The junta's dysfunctional diplomacy is demonstrated once again after Malaysia's envoy cuts short his visit While it is clear to everyone that the Burmese junta does not care about...