The Nation (Thailand) articles from March 2007, page 5

The Nation (Thailand) archives from March 2007

Number shortage is putting DTAC on hold.
March 23, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is expected to consider granting additional mobile-phone numbers to Total Access Communication (DTAC) next week, to help ease its...

Thai shrimp farmers call for boycott.
March 23, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai shrimp farmers plan to boycott Australian goods soon if the country fails to cancel its Import Risk Analysis against shrimp imported from Thailand. "We'll give them 30 days...

SME Bank to slash its NPLs.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Level of bad debts is highest of all state-owned financial institutions The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank of Thailand (SME Bank) plans to reduce its non-performing...

SEC pushing demutualisation draft amendment.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) wants a draft amendment to the Securities and Exchange Act BE 2535 to go to a National Legislative Assembly committee for legal...

Kim Eng in Bt10-billion fund deal.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Kim Eng Securities (Thailand) has joined hands with a mutual-fund company to be financial advisers and selling agents for a Bt10-billion property fund. The fund will be launched...

BAM to help people get off blacklist.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bangkok Commercial Asset Management (BAM) will provide a channel to allow delinquent payers to remove their name from the National Credit Bureau (NCB) blacklist and amend their credit...

A Thai country boy in the Mideast oilfields.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A successful petroleum discovery in the Shams Field in Oman marked a historic development in the Thai petroleum industry. One of those behind the success was Rangsan Bhangbhun of PTT...

Bus accident a preventable horror.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Saraburi tragedy shows more must be done to ensure that public transport in this country is safe The horrific accident that occurred on Tuesday afternoon when an...

Values more important than legislation in the creation of a public-service broadcaster.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Re: "Free the airwaves from state control", Editorial, March 20. I agree with you that "the Surayud government must rise above vested interests and make broadcast media reform a...

What has this constitution got to do with you'.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. What if you held a referendum and nobody came' Worse, what if you held a referendum and everybody came and posed the same question: "What has this referendum got to do with us anyway'"...

Swift end to withholding rule sought.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bank of Thailand urged to step up cuts in policy rate The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) has urged the Bank of Thailand (BOT) to revoke its 30-per-cent withholding requirement...

Egat lukewarm to CNS idea of pooling connectivity networks.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is worried pooling the country's telecommunications connectivity networks will affect existing lease contracts it has with...

Study looks at Don Muang as 2nd airport.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Airports of Thailand (AOT) has been assigned to study the feasibility of turning Don Muang Airport into a second international airport for Bangkok, though the first attempt was foiled...

Weird welcome to amazing Thailand.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Many weird things flourish in Thai society and never seem to wither away. Take Suvarnabhumi Airport. Despite much-heralded problems - which are still not entirely fixed - the...

Tana Group eyes Pattaya.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Developer has already launched two projects Property developer the Tana Group will invest a total of Bt800 million to expand its business upcountry, focusing on Pattaya and...

Central to build 4 complexes.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Central Pattana is on the way to achieving its target of setting up 18 shopping complexes by 2010. The company yesterday announced the construction of four new complexes costing a...

Honour spending pledge, FTI tells govt.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) wants the government to provide a stable political environment and resume grass-roots spending promptly in order to restore consumer confidence....

Institute urges public, govt to defend Thai engineers.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) has urged fellow practitioners, the public, and the government to support Thai engineers, as confidence in them has dwindled after the...

Exporters told to focus on brand-building.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. As part of the Commerce Ministry's drive for sustainable export growth, the Export Promotion Department yesterday urged Thai exporters to create their own brands for global markets....

finance minister.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Chalongphob names new advisers from financial, legal sectors Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn yesterday appointed nine advisers: five economists, two bankers, a legal...

EVA ranked high for safety.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Taiwanese carrier EVA Air has once again ranked among Aero International's "Best of Best" for safety. Aero International, a monthly aviation-industry magazine published in...

Toyota Motor plans further expansion at new facility.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Although its new Ban Pho manufacturing plant in Chachoengsao province opened less than a month ago, Toyota Motor Thailand is planning to increase the plant's production capacity to...

MTO sets up N America office in US.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Mekong Tourism Office (MTO) has established an office in the United States with the appointment of John Semone as regional director for North America. For the first time since...

SET approves Bt10m for research institute.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The board of the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has agreed to spend Bt10 million to establish the SET Research Institute to conduct study and development of growth of the local...

Hundreds voice their anger over potash mine.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Public forum cancelled after 'biased' chairman pelted with juice, rubbish Hundreds of protesters yesterday surrounded Udon Thani Rajabhat University president Charoon Thavornchak...

Technology for the elderly.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Science and Technology Ministry, in association with CS Loxinfo Service, will organise an event called "Science Avenue for Elderly People" from April 5 to 8, Minister Yongyuth...

Family to decide Prakitpao's liberty.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Dr Prakitpao Thomthitchong, the head of a chain of physics tutorial schools, has recovered and could leave hospital if his family agreed, the Mental Health Department said yesterday....

Database.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A national database with comprehensive anthro-pological information will be available within the next two years, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Anthro-pology Centre (SAC) director...

Licence renewal a click away.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Life is about to get easier for the country's 10.35 million registered drivers - licence renewal will soon be just a click away. Under an ambitious plan by the Road Transport...

Suspension from class revived for bad pupils.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Suspension from class will soon be in effect again as a measure to cope with habitually misbehaving students, after the practice was revoked in a revised Education Ministry regulation...

Northern smog crisis eases as downpours clear the air.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Downpours on Tuesday night have significantly eased the smog crisis in Chiang Rai while the levels of dust were starting to return to normal in Chiang Mai and Lampang yesterday. ...

Smuggled tobacco costing countries billions in lost revenue.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Cigarette smuggling, which certain transnational giant tobacco companies were believed to be behind, was not only a major threat to the country's public health and tax revenues but...

Authority to get tough on bus firms.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Following Tuesday's bus crash in Saraburi, the state-owned Transport Co, which operates the inter-city bus service, will "get tougher" on all bus companies and will give Bt10,000...

It was an old vehicle.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The bus that caught fire and plunged off the road and into a bank on Tuesday in Saraburi, killing 29 passengers, had been in use for 36 years, a senior public transport official said...

Next of kin flock to Siriraj Hospital to claim bodies.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. About 200 relatives of victims who died in Tuesday's bus crash in Saraburi flocked to Siriraj Hospital yesterday to identify the bodies of their loved ones. Many of the relatives...

Own goal a killjoy for Students.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand Premier League champions Bangkok University came within a whisker of registering one of their most famous victories only to concede a late own goal in a 1-1 draw against...

Tamarine beaten in Miami qualifier.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [TENNIS] Second seed Tamarine Tanasugarn lost in the final qualifying round of the Ericsson Open in Miami, Florida, as she fell to Czech Iveta Benesova 6-3 4-6 6-4 on Tuesday. ...

Future of King Power up to A-G.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Investigation may be sought of former AOT chief who approved retail contracts Airports of Thailand is expected to seek the Attorney-General's advice following a Council of State...

Grieving relatives of bus victims will sue.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Grieving relatives of passengers killed when their Bangkok-bound coach caught fire and careered down a hill in Saraburi on Tuesday will sue bus company Sri Sanguan Yanyont. "I...

Sonthi slammed for prevarication.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The junta leader came under fire yesterday for failing to make a clear public stance about his political future. General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, chairman of the Council for National...

Thailand stay fifth in Manila.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand are in joint fifth position, ten strokes off the pace of leaders South Korea in the first round of the Queen Sirikit Cup golf international in the Philippines yesterday. ...

PM tells agencies to heal religious rift.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Surayud fears recent atrocities will only inflame bitter divisions Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont yesterday commanded state agencies in the deep South to heal rifts between...

Al-Qaeda influences seen in South.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Southern insurgents have adopted the tactics of international terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) to cause greater fear and violence in the predominantly Muslim region, the prime...

PTV rally 'won't be stopped'.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said yesterday the PTV rally at Sanam Luang tomorrow would not be stopped as long as the organisers do not break any laws. The organisers of...

Tough media ownership laws being looked at.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The charter writers are mulling over a draft provision to ban political office holders from owning or exerting influence over media outlets. The idea for the ban came up yesterday...

Bangkok Triathlon promises to be an exciting event.
March 22, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [TRIATHLON] The inaugural Bangkok Triathlon Championships promises to be one of the best such events ever held in Thailand when it starts off on April 1 under the Rama VIII Bridge. ...

Miss Thailand Universe 2007 contest.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra, our fashion reporter, is covering the on-going Miss Thailand Universe 2007 activities in Trang. She has updated her weblog with story and photos. Visit...

Late news :Transit agency gets more power.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Cabinet yesterday awarded more power to the Expressway and Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand in establishing joint ventures or awarding concessions to private operators. The...

NESDB tasked to ensure 4% growth.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Grass-roots lending projects and minimum-wage changes considered by Cabinet The National Economic and Social Development Board has been assigned to draw up an economic stimulus...

Chester's Grill undergoes image makeover.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Chester's Grill, a quick-service restaurant unit of the Charoen Pokphand Group, is refreshing its brand in a move to strengthen its bond with its core customers. The target...

Thai Rung looks for opportunities abroad.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai Rung Union Car, a local manufacturer of pickups and an original equipment manufacturer for vehicle parts, is searching for business opportunities with auto companies in Vietnam....

'Human capital' worries plague Japanese FTA deal.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. With the conclusion of the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (Jtepa) looming, Yoichi Kato, president of the Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro), worries there might...

Retailers fail to speed up legislation.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Cabinet yesterday failed to consider the proposed Retail Business Act, despite pressure from the Federation of Thais Opposing Foreign Retailers, which rallied in front of...

Industry Ministry to ask for Bt10 bn for fiscal 2008.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Industry Ministry has proposed a spending budget of Bt10 billion for fiscal 2008. The government has approved about Bt7 billion for the Industry Ministry and the Office of...

Southern crisis reaching point of no return.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. There were high expectations that the coup leaders would do a better job in tackling the deep South than the Thaksin administration. General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and Prime...

Aggravation via the Internet.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Recently, I received a mysterious e-mail from info@hi-thaksin.net. Does that ring the bell' Yes, it's from www.hi-thaksin.net, the website that is gaining increasing popularity...

Eswaran: We started our business here seven years ago.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. QI Group to invest Bt1 bn in Thai leisure industry Hong Kong-based multinational conglomerate the QI Group plans to invest up to Bt1 billion in the hotel and resort business in...

DTAC plans IPO to raise Bt7 billion.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Company intends to make share-swap offer for Ucom stock Total Access Communication (DTAC) yesterday announced its plan for an initial public offering (IPO) that would raise Bt7...

THAI gears up for Don Muang.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Yesterday, five days before Don Muang's reopening, representatives of THAI, One-Two-Go and Nok Air were at Don Muang to prepare for operations at the old airport. The domestic...

Call for interest-rate cuts, tax on currency trading.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Bank of Thailand (BOT) and the Finance Ministry have been urged to implement market-friendly measures to curb the growing strength of the baht, including further policy...

Ascon will yield to Japanese partner on train project.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Ascon Construction is ready to give a new Japanese partner 20 per cent of its proposed stake in a joint venture set up to bid on the electric-train projects. Ascon executive...

Ucom shares jump 18% on swap deal.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Attractive swap ratio with DTAC stock has investors rushing to buy, say brokers United Communi-cation (Ucom) stock yesterday rose 18 per cent on an attractive share-swap ratio...

Thai Vegetable Oil.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Tisco Securities has maintained its "buy" recommendation for Thai Vegetable Oil shares, with a 12-month target price of Bt9.70 apiece. Production cutbacks by livestock breeders...

Company reports.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. LANNA RESOURCES' board of directors has given approval to its wholly owned subsidiary Lanna (Singapore) to issue a confirmation letter to the Department of Energy and Mineral Resources...

Rating agency revises outlook.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Fitch Ratings (Thailand) yesterday revised its outlook on Thanachart Capital and its bank subsidiary, Thanachart Bank, to "negative" from "stable", citing the weakening business...

CPF to expand its Philippines operation.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) yesterday announced plans to invest Bt37 million to expand its livestock and aquaculture business in the Philippines' economic area of Cebu. The CPF...

SET to invest in new Vayupak Fund.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) will invest about Bt5 billion, but not more than Bt10 billion, in the Vayupak Fund 2, which is expected to be established soon as a means of...

Modernising the family firm.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Aroon Ruengcha-rungpong is bringing Thai Stainless Steel into the 21st century, including by teaching older staff to cyber-surf Do you think it's easy to change the work habits of...

In Brief :Merger plan for agriculture bodies.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is considering merging the Marketing Organisation for Farmers (MOF) with the Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) overseen by the Commerce...

European Food targets 25% growth.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Ambitious plan aims to increase sales to Bt2.4 billion this year Amid the ongoing local economic and political difficulties that have reduced Thai consumers' purchasing power in...

Strong demand for Bangkok flats.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Demand for apartments in central Bangkok has remained healthy, with an average occupancy rate of more than 90 per cent, says international real-estate-services firm Jones Lang LaSalle....

Realty broker Harrison to exhibit at 50 events this year.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Property broker Harrison plans to launch a solo exhibition at up to 50 events across Europe and Asia, to ensure sales growth of 25 per cent to Bt10 billion this year. Executive...

Authorities to get tough on outdoor burning.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Evacuation mulled for those in hard-hit areas; fire-fighters rounded up to assist Residents will be evacuated from any area in Mae Hong Son, which has an air quality index (AQI)...

Cabinet approves cash aid for affected fish farmers.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Cabinet yesterday approved a Bt50 million budget to provide financial relief to people affected by water pollution in Angthong and Ayutthaya. A large number of fish have...

Applicants swamp popular high schools.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Famous secondary schools have attracted a huge number of applicants far in excess of available places. Bodindecha (Sing Singhaseni), one of the country's most prestigious schools,...

Cock-fighting birds likely culprit in Mukdahan H5N1 outbreak.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The latest bird flu epidemic in the northeastern province of Mukdahan was most likely to have come from Sawannakhet province in Laos through illegal cock-fighting tours, health...

First private psychiatric asylum aims to boost care.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. When a person is found to be mentally ill, the cure is usually admittance to a private hospital and confinement to bed with nothing to do except watch TV. The alternative is a...

29 killed as bus crashes downhill.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Twenty-nine people were killed and dozens injured yesterday when a Bangkok-bound bus caught fire and careered down a hill. The bus, from the northeastern province of Yasothon,...

Slaughter of innocent civilians a greater cause for concern than disappearances.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The latest Human Rights Watch report, without providing any evidence, asserts that 22 forced disappearances have occurred in Thailand and that the Thai military is guilty. The...

Hopes of first six months dashed.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The military council must not leave without having reconciled the rural masses and the urban middle class The Council for National Security (CNS) marked its first six months in...

Queen offers to expand sanctuary.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Planned expansion of royal project areas designed to protect at-risk workers Her Majesty the Queen has instructed that royal project areas in Pattani's Nong Chik district be...

HM the King to receive cultural honour.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Cabinet yesterday agreed that an appellation be bestowed upon His Majesty the King to mark his extensive contribution to the conservation and promotion of Thai culture. The...

Ua athorn:Full AEC probe sought.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A new panel was likely to be set up this month to look into alleged irregularities in the Ua Athorn housing project, Assets Examination Committee (AEC) member Kaewsan Atibhodi said...

Surin faces questioningover Kularb.
March 21, 2007... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Surin Upatkoon, a former major shareholder of Kularb Kaew, has been summoned by police for questioning over charges of violating the foreign business law by holding Kularb Kaew's...