The Nation (Thailand) articles from May 2009, page 6

The Nation (Thailand) archives from May 2009

Asean plus three to boost antiviral stockpile.
May 9, 2009... Byline: The Nation. No target mentioned; Japan agrees to donate 500,000 doses if virus spreads Health ministers from Asean and its dialogue partners from China, Japan and South Korea yesterday agreed to boost the stockpile of...

An open letter to 'The Economist'.
May 9, 2009... Byline: The Nation. In one of its recent issues, The Economist ran an article about Thailand and decided not to distribute it in the Kingdom "due to its sensitive coverage on the Thai monarchy". Indeed, the article entitled "The Trouble...

Don't be misled by the stock market rallies.
May 9, 2009... Byline: The Nation. ECONOMIES ARE not doing well, yet stock markets around the world are rising, with Thailand's SET index going up a staggering 28 per cent when it closed at 527 yesterday. So what's happening' One research house...

Better tactics needed to stamp out piracy.
May 9, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Though things turned ugly in Patpong, officials should continue protecting intellectual property The skirmish during the Wednesday night raid on Patpong Night Market should not distract the authorities from their...

Polishing away a big blemish.
May 9, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Anthony Brooke, a veteran in the Thai gem and jewellery industry, is trying really hard to alleviate the negative impact the US Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act is having on local exports Anthony Brooke, 49,...

No reprieve for Phra Pawana.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the lower court's ruling handing a 50-year imprisonment term to a former Buddhist abbot of Nakhon Pathom's Wat Sampran, on charges of raping and molesting nine hilltribe girls under...

University admission results out.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. For the latest batch of university student hopefuls, the wait is over: the Office of Higher Education Commission (Ohec) has announced results of the central university-admission system on several web sites. ...

More control measures to fight Influenza A(H1N1).
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Surveillance to stay; bid to maintain trade and travel Measures to control Influenza Type A (H1N1) - will be adopted in Asean countries in accordance with World Health Organisation (WHO) standards. Emphasis...

China will help develop influenza vaccine.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. China is willing to help Asean countries develop an antiviral and vaccine should the Type A(H1N1) influenza turn into a serious pandemic. Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai yesterday said his Chinese...

Bhutan's young democracy gets off to a wobbly start.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. "I AM nervous whenever I talk to the media. I can easily forget what I want to say in front of the camera," said a young member of the National Assembly from eastern Bhutan. "Please tell me, how I can improve...

Tax hikes will help to drive more people away.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Thai government's decision to raise the tax on alcoholic beverages to pay for an economic stimulus package gives the expat and tourist food for thought. A beer at a bar or restaurant here is now more expensive...

Banks should cut more lending : BOT.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Bank of Thailand Governor Tarisa Watanagase said yesterday the banking system's lending rates should decrease soon without any accompanying decline in deposit interest rates, moves that will help both borrowers and...

Bear market rally to end soon.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thailand's bear market rally will evaporate soon due to a lack of positive economic factors, analysts warned yesterday. Pichai Lertsupongkit, executive vice president of Thanachart Securities, said at a seminar...

More factions emerge to widen the political divide.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Out of the blue, a white-shirted campaign took off this week with a broad and appealing message that calls for an end to the political violence and conflict. Representatives from more than 20 organisations, including...

Buddha's teachings are more important than ever.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Failure to appreciate and observe the most basic lessons have led us to the crises we are now faced with Buddhists around the world today celebrate Vesak Day, which reminds us of the message and teachings of the...

Mysterious tourist deaths in South.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Authorities are investigating the strange death of two women tourists on Ko Phi Phi last weekend. Initial speculation from police has been that the women - one from Norway and the other American - may have...

Patpong skirmish injures 17, vendors file police complaint.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Vendors at the Patpong Night Market yesterday lodged a police complaint accusing anti-piracy officials of abusing their power and using excessive force during a raid on Wednesday night. One vendor is in critical...

Flu crisis moves discussed.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Plan to ramp up production of antiviral drugs Asean health ministers plus their counterparts from China, Japan and South Korea are due to endorse measures today to fight the deadly influenza A H1N1 virus, a Thai...

TUF signs contracts with 185 shrimpers.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thai Union Frozen Products (TUF), a leading producer and exporter of processed and frozen seafood products, has secured 10,000 tonnes of shrimp by signing contracts with 185 farmers nationwide. This is part of its...

'Central Men' to boost sales.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Central Department Store has allocated Bt20 million to a "Central Men with Style 2009" campaign to stimulate spending on men's clothing, hoping the campaign will produce sales of over Bt200 million. The campaign...

PTT sees recovery on higher oil prices.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. PTT's performance in the first quarter should be better than in the fourth quarter of last year, thanks to the renewed spike in global oil prices, president Prasert Bunsumpun said yesterday. "We'll try to maintain...

Briefs:.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Porntiva insists rice auction graft-free Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai insisted yesterday that the rice auction was corruption-free, thanks to scrutiny by various agencies including the PM's Office, and that...

Piracy crackdown to continue despite violence: Alongkorn.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot yesterday vowed to continue with the harsh crackdown on counterfeit goods, despite Wednesday's violent clash in Patpong. "We can't let society weaken further. We don't...

Decree to enable tax hikes on fuel and cigarettes.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The government is preparing an executive degree to sharply increase the excise rate ceilings on cigarettes and fuel as it struggles to cope with a revenue shortfall. The move comes after a 5-7-per-cent tax hike in...

FTI urges slow move on oil price hikes.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Federation of Thai Industries yesterday cautioned the government to go easy on raising petrol and diesel excise taxes, as it would put more strain on already hard-pressed consumers and businesses. "We worry...

Plans outlined for Asean tourism boost.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Tourism and Sports Ministry has outlined three long-term plans aimed at boosting tourism within Asean. Permanent secretary Sasithara Pichaichannarong yesterday said the first element was a tourism road map,...

LG Thailand shows best Q1 result.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thailand was the fastest expanding market in Asia for LG Electronics in the first quarter, with 15-per-cent growth year on year. LG's Asia manager Jun Wan Kim said India was second with about 10-per-cent growth....

Amway says purchasing power.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Amway (Thailand), the country's leading direct-selling company, yesterday expressed its concern over the lower purchasing power of consumers in the second quarter of this year, due to unsettled economic and political...

Alcohol prices to rise from Monday.
May 8, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Consumers will have to pay more for alcoholic beverages from Monday, as producers will be adjusting their prices to match the higher excise tax. Retailers like Tesco Lotus and Tops Supermarket have already seen a...

Townhouses in tropical style from Prinsiri.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Prospective home-owners looking for a townhouse designed in tropical style may find Baan Prin Ram-Indra-Watcharaphon, by Prinsiri, to their liking, with prices starting at Bt1.99 million per unit. The project's...

Tumbling demand forces producers to innovate.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Value-added production seen as way forward for units of SCG Producers of construction materials in Thailand are focusing on innovative products to serve the middle- and upper-income markets following a drop in...

Guaranteed return of /6% beats /the banks.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Developers of condominiums in central Bangkok are making much of the current interest rate being offered by banks on savings deposits. Many of them are eager to explain that investing money in their properties will...

Contractors prepare for good times.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Mega-projects expected to boost growth this year and next Thailand's leading construction contractors expect to gain an increased share of work from the government's new Bt500-billion mega-projects, especially the...

Developers concentrate on Watcharaphon-Ram-Indra.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Projects worth Bt10 bn to spring up in city's northeast Bangkok's residential development spotlight has shifted to the city's northeastern suburbs, where under the pressures of changing consumer demand in the...

Clarification on location of Khmer temples.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Re: "Travelling a royal road to the Khmer Empire", April 22. In this article, the author wrote that Phimai is "the birthplace of a number of Khmer kings" and that Tamone Thom - not Ta Muen Thom - temple is inside...

Where the truth lies.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Matichon said in its editorial yesterday that while Thailand faces both an economic and a political crisis, the truth is what society needs. For example, Matichon said, there were concerns whether the government...

Can Abhisit live up to his 6-to-8-month timeline'.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Does the time frame of six to eight months before the new election, as promised by Premier Abhisit Vejjajiva, mean anything' To his supporters, it's a signal from the prime minister that he has built up sufficient...

One hundred and forty one days and counting.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. "May the winds be at your back, and the road rise to meet you," are the oft-spoken words for a new incumbency or journey. But the first 100 days of Abhisit Vejjajiva's premiership have been anything but a tailwind and...

Worth Satang.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Below is the financial services and products available this week. -Krung Thai Bank is offering a zeropercent interest rate for the first six months for customers applying for the bank's refinance loans at Money...

PrimaVest launches oil fund.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Now that the global oil price's downside is limited but its upside is ripening, PrimaVest Asset Management is launching an oil fund from today to May 26. "The oil price is now stable at about US$50 a barrel, so we...

Army chief will sue if linked to Sondhi plot.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Army chief General Anupong Paochinda yesterday threatened to take legal action against anyone who has been linking him with the assassination attempt made on media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul last month. Asked to...

Taxing its way out of trouble.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Shortfall in govt revenue means an immediate rise in duties, spending cutbacks and the need to carefully balance budgets Thai public finances are deteriorating in line with the country's economic weakness. The...

Recession 'impacts' children learning.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The current economic downturn has changed the way parents are raising their children, according to a recent insight study on children's learning trends. The recession has also impacted children's learning process...

Thailand reaps fruits of close cooperation with China.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Despite the export slowdown due to the global economic crunch, fruit sales to China are expected to enjoy a 30-per-cent growth this year thanks to closer cooperation between Chinese supermarket chains and the Thai...

Virus can be detected in four hours now.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Three quarantined have common flu; Cabinet okays purchase of 10 more scanners Now Chulalongkorn Hospital will take just four hours to determine if a patient has caught the Type A(H1N1) virus. Earlier, it took up...

Gold-shop heist blamed on economic crisis.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. One of the gold-shop robbers yesterday blamed the bad state of the economy for his decision to stage the blatant crime. "The bad economy has hurt my car-rental business," Kamon Saengperm said while in police...

Obec needs more money to fund projects, compulsory education.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) will soon be requesting for an additional Bt60 billion to make up for the budget reductions for the next academic year. This Bt60 billion will be spent on seven...

Fate of Hmong up to Laos: Kasit.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya yesterday clarified Thailand's position in regard to Hmong refugees, saying the fate of 158 people from Laos detained at Nong Khai was up to Vientiane. "Sorry, I might be confused...

SMEs seek Bt4.85-bn loans to avoid lay-offs.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Altogether 214 SMEs have applied for liquidity loans totalling Bt4.85 billion from the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank from February to April in return for delaying lay-offs. President Soros...

Weaker baht lifts revenues at Thai Union.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thai Union Frozen Products (TUF) expects its revenue this year to increase by 15 per cent from 2008, thanks to the weakening baht. President Thiraphong Chansiri said yesterday the company had benefited from the...

Bidders discuss reduced rice prices.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thirty-two rice bidders have proposed to the government prices Bt1,000-Bt1,500 per tonne lower than the market figure and Bt3,000-Bt4,000 per tonne below the middle price. The government targets the price at...

Telecom watchdog to liberalise IPLC market.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The national telecom regulator will liberalise the International Private Leased Circuit (IPLC) data and voice communications service market next week. The announcement was |made yesterday by Suranan...

Vendors urge Korn to speed up online lotto.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Vendors of the two- and three-digit lottery yesterday submitted a petition to Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij, asking that the Finance Ministry speed up the long-delayed online lotto scheme. Led by Voravut...

Tonson plans property push.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The development and investment arm of the Ratanarak family, Tonson Property, plans to invest an average of Bt500 million a year in property projects - including hotels, resorts and office buildings - after the launch...

Rail link sparks corruption fears.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Concerns are growing that |the company to be set up |by the State Railway of Thailand to operate the Airport |Rail Link system could become a new cash cow for politicians, a Transport Ministry source said |yesterday....

Blink eyes Thaifex to push exports.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. TC Natural will rely on the Thaifex-World of Food Asia 2009 exhibition, held by the Department of Export Promotion, as an arena to expand its product Blink into overseas markets. Piya Kittiteeraporn, deputy...

Beer sales likely to go flat after Govt okays hike in excise.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Local brewers foresee a drop in sales following the government's decision yesterday to raise excise taxes on beer and liquor, which will lead to retail prices rising by Bt3-Bt5 per bottle. Boon Rawd Trading...

Higher taxes, more borrowings to push public projects.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The government will increase taxes and borrow more to finance public investment worth Bt1.4 trillion through to 2012. It is targeting collecting additional taxes worth Bt70 billion and borrowing up to Bt800...

Fuel tax hike may hurt economy.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The government's move to raise excise taxes on fuel products may not lead to lower consumption, but could have a negative impact on the economy, said Manoon Siriwan, an oil industry analyst. He said that as...

OIE sees brighter days for industry.
May 7, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The manufacturing production index (MPI) would plunge by only 10-12 per cent this year on the rosy assumption that domestic and global consumption will gradually recover, thereby lowering inventory and raising...

Two Thais, 1 German quarantined.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. People feeling unwell advised to stay home; regularly wash hands to avoid infections Two more Thais and a German have been put under quarantine after they were found having high temperature and other flu-like...

Thai schoolgirl fearful after outbreak in Mexico.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The outbreak of influenza A(H1N1) in Mexico struck fear in the heart of a Thai schoolgirl who lived there. "My daughter was worried about the disease because the fatal virus already killed up to eight people in a...

Everyday enlightenment.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Visakha Bucha Day falls on Friday, but how many of us are awake to the message it brings' Celebrating the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and his final entry into nirvana, Visakha Bucha Day is the most important in...

Bottom no earlier than year-end: business chief.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Dusit Nontanakorn, chairman of Board of Trade of Thailand and Thai Chamber of Commerce, warned operators to show caution in running their business as he believes the economic crisis will continue and bottom out only...

Two projects from Sansiri.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Sansiri is launching two low-rise residential projects this month worth Bt2.8 billion combined, focusing on the middle- to upper-income market, said senior marketing manager Samatcha Promsiri. The projects are...

MRTA revising its project cost estimate.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand's board is revising its cost estimate for the Purple Line urban train project, which will automatically delay the contract-signing with the bid winner, CKTC Joint Venture....

How airlines can survive the extreme turbulence.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. David Brett, president of Amadeus Asia Pacific, talks about the outlook for an aviation industry hit by the global economic crisis and many other negative factors. He discusses how airlines can stay in business in...

Opportunities as well as obstacles in VN, Guangxi.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Vietnam and Guangxi, China, pose opportunities as well as trade obstacles for Thai investors, who need to do their homework before making a long-term commitment, a seminar heard recently. State agencies and the...

True seeks 3G partner.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. True Corp is looking for a strategic partner to help with its planned 2.1GHz 3G network, but is in no rush since 3G licensing will likely be delayed beyond this year, a telecom industry source said recently. The...

DHL adds 747 on vital route.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. DHL, the world's leading express and logistics company, recently added a Boeing 747-400F to service its vital Singapore-Hong Kong route through Air Hong Kong, a joint venture between Cathay Pacific and DHL. The...

Quality Houses launches luxury project.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Quality Houses is launching a Bt2.1-billion luxury-housing project in the Laddarom-Watcharaphol-Ratanakosin area to cash in on a new expressway. Laddarom-Watcharaphol-Ratanakosin is offering resort-style homes...

Chikungunya lays 20,000 low.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. A fast-spreading chikungunya epidemic has already struck four southern provinces, logging 20,000 sufferers, but no fatalities. Dr Sanphong Rittiraksa, a preventive medicine expert at the Songkhla Provincial Health...

State schools to be probed over graft.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Schools under the government's 15-year free-education programme are being questioned and investigated for corruption. Some 30 schools have been reported to have not given parents cash for school uniforms and...

Never put a monkey in charge of a banana plantation.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. ONCE upon a time, there was a kingdom that was famous for its banana production. The bananas were so good and tasty that they were even used as money. One day, a monkey came and made an offer to look after the...

No. 1 duty of Thai citizens: Living with yellows, reds and blues.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. So, have the reds been duped by the blues, or are the two groups actually conspiring' What are the blues' real intentions - ending the yellows' political dominance and asserting themselves as the real kingmaker, or is...

State enterprises in need of reform.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Bureaucracy, political intervention and mismanagement are all to blame for the poor performance of public-sector organisations While new investment in the private sector has slowed down, the government is set to...

Taiwan wants to participate.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Taiwan, a successful example of democracy in Asia, has worked long and hard to implement political reform. It now hopes to use the vitality of its flourishing market economy and human rights-oriented civil society to...

Armed forces are servants, not masters.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The mid-year military reshuffle, approved by PM Abhisit, has supposedly replaced Thaksin's supporters with those of Army head General Anupong. But this reshuffle, like its predecessors, will do little good in the long...

PR firms slim down as clients scale back spending.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Many public relations agencies are cutting staff to survive the economic downturn. Overall PR spending is estimated to see a decline of more than 10 per cent year on year in the first quarter. Many PR firms are...

Move upgrade plans forward, refiners told.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Oil refineries have been told to move forward plans to upgrade their refineries to comply with the Euro IV standard, despite facing uncertain regulations following Map Ta Phut's designation as a pollution-control...

Hi! Managers: The top managers thrive in tough times.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. In tough times some leaders and managers thrive. They possess even more energy; their adrenaline kicks in even before they are faced with obstacles, and under pressure, they work faster. With a series of decisions to...

Directors urged to take extra care in downturn.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. With many companies struggling to survive through the economic downturn, it is more important than ever for directors to focus on complying with their legal obligations, according to professional services company...

Buffett says market's fall good news for long-term investors.
May 6, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Investment mogul's blunt views on running businesses, investment choices It's always good to hear something from people who are successful, even though you may never be able to happen upon the exceptional chances...

Time for Abhisit to get his act together and produce results.
May 5, 2009... Byline: The Nation. REGAINING full control of the government following the political violence during the Songkran festival, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is back in business with a revised plan to stimulate the economy. On the...