The Nation (Thailand) articles from November 2006

The Nation (Thailand) archives from November 2006

Plan for South needs local input.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Surayud administration must listen to what locals really need and avoid top-down decisions The Surayud government has broached the idea of a special development zone that...

Religionists - stop being so precious and accept fair inquiry and open discussion.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Re: "An ethical code for religious exchange," Opinion, November 27. Pratap Bhanu Mehta's excellent article analyses religion's demand for respect in admirable depth. But I...

Whipping up the spirit of Christmas.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A veteran Portuguese-Hong Kong executive is tapping into the upcoming Christmas festival next month for the official launch of a company called Santa Village, whose business will...

Row over choice of president.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. BOT chief says results of selection panel process should be strictly adhered to A row has broken out over the appointment of a new president for Siam City Bank (SCIB). The...

Big changes down at the farm.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. After a conservative approach for the past 15 years, the Farm Chokchai Group yesterday announced a major business diversification with its new retail dairy shop and fast-food...

23rd Motor Expo kicks off.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The year-end auto-buying season officially starts today as the 23rd Thailand International Motor Expo kicks off in the Challenger Hall of Muang Thong Thani. Thirty-five automobile...

Gambling on Pridiyathorn.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Over the past few weeks, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula has faced a political dilemma over the lottery controversy. In spite of calls from...

Telenor sets up in Bkk.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Norway's telecom giant Telenor, the strategic partner of Total Access Communication (DTAC), has opened a regional office in Bangkok as part of its long-term commitment to the Asian...

Install NGV engines in boats: agency.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Dept to propose idea to ministries To help the country cut back on oil imports, the Marine Department will today propose that the government promote the installation of...

Retail business law will have teeth, says source.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Multinational retail giants will come under stringent restrictions in terms of expansion, fairer charges and fixed operating hours after the Commerce Ministry amended the draft of...

Thailand slow to catch on to 3G.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. In terms of wireless technologies, Thailand is falling behind the bulk of countries with third-generation (3G) cellular networks, including Mongolia. Kaneungjit Suriyathumrongkul,...

Ministry sees 2007 growth at 4-5%.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Finance Ministry expects the economy to grow by 4 per cent to 5 per cent next year thanks to domestic consumption and investment. Fiscal Policy Office director-general Pannee...

GFA launches local donut and pretzel franchisees.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Local restaurant franchise GFA Corp (Thailand) has added two new brands to its stable - The Donut Baker and Golden Pretzel. The company spent Bt15 million building production...

Counter Service's expansion.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Counter Service, a local provider of payment services for electricity and water utility bills and other services and which operates under the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, has...

Life Centre for health and wellness opens on Sathorn.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Siam Retail Development yesterday opened its three-level, 14,000-square-metre Life Centre - a "lifestyle mall for health and wellness". The Sathorn Road centre, which is 90 per...

Strong '07 growth predicted.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Biggest gains expected near mass-transit systems: Jones Lang LaSalle Investors from Singapore, Hong Kong, the US and the Middle East have expressed a willingness to expand their...

PWO sets December 15 deadline for rice millers.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Public Warehouse Organisation (PWO) has set a deadline of December 15 for rice mills participating under the government's rice pledging programme to deliver a total of 550,000...

Subaru sales slow this year.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Motor Image, the official distributor for Subaru, expects the market to shrink this year as luxury-car buyers hold back due to instability. "Although customers have buying power,...

Beautiful men at Central.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Central Retail (CRC) has spent Bt10 million to stage the Fantastic Beautiful Men Show in Phuket, hoping to ride on the back of the post-tsunami recovery of the resort island. The show,...

Thanachart to focus more on used-car loans.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thanachart Bank will raise the proportion of its lending for used cars from 19 per cent this year to 25 per cent, given their better margin than new cars. The bank, market leader...

Brokerages forecast to consolidate.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Fewer than 20 players expected after liberalisation of regulations A leading brokerage firm believes the face of Thailand's securities industry is poised for dramatic change and...

PTT to build new petrol stations, close unprofitable ones.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. PTT next year plans to spend up to Bt550 million to build 15 new petrol stations while closing more than 50 unprofitable ones. PTT executive Chaiwat Choorit yesterday said the...

It's your play.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Losing at the game of life' You can press 'restart', but Bundith Phunsombatlert is worried about the bigger picture Bundith Phunsom-batlert is playing God. It may not occur to...

High-kicking khon.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand's action hero prepares for his latest role - melding the grace of traditional masked dancing with the aggressive moves of muay Thai More than a year has passed since...

Violations hard to prove: SEC.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Stock-price manipulation is becoming more sophisticated and prosecutions harder, according to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) secretary-general Thirachai Phuvanatnara-nubala....

GHB sets lower target for lending growth.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Government Housing Bank (GHB) is showing a more conservative approach to its lending target for next year by aiming for a figure below Bt100 billion for the first time in three...

FilmReviews.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Just no stopping those penguins Happy Feet Cast: Voices of Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hugh Jackman, Brittany Murphy, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving, Running time: 108...

The yoga moghul.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Benjaporn Karoonkornsakul's yoga empire is stretching out from Bangkok right across the land After just six yoga classes, she gave up her high-flying career in Hong Kong and...

Melanee!
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. That letter from Bu is absolutely unbelieveable! How can any mother go off and leave her child with someone who didn't see the need to provide adequate sustenance' When Bu found...

Thailand to break HIV drug patent.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Aids groups praise 'brave' decision to make a cheap version of Efavirenz The Public Health Ministry yesterday announced it would break the patent of the drug Efavirenz due to its...

Corner 43 Decor is in no hurry to grow big, preferring to develop distinctive designs.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Corner 43 Decor, a local wicker and rattan manufacturer and exporter, is a company with a difference. It has no plans to grow bigger rapidly by stepping into mass production, but...

Lottery bill sparks fierce debate in Assembly.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Detractors of the bill to amend the Government Lottery Act took turns to heavily attack it during yesterday's meeting of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA). They questioned...

Lifting of martial law dubbed 'discriminatory'.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. There were mixed reactions yesterday among politicians to the decision to lift martial law in some provinces. There were also calls for a full end to military rule. The...

Chain of life.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Unite in the fight against HIV/Aids by creating the world's longest condom chain Tomorrow, take some time out from your daily schedule and send a message about safe sex by heading...

Export fears as baht hits 9-yr high.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. BOT forced to step in to try to cool foreign exchange market as value plunges to Bt36 The baht yesterday surged to a nine-year high at Bt36.05 against the US dollar, prompting the...

'Democracy' group plans rally.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A day after the government moved to lift martial law in Bangkok, a pressure group linked to deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra threatened to organise a mass protest to demand a...

Bhanapot told to pay Bt546m tax.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Revenue Department will ask Bhanapot Damapong to pay Bt546.2 million in tax in regard to the sale of Shinawatra Computer and Communications shares, a source said. The Assets...

Concern over North Koreans.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Foreign Ministry yesterday expressed concern over the increasing number of North Koreans entering Thailand and criticised local and foreign non-governmental organisations for...

Vientiane seeks details of Hmong.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Laos urged Thailand yesterday to provide identification details of the more than 7,000 Hmong refugees being sheltered in Phetchabun's Ban Huay Nam Khao - if Bangkok really wants...

Onet to become more important.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Scores from the Ordinary National Educational Test (Onet) will become a main part of Grade-12 students' grade point average (GPA) from 2008 onward, Education Minister Wijit Srisa-arn...

Tough test for Bennett and McGlone.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [TRIATHLON] The Laguna Phuket Triathlon, which takes place on Sunday, will see 1,400 athletes from 40 different countries, the largest field ever assembled. Defending champions...

Thailand, Malaysia favourites.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [SEPAK TAKRAW] Perennial rivals Thailand and Malaysia start as favourites for the gold medal in the team event, which kicks off at the Al-Sadd Sports Club on Saturday. The sport,...

Pawina says her chances are 50-50.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [WEIGHTLIFTING] World champion and Athens Olympics gold medallist Pawina Thongsuk, who is recuperating from a knee injury, said yesterday her chances of helping Thailand break a...

Thais hits gold mine.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [FESPIC GAMES] Thai disabled athletes performed way beyond expectations as the gold-medal count soared past the initially targeted 50 in the Fespic Games in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. ...

rout for macau.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai paddlers assured of a berth in the quarter-finals Thailand women's team got off to a flying start with a 3-0 whitewash of inexperienced Macau in the round-robin preliminaries...

Transvestite sues Army over record.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Says record classing him as 'mentally ill' is discriminatory,hinders work prospects A male transvestite yesterday lodged a complaint with the Central Administrative Court asking...

Youth killed over girl's telephone number.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Police arrested two young men yesterday over the fatal stabbing of an eighth-grade boy in downtown Bangkok early yesterday morning. Baramee Khammuengkhoon, 19, and an unnamed...

Govt urged to amend rape law.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A university lecturer urged the government yesterday to amend Section 276 of the Criminal Code to ensure better justice for rape victims. Currently, Section 276 prescribes...

People with HIV out for SSO compassion.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Hundreds of HIV-positive people rallied yesterday at the Social Security Office (SSO) to demand it scrap co-payment sought from patients who have bills of more than Bt5,000 a month for...

Villagers say they'll stay.
November 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Government officials have failed to persuade 227 Buddhists who sought refuge in Yala's Wat Nirot Sangkharam temple to return home - despite a guarantee of safety. Officials from...

Sarah makes time.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Sarah Malakul Lane is the new brand ambassador for Longines watches. With her schedule, she'll need a few When you have a sublimely elegant wrist watch to present to the world,...

We've got a deal with Indonesia.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Indonesia must be the world's top innovator when it comes to monthong durian. Singapore's got its durian chiffon cake and durian pudding, and Thailand has its durian chips, sticky...

Profit from laziness.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Zeavola, a new resort on Phi Phi, aims to capture the essence of 'true Thai-ness' Quanchai Panitpichetvong, the youngest son of the family that owns the Ban Pong Sugar Group,...

Tipco Asphalt.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Kim Eng Securities (Thailand) has upgraded its recommendation on Tipco Asphalt from "sell" to "hold", with a fair value of Bt24 per share. Tipco Asphalt's 50-per-cent-owned...

Company reports.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. BAAN ROCK GARDEN posted an audited consolidated third-quarter net profit of Bt10.85 million, compared with Bt18.34 million in the same period a year ago. ELECTRICITY GENERATING's...

SET insists on silent period.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Stock Exchange of Thailand has decided to apply the silent-period regulation to holding company Dragon One, the SET announced in a statement issued yesterday. "Because D1 is...

Four gold for disabled athletes.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [FESPIC GAMES] Visually impaired swimmer Aphiwat Anghiran won another two gold yesterday to tie with Chinese swimmer Wang Jia-chao with four each as the most successful athletes at...

Setback for windsurfer Arun in Doha.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [ASIAN GAMES] Although his windsurfing equipment is not what he expected, Thailand's experienced Arun Homraruen is still confident he can do better than the last Asian Games in South...

In Brief :Thai team leave for Doha Asiad.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The biggest Thai contingent to depart for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, left Bangkok yesterday for the Asiad, which starts on Friday. The athletes included HRH Princess...

Opening ceremony promises to be spectacular.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [ASIAN GAMES] The opening ceremony at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games remains the most spectacular to date, but the Asian Games' opening ceremony in Doha promises to be something viewers...

Alcohol Control Act put on hold for 30 days.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Cabinet approves measure in principle, but Council of State to review it The ban on alcohol advertising that was initiated by the Food and Drug Administra-tion (FDA) will be...

BAAC lending to favour experience.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) will be more selective in lending to support farmers, with a preference for more knowledgeable operators, its president...

Doubt remains over Skytrain debt plan.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Twenty creditors of beleaguered Skytrain operator Bangkok Mass Transit System (BTS) hold voting rights over the company's business rehabilitation plan, documents released by the...

Out to score with new intelligence survey for kids.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Do Thai children really have lower-than-average intelligence as suggested by some previous surveys' The Mental Health Department has serious doubts and yesterday announced it...

Student body takes issue with rising tuition fees.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Students Federation of Thailand (SFT) demanded yesterday the government stop plans to turn state universities into autonomous bodies, saying the move has already caused tuition...

Acclaimed rural doctor 'Mo Muang Phrao' passes away.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Aphichet Naklekha, who inspired a young generation of doctors to follow his altruistic style, passed away quietly last Sunday from cancer of the oesophagus. Dr Aphichet was a...

Who killed Alexander Litvinenko' Ask Putin.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Until a week ago, Alexander Litvinenko, a former colonel in the Russian Federal Security Service, the FSB, was virtually unknown outside the murky world of Russian intelligence. ...

Bo Bae vendors vow to hold marathon protest.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Clothing vendors yesterday threatened to hold a marathon rally outside the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) office to demand the withdrawal of municipal police, who they...

Pressure builds up on Burma.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand must not do anything to harm the growing international resolve against the Burmese junta The ruthless military junta of Burma has been at it again. Whenever the...

BOT sets deadline for debt repayment.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. After July 2007, outstanding balances will be charged interest at 20 per cent Credit-card holders must repay their outstanding balances before July next year, otherwise they will...

Walking the line, wearing a toga.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Nobody is more aware of the implications of Vietnam's entry into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) than the vendors of pirated DVDs on the streets of Hanoi. I used to find...

Police revamp 'aims to stop political influence'.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The government commission studying the decentralisation of the Royal Thai Police yesterday set up four working panels. Convening for the first time to work out the controversial...

Activists make lottery demands.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. About 30 students yesterday urged the government to review the Government Lottery Office Bill to ensure it will work to reduce people's interest in all forms of lottery in the long...

Martial law to be lifted in Bangkok.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. 41 provinces back to normal; Army still to monitor TRT strongholds, troubled areas The Cabinet agreed yesterday to end martial law in 41 provinces, including Bangkok and its...

Child victims of the war on drugs demand:.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Ban Mae Maeh School director Saneh Jai-ut can never bring himself to speak the truth when his students ask him expectantly: "Have you had any word from my parents'" Most of the...

Solutions sought to protect teachers.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Southern Border Provinces Development Centre chief Pranai Suwannarat yesterday rushed to call a meeting with school executives in the deep South, to seek solutions to protect teachers...

News of the people, for the people and by the people.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Forget for a minute the talk about the impending demise of newspapers as we know them. A new breed of journalist - or you may say a mutation of the old one - is already here. They...

Villagers in South: We're refugees in our own land.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Anger, frustration and resentment grips the face of Pradit Sae-than, 48, as he talks about how for the past three months he has been unable to make a living on the 22-rai fruit orchard...

Police give cat-napper paws for thought.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The fur was flying in Angthong this week after a notorious cat-napper grabbed one of his neighbour's felines and held it for a Bt50 ransom. Fed up with being picked on by the man,...

Graft-busters get SEC info.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bourse watchdog also seeks details from Singapore, havens The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has passed information on the Shin Corp transactions to the four...

Return of round-the-clock petrol sales welcomed.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Petroleum companies yesterday welcomed the Cabinet's decision to lift restrictions on petrol stations' service hours, saying that closing from 10pm to 5am did little to save energy....

List of 35 provinces to remain under martial law.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The government Tuesday agrees to lift martial law in 41 provinces including Bangkok. The law will remain in 35 provinces due to domestic and forreign security concerns. The followings...

SME Bank told to get its act in order.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank (SME Bank) has been told to improve management and resolve the high level of non-performing loans, otherwise the bank might be shut...

Major Rayong expansion for Thai President Foods.
November 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai President Foods, the largest local manufacturer of instant noodles and owner of the Mama brand, yesterday announced it is setting up a new biscuit factory at its 75-rai production...