The Nation (Thailand) articles from October 2009

The Nation (Thailand) archives from October 2009

Ratch looks to buy power plants in Australia, SE Asia.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding is considering deals to acquire power plants in Australia and Southeast Asia. "We are negotiating the price for several gas- or coal-fired power plants in Australia. This will...

San Miguel to focus on its Sun Blest fruit-juice brand.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Philippine-based fruit-juice manufacturer San Miguel plans to increase the sales proportion of its own brands in Thailand from 40 per cent to 60 per cent. Chirawan Assavanich, country commercial manager at San Miguel...

Sales of English-language books pick up well in second half.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. After suffering a big dip in the first half of the year, the overall market for English-language books is picking up significantly thanks to higher consumer confidence and a rebound in the number of foreign tourists. ...

Japan to be urged to expand import quota for Thai rice.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Commerce Ministry will urge Japan to enlarge its import quota for Thai rice, as part of the government's plan to boost new-harvest exports. Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai yesterday said she would talk to state...

Setting record straight on Ratchada.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. We all know that politicians can push the "boundaries" further than the rest of us, but Chalerm's latest attempt is unbelievable. In what was billed as a desperate effort to defend his political lord and master Thaksin...

Healthy food demand remains strong.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thai urban consumers nowadays eat more convenience foods, due to their hectic lifestyle, but they still think about healthy foods. This is the finding of the latest research from leading marketing-communications firm...

Politicians say they won't interfere in Saxena case.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday vowed to prosecute politicians found linked to the BBC banking fraud case in 1996, dismissing concern about fixing the legal proceedings for the sake of political expediency. ...

Saxena: The road to scandal.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Bangkok Bank of Commerce saga, which emerged as the ailing symptoms of the 1996. A turning point at the Bank of Thailand in mid-1996 revolved around the Bangkok Bank of Commerce (BBC). With the credibility of the...

Cable TV licensing rules finished in 2 wks.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The national telecom regulator's working group drafting cable-TV regulations expects to finalise the licence fees within the next two weeks. Panel chairman Pana Thongmeearkom said yesterday that it would then submit its...

NEB makes concrete move on charter compliance on environment.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Chaired by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, the National Environment Board (NEB) yesterday took a concrete step towards ensuring compliance with a constitutional clause about the environment. The move involves...

Human rights group attacks SRT.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Thai Coalition for the Protection of Human Rights (CCHR) today issued a statement criticising a decision by the State Railway of Thailand to dischage six workers involved in a rally to suspend train services in the...

OAG to file first charge against Saxena immediately after police interrogation.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Office of the Attorney-General will file the first of 20 embezzlement charges against Rakesh Saxena, the man allegedly instrumental in bringing about the collapse of the Bangkok Bank of Commerce, immediately after the...

Air Berlin, Bangkok Airways code-share.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Air Berlin has strengthened its presence in Thailand through code-sharing with Bangkok Airways. Germany's second-largest airline is offering passengers flights operated by Bangkok Airways under its own flight numbers....

Princess expects His Majesty to return to Palace soon.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. His Majesty the King's health has improved significantly and he is expected to return to the Palace soon, one of his daughters said yesterday. During a press conference about her musical performance to be staged in...

Villagers protest over poor care in private hospitals.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Over 2,000 persons covered by universal health care insurance in Khon Kaen province have called the National Health Security Office to transfer their privileges from private hospitals to state hospitals after receiving...

Dismissal of six train workers condemned.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Thai Coalition for the Protection of Human Rights (CCHR) yesterday issued a statement criticising a decision by the State Railway of Thailand to dischage six workers involved in a rally to suspend train services in the...

Have head, will bang.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Havoc and Inferno drop by for tea: It's Poland's Behemoth! The dark force is shadowing Bangkok, as Polish metal group Behemoth joins forces with Thailand's Surrender of Divinity this Wednesday. The trio from Poland...

Give Abhisit a chance to rebuild Thailand's future.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Despite all that has been said and will be said, PM Abhisit Vejjajiva has done a good job so far under very difficult circumstances. By not giving too much importance to Thaksin Shinawatra and Hun Sen's babbling and...

Tit for tat widening the political divide.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Hun Sen asylum offer and Thaksin's royal decorations saga threaten reconciliation efforts In an era where Twitter and Facebook are popular means of communication, political reaction is not just publicised very...

Deleveraging in the west opens new doors for Asian banks.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. ASIAN BANKS now have a window of opportunity to expand regionally and globally due to the global and US financial crisis. The "deleveraging" of western banks after the collapse of US investment banking giant Lehman...

Buying up forests not the answer.
October 31, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Jacques-Chai Chomthongdi, coordinator for a non-governmental organisation, |explains how all efforts against climate change hurt the little man Jacques-Chai Chomthongdi, coordinator for a non-governmental organisation,...

The sovereign of 'Softly'.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Roberta Flack promises to bring all of her hits this Sunday - and some of the Beatles classics she's recording Classy, smooth and sophisticated are the adjectives that come to mind for Roberta Flack. For four decades,...

Cost of nuclear power is too great a burden.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Ken Albertsen (Letters, October 24) expressed simply and clearly the danger of accidents from nuclear power stations. These dangers are real. The industry is plagued by a steady stream of accidents, many of them leading...

Economic policy is not addressing critical issues.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. So, the Thai economic condition appears to have improved. The Bank of Thailand has just raised its economic forecast for this year to minus 2.5 per cent to minus 3.5 per cent on signs that the nation is emerging from the...

Nationality Verification of Burmese Migrants: A Meaningful Debate.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Thai Government recently reiterated its policy to formalise the status of around 2 million migrants from Burma working here. Nationality verification (NV) is apparently required because these migrants left Burma...

Students warned of a testing scam.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Con men are now out in action with an offer to increase students' scores in the General Aptitude Test (GAT) and Professional Aptitude Test (PAT). "No one can do such a thing," Deputy Education Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat...

Appeals against injunction of Map Ta Phut projects to be studied.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. On Monday, the Supreme Administrative Court will look into the appeals filed against the Central Administrative Court's injunction halting 76 industrial projects in the Map Ta Phut industrial zone. The Central...

Fake amulets.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Five top executives at the Office of the Welfare Promotion Commission for Teachers and Education Personnel (OTEP) are facing serious punishment over a project to produce Buddha sotorn amulets for sale. The project's...

Safety first for Loy Krathong.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Consumer Protection Board (CPB) yesterday warned Loy Krathong revellers they risked causing fires or injuries if they played with fireworks recklessly or in crowded places. CPB secretarygeneral Niroj Charoenprakob...

A Day out at At the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. "Line up two by two, no photographs, keep your jackets on, and don't wave at the soldiers." We all felt like kids at kindergarten or animals going into the ark side by side. But our group was variously aged from...

Study shows rife drug usage in Northeast.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. A recent study has discovered that marijuana is popular drug of choice among students in the Northeast, a seminar held at Khon Kaen University was told yesterday. Of the 11,056 Isaan students surveyed between 2007 and...

Judges rise higher under HM's auspices.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Four senior judges in the Supreme Administrative Court have been given higher posts under royal command. Pheera Chaosiri, chief of the judges' quorum, is now a deputy court chief justice; while Kasem Khomsattham, Preecha...

Taxi driver to be indicted next week.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Siriphong Kanjananiwit, who is suspected of killing a mother and her young son, was yesterday handed over to public prosecutors, who are scheduled to formally file charges by November 7. The suspect, believed to have...

Each Thai consumes 6-7 litres per year.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Damages cost country more than money earned from taxes: NGOs Thais spend about Bt200 billion on alcohol each year, while damages caused by alcohol costs Thailand nearly Bt350 billion every year, NGOs revealed yesterday,...

Public and private sectors need serious structural reform: PM.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Change essential to resurrect or maintain national competitiveness, Abhisit tells audience Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva stressed again yesterday that it was impossible for Thailand to detach itself from the...

Korn hints at reopening Don Mueang Airport.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Don Mueang Airport could be reopened to full services as a second airport in Bangkok for economic reasons, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij said yesterday. On the opening day of a two-day conference organised by...

Strategies in place for post-crisis growth.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Business players are adopting strategies to cash in on the economic recovery and preparing for new challenges after the crisis. Microsoft Thailand managing director Patama Chantaruck said she had studied multinational...

Preuksa invests in second prefab plant, IT system.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Preuksa Real Estate plans to spend Bt600 million on the expansion of its second prefabrication manufacturing plant next year, as its existing facility at Pathum Thani has reached full capacity of 110,000 square metres. ...

Hemaraj foresees 20% gain.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Hemaraj Land and Development is confident of boosting sales of land and support services by 20 per cent next year when the global economic recovery and higher confidence are expected to give a fillip to investment. "Our...

'Resolve Map Ta Phut dispute quickly or economy will suffer'.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The government needs to address environmental hurdles involving the 76 suspended industrial projects as soon as possible, or the impasse will pose a great risk to the economy given that export-oriented manufacturing has...

Progress urged on Southern Seaboard.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The government should begin making progress on the long-awaited Southern Seaboard project, as this will determine the South's economic potential, a businessman said on Wednesday. Thawee Piyapatana, managing director of...

China's Sany Heavy Industry plans Thai showroom, factory.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Sany Heavy Industry, a Chinese manufacturer of engineering machinery, plans to spend US$40 million (Bt1.34 billion) to open a showroom and plant as a production base for Southeast Asia. Engineering machinery is used in...

MBK on expansion drive.
October 30, 2009... Byline: The Nation. MBK Co plans to spend Bt2 billion to Bt3 billion a year between now and 2014 to take over potential property projects and develop hotels/resorts, shopping centres and residences. The move is part of expansion efforts...

Boyd in skeletal form.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The flawed script of 'Lom Haichai' leaves Boyd Kosiyabong's songs a ghost of a chance The success of "jukebox musicals" - plays based on popular songs - lies in the script and how it uses the tunes in a plausible and...

Autonomy equals sharia law equals extremism.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. I must take issue with Burin Kantabutra when he says there should be autonomy in religion and education in southern Thailand. This would lead inevitably to sharia law, which is blatantly discriminatory against women and...

The Moon Speaks, and its not happy with NASA.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Recently Nasa crashed a rocket into the moon in an attempt to find water. Nobody bothered to ask the moon how it felt about this. That is, not until now. Thanks to a super-advanced technology so secret they haven't even...

Review of monetary policy is necessary.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Promoting a weak baht to bolster exports and tourism may not be the best strategy in the long term Post Today, on the front page of its Analysis section yesterday, slammed the Bank of Thailand's management of the...

Saxena case leaves many people uncomfortable.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The police have been rather agitated at the prospect of Rakesh Saxena returning to Thailand to stand trial on charges of bank fraud. They have leaked a story to the media that the Supreme Court of Canada will deliver a...

Phuket's Happy Air ready.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. New carrier Happy Air will launch its Phuket to Hat Yai route on Saturday, following on Sunday with flights to Langkawi in Malaysia. Marketing manager Phatcharapon Sontipun said recently the service will be aboard the...

GMM Grammy zeroes in on content provider.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. GMM Grammy, a major entertainment company, is entering the due-diligence process in acquiring a local content-providing agency, chairman Paiboon Damrongchaitham said yesterday. The company plans to invest about Bt100...

New TOA product targets renovation market.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. TOA Paint (Thailand) has set aside a marketing budget of Bt40 million to promote its latest paint for home renovation, TOA Extra Shield. The company targets sales of the new product to reach Bt100 million over the rest...

Southern businesses to put proposals.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Business operators in five southern provinces will submit their development proposals to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva at a meeting on Saturday in Hat Yai. Surachai Jitpukdeebodintra, president of the Songkhla...

Thonburi hospital group sells Piyavate stake.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Property tycoon Boon Vanasin recently unloaded shares in Piyavate Hospital to Red Bull owner Chaleo Yoovidhya so he can focus more on hospital investment in China. "China will be my latest country for investing in...

Continental joins Star Alliance, will afford THAI access to NYC.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thai Airways International expects more long-haul passengers travelling between Asia, North America and Europe now that Continental Airlines has joined the Star Alliance, the world's largest airline grouping. Pridi...

Men paying more attention to skin.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Despite the soft economy, the men's skincare market continues to grow, albeit more slowly - by an expected 10 per cent to Bt1.4 billion this year, from 20-30 per cent last year. "Men today pay more attention to their...

TBSP sees dip in security printing industry.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The security printing industry is expected to see its first fall as the economy and consumer confidence take a drubbing. "The smaller number of business and financial documents being used in the market has affected the...

Morgan eyes China, HK.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Morgan De Toi (Thailand) will export its lingerie to China and Hong Kong next year and import a new French brand to tap the mass market in Thailand. The company produces and distributes lingerie and leather bags, and...

Nod for Bt60 bn for income guarantees.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Finance Ministry has approved a budget of Bt60 billion to support the government's "income guarantee" policy for farmers. The budget will fund three projects at Bt20 billion each. The Public Warehouse...

TOT to fight for removal of Article 78.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. TOT says it will use all means at its disposal to remove Article 78 from the draft law establishing a single broadcasting and telecom regulator. The company considers the article a risk to its revenue. "We'll try...

Thai Airays protests innocence.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thai Airways International yesterday protested its innocence regarding reported allegations from an Australian antitrust watchdog that it fixed air cargo prices. "As the Thai national carrier, THAI has never broken any...

Knock-on effect on SCG Olefins.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Although it is not one of the 76 industrial projects suspended by last month's court injunction, Siam Cement Group will face a delay to its new olefins plant in Map Ta Phut as related projects have been put back and this...

South teachers lose their jobs.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Dozens of teachers from the deep South headed for Bangkok yesterday to lodge a complaint about the unfair termination of their contracts. These teachers were hired on a contract basis to work at schools in the three...

Bt2.35 bn earmarked for upgrading school standards.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The Education Ministry will spend Bt2.35 billion on a threeyear project of bringing the standard of 500 schools up to the international level. "The money is for improving the schools' infrastructure, teacher quality,...

All aboard!
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Good news for wannabe sailors: Merchant Marine courses are being developed at Nakhon Si Thammarat Seaboard Industrial College and Rayong's Ban Khai Technical College, a senior official said yesterday. Vocational...

Getting tough on elephant abuse.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Deputy Bangkok Governor Theerachon Manomaipiboon yesterday handed out a Bt2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of men apprehended with an elephant in Lat Phrao and said that from November 6 the city would be...

New dawn for Kritichai.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Povertystricken schoolboy looks to future after Their Majesties respond to his plea for help Thirteenyearold schoolboy Kritichai Krajai from Lampang's Muang Pan district said yesterday he was overjoyed and deeply...

Probe may have answers in month.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The team investigating the Public Health Ministry's alleged irregularities related to the Thai Khemkaeng stimulus package should come to an initial conclusion implicating the masterminds within a month, Dr Vichai...

Alert for three types of flu over winter.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Health officials were warned yesterday to keep a special watch out for a possible combined outbreak of the 2009 influenza and the avian flu over the coming cold season. Surveillance was especially needed in 11 provinces...

SRT to seek funds/ for infrastructure.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. State Railway of Thailand chairman Tawalyarat Onsira is planning to propose a five-year investment plan, worth nearly Bt80 billion, to the Transport Ministry soon. The budget is for improving railway infrastructure. ...

Hat Yai rail dispute service resumption on track.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The State Railway of Thailand yesterday evening fired six of its workers stationed at Hat Yai Junction for allegedly instigating a strike and disrupting train service, throwing into doubt the relaunch of normal services...

The fate of a lost soul: existing without really living.
October 29, 2009... Byline: The Nation. IF ONE were to look for a picture that speaks a thousand words, one would have found it on October 23, 2009. It was the day His Majesty the King made his first public appearance at Siriraj Hospital since being admitted on...

No ticket, no cry.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. After an initial outcry about complimentary passes, fans relax with their brews and enjoy the music More than 5,000 Thais and foreign tourists crowded on to Bang Saen last Saturday for Chang World Reggae 2009 but if...

Golden Land downsizes.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Golden Land Property Development has downsized its business through an early-retirement programme that has resulted in 20-per-cent fewer staff. Following this programme, the company has been able to cut its management...

Mrs Flowers export chocolate sale melting.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Mrs Flowers, manufacturer and distributor of home-made chocolates, expects its export sales to be flat or even down this year. Buyers in the US and Europe are delaying their orders during these tough economic times. ...

Thai business urged to forge closer ties with Hong Kong.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thai businesses have been urged to forge closer ties with Hong Kong, to cash in on the territory's promotional measures as well as its close connection with mainland China. At a Bangkok seminar yesterday attended by...

V Technology and Atec team up to bid for school-computer project.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. System integrator V Technology System and Atec Computer, a local PC manufacturer, will jointly bid to supply school computers in a major Education Ministry project. They hope to secure between 10 and 15 per cent of the...

Rising oil prices will again hit consumer purchasing power: UTCC.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Consumers will soon be hit by the cyclical effect of rising oil prices, under which it is predicted that every increase of Bt2 per litre at the pump will reduce purchasing power by Bt4 billion per month. This is a key...

New sex change regulations set to take effect.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Areeya Milintanapa, a 26yearold transvestite, had hoped to undergo sexual reas'signment surgery at a private clinic in Bangkok next year, but her plans have hit a setback - new regulations by the Medical Council of...

Second Thai candidate makes it to UN Heritage panel.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Somsuda Leeyavanich, deputy permanent secretary for Culture Ministry, has been chosen to represent Thailand at the 12member World Heritage Committee. She will be joining other new members from Switzerland, Cambodia, South...

Suspended train services affecting schools in the South.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Thousands of students have had to skip classes, while a number of schools have been closed temporarily thanks to the tenday suspension of trains in the South. It looks as if more students will be skipping classes next...

Governor gets low marks.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Bangkok residents deliver verdict on Sukhumbhand's first nine months Residents have given Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra just 5.03 points out of 10 for his overall performance during his first nine months in...

Schoolboy's prayers are answered.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Lampang student gets royal-granted relief after describing his povertystricken life The desperate prayers of a 13yearold Lampang student have been answered by their Majesties the King and Queen after he appealed for...

More info found pointing to masterminds.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. The probe into the Public Health Ministry's alleged irregularities related to the "Thai Khemkaeng" stimulus programme had revealed information that could lead to masterminds, Dr Vichai Chokewiwat said yesterday. Vichai,...

F&N to build M'sia dairy plant.
October 28, 2009... Byline: The Nation. Fraser & Neave Holdings is investing 350 million ringgit (Bt3.5 billion) in its new dairy-product manufacturing plant in Malaysia to cater to the increase in demand, besides positioning itself to become a world-class...