The Nation (Thailand) articles from September 2006, page 6

The Nation (Thailand) archives from September 2006

Wheel out your cycles on Friday.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) yesterday teamed up with the Thailand Cycling Club (TCC) to mark World Car-Free Day on Friday and promised to speed up work on improving...

Youth upset by whisky ad.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Youth groups have called on the owner of the tallest building in Bangkok to remove a giant advertisement of a whisky brand. They claim the advertisement on the Baiyoke 2 building...

ID cards in short supply.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bangkok residents who need to renew their ID cards or obtain new ones will have to wait as all 50 district offices in the capital have run out of both the so-called "Smart Cards" and...

Police want Army help.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Police will soon seek cooperation from military prosecutors to question three military officers about the alleged car-bomb plot to kill the caretaker prime minister, Crime Suppression...

Rail track blast and arson.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. A bomb blast near a railway track and arson at a school in the southernmost Narathiwat province yesterday maintained the daily spate of violence in the deep South after a series of...

Entire economy at risk: BOT.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Business leaders call urgent meeting to discuss impact; officials fear violence will spread to other tourist destinations Saturday's bomb blasts in Hat Yai would have negative...

Insurgency 'has crossed a new threshold'.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The crisis in the deep South crossed a new threshold with the weekend bomb attacks in Hat Yai, because of the scale of the damage and the choice of targets. However, targeting...

Gasohol-95 to replace octane-95 next year.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Starting on January 1, 2007, millions of vehicles running on octane-95 gasoline, including 24 million motorcycles and large cars, will have to shift to gasohol-95, as the country's...

Widening nominee investigation a stall tactic.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The recent informal release of the Business Development Department's (BDD) findings regarding the use of Thai nominee(s) in the Shin Corp takeover has spurred a whirlwind of press...

Drinking 'due to peer pressure'.
September 19, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Banning alcohol advertising may not stop people drinking, a research by Mahidol University revealed yesterday. The research also suggested alcohol studies be taught to...

Dancing for a roof.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Two classical dance schools in Java were decimated in an earthquake. Now students and dancers have joined up to tap into the pockets of the Thai public Those familiar with...

Nantawan's houses carry a premium.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Completed units hold minimum risks, improved designs Nantawan Suan Luang Rama 9, one of Land & Houses' posh estates built near Suvarnabhumi Airport, is reaping the rewards of...

Suvarnabhumi Airport exposes planning flaws.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Failure to decentralise brings chronic congestion to Bang Na's residents The opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 28 marks a new era for Thai aviation. It also spells the...

Dedication from Divana.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Owners of spa focus on sincerity and a quality product When his employer, Swiss Air, decided to lay off some of its staff after the World Trade Centre attack in New York five years...

Winner banks on quality and agility.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Flexibility and quality are the keys to success at Thai Ha Plc, which recently bagged the Prime Minister's Award for Best Exporter. The company markets mainly packaged rice and...

PTT assets could fall by Bt100 bn.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Court privatisation ruling crucial to the ownership of three pipelines PTT Plc's assets will be slashed by more than Bt100 billion if the Supreme Administra-tive Court opts to...

Street wise :Giving him a bad name.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Whom do I most pity in Thailand' I have to say our beloved prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra. Whatever he does draws a mountain of criticism. Even letters to fellow Thais have...

Alarm over foreign investment in tourism.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Foreign investors are snatch-ing up small and medium-sized hotels and resorts in major tourist destinations, particularly in Phuket and on Koh Samui and Koh Pha-ngan, says the Tourism...

Business leaders seek clearer laws from next govt.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The private business sector wants the next government to make business laws and regulations clearer and more easily enforceable, a seminar heard last week. Speaking at a...

Fabrics able to resist moisture.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. We all know that with plasma technology in television sets, the home-entertainment experience has changed completely, but how many of us imagine that this same technology can also be...

Science caravan includes experimental materials.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The National Science Museum Organisation is working on the Science Caravan project to encourage people to acquire scientific knowledge. The project is based on the concept of...

Standard for information exchange aids e-business.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The subcommittee to promote electronic-transaction applications in business and government is developing a framework to be a standard of information exchange for electronic business....

Four-year focus to be on three key areas.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Having worked with the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre for more than a decade, Pansak Siriruchatanapong has been appointed its new director. Jirapan Boonnoon...

SOA training underway for global outsourcing.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. To make Thailand a centre for software development and turn it into a country prepared for global IT outsourcing, people with well-developed skills in Services-Oriented Architecture...

Portable DVD player accepts almost all formats.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The SDV1102 is a new tablet-style portable DVD player from Hong Kong-based NextBase, featuring a bigger screen and built-in television tuner. The player features a 10.2-inch 16:9...

Looking beyond the profit motive.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Forum urges large operators to mix a little compassion with their muscle when they move into new locations Big businesses should increasingly concern themselves with social and...

Oishi banks on 2 new drinks to double Q4 sales growth.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Local health beverage and snack manufacturer Oishi Plc has launched two drinks that it hopes will help sales grow by 20 per cent in the final quarter of the year. The company on...

Satellite licensing terms get NTC push.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The national telecom regulator is pushing through the drafting of satellite-service licensing terms, which are expected to be ready by the end of the year. Sethaporn Cusripituck,...

Academic has big plans for NIETS.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Controversial exam system for universities to get 3-stage reform Professor Utumporn Jamornmann spoke exclusively to The Nation ahead of commencing her term as director of the...

The caretaker prime minister may be doing more harm than good on overseas trip.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Re: "Stars say PM better off bemoaning his lot in a far-away land", Opinion, September 15. With caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin out of the country on an extended overseas tour,...

This is no time to call out the troops.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The recent coup rumours are complicating an already tough political situation Three events - the persistent rumours of an impending military takeover, the alleged assassination...

Japan's new leader must take a fresh look at the region.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Japan is Asia's richest nation and the world's No 2 economic power, so whatever it does or does not do matters a lot. Every time a new Japanese prime minister is chosen, it is an...

The pros and cons of big retail.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Chang Noi has three options for buying beer. The corner shop is closest. The owner's son is usually doing his homework and appreciates a bit of help. His granny is seated in the...

Deposit accounts grow.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Higher rates offered by banks attract more savers Thai depositors have responded well to a series of deposit interest-rate hikes, as witnessed by the fact that outstanding deposits...

Simple touch brings out the creativity in colleagues.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. To bring out the best in colleagues, the newly appointed managing director of advertising agency Far East DDB, Dan Zonmanee, sometimes pretends to be a bit silly. "People here...

Pork exports on the rise.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai pork exports are on the increase, with more markets and growth in most of them. The Livestock Development Department said last week that the Kingdom was on track to export...

Shareholders urged by TIA to attend meetings.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Thai Investors Association (TIA) late last week strongly advised shareholders of Dragon One Plc, Sea Horse Plc and BNT Entertainment Plc to attend the companies' upcoming...

A quiet day for Bangkok.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [NATIONAL GAMES] Athletes from Bangkok won only six of the 32 gold medals contested yesterday, but the province still tops the medal standings with 106 gold, leaving Suphan Buri a...

'Beating' of Yala inmate sparks riot.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. No one injured in two-hour revolt; governor vows to transfer guards Around 100 Yala Provincial Prison inmates rioted yesterday after an alleged assault on an inmate by three...

Northerners warned to brace for more heavy rainfall.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Heavy to very heavy rain is expected in the North this week, with the worst affected areas being Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Song, Phrae, Nan, Phayao, Uttaradit,...

New community nurses fill a valuable niche.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. It's late at night at remote Huay Sue Ten village, about 33 kilometres from Khon Kaen city. Sixty-eight-year-old Chom Sriphan is awake and looking after his wife Busabong. She's...

GOLD FOR YAOWAPA.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai proves just too good for Chinese rival [TAEKWONDO]Thai star Yaowapa Boorapolchai won Thailand's third gold medal at the WTF World Cup Taekwondo Team Championships yesterday...

Finances revamped for Egco expansion.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Electricity Generating Plc (Egco), a listed public-utility company, has adjusted its financial strategy by clearing the debts of its subsidiaries so that it can use a power-plant...

Famous Doi Suthep faces environmental disaster.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Doi Suthep-Pui National Park, which covers 160,000 rai of land, has often been likened to a big green lung, pumping oxygen out over the polluted city of Chiang Mai below. But...

DNA tests seek cause of depression.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand will undertake its largest DNA profiling exercise in an effort to pinpoint the cause of a rising incidence of depression in the population. As many as 1,000 patients will...

Guard rights, says Amnesty.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Amnesty International yesterday condemned Saturday night's bombings in Hat Yai and called for protection of human rights in southern Thailand. "The latest bombings in Hat Yai,...

Railway and airport to beef up security following explosions.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Railway Authority of Thailand (RAT) in the South and Hat Yai International Airport have boosted security by narrowing passenger pathways to single-person lanes to maintain crowd...

Distraught residents wake to a new, violent reality.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Charred vehicles, blackened walls, shattered bottles and tourists in hospital gowns were grim reminders of how abruptly Saturday night ended for revellers in the bustling southern city...

Hat Yai weeps, fears worst.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Canadian teacher killed, 14 foreigners among 70 injured n Business leaders expect to lose millions of tourist dollars The fatal bombings on Saturday night have cast a grim shadow...

No state of emergency likely for town: Army.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The military has not been authorised to impose a state of emergency in Hat Yai. Fourth Army Area commander Lt General Ongkorn Thongprasom said there was no order for a state of...

Bombings put a stop to teen beauty contest.
September 18, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The bombings in Hat Yai on Saturday have forced the organisers of the Miss Teen Thailand contest to cancel its primary selection of candidates in the South. "We are very sorry and...

Inspired by Asia.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Dr Peter Lorange has imported Asian managemant styles to IMD to give global executives a sense of 'social entrepreneurship' Dr Peter Lorange, president of Switzerland-based...

Monson's lawyer in a last-minute effort to save the case from the legal time limit.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Pramest Sutabutr, the lawyer representing US businessman William Monson in a series of perjury lawsuits against Thaksin Shinawatra, the caretaker prime minister, is a little anxious...

Tapping a captive audience.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The reason why the operator of Bangkok's Skytrain recently installed television screens to blare loud advertisements inside their train carriages should be obvious to everyone. ...

With any luck, the new visa rules will drive off some of the more undesirable people.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. I have followed with interest the letters posted in The Nation and the Bangkok Post about the new visa rules. There have been many nonsensical statements about why the rules are...

Speedy probe into official's role in airport blackout.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. An investigation into the airport official who pulled the wrong power breaker, causing a blackout at Suvarnabhumi Airport during the soft opening on Friday, will be completed within a...

A positive change in refugee policy.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Helping displaced Burmese to help themselves makes sense for both Thailand and the future of Burma Thailand's policy toward the more than 140,000 displaced persons from Burma has...

Yala mobile phones cut off as Army meets locals.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. All mobile-phone signals were cut in Yala yesterday as the Army held a meeting with some 6,000 villagers in the province in an attempt to alleviate the daily violence in the deep...

Germany a problem for Thai squad.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Thai squad leaves for Dusseldorf today for a mission impossible against Germany in their Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie, which will be played on clay - the local team's least...

South Koreans have rivals on the mat.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [TAEKWONDO] Powerhouse South Korea took the lion's share of three gold medals yesterday, with reigning Asian Games champion Yeon Sik Nam defeating Thailand's last finalist Chanata...

Bangkok athletes stretch their lead.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [NATIONAL GAMES] Reigning champions Bangkok passed their target of 87 gold medals after a winning 14 yesterday to extend their lead at the National Games in Suphan Buri. Bangkok...

Chiang Rai villagers at risk from landslide.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Residents of a village in Chiang Rai's Theong district have been warned of a possible landslide after a 500-metre-long crack developed on a nearby hill. A geologist from the...

Her Majesty's eyesight back to normal.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The condition of Her Majesty the Queen's right eye has returned to normal after a surgical operation in June, a Royal Household Bureau statement said yesterday. It has now been...

Media WARS.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Pro and anti-government outlets emerge as crisis heats up One of the legacies left behind by caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will be his comprehensive interference in...

Six blasts rock Hat Yai.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Two foreigners among five killed in attacks on hotel, department stores Five people were killed and about 60 injured in a series of six explosions in Hat Yai's business centre...

TRT may seek ban on anti-PM rallies.
September 17, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Party increasingly concerned over PAD anti-Thaksin gatherings in poll The ruling Thai Rak Thai Party said yesterday it would discuss with the new Election Commission the...

Battle hardened.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Porntaweesak Rimsakul turns very serious with an anti-war exhibition in which visitors get a lesson in losing control All this talk about a coup has the country's generals...

Exports to slow next year, pundits say.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Seminar speakers predict lower oil prices, interest rates and problems for trade High oil prices and interest rates may wane next year, but the country's export prospects are...

Health drink in direct-marketing debut.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. FreeLife International, one of the fastest-growing multilevel direct-sales companies in the US, will today officially launch its operations in Thailand. The company is the...

TFEX taps pros to boost trading.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) has appointed its first three market makers in a bid to increase liquidity. They are KGI Securities (Thailand), Phatra Securities and Phillip...

TOT to modernise.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. TOT Plc has clinched a five-year deal from the Local Administration Department to modernise its information and communications technology network. The state agencies signed a...

ADB's Bt6.5-billion bond issue sells out.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said yesterday that its Bt6.5-billion bond issue in Thailand had been fully subscribed. This, the second ADB bond sale in Thailand to date,...

In Brief :Sign-maker extravaganza looms.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Leading sign-makers and advertising agencies in Thailand and abroad have confirmed that they will participate in Sign Asia Expo 2006 at Impact Exhibition Centre Muang Thong Thani...

BOT tries to soothe concerns over NPLs.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Bank of Thailand (BOT) yesterday tried to soothe jitters over the sharp increase in second-quarter non-performing loans (NPLs) by saying the stringent classification of loans was...

Late news :London urges caution on retail.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The British Embassy's trade and investment official yesterday urged the government to think carefully before proceeding with measures to control retail business expansion, which...

SCB decision on Cedar depends on ministry panel's findings.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) chairman Vichit Surapongchai yesterday said the bank's decision on its investment in Cedar Holdings would be based on the findings of the Commerce...

Bangkok Dusit buys into rival.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Snaps up 15.76% of Phyathai operator Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Plc, the operator of the Bangkok General Hospital Group, has invested Bt870 million to acquire a 15.76 per cent...

Jetstar expects fast growth in Thai business.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Jetstar Airways, Australia's budget carrier, has forecast that its Thai market will grow threefold within the next three years, with its annual passenger numbers reaching 540,000. ...

Yai Thai to spread wings overseas.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Yai Thai Restaurant, the oldest and most successful Thai restaurant in Australia, aims to take its cuisine international by inviting franchisees to expand its business in Australia and...

Foreign reserves hit all-time high.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thailand's foreign reserves hit a new high on September 8, when they totalled US$60.1 billion (Bt2.24 trillion). The rise was accompanied by $4.7 billion in net forward position,...

Islamic committee an ineffective voice.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Allegations of corruption against its head show need to overhaul council so that it better serves Thai Muslims The allegations of cronyism and corruption levelled against the...

Airport worries grow.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Residents living close to the new Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday admitted there was a question mark over their future because of the imminent noise from the airport, and many are...

Doctors fear hand, foot and mouth outbreak could be a mutated strain.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Experts fear the virus that has caused the outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease in several Bangkok schools might be a mutated strain because it appears to be particularly...

Singha boss enters noodle business.
September 16, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Santi Bhirombhakdi, president of Singha Corp, has entered into a joint venture with local restaurant operator Gastronome and Japan's YS Food Co Ltd to set up a Japanese ramen...