The Nation (Thailand) articles from September 2006

The Nation (Thailand) archives from September 2006

Big game,no winners.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Manit Sriwanichpoom goes hunting for wildlife in Africa, but finds only glass eyes and faded pelts Manit Sriwanichpoom has just bagged some big game in Africa and, just as...

Kuoni buys Asian Trails Holding Co.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Kuoni Group is continuing its acquisition strategy in Asia with the purchase of Asian Trails Holding Co, one of the leading destination management companies in Southeast Asia. ...

Investor confidence still low as production costs increase.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Private Investment Index continues its decline in August Investor confidence remained low last month, reflected in a drop in the Private Investment Index of 0.1 per cent from July...

Bualuang loans : Bangkok Bank gifts on offer at fair.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Bangkok Bank is offering customers the option of a free TV, fridge, stereo, washing machine or microwave when they take out a Bualuang Home Loan or purchase a Bualuang Property at this...

Sun Group rises to expand its retail ops.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Chicken farmer and frozen-chicken exporter Sun Group plans increase the number of pushcarts in its Go Sun khao man gai (chicken and rice) franchise business to 3,000 in five years. ...

Executives view coup in good light.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Most expect rapid recovery for economy Most business leaders see last month's coup as a positive sign for the Kingdom's long-term economic development, according to a survey by...

GE upbeat about Bank of Ayudhya deal despite postponement.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. General Electric is still "positive" about the proposed share-sale deal between Bank of Ayudhya (BAY) and GE Capital International Holding Corp despite yesterday's postponement of the...

BlueScope unveils Bt500m plant for prefab buildings.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. BlueScope Lysaght (Thailand) Ltd, a unit of Australia's BlueScope Steel Limited, yesterday welcomed more than 60 customers to its soon-to-be-commissioned Bt500-million pre-engineered...

Late news:Retail rules to be floated Tuesday.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. On Tuesday the Internal Trade Department will submit draft rules and regulations on the retail industry to the trade competition committee chaired by Commerce Ministry permanent...

Luxury watch store chimes in big sales.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Despite opening just nine months ago, Singapore-based luxury watch-seller Yafriro International Pte Ltd's Thai boutique has become the company's second best-selling shop. The...

Escaping US President Bush's vision of the future.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. It always comes back to oil. The continuing misguided interventions in the Middle East by the United States and the United Kingdom have their roots deep in the Arabian sand. Ever...

Navy :Workers hurt by glass shards.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Nine workers were injured yesterday in a small explosion caused by a short-circuit at the Naval Ordnance head office in Bangkok. he accident happened at about 10am while employees...

AIS fires opening salvo in new price war.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Leading cellular operator Advanced Info Service Plc (AIS) has thrown down the gauntlet in hopes of starting a new price war, by launching an aggressive prepaid promotional package. ...

Chalermchai death sentence upheld.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Capital punishment for two of the ex-major's accomplices also stays The Supreme Court yesterday upheld the death sentence of former Major Chalermchai Majchaklam and his two...

Siam Cement Group acquires new shares in PTT Chemical.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Siam Cement Group (SCC) has subscribed the rights offering to buy Bt5.6 billion worth of PTT Chemical Plc (PTTCH) new shares, which would maintain SCC's stake in PTTCH around 20 per...

Avoid raw seafood.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. People should avoid eating raw seafood, particularly oysters, as a potentially fatal disease has been spreading in the US, the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned yesterday....

Floods take toll in North, Centre.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Tak Governor Amornpan Nimanan yesterday asked residents not to return to their inundated homes, some of which lie submerged under 1.5 metres of water. "We are concerned about...

Wiradech for Italy.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [FENCING] Sabre ace Wiradech Kothny will spearhead Thailand's challenge in the World Fencing Championships, which will take place in Turin, Italy, from today through Friday. Apart...

More violence in the South.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Violence continued in the deep South, as an official was shot dead and a bomb explosion injured a police officer yesterday. Saipudin Muming, 37, a member of the Chernkiri Tambon...

Royal pens view in blog.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The first known royal contribution to a blog by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is now available on the British Council website. The princess's views about the teaching and...

OCT select squad of 489 for Doha.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. [ASIAN GAMES] The Olympic Committee of Thailand has decided to send a squad of 489 athletes, including HRH Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, to the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar,...

Learning from past mistakes.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Society must reject the corruption-prone patronage system if democracy is to be restored and thrive in Thaialnd If the overthrow of Thaksin Shinawatra by the Council for...

CRD support for Surakiart shows continued influence of deposed government.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Re: "Pull the plug on Surakiart's UN bid", Editorial, September 27. The endorsement by the Council for Democratic Reform (CRD) of Surakiart Sathirathai's bid for the post of UN...

Lecturers' charter plan overlooked.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Three law lecturers yesterday voiced disappointment that their version of a new constitution was overlooked in the rush by Meechai Ruchuphan, chief legal adviser to the Council for...

Surakiart's UN hopes fading.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Coup factor sees ex-deputy premier slump in informal poll Deposed Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai received five favourable votes and seven against - worse than last...

CEO policy to be reviewed.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Council for Democratic Reform chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin has ordered a review of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's CEO-governor policy, Defence Ministry spokesman...

Adviser Prateep quits.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Former senator Prateep Ungsongtham Hata resigned yesterday as an adviser on reconciliation and justice to the ruling junta. Prateep, appointed by the Council for Democratic Reform...

Hullabaloo in Chiang Mai.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Representatives of the Love Chiang Mai Network yesterday asked the Office of the Auditor-General to investigate alleged irregularities in Chiang Mai's 16 mega-projects, including the...

Temasek 'unaware' of tax-free Shin deal.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Singapore's Temasek Holdings was not informed the Shin Corp sale was structured so that the Shinawatra family would avoid paying taxes, nor was payment made into offshore bank accounts...

Klong Dan, CTX for panel.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The National Counter Corruption Commission (NCCC) will transfer two major cases involving graft allegations against the government of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to the...

Film fest expected to lighten.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The 4th World Film Festival of Bangkok, featuring more than 70 films from 32 countries, will cool the current political temperature. The festival takes place from October 11-23 at...

Conflict puts assets probe in turmoil.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Jaruvan wants CDR to appoint former senators critical of Thaksin; Sonthi admits to 'headaches' over membership The drive to root out the unwanted legacy of the Thaksin regime...

THAI executive pays the price.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Airline cracks the whip over baggage bungling at airport Thai Airways International Plc yesterday sacked an executive over the hours-long luggage delays on the opening day of...

'BALL' back FROM THE brink.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Paradorn rallies to see off Henman [Tennis]The approximately 6,000 fans at the Impact Arena went bonkers yesterday as their hero Paradorn Srichaphan fought back from 3-5 in the...

Car-bomb suspects get bail.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Three Army suspects in the alleged plot to assassinate caretaker prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with a car bomb were released on bail yesterday. Sgt-Major Chakhrit Janthana,...

Nu Skin banks on g3 boost.
September 30, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Aiming to boost sales to the Bt1-billion mark, skin-care and food supplement firm Nu Skin Enterprises (Thailand) is introducing a nutrient-rich juice called 'g3' next month, which they...

CP 7-11 freed from Chinese obligation.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Company no longer has to buy more Yangtze Supermarket Investment stock CP Seven Eleven Plc has been released from a contractual obligation to purchase additional shares in Yangtze...

New shareholding structure.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The flotation of new capital-increase shares by financial-services provider Capital OK, a joint venture between Shin Corp Ltd and Singapore's DBS Bank, saw Shin's stake rise from 60...

KTB to build up its payment service.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Krung Thai Bank (KTB) hopes to become the country's top bank in terms of payment services in the next few years by targeting state agencies. The bank already had the highest...

Amata Corp Plc.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Capital Nomura Securities has upgraded its recommendation on Amata Corp's stock from "sell" to "reduce", despite the company having cut its 2006 land sales target for the third time in...

Do Thai banks practise what they preach on lending'.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Several local institutions, especially those acquired by foreign banks, now separate credit analysis and approval from customer relations Banks work with borrowers beyond just...

Youths walk to promote dhamma.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. More than 70 youths from all over Thailand have started a 24-day, 750-kilometre walk for religious understanding from Surat Thani province to Bangkok. They set off from Suan Mokkh...

Men to take control of their skin with CTRL.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Following the growing trend of modern men lavishing greater care on their appearance, local consumer-products manufacturer Bio Consumer Co Ltd has launched a new range of personal-care...

Healthcare programme needs more staff, funds.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Panellists at a seminar on reform of the national healthcare programme expressed support yesterday for the Bt30-per-medical-visit scheme. However, they made many recommendations...

Business sentiment still subdued in Asean.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Jetro survey negative for 10th straight month A Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) survey of Japanese companies and affiliates operating in 12 East Asian countries revealed...

Additional doubt over NBC future.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Court rules selection process was invalid The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) says the fate of Thailand's broadcasting industry is in the hands of the Council for...

Surasit quits as auditors begin probe.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. GLO chief said to be close to Thaksin Police Maj-General Surasit Sangkhapong, director of the Government Lottery Office (GLO), yesterday resigned from his post as the Office of...

Sleeping with the jetliners.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. I hope it's not too late to say Sawasdee to our new airport, Suvarnabhumi, and it would be remiss not to say farewell to Don Muang Airport which ended 92 years of service on Wednesday....

Building materials :Bathmall speciality store launched.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Saha Sin Thai Group, a construction materials distributor, has launched Bathmall, a large Bangkok speciality store providing one-stop service according to international standards....

Game channel to debut on UBC.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. UBC TV will begin airing Thailand's first 24-hour game channel on October 1, capitalising on a change in lifestyles and the robust growth of the computer-game industry. Two years...

EU tells food exporters to overhaul misleading labelling.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The European Union (EU) yesterday told processed-food producers to ensure that nutrition and health claims on their labels meet regulations which will be implemented next year if they...

Certification three months away.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) expects to grant a permanent aerodrome certificate to Suvarnabhumi Airport within the next three months. The airport is currently operating...

TOT looks to take over 3G spectrum.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Telecom regulator approves transfer of joint-owned bandwidth to CAT The National Telecommuni-cations Commission (NTC) has permitted CAT Telecom Plc to transfer to TOT Plc its joint...

VoIP service SoodSood to expand its offerings.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. SawasdeeShop is launching value-added services to its SoodSood Internet calling service and hopes the move will boost its subscriber ranks to one million next year from around 10,000...

Late News :MK Real Estate to start two projects.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. MK Real Estate Development Plc, expecting a housing market recovery, will launch two residential projects in Bangkok worth a total of Bt1.37 billion next quarter. Assistant...

Nesac to propose framework for three rail projects.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The National Economic and Social Advisory Council (Nesac) is preparing to propose a framework for the bidding terms of reference for the capital's three rail projects to the Council...

Finance Ministry upbeat on 2007 GDP.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Gross domestic product (GDP) growth next year will be higher than expected at more than 4 per cent, although consumers and investors remain worried about economic prospects, which...

Global property investment booms.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Jones Lang LaSalle's latest global property report - "Record Volumes, Record Globalisation" - shows direct real-estate investment of US$290 billion (Bt10.9 trillion) in the first half...

Only retired ambassadors are afforded the luxury of voicing their opinions to home media.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Andrew Drummond suggests I might not have said anything in public quite like the letter I wrote to The Times about the recent "change of government" in Thailand ("Condemnation of the...

Stronger Japan a boon for Asia.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Shinzo Abe must restore friendly ties with China if the dream of an East Asian community is to be realised Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has everything going for him being...

Siam Cement wins awards.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Siam Cement Plc walked away with five out of a total of nine awards at yesterday's fifth Thailand Corporate Excellence Awards. Private companies from across the country voted for...

Riverside homes swamped.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Authorities have been forced to release massive volumes of water from the brimming Pasak Jolasit Dam in Lop Buri, inundating more than 1,000 rai of land downstream. In Nonthaburi,...

New PM must now do away with remnants of Thaksin's reign.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. On Monday, Thaksin Shinawatra called General Sonthi Boonyaratglin from London to ask whether he would be allowed to return home. He promised that he would refrain from all political...

In Brief :4 local teams eye berths.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Four local beach volleyball teams have booked a place in the qualifying round of the Phuket Thailand Open after the pre-qualifiers at Ramkhamhaeng University on Wednesday. As the...

Parts of city drained as typhoon nears.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Rainfall - not sea tides or Chao Phya - the major factor in whether capital will flood; Suvarnabhumi 'not in danger area' The Royal Irrigation Department chief has ordered...

Court agrees NBC selection 'illegal'.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Supreme Administrative Court yesterday endorsed a ruling by its lower court late last year that the controversial selection process for the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)...

Pro-FTA advisers aworry for HIV groups.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. HIV/Aids groups claim that if Thailand signs a free-trade agreement (FTA) with the United States, the access to life-saving treatment for HIV positive people could be considerably...

Surin humbled 'but not a UN candidate yet'.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Former Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said yesterday he was interested in taking up an "international position" but declined to say what his decision would be if approached to succeed...

Touch down...into chaos.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Lost baggage, crashed computer check-in systems, shouting passengers - AOT calls opening day a '75% success' It took the Korean visitors three hours to get their luggage, and they...

Interim PM choice sent for royal endorsement.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The ruling generals have selected an interim prime minister whose appointment is expected at the weekend, a senior figure in the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) said yesterday. ...

People flee in terror after earthquakes shake homes.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Haunted by the 2004 tsunami, hundreds of people raced out of their homes early yesterday after earthquakes woke them in the middle of the night. Panicking people ran or sped away...

Alert over heavy gift.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Nervous security guards for the Council for Democratic Reform last night destroyed a suspicious-looking present intended for its chief, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, only to find out...

Ginepri gets Muay Thai taste.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. If the wai caught the attention of foreign players in the Thailand Open three years ago, it's the traditional martial art of Muay Thai that has become the trend in this year's edition....

Airport traffic gridlocked.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. While plane departures and arrivals were running smoothly at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday, down on the ground it was a different story with traffic around the vast site moving at a...

No economic woes for new PM: BO.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. When the military coup was under way last week, Bank of Thailand governor MR Pridiyathorn Devakula was watching CNN in his hotel room in Singapore, where he was attending the World...

No clues found to school arson.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. The Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) yesterday urged those ordering or carrying out arson attacks on five local schools in Kamphaeng Phet province on Wednesday to surrender to make...

MARCH OF PARADORN.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Thai star in quarters as Danai falls [Tennis]Four seeded stars, including local big hope Paradorn Srichaphan, paraded into today's quarter-finals as Danai Udomchoke crashed out...

Changing faces.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. As well as flawless skin, many women now want a perfectly contoured face. But if the thought of going under the knife makes you squeamish, here are some alternatives to consider ...

AOT officials get an earful.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Although Suvarnabhumi Airport director Somchai Swasdipol has yet to take up the invitation to spend a night at Moo Baan Romreudee, the residents of the housing estate yesterday played...

Feline learning difficulties.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. What a difference a few months make! My zoo and I moved out of the flat and into the townhouse scarcely four months ago, and the cats' reactions to their new environment have changed...

Three more killed, six hurt in South.
September 29, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Three people, including one soldier, were killed and six others injured in a wave of bombings and shootings in the Muslim-majority South, police said yesterday. Five soldiers were...

Surveillance chief moved to governance.
September 28, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. As Suthichai takes on new role, regulatory division will report direct to president The Stock Exchange of Thailand's executive team underwent a reshuffle yesterday when its board...

BFIT to offer 200m shares.
September 28, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. Following SEC approval of listing, firm to float 25% of common stock - probably in November BFIT Securities plans to sell 200 million new common shares through an initial public...

The new PM faced with mission impossible.
September 28, 2006... (From The Nation (Thailand)) Byline: The Nation. It may seem like a contradiction but the new prime minister named by the Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) should act, and be seen to act, independently of the coup leaders or else...