Thai Press Reports articles from January 2009, page 9

Thai Press Reports archives from January 2009

United States: President Obama Says to Muslims: America Not Their Enemy.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - U.S. President Barack Obama says he will work to show the Muslim world that Americans are not their enemy. In his first formal interview - granted to an Arab television network - the American leader said his job is...

World: New Report Says Climate Change Irreversible for Next 1,000 Years.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - A newly released study says the effects of climate change may be irreversible for the next 1,000 years. The study published Tuesday in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says that even if...

United States: Exhibit Honors Frank's 'Americans'.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - An influential photo book once scorned for its stark portrayal of 1950s American society is now celebrated for its brutal honesty. Robert Frank's The Americans is being commemorated at the National Gallery of Art...

United States: Writer John Updike Dies at 76.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The Pulitzer Prize-winning author John Updike has died at the age of 76. Updike's publisher says the writer died of lung cancer Tuesday. Updike was a prolific writer of more than 50 books, including novels,...

United States: NY State Probes 'Troubling' Bonuses.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Prosecutors in New York want to talk to a former chief executive about why his investment firm rushed to pay out billions of dollars in bonuses. New York state attorney general Andrew Cuomo calls the bonuses...

United States: Lack of Spending Kills US Jobs, Profits.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The decision by growing numbers of U.S. consumers to leave their cash and credit cards in their wallets is hammering some of the country's top companies. Corning, the world's largest maker of glass for flat-screen...

United States: Woman Gives Birth to Octuplets in California.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Doctors at a Los Angeles-area hospital got a surprise Monday when a woman who was expected to deliver seven babies unexpectedly gave birth to an eighth child. The six boys and and two girls were delivered within a...

United States: President Obama Seeks Republican Support for Economic Plan.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - In meetings on Capitol Hill, President Barack Obama has urged minority Republicans to support economic recovery legislation moving through Congress. Republicans in the House of Representatives maintained their...

World: Group Predicts Big Slowdown in World Economic Growth.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The Institute of International Finance, an association of the world's biggest banks, said Tuesday that the deepening world recession is likely to result in the global economy contracting by more than one percent in...

Somalia: East African Nations Condemn Return of Radical Islamists in Somalia.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, or IGAD, a regional grouping of six East African nations, has condemned the attempt by Islamist extremists to retake control of Somalia, following the withdrawal of...

Zimbabwe: African Union Summit May Force Zimbabwe Power-Sharing Deal.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Africa's top diplomat has suggested that leaders gathering at an African Union summit might force a solution to Zimbabwe's political stalemate. A.U. Commission Chairman Jean Ping also expressed satisfaction with...

South Africa/Zimbabwe: South African Leaders Call on Zimbabwean Parties to Form Unity Government; Set Deadline.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Southern Africa leaders have called on the parties to Zimbabwe's power-sharing agreement to form a unity government in two-and-a-half weeks. But the main opposition party says it has reservations and will not decide...

Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's Education System Crippled on First School Day.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Very few teachers turned up to work on the first day of Zimbabwe's 2009 school year. They are being paid in Zimbabwe dollars and their salary will not buy a single loaf of bread. Education had been President Robert...

Kenya/United States: Kenya, US Agree to Deal on Piracy.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Kenya and the United States have signed a memorandum of understanding that will allow pirates captured off Kenya's coast to be tried in Kenyan courts. The international community has been searching for ways to...

United States: Geithner Sworn In as US Treasury Secretary.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - By a vote of 60-34, the U.S. Senate confirmed Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary in the Obama administration on Monday, clearing the way for him to get to work on the U.S. economic crisis. After the Senate...

Iran: Main Convict in Conspiracy Case Gets 6-Year Jail Sentence.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - An Iranian national tried earlier this month for conspiracy against the Islamic republic and jeopardizing Iran's national security will receive a 6-year-long imprisonment, a judiciary spokesman said here on Tuesday....

Japan/Iran: Tokyo Stresses Expansion of Ties with Tehran.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Japanese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kazuo Kodama, in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Hassan Qashqavi, underlined expansion of ties between two countries. Kodama said Tokyo attaches much significance to the...

Iran/Afghanistan: NATO Chief Sees Role for Iran in Afghanistan.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said that all Afghanistan's neighbors, including Iran, must be engaged if the West wants to succeed in Afghanistan. "To my mind, we need a discussion that brings in all...

Iran: Iran to Open Joint Banks with Foreigners in Free Trade Zones.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iran's Parliament on Monday approved a plan for opening of joint branches of Iranian and foreign banks and insurance companies in several free trade zones across the country. Hamidreza Khabbaz, rapporteur of the...

Middle East: Arab League Demands Wra Crime Probe against Israel.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The Arab League requested the United Nations to launch an investigation into Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Permanent representatives of the Cairo-based Arab League (AL) made an appeal to the UN General...

Iran: Ahmadinejad Presents Less Oil-Dependent Budget Bill to Parliament.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that his administration has sought to decrease the country's dependence on oil revenues when drafting the next year budget. "The bill has been drafted on the...

Iran/Turkey: Iran, Turkey Review Trade Ties in Tehran Conference.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iran and Turkey stressed bolstering ties at a conference here in Tehran today. Turkish state Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen and Iran's Minister of Commerce Masoud Mir Kazemi along with a large number of...

Turkey/Iran: Turkey Aims to Raise Trade with Iran to $20bln.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Turkey aims to raise its trade with Iran to USD20 billion, a minister said on Tuesday. Turkish State Minister Kur?ad Tuzmen said that Turkey aimed to raise its trade volume with Iran to USD20 billion. "Our...

Iran: Iran to Send Satellite into Orbit by March 20.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian Space Agency (ISA) said that the first domestically-built satellite of Iran called "Omid" (Hope) will be sent to the orbit by March 20. ISA president Reza Taqipour said on Tuesday if no problem hinders the...

Iran/Zimbabwe: Iran, Zimbabwe Ink MoU on Tourism Cooperation.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian tour operators signed a memorandum of understanding with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and Inbound Tour Operators Association of Zimbabwe to market the two countries' tourist destinations. The signing of...

Iran: Iranian President Presents Draft Budget Bill.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presented a draft budget bill to parliament for 2009-10 on Tuesday. Ahmadinejad said the budget was drafted taking into account falling oil prices. The proposed budget is...

Kenya/Iran: Kenya Seeks Expansion of Trade Ties with Iran.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Kenya's newly appointed Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta conferred with Iran's First Vice President Parviz Davoudi on expansion of trade ties and economic cooperation. During the talks in Tehran, Kenyatta appealed...

Iran: Iran's Naval Force Discovers Smuggled Fuel in Persian Gulf.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s naval force announced on Monday it had discovered 75,000 liters of smuggled fuel on a boat in the Persian Gulf. "While patrolling in the country's waters, the IRGC...

Iran: Delisting MKO by EU Provokes Iran's Condemnation.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned on Monday night the European Union's move to strike the anti-Iran terrorist group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO), off its terror black list. "The Islamic...

Iran/Iraq: Official Highlights Pivotal Role of Western Province in Iran-Iraq Ties.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Director General of the customs department in Iran's western province of Kermanshah Mohsen Mostafaee said on Tuesday that 50 percent of Iran's total exports to Iraq passed through the office in this western province....

Iran/Egypt: Iranian Foreign Minister Summons Egyptian Diplomat.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iranian Foreign Ministry summoned the head of Egypt's interests section in Tehran today over stopping the cargo ship carrying Iran's aids to Gaza. During the meeting with Amr Ahmed A. Meguid El Zayat, the Iranian...

France/Iran: France Ready to Promote Ties with Iran.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - French President Nicolas Sarkozy in a meeting with Iran's new ambassador to Paris on Monday announced his country's preparedness to promote ties with Iran. Sarkozy referred to Iran-France good relations, and laid...

Iran: Larijani Blasts Arab States for Inciting Disunity among Muslims.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Some Arab countries have incited disunity in the Islamic world and sowed discord among Muslims by taking different positions, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani lamented on Monday. Speaking in a meeting with...

Iran: Students to Stage Protest Rally against EU Ruling on MKO.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - A group of Iranian university students will gather in front of the British embassy in Tehran on Wednesday to protest at the EU overture to remove the terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization from its blacklist. ...

Iran: Iran's Judiciary criticizes EU for removing MKO from black list.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Iran's Judiciary Spokesman Ali-Reza Jamshidi criticized the European Union on Tuesday for removing the terrorist Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) from its black list. Under heavy pressures exerted by the Zionist...

Thailand: Crucial Asean bill pass in rowdy House session.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Thai lawmakers on January 27 approved a total of 41 crucial Asean and related agreements following a stormy House session which was suspended twice due to heated debates, The Nation reports. The passage of these...

Thailand: Asean documents of vital interest.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Virachai Virameteekul, the PM's office minister responsible for screening 11 of the 41 Asean and related documents being ratified in Thailand's Parliament, spoke with The Nation's Nophakhun Limsamarnphun and Piyanart...

Thailand: 78 Rohingyas boat people held.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - A boat with 78 Rohingyas arrived in Ranong on the southern Andaman coast on January 27 amid mounting pressure on the government over ill-treatment of the ethnic minority from Burma, The Nation reports. The latest...

Thailand: Pheu Thai focuses on quorum counts.
January 28, 2009... Section: Government and Politics - The opposition Pheu Thai Party (Puea Thai Party) has been attacking the government's weakness by requesting a quorum count almost every time Parliament is convened, sometimes more than once a day, The Nation...

Thailand: Business calls for more recovery plans.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Despite the recent launch of a raft of economic stimulus measures, the private sector on January 27 said it wanted to see more government plans focused on restoring the economy, The Nation reports. Leaders of...

Thailand: Government to revive Southern Seaboard project.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The government will revive the Southern Seaboard development scheme, to boost the country's long-term competitiveness while reducing the budgets for several mass-transit projects 5-10 per cent, The Nation reports. ...

Thailand: Clearing property inventory to take 2 years, real estate center says.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Due to the economic slowdown, it will take two years to clear out new housing inventory left from last year, and three years including residential projects coming onto the market this year, the Real Estate Information...

Thailand: Airports of Thailand shareholders obtain injection against big bonus for directors.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - The minor shareholders of Airports of Thailand (AOT) have won an Administrative Court injunction against payment to directors of bonuses at five times the previous year's level, The Nation reports. Last week's...

Thailand: Social Security Office reviews proposed cut in employers' and employees' contribution to Social Security Fund.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The Social Security Office's board of directors on Tuesday put a brake on the proposed cut in employers' and employees' contribution to the Social Security Fund, The Nation reports. Prakai Visetvisai, a director,...

Thailand: All Seasons Sathorn hotel changes customer focus.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - All Seasons Sathorn, a designer hotel under Accor management, has revised its marketing plan to focus more on 'free individual travellers', hoping to lift occupancy to 70 per cent this year, The Nation reports. ...

Thailand: Fatima Broadcasting International launches digital-based high-definition radio station.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - Launch of hi-definition station set to reshape sector in Thailand, The Nation reports. Leading local radio broadcaster Fatima Broadcasting International on January 27 announced the launch of a digital-based...

Thailand: New bankruptcy law benefits businesses.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - KI Woo looks at the advances in Thai bankruptcy and restructuring laws over the past decade and their positive effect on the economy, The Nation reports. Thai bankruptcy and restructuring laws have come a long way...

Thailand: Trang increases budget for tourism promotion.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The Trang Chamber of Commerce will inject a tourism promotion budget of Bt20 million into the province this year, double the normal level, in order to help the local industry recover and aid hotel operators and other...

Thailand: Nokia works to protect customer base.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - Nokia will continue focusing on building its brand image and offering complete mobile phone solutions and services this year to safeguard its market base, The Nation reports. Vipul Sabharwal, general manager of...

Thailand: Central bank does not want commercial banks to raise conditions for obtaining loans to high.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) would monitor commercial banks' credit approval standard to prevent banks from tightening their credit approval process too much, according to the Bank of Thailand's inflation report,...

Thailand: Advise given on investing in corporate bonds.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Go for issuers that diversify risk, be selective: experts, The Nation reports. Corporate debentures have become much more popular among investors amid falling interest rates and the sluggish stock market, but the...

Thailand: Commentary - Government should think twice before helping companies with capital injection.
January 28, 2009... Section: Commentary - The Nation Private companies across the world have been criticised as organisations of greed. Many non-profit organisations have lamented that when the economy is buoyant, the for-profit organisations enjoy huge...

Thailand: Thai Oil sets coupon rate on bond issue.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - The coupon rate for Thai Oil's five-year Bt10-billion bonds has been set at 4.2 per cent for the first two years, 5.3 per cent in the third and fourth and 6 per cent in the final year, The Nation reports. The...

Thailand: Company reports.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - The Nation BANGKOK METRO reported that the company had used Bt4.49 billion out of the proceeds of Bt4.64 billion received from its capital increase, The Nation reports. EASTERN WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT AND...

Thailand: Deputy interior minister target of legal action by Pheu Thai Party member.
January 28, 2009... Pheu Thai and senator target deputy interior minister, The Nation reports. Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat is the target of legal action initiated by the opposition and a "scandal-buster" senator aimed at having him removed...

Thailand: Pro-Thaksin group threatens demonstrations at government venues.
January 28, 2009... Section: Government and Politics - The red-shirt crowd filed demands on January 27 and threatened to lay siege to the government's most important offices by Saturday, coinciding with a mass rally at Sanam Luang, The Nation reports. ...

Thailand: Rotten canned fish incident must be investigated, Pheu Thai Party spokesman says.
January 28, 2009... Section: Government and Politics - Pheu Thai Party (Puea Thai Party) spokesman Prompong Nopparit on January 27 he would hand the rotten fish cans that were donated to Phattalung people to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva for investigation,...

Thailand/Cambodia: Commentary - Thai-Cambodian relations on the mend.
January 28, 2009... Section: Commentary - The Nation After a year of border tension and political frustration, Cambodia has a new sense of confidence in Thailand. It is difficult to describe the current relationship between Thailand and Cambodia without...

Thailand: Commentary - Thaksin and his opponents can reconcile, if...
January 28, 2009... Section: Commentary - By Tulsathit Taptim - The Nation The complexities that embody Thaksin Shinawatra can still be felt from afar. In his interview with a Japanese newspaper and latest "phone-in" to his supporters in Thailand, the fugitive...

Thailand/Cambodia: Thailand, Cambodia willing to settle disputes.
January 28, 2009... Section: Commentary - By Kavi Chongkittavorn - The Nation In diplomacy, every gesture and response counts. At first, the scheduled courtesy call by Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Sunday afternoon was...

Thailand: Thai press reports and comments on government's plan to impose property and inheritance taxes.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - The government's plan to introduce land and inheritance taxes has received a lot of space in local newspapers, The Nation reports. Most commentaries say the plan is a good concept but question if it is worth the...

Thailand: Parliament approves draft agreements in preparation for Asean summit meeting.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - A joint sitting of the two houses on January 27 endorsed all 20 draft agreements and contracts to be signed at the summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next month, the Bangkok Post reports. With...

Thailand: Suspects held in attempted murder of American tourist.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - One week after being ordered by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to speed up the case, police have apprehended three suspects they say were involved in the attempted murder of a US national in Hua Hin last year, the...

Thailand: More Rohingya boat people arrested.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Claims of canings at the hands of Burmese navy, the Bangkok Post reports. Ranong - The navy has detained 78 more Rohingya boat people and turned them over to immigration authorities. The boat holding the...

Thailand: Authorities work to arrest more leaders of southern insurgents.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan says the success of a recent counterinsurgency operation to capture top rebel leaders is the launch pad for similar arrests, the Bangkok Post reports. The operation netted leading...

Thailand: Deputy interior minister denies interior motives in having money given to poor villagers.
January 28, 2009... Section: Government and Politics - Deputy Interior Minister Boonjong Wongtrairat has denied having a vested interest in helping social development officials hand money to poor villagers, the Bangkok Post reports. Mr Boonjong said he only...

Thailand: Company producing spoiled canned fish given to villagers offers to help investigate incident.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Executives of the canned fish company which reportedly supplied spoiled products in relief bags for flood-hit villagers in Phatthalung met the villagers yesterday to offer help and a quick investigation, the Bangkok...

Thailand: Official investigated for bring cell phones to prisoners.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - A mid-ranking Corrections Department official is facing disciplinary charges for bringing mobile phones into a prison in the latest effort to clean up the country's corrupt jail system, the Bangkok Post reports. ...

Thailand: Fatima Broadcasting International launches first digital high definition radio station in Thailand.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - The radio operator Fatima Broadcasting International yesterday launched the first digital high definition (HD) radio station in Thailand, opening a new chapter in the country's radio industry, the Bangkok Post...

Thailand: Dusit Princess Korat expects hotel business in Nakhon Ratchasima will perform well in the first quarter.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - The Dusit Princess Korat expects the hotel business in Nakhon Ratchasima will perform well in the first quarter of this year as two annual military exercises will bring more than 2,000 visitors to the province, the...

Thailand: Nokia works to regain flagging market share.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - More attention paid to lower-end sales, the Bangkok Post reports. Nokia Thailand has announced a major marketing reshuffle with the merger of its marketing and its product and service planning in a bid to regain...

Thailand: Real Estate Information Center predicts rise in new housing units.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - REIC sees measures affecting B2m units, the Bangkok Post reports. Government help for the property sector will raise the number of new housing units registered this year by 15%, says Samma Kitsin, director-general...

Thailand: Supply chain management issues explained.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - By: Patricia Grace and Pari Anna Malai - Bangkok Post A strategy is a commitment to an enduring course of action, according to Peter Fisk, and companies regularly revise their business strategies in line with...

Thailand: Banpu Plc sets budget for capital expenditure.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - $160m budget this year same as in 2008, the Bangkok Post reports. Banpu Plc, a leading regional coal mining company, will maintain its capital expenditure this year at US$160 million, on par with last year,...

Thailand: CAT Telecom earnings give mixed signals, source says.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - CAT Telecom recorded 47% net profit growth and 12% revenue growth in 2008, but because concession revenues formed more than half of total revenues its performance was unsatisfactory, said a source at the state telecom...

Thailand: LH Bank reports healthy profit growth in 2008.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - LH Bank, a unit of Thailand's largest property development group Land and Houses, saw its profits more than double in 2008 thanks to healthy loan growth, the Bangkok Post reports. President Sasitorn Phongsathorn...

Thailand: Executive says Thai Airways International needs restructuring and less government ownership stake.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - Thai Airways International (THAI) needs comprehensive reforms including a bold corporate restructuring and dilution of state ownership if the flag carrier is to survive the financial turmoil, a veteran airline leader...

Thailand: Survey shows increased awareness of fraud risk management.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News - By Peter Hamilton - Bangkok Post A survey of fraud in Thailand by KPMG in 2007 revealed that while there appears to be an awareness of the importance of fraud risk management very few organisations properly understand...

Thailand: Toyota Motor urges government to step up promotion of environmentally friendly vehicles.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Toyota Motor Thailand has called for the government to step up promotion of hybrid cars and other environmentally friendly vehicles, including tax incentives to encourage local production, the Bangkok Post reports. ...

Thailand: Retail investors are crying foul over the closure of Yaowarat gold shops for w days.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Retail investors are crying foul over the closure of Yaowarat gold shops for two days during Chinese New Year, as it caused them to lose the chance to profit from a surge in prices, the Bangkok Post reports. ...

Thailand: Low prices derail ethanol production plans.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Oversupply makes business unviable, the Bangkok Post reports. More than half of the 47 licensees for ethanol production are unlikely to get their production plans off the ground in light of a steep fall in oil...

Thailand: Electrical and electronics sector faces more layoffs.
January 28, 2009... Section: General News - Local employment conditions are worsening, particularly in the electronic and electrical industry, with another 30,000 workers likely to lose their jobs, said Charuek Hengrasmee, the president of the Electrical and...

Thailand: Finance minister says stock market should play greater role as funding source for private sector.
January 28, 2009... Section: Business News -Thailand's capital markets must continue to develop to help serve as a counterweight to the banking sector as a funding source for the private sector, said Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij yesterday, the Bangkok Post...

Thailand: SET Index gains 8.06 points this afternoon.
January 28, 2009... Section: Stocks - The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index edged up 8.06 points to close at 444.79 points with its market value of 7.361 billion baht after the market closed at 4.41pm today (January 27th). SET Index today moved in...