Anything & Everything About Thailand

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ประจำวันพุธที่ 8 กุมภาพันธ์ 2549

Thai News Service

Deputy Minister of Interior Somchai Sunthornwat (สมชาย สุนทรวัฒน์) has expressed his confidence that the project to open up Thailand’s local villages to promote long-stay and home-stay tourisms, to be televised via satellite, will be able to significantly help business operators and stimulate tourism.

The tourism industry has been drawing in a large amount of foreign currencies to Thailand. Hence, it is important for the country to be ready and equipped in promoting important tourist destinations and develop the tourism capability. Public relations in various forms are also essential, especially through television.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand has acknowledged this importance and has therefore launched a Thai tourism channel which will be broadcasted via satellite and a project to promote long-stay and home-stay tourisms. This would enable Thailand to effectively promote its tourism to foreigners. At the same time, the administrative units from the district to the provincial levels nationwide will collaborate to promote tourism in their areas.

And in order to further promote Thailand’s tourism, a new TV program entitled “Tourism Talk” has recently been unveiled at the TATV station. In this program, viewers will be able to receive interesting tourism news and events which are or will be taking place in Thailand, and this show will also be broadcasted to other nations via satellite.

For more details on the TATV station or other information on tourism, please check out the TAT’s website at www.tat.or.th, or call its hotline at 1672.

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737 words
9 February 2006
Bangkok Post
English

Thanin Weeradet

The largest mass freefall jump ever is scheduled this Saturday, Feb 11, at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport to celebrate 60 years of His Majesty the King's accession to the throne.

A total of 960 parachutists - 700 free-falling men and women - will join 260 paratroopers representing all services of the Thai armed forces to set a new mark and march into the Guinness Book of World Records.

The jump is a collaborative effort between the Thai armed forces and the World Team, a highly-skilled international assortment of skydivers, camera flyers, pilots, judges, and support personnel who have established multiple world records since the team's founding in 1994.

The extravaganza has been dubbed World Team '06-Royal Sky Celebration.

The team recently bettered the current freefall formation mark during a practice jump in Udon Thani. The existing record was set by the World Team itself in February 2004 in Bangkok. It involved 672 parachutists and the landing point was Sanam Luang.

According to the event's media director Kevin Kibson, to lift all 960 parachutists, the Royal Thai Air Force will fly seven C-130s, one Fiat G-222 and two BT-67 (turbo-prop C-47s). They will be joined by another C-130 provided by Singapore's armed forces.

The planes will start to take off at 10am and the record-breaking mass freefall jump attempt will be made 20 minutes later. The public can access designated viewing areas arranged at the new airport. The public is advised to get to the site early since a meeting of pilots and parachutists is scheduled before the jump.

After free-falling for approximately 10 seconds, the skydivers will open their parachutes and start gliding to the landing zone. By the time all parachutists from successive aircraft have made the jump, the group in front of them will have glided their chutes to a point well below the opening altitude.

Layers of hundreds of parachutes will fill the sky for about 15 minutes. The landing zone is the huge grass infield between the airport runways.

After the mass freefall jump, the Royal Thai Air Force will make a low pass in tight formation with all aircraft involved in the new world record bid taking part. Following this, there will be an air show for the spectators.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is the honorary chairman of the world record mass freefall jump organising committee.

For more details, see www.tatnews.org or www.theworldteam.com .

Heady times in Khao Yai

Grape growers and wine makers in Pak Chong have joined hands to hold the first Khao Yai Grape Festival at PB Valley Vineyard this weekend.

Among the principal organisers are Pak Chong grape growers, Khao Yai-Pak Chong Tourism Promotion Club and the Tourism Authority of Thailand's office in charge of the Northeast: Area I.

Situated a few hundred metres above sea level and endowed with suitable climate for growing grapes, Pak Chong is in Nakhon Ratchasima Province and within two hours drive from Bangkok. It is one of the country's largest grape growing areas.

The festival features a host of fun activities and games including plays, open-air contests staged against the backdrop of vineyards.

Other highlights include grape picking and eating contests and wine tasting. For kids, the Rai Thong Somboon Farm will provide games and other fun activities including paintball.

Farmers in Pak Chong will put their best produce on sale. The evening of February 12 will see leading local vocalists Phaiboonkiet Khieokaew or Pun and the Singcharoen Brothers band provide country melody.

The Khao Yai-Pak Chong tourism club currently has 60 grape growers as its member. Together they occupy 3,000 rai of vineyards.

"A lot of people do not know that Pak Chong is Thailand's largest grape growing region, particularly seedless varieties that are now available in the market round the year.

In addition, several varieties of wine grapes are also grown here. Wine produced here is competitive to those imported from overseas.

"Apart from wine, visitors can sample and buy as assortment of fruits, jams and pickles. They can also visit vineyards and learn how to grow grapes," said Dr Thunya Thay-phen, chief organiser of the festival.

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1386 words
9 February 2006
Bangkok Post
English

In Nan Province the solo rider discovers the virtue of Arabic numerals

Lloyd Sullivan

On Monday morning I left Chiang Khong and the wonderful bread of Bamboo Riverside behind me, and headed south on Highway 1020 up the fertile Ing River valley. A lowering sky continued to threaten rain, but the great dark cloud banks of the previous three days were gone.

Though hill tops were occasionally lost in a mist, patches of blue appeared from time to time and I grew increasingly sanguine that I'd seen the last of the bad weather for a while.

I climbed out of the Ing valley at Thoeng and angled southeast toward Nan Province, home to a great number of hill tribes, and a region described by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as having "great potential." This description, the best they could apparently come up with, is another way of saying that at the present time there is no real reason for tourists to go to Nan, which from my perspective made the province almost ideal.

I stopped for lunch in the little mountain village of Song Khwae on Highway 1148, hungry for a bowl of chicken or pork noodle soup. As always I pulled up to a little outdoor cafe that was doing brisk business, a cafe that had a spot of shade in which to park.

This raan ahaan in Song Khwae at a bend in the road wasn't very big, about five red plastic tables. Two of the tables were pushed together to accommodate five people, a man and his wife, another guy, and two teens. Their car was parked in the shade, too, a late model Mitsubishi sedan. These were city folk, apparently, not locals.

I said hello and they said hello back. I ordered, then sat down and studied my map. My lunch came just as the other group was finishing up. They gathered around me on their way out, full of the usual curiosity. Where was I from? Where was I going? How much did my motorcycle cost? The standard questions. And then the married man asked me a new one: "Did I think his wife was pretty?" Suai mai (beautiful?) was what he asked, pointing at her. He evidently wanted me to take a good look and I did. It wasn't hard to do, the lady was a stunner, and evidentially used to being put on display, as well. She laughed, showing a row of perfect white teeth. I laughed, too, and said, "suai jang loei." (Very beautiful).

This got a howl from the whole group, kids included.

The man went on to tell me that they were from Phayao which was off to the southwest, but his wife, he said, was originally from Korat, as if that would explain her good looks. In fact, it did explain them. In Thailand, women from the Northeast, a region known as Isan, are noted for their pulchritude. This woman with her high cheekbones, little turned-up nose and sensuous mouth could have been a poster girl for the city of her birth, for the whole country, really. "Kao jai," I said (I understand), as if I could have guessed as much. "Puuying khon thai maa jak isan suai tee sut nai lok," I said.

This assertion brought the house down, the restaurant's owners as well as my new friends from Phayao. It wasn't what I'd said so much, that "Thai women from Isan are the most beautiful in the world," but how I'd said it: in semi-grammatically correct Thai. I think that as much as anything is, was what got everybody laughing. This farang, this man on the motersai, phuut thai dai (can speak Thai). Or so they thought. I think they were laughing in amazement, the way people do when they see a cocker spaniel riding a bicycle for the first time. As they were walking to the car the woman turned back to me and she gave me another smile that was a bit different from the first one. I have to say I got a mid-day lift out of it.

As I was pulling on my helmet and my gloves, I got to thinking how much easier it is to eat on the road in Thailand than it is in the US. In small US towns one's culinary options are limited almost exclusively to fast food restaurants. The food isn't particularly nutritious and the experience is generally unmemorable. But in Thailand eating on the road is part of the joy of travel. You can stop anywhere, any little town, any little village and have a good breakfast, lunch or dinner. Pretty women are often on hand as well, insuring superior digestion.

As I pressed south on Highway 1080 I encountered a lot of mountain people on the road, women mostly, hauling produce from the fields back to their villages in the hills. Some sat in the shade by roadside with their full baskets, waiting for transport. I stopped several times to get photos, handing over 10 baht coins. One woman, though, wouldn't take any money. She didn't object to my taking her picture, I think she enjoyed it, but when I held out a coin she just smiled to herself and walked on. I think they call that, dignity.

I didn't know anything about Nan before I got there except that it sat on the Nan River and had potential. I cruised the streets for 20 minutes and finally found a tourist office. I say, "office," but it was really just a kiosk in some municipal complex across from one of the major temples in town. The girls behind the counter gave me a brochure, written in English, and told me where I could find a nice room at a bargain price.

This place they recommended was near the river, they said, but not on it. It didn't matter. I'd had a look at the Nan River coming into town and I wouldn't require a room with a view. The water was way down and it was an unappealing colour, a rust-brown, almost red. Almost red is not a great colour for rivers in my opinion. Almost blue is good. As far as I could tell during my two-day stay in Nan there were no hotels on the almost-red river. For once I wasn't surprised.

The large carved wooden sign that hung outside the Srinuan Lodge actually said Srinual Lodge, in English. "L," "n," what's the difference? Their guests would be Thais, anyway. How the place was spelled in English was immaterial. It was a good-looking, old two-storey building made of timbers, a kind of Asian hunting lodge. I parked in the lot and went inside on stocking feet because all the shoes piled up at the door told me that was how it's done at Srinuan.

I booked a room on the second floor for 400 baht and followed the maid upstairs and down the hall. The room numbers on all the doors were in Thai script, not the Arabic numerals one sees almost everywhere else in the world today. I looked at the script on the door of my room and then I looked at the script on large wood paddle wired to my key.

They appeared to be the same. If Nan was going to get beyond "tourist potential" to "tourist reality," going Arabic would be good place to start. When the maid left I realised I didn't actually know the number of the room I was in. And since I didn't know I couldn't very well ask the desk clerk for my key when I returned. Nor did I want to have to walk around with that huge wood plank in my pocket. I counted the number of doors down from the end of the hall: five. I removed the key from the plank and put it in my pocket. Illiteracy, I realised not for the first time in this country, is a rather heavy burden.

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610 words
9 February 2006
Bangkok Post
English

Karnjana Karnjanatawe

Ripley's World of Entertainment, Pattaya, will hold its first mass wedding on Valentine's Day when nine couples are expected to take the vow in a Thai style ceremony.

Somporn Naksuetrong, general manager of Royal Garden Entertainment, the company that runs Ripley's, said the aim was to present the facility as an alternative venue for hosting wedding rites and receptions.

"Feb 14 - Till Death Do Us Apart" is the theme of the day and to be consistent with Ripley's reputation on the horror side the couples would be married in a coffin.

Thai as well as foreign couples are welcome to apply. They will be accepted on first-come-first-serve basis after taking an interview. Keeping with Ripley's tradition the bride and the groom can choose their own wedding dress but they must be original, no matter how outrageous or spooky.

In Thailand nine is considered an auspicious number. The selected couples would walk down the nuptial aisle spookishly adorned in Ripley's style.

Wedding rites will take place from 1-4pm at Haunted Adventure, said to be the world's largest horror house ideally located in the coastal beach resort of Pattaya, Chon Buri.

For further information, call Ripley's Bangkok office at 02-476-0021.

But if spooky wedding is not your cup of tea and you happen to prefer natural mountain settings go Phu Kradung National Park in Loei Province.

The park will be holding a similar ceremony on the same day for the fifth year running.

For more information, visit its web site: www.phukradung.com , or call the park office at 042-871-333.

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999 words
9 February 2006
Bangkok Post
English

Yvonne Bohwongprasert

Thailand has overlooked the potential of tapping into the inbound disabled tourist market even though travellers in this segment spend as much as any well-heeled able bodied traveller, says veteran tour operator Yaowaluck Nilsingkhron.

The outgoing branch manager of Queen Travel Service has herself tried every mode of transportation to traverse back country destinations with friends and at times all on her own.

"Thailand is truly an internationally recognised tourist destination but little attention has been accorded to the basic needs of tourists confined to the wheelchair, or for that matter people suffering from other forms of disability," Yaowaluck said.

"Disabled people will normally not come to Thailand if they didn't have the resources to finance their trip. From my experience of travelling in Thailand, there is an acute shortage of ramps, adequate bathrooms and toilets for the disabled in hotels and service stations."

Drawing from her seven years of experience in the travel industry, Yaowaluck says disabled tourists from Europe and Asia are charmed by Thailand's culture and hospitality. They have the spending power to bring much-needed foreign exchange into the country.

She suggested that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) should set up support centres to service this segment of the market. TAT staff manning the booths should be competent enough to provide maps and guidance about hotels that disabled tourists could use during their stay in the Kingdom.

Yaowaluck also suggested that university students and new graduates with an eye for travel should be recruited for the job. It would be better still if they had studied physical therapy and rehabilitation so they can use that knowledge to provide service to tourists and benefit therefrom.

"Officials in charge of city infrastructure should bear disabled people in mind when building public toilets and pavements. If proper facilities are there for everyone in our society, it would be good for the country's image in the eyes of outsiders," noted Yaowaluck.

"Another area that needs to be developed is manpower. I would urge students to consider entering the tourism sector only if they are service-minded. I would like them to study languages and not discriminate against colour or race.

"They should be taught from a young age to be considerate. Thais don't generally discriminate against disabled tourists with fair skin, but they tend to look down on one that is their own. These double standards should not be allowed to continue," she added.

Meanwhile tours designed specifically for disabled travellers are virtually non-existent in a country that prides itself as a world-class tourist destination.

One of the few that is around is Pattaya-based Adventure Holidays run by Tom and Malee Grant.

It offers packages tailored to meet visitor-specific needs. Its tour coordinator, Umawan Kunthothong - who took over Malee's job after she was diagnosed with multiple scleroses three years ago - said she feels happy she can put a smile on the face of her clients.

To her, each tour group is special because the level and type of disability differs; some tourists travel with their family and others with caretakers. A lot of patience and understanding is required to help some tourists overcome fears that can take various forms.

"Sometimes we take them to places they want to visit but on arrival they may refuse to get down the van because of certain trepidations that able bodied people may not understand," Umawan said. " However, there are also happy times. One activity some of them enjoy is speedboat ride in the Kwai River, Kanchanaburi. River rafting is also popular. However, in all these activities we have caretakers that look after them at every step."

Umawan says soft and hard adventure activities can be arranged to suit individual preferences. Elephant trekking is one outdoor activity which disabled tourists can indulge in, no matter what their handicap, and enjoy it as well. There is the initial hesitation of getting on the back of the giant beast but after conquering that hurdle they find it stimulating. They tend to associate the leisurely pace of the elephant with the pace of life in Thailand.

Safety and well-being of clients is Umawan's and her staff's biggest concern. City tours often hit snags, she laments, because the pavements are poorly built, while toilets for the disabled are also in short supply, especially when one gets out of the city.

Poor infrastructure aside, Umawan urges Thais to acquire a more positive attitude towards disabled people.

"Many Thais believe that disabled people should not venture outside their houses because they can't cope with physical and emotional stress.

"This is not true. For example, when we take them for elephant trekking, the beast's owner usually asks me if they were fit to undertake such activity. So I have to explain to them that they are and that we take all measures to guarantee their safety.

"Disabled people have a desire to indulge in activities more suited to able bodied people. We should never underestimate their ability because some of our guests have gone jet-skiing, go-karting and paragliding, with professionals at their side," she said.

Ayutthaya, Kanchanaburi, Pattaya and Ko Chang are popular destinations, along with elephant trekking in Chiang Mai beacuse after a mere two-hour ride they can enjoy beautiful mountain scenery. They also love watching Muay Thai, traditional dances, musical shows and checking out the night life.

From the feedback she has received from clients, Umawan sees great potential for growth in this segment, and even though the weather can be humid at times and road conditions far from perfect, Thai hospitality, food and beautiful nature more than make up for those imperfections.

She urged TAT to work with provincial authorities to put in place the right toilets and infrastructure before disabled tourists start thinking of spending their money in other countries.

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257 words
9 February 2006
Bangkok Post
English

SUJINTANA HEMTASILPA

Visitors were "very satisfied" with their convention experiences in Thailand, although Bangkok's notorious traffic problems were an issue, according to a survey commissioned by the Convention Promotion Fund (CPF).

The CPF was established in 1998 to promote Mice (Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition) activities.

The fund and Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau commissioned the study based on visitors to the XXVI International Congress of the World Federation of Hemophilia held last October at the Bangkok International and Trade Exhibition Centre (Bitec).

The study found that visitors to the hemophilia convention rated the hospitality of Thai people very highly, at 9.12 out of 10 points, while traffic problems came bottom, at 4.09.

Overall, they rated Thailand's image as a convention destination at 7.52 out of 10, said Asst Prof Pornthip Sampattawanit from Thammasat University, who led the team studying the conference's impact on the country's image.

Conference participants spent an average of 22,099 baht per person per day during the conference in Thailand.

This was 5.45 times more than average for tourists, according to Wanwiwat Ketwa, part of a research team from Chulalongkorn University that also participated in the study.

Peerapong Oeusoonthornwattana, the TCEB director-general, said the most important gap in Thailand's Mice industry was the lack of information about global market trends.

Mr Peerapong said the TCEB was also drafting a national development plan, expected to be completed in three months time.

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470 words
9 February 2006
South China Morning Post
English

The Thai press, backed by protesters, is accusing Singapore of acting unethically in its business dealings with Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Analysts warn that Singapore, whose investment arm Temasek Holdings led the $1.87 billion takeover of Mr Thaksin's family-owned Shin Corp, faces a nationalist backlash from the Thai public.

While much of the bile has been directed at Mr Thaksin, who is accused of bending tax rules to line his pocket, protesters are also taking aim at Temasek and its owner, the Singapore government.

Protesters who attended last weekend's rally in Bangkok said they objected to the sale of Shin Corp, the holding company for Thailand's biggest mobile phone company, a national broadcaster and a satellite company, to a foreign company.

Many also spoke out against continuing trade talks with the US and accused the government of selling out the country to Singapore and other foreign investors.

"Thaksin is selling our air. How can we breathe?" asked one protester. "If Thaksin really loves his country, he wouldn't do this."

Mr Thaksin has insisted the change of ownership does not end Thailand's control over telecommunications and satellite services, since Shin Corp only holds concessions from the government.

"What Temasek owns is only the right to operate those assets," he said in his weekly radio address on February 4.

But the sale to foreign owners of iTV, the broadcaster created in the early 1990s as Thailand's first independent channel with a mandate to provide in-depth news and current affairs, has raised hackles.

Questions are also being asked of Temasek's involvement in structuring the takeover, including the use of nominee companies in Thailand, so the Shinawatra family does not have to pay tax.

Some critics say Singapore is at fault for going along with the sale and may have failed to calculate the political risk of buying "tainted" assets.

Even if Singapore has broken no laws, it may have stumbled into a controversy that reflects poorly on its ethical leanings, they say.

Temasek is not a newcomer to Thailand. It already holds stakes in Thai banking, property and other industries.

Nor is it the first to take over a Thai telecom. Last year, Norway's Telenor bought out the majority Thai owner in Thailand's second-largest mobile phone company DTAC, in a deal that avoided any political backlash.

Critics argue that Temasek must be held to a higher benchmark, given the political nature of Shin Corp's rise and its ownership.

"You could say this is a normal business deal {hellip} but when it comes to companies owned by the prime minister, there are different standards," said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University.

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292 words
9 February 2006
09:10
English

TOP STORIES

- Democrat MP Korn Chatikavanij provided more details on the offshore trail of Shin Corp stock and urged authorities to investigate the Shinawatra family for possible money laundering, asset concealment and tax evasion (THE NATION)

- Government critic Sondhi Limthongkul announced a tactical shift in his public campaign to oust Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra by deciding to share the leadership among an alliance he will form with other supporters (THE NATION)

- The government backed down on its insistence that arch-critic Sondhi not hold his next rally at the Royal Plaza, but says he should seek permission first (BANGKOK POST)

BUSINESS

- The Democrat Party said government economic policies had deeply wounded Thai society over the past five years, with the government creating a culture of dependence on subsidies and promoting the accumulation of household debt (THE NATION)

- In spite of some hiccups, Washington remains committed to wrapping up free-trade talks with Thailand by the original deadline of the end of April, a U.S. official said (THE NATION)

- EGAT PCL may tap its retained earnings to offer compensation of 1.8 billion baht to cover taxes paid by employees subscribing to its employee stock-option programme (BANGKOK POST)

- Thai shares fell 1.18 percent as political jitters put pressure on the market, causing investors to dump blue-chip energy and telecom stocks (BANGKOK POST)

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BANGKOK, Feb 9 (TNA) – Last Update : 2006-02-09 / 07:57:14 (GMT+7:00)

Bank of Thailand (BOT)’s Governor M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula on Wednesday revealed that foreign capital had continued to flow into the country albeit in a smaller amount than before.

He said the uninterrupted capital inflow showed foreign investors still had confidence in the country’s economy.

The Thai baht has not been so volatile, but has moved in the same direction with other regional currencies against the US dollar.

The BOT chief refused to comment on some analysts’ projection that the stock market would be sluggish until the middle of this year due to political tension.

He said what he could give an assurance now was that foreign capital had continued to flow in and the trend would continue go on in the near future.

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141 words
9 February 2006
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) News
English

Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has given up attempts to ban an anti-government rally from being held in a highly symbolic venue in the nation's capital.

When the Prime Minister banned the staging of the second weekend protest in the Royal Plaza it set the scene for a possible confrontation between demonstrators demanding his resignation and security forces, whose job it would be to prevent the gathering.

Mr Thaksin's Government caved in when it became clear that the rally would be going ahead.

Demands for the Prime Minister to step down have increased since the sale of his family-owned Shin Corporation for a tax free profit of more than $A2 billion.

Financial regulators are still considering whether Mr Shinawatra or his family broke laws that could lead to criminal charges.

Government softens stance, allows anti-Thaksin rally at Royal Plaza
BANGKOK, Feb 8 (TNA) - The government has softened its stance, announced on Wednesday that it would allow the next-round of anti-Thaksin demonstration to be organized at the Royal Plaza if the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and the Metropolitan Police Division give the green light.

Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said if the two agencies which oversee metropolitan areas allow the demonstration to take place at the Royal Plaza, the government would have no objection.

"Any demonstration at the Royal Plaza in which loud speakers are used is required to ask for a permission from the BMA and the Metropolitan Police Division, as the area is in the compound of two Royal Palace--the Dusit and Amporn Palaces," he noted.

Asked why the government changes its stance, as Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra earlier vowed that the government would no longer allow such the demonstration to be organized at the Royal Plaza--after the previous one on February 4, Dr. Surapong said the government earlier wanted the rally to take place at other places considered more suitable, like Sanam Luang, but later learned that there would be events and exhibitions marking the Makha Bucha Day during the period.

Dr. Surapong's remarks followed a confirmation by media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul, who led the anti-Thaksin rally at the Royal Plaza last Saturday, that the next rally would be carried on at the Royal Plaza on February 11 as planned.

He said, however, that the alliance for democracy would lead the next rally, not him, adding that he would certainly attend the rally as a "participant".

Mr. Sondhi said as well that he is ready to meet the prime minister at any public place or on a TV programme and wants the prime minister to clear himself with questions he would raise.

The prime minister wants Mr. Sondhi to meet him at the Government House, according to Dr. Surapong.(TNA)--E002

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

AirAsia captain welcomes new partner in his Thai unit

By Umesh Pandey

AirAsia says the entry of Temasek Holdings into Shin Corp bodes well for the future of the low-cost airline.

Shin Corp owns 50% of Thai AirAsia while 49% is held by Malaysia's AirAsia, Southeast Asia's largest low-cost carrier. The remaining 1% is held by Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld.

Tony Fernandes, the group chief executive officer of AirAsia, said he was happy to work with Temasek after its takeover of Shin Corp, citing its professionalism.

''If you ask me, I would say that we are very happy to work with Temasek and are confident about the future of this company,'' Mr Fernandes said in a telephone interview with the Bangkok Post.

''When we had the prime minister's family as the major shareholder, we never got anything done, as we couldn't be seen to be the favoured airline. It is good that he sold his holding out,'' he said.

Although he declined to say what kind of company he was looking for as a partner in Thai AirAsia, Mr Fernandes said his relationship with Temasek was very good and at one point prior to his company's initial public offering in late 2004, he had offered a stake to Temasek.

''I still stand by what I have said in the past, which is that I do not like Singapore's Ministry of Transport as it has done all that it can in order to promote its LCC (low-cost carrier),'' he said.Singapore's two LCCs, Valuair, majority-owned by Qantas, and Jetstar Asia, which is 19% held by Temasek, merged to create Orange Star on July 25 last year in light of growing competition from other LCCs, price wars and rising fuel prices.

Temasek, one of the region's largest investors in various countries, indirectly became the single largest shareholder of the now profitable Thai AirAsia after it bought out the 49.60% stake in Shin Corp from the Shinawatra and Damapong families for a total cash outlay of 73.30 billion baht.

Despite the warm words of Mr Fernandes, most analysts have speculated that the two could be strange bedfellows as Temasek is a quasi-government organisation, headed by the wife of Singapore's prime minister.

But despite the higher shareholding by Shin in Thai AirAsia, a clause in the two-year-old agreement between Shin and AirAsia states that AirAsia has the pre-emptive right to purchase shares of Shin Corp in Thai AirAsia and then subsequently sell it to another party or individual if it cannot work with the new shareholder proposed by Shin Corp.

Mr Fernandes declined to comment on this issue but Mr Tassapon said that any new partner must first be approved by AirAsia.

''They (AirAsia) cannot increase their holding as they have reached their 49% limit, but any new shareholder would have to definitely be approved by them,'' Mr Tassapon said.

He said the company was in intensive discussions with few potential partners and at this stage it was not appropriate to make comments on who they are.

''We do not have set criteria for not talking to one or the other, but instead we are open to everybody,'' he said.

The move to sell Shin's stake in Thai AirAsia is important to comply with the laws governing the country's skies, as foreign ownership of a domestic airline is capped at 49%.

Thai AirAsia is also one of AirAsia's key assets. Bangkok has become its strategic second hub and a springboard for its expansion into China and India in the future.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

Abac poll: Most young people watch web porn

By Anjira Assavanonda

Most young people have viewed pornographic images on the internet, according to a survey by Abac. The survey, conducted among 1,464 youngsters aged 15 to 24, showed that more than 60% had seen pornographic photos on the internet and almost 70% had downloaded such pictures to personal devices.

Just over 85% of respondents said they had chatted with strangers on the internet. Of these, 28.5% talked about sex, 2% of female respondents said they had had a date with a stranger they met on the internet, and 13% of respondents had had a sexual relationship.

The survey indicated that the youngest age children start using the internet is five, with 45% starting between the ages of 13 and 15, and 21% before age 12.

Respondents said nude photos or sex scenes of celebrities were common, with 62% saying they had seen such pictures on the net, while 24% admitted pornographic sites stirred their sexual desires.

More than half said they were guided to these websites by their peers.

Respondents accessed the internet most frequently at educational institutions (70%), home (67%) and internet cafes (50%). The most popular time to go online was 8pm to midnight (48%) and 4pm and 8pm (46%).

The survey found only 23% of their parents were fully aware of their children's use of the internet, while 45% did not know about the content their kids accessed.

''Worse, among those who discovered their children's improper use of the internet, more than half still let their children use it,'' said Krisada Ruang-areerat, deputy manager of the Thai Health Promotion Fund, which sponsored the survey.

When children were asked what kind of services they used from porn websites, 68% said they downloaded pictures, 16% talked about sex on the web, 15% played games on porn websites, and 14% subscribed to receive pornographic photos via email.

Asked what they did while looking at porn sites, 66% said they looked at the photos with friends, 17% said they drank or smoked and a similar number masturbated, while 12.5% talked with boyfriends or girlfriends and about 6% said they had sex.

Srida Tanta-atipanit, manager of the internet Foundation for the Development of Thailand, cited records from a police website opened to receive complaints about websites.

''From 10,646 websites reported to the police, 80% were found to be porn websites,'' Ms Srida said.

Sira Sajjinanont, of the Thai Webmasters' Association, told the story of a teenage girl who was a high-scoring student before becoming addicted to internet chatrooms.

Soon she was convinced by people in the chatrooms to use a webcam to take nude photos of herself, and was later blackmailed by a man she met via the net who raped her and videotaped the act. She was forced to have sex with the man and others until she was rescued by police.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

Vietnam catching up with Thailand, says academic

Thailand’s major export rival Vietnam will soon catch up with the Kingdom in economic terms thanks to its development process being on the right track, said Dr Thanyathip Seriphama, a Chulalongkorn University researcher who is studying the country.
Vietnam News Agency quoted Thanyathip as saying that Vietnam has put forward many new measures in its socio-economic development process, including combining its domestic economy with regional integration and globalisation trends.

She said she felt surprised every time she arrived in Vietnam, as the country is rapidly developing with improving infrastructure and constant construction.

“Many Thais believe that Vietnam in the near future will catch up with Thailand in economic development and become a big rival in the region,” said Thanyathip.

She added that Vietnam had a long-lasting traditional culture and intelligent and hard-working people – important factors for developing the economy.

Thanyathip has been studying Vietnam for 20 years. She has written many books about the country and contributed much to increasing understanding between the people and the governments of Thailand and Vietnam.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

Tomorrow’s rally to be bigger: poll

The number of people planning to attend media mogul Sondhi Limthongkul’s demonstration tomorrow is expected to be more than last Saturday, an Abac Poll said yesterday.

In the previous Abac poll, 5.3 per cent of the people surveyed said they would join the rally last weekend at the Royal Plaza. The latest poll showed 7.5 per cent would attend this weekend’s rally.

The poll found 60 per cent (previously 57.1 per cent) of people would be interested in joining the demonstration tomorrow while 42.9 per cent were not interested.

The Assumption University survey polled 1,798 people from Bangkok and nearby provinces on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Most respondents (55.4 per cent) want the media tycoon to stop his rallies now that he has presented a petition to His Majesty’s Principal Private Secretary. About 19 per cent of respondents said he should not stop.

The majority of the respondents, 76 per cent, said they wanted to see Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Sondhi bury the hatchet and start a dialogue.

Sondhi on Wednesday challenged Thaksin to a one-on-one live television debate. However, Government Spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee declined Sondhi’s proposal, saying the prime minister would be willing to have a private talk with Sondhi at Government House.

When asked which ministers will be named by Sondhi tomorrow, more than 50 per cent said Prime Minister Thaksin, 25.5 per cent said Industry Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit and 15.3 per cent said Agriculture Minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan.

The poll found that almost 55 per cent of respondents continue to trust the premier’s administration. That was a drop of 4.4 percentage points over the previous poll.

Almost one-tenth (9.5 per cent) of respondents said they want Thaksin to dissolve Parliament, a percentage point increase of 0.7.

Poll director Nopadol Kannikar said many of the people who will be going to tomorrow’s rally had attended last weekend’s demonstration, primarily because they remain suspicious about the Shin-Temasek deal and believe Thaksin has not told the truth about it.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 10 February 2006 :-

Real war has just begun

Some call it the “missing link”. The resurgence of student activism has added new momentum to the anti-Thaksin movement and drawn a clear battle line in a political war that seems to be dividing Thailand like never before.

The late arrival of student activists on the scene is boosting the growing alliance of university lecturers and will complete the picture of the volatile confrontation between Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s government and its opponents. On one side is a parliamentarily strong government still popular among the grassroots population and enjoying strong bases with its manipulation of state mechanisms throughout the country as well as reluctant endorsement from business leaders. On the other side stands a coalition of disenchanted intellectuals and the middle-class, with support from labour and NGO activists.

It seems harder and harder for anyone to stand on the middle ground. It’s either you love him or you hate him. Even the Privy Council found itself in the line of fire yesterday when a man perceived as a leading government mouthpiece, Samak Sundaravej, slammed two key council members for allegedly being partisan. Samak’s attacks on Council head Prem Tinsulanonda and councillor Palakorn Suwannarat carry political significance as profound as Prem’s Wednesday speech about moral leadership and Palakorn’s resignation as adviser to the apparently pro-Thaksin Political Science Alumni Association of the Chulalongkorn University.

Who is going to win this war?

Thaksin has countered Satur-day’s massive rally by largely middle-class protesters, with well-advertised morale-boosting visits from villagers and rural signature campaigns in his support. The past few days has seen the embattled prime minister hugging poorly dressed folks from the provinces while calling academics demanding his resignation “ignorant” and “unconscious”. His increasing hostility toward the country’s intellectuals ha prompted sarcastic asides that he is less of a Hitler and more a modern-day Pol Pot. He may also even be more shrewd than the former Khmer Rouge leader because he has managed to appeal to the grassroots community despite his enormous wealth.

Pol Pot or Hitler, or simply a badly misunderstood leader, Thaksin is facing an increasingly strong alliance bent on toppling him through three-pronged assaults. The street rallies will continue, and while the numbers of protesters may not increase on last week, student activists will help add a much-needed youthful vigour to the movement. A legal campaign will be mounted, thanks to the increasing evidence of alleged malpractice by Shin Corp’s major shareholders. And despite his parliamentary superiority, impeachment efforts are gathering steam.

The NGOs have all but fully joined the movement, after much resentment against controversial leader Sondhi Limthongkul, who has agreed to “pass the torch”, or so it seems. Now lecturers from 19 universities have declared war on the government. And, significantly, students are planning to come out in full force, effectively alienating Thaksin from key educational institutions.

Corruption watch groups, led by respectable graft busters Klanarong Chantik and Auditor-General Jaruvan, will join hands with the opposition Democrats in exposing new scandals. A sizeable group of senators will keep the impeachment campaign on track while the print media, with the exception of the largest circulation newspaper, have been questioning Thaksin’s legitimacy with increasing unification.

A weaker government would have crumbled like a house of cards already. But for the first time, the grassroots voters have been made relevant in a national leader’s political survival. Thaksin’s frequent invoking of his “19 million voters” has been effective in countering the massive Sondhi-led rallies, especially the last one at the Royal Plaza. And he is equipped with far more than the 19-million vote claim.

During his five years as premier, Thaksin has consolidated his power through a network he built with all social sectors – from grassroots voters to businesspeople, state officials and Parliament members. He also controls key institutions in terms of the checks-and-balances mechanisms, making any attempts to oust him by exposing evidence of corruption, appear like tennis balls bouncing off a brick wall.

As the prime minister struggles to survive his biggest political crisis that has put his leadership on the brink of collapse, this well-balanced network has proved itself as the pillar that continues to save his sinking ship, at least for now.

Grassroots people – including farmers, taxi drivers and low-income workers – are the very first groups to come out in support of Thaksin, amid a strong call from the anti-Thaksin movement for his resignation. They rule out all allegations against Thaksin, from the tax evasion in the Shin Corp deal to insulting royal power and conducting grafts. Instead, hundreds and thousands of them have come out in recent days to show support for “their prime minister”.

For example, more than 200,000 people are said to have signed a letter of support for Thaksin in Nong Khai, and another 30,000 Thai Rak Thai supporters did so in Nonthaburi. Thousands of others have travelled to Government House to greet Thaksin, while many other supporters have gathered at local, district or provincial headquarters to voice their opinion that he is the only leader in their hearts.

They still believe that ongoing government schemes – including the Village Fund, the Bt30-medical scheme and Community Bank – will eradicate poverty over the next few years.

Thaksin’s position has continually been strengthening, as the support for him goes beyond the grassroots citizens.

Despite Thaksin failing to clarify the allegations of his family’s tax-evasion, businesspeople still back him, as a “big change” in the government’s leadership would surely ruin both their short and long-term investments – particularly mega-projects, on which the bidding will begin over the next few months.

Large numbers of business leaders also met Thaksin at Government House to show the world that the protest would not affect the government’s stability, as Thaksin will stay on as the premier with their support.

And despite the strong opposition to him in academic circles, Thaksin has managed to win support from a number of other government institutes. Lecturers and executives of 45 Rajabhat Universities nationwide turned out to support Thaksin. Some high-school teachers and students have even asked the anti-Thaksin movement to drop all of their attempts to oust him.

Despite some state officials attempting to stay neutral, state departments have also become a major part of the government’s strategy to overcome the anti-Thaksin movement. Provincial governors, members of local administrative organisations and local police officers are reported to have received government orders to make “every possible move” to stop the activities of anti-Thaksin groups.

As happened on Saturday, officials in many provinces successfully blocked anti-Thaksin groups travelling to the capital to join Sondhi Limthongkul’s rally.

The U-turn stance of Thaksin towards key factions in his ruling party has also played a major part in helping him back from the brink of downfall. At the height of Saturday’s mass rally, Thaksin knew that only key factions in his party would help him to survive the day, amid rumours that ministers and MPs planned to quit the government.

Labour Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, a leader of the Wang Nam Yom faction with nearly 100 MPs, is believed to have changed his mind at the “very last minute”, cancelling a plan to resign, after Sora-at Klinpratoom quit as Information and Communication Technology minister just a few hours earlier.

His resignation would surely have lead to the withdrawal of his faction’s support and quite likely to the fall of the government.

Thaksin is believed to have promised to upgrade Somsak’s position and have him head the Agriculture Ministry in the forthcoming Cabinet reshuffle in exchange for his loyalty. The premier has never compromised with his faction before.

Political Desk
The Nation

....... to be continued / .........