Anything & Everything About Thailand

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 18 April 2006 :-

Songkran hotel bonanza

Hotels in Hat Yai were 100-per-cent occupied during Songkran, followed by those in Chiang Mai and Rayong, where occupancy topped 90 per cent, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said yesterday.

The annual water festival, which officially ran from Thursday to Saturday, stimulated huge expenditure, the TAT said.

Spending on domestic travel and holidays topped Bt25 billion, while Bt7 billion was spent on overseas trips, it said.

The festival also drew visitors from neighbouring Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore to Hat Yai, said TAT director for the South, Suthep Kuesang.

"The city of Hat Yai organised many events including a music festival and an international food fair. It also hosted a volleyball competition on the beach, which attracted 50 teams from 20 countries," Suthep said.

Hat Yai claimed the biggest crowds this year, he said, with hotels in nearby Songkhla town achieving an average occupancy rate of 80 per cent.

From January to March, the number of Malaysian tourists entering the border towns of Sadao and Padang Besar rose 14.75 per cent over the same period last year.

The TAT said hotels in Koh Samui recorded occupancy rates of 80-85 per cent, while Koh Pha Ngan secured almost full occupancy, with the peak coinciding with the island's Full Moon Party last Thursday.

The TAT's Information Centre reported hotels in Eastern provinces such as Rayong attracted a large number of local tourists. Hotel occupancy rates there ranged between 70 and 95 per cent.

The popular Koh Samet achieved 95 per cent.

The TAT said hotels in Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan and Cha Am in Petchaburi also did brisk business.

Samut Sakhon and Samut Songkhram, famous for "home stay" holidays drew many visitors from Bangkok.

Northeastern hotels also fared well.

Nakhon Ratchasima and Khao Yai National Park saw hotel occupancy rates of between 60 and 80 per cent.

In Buri Ram, Chaiyaphum and Surin, hotels achieved between 60 and 70 per cent.

In Chiang Mai, the key city for Songkran celebrations, many hotels saw almost 100-per-cent occupancy.

The northern provinces of Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Tak and Nakhon Sawan also received many holidaymakers.

The TAT also noted Songkran was observed in temples abroad, such as Wat Budhanusorn in Fremont, California, where many Thais congregated, and in Tumbalong Park, Sydney where Thais in Australia organised religious events and cultural activities.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 19 April 2006 :-

KL deal slows Thai AirAsia : Delivery of two jets likely to be delayed

The Malaysian government's decision to allow AirAsia to take over domestic operations from the country's national carrier, is putting the brakes on its expansion in Thailand.

Malaysian-based AirAsia will need to mobilise a significant part of its resources, particularly its aircraft, to support the substantial increase in traffic on its home routes.

After being given the right to service 96 non-trunk routes of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and share flights on 19 trunk routes in the country, AirAsia's priority will be its home skies.

AirAsia's new emphasis will delay the delivery of Thai AirAsia's 11th and 12th Boeing 737-300 jets by some six months, to early next year, stalling plans to start new routes, according to Thai AirAsia chief executive Tassapon Bijleveld.

Thai AirAsia, 49% owned by AirAsia Bhd and 51% by Bangkok-based Asia Aviation, was planning to introduce flights to several locations in southern China, including Chengdu.

The airline began flying its latest route, Bangkok-Surat Thani, on April 1 with daily service. Surat Thani is its ninth domestic destination, after Krabi, in addition to eight international cities.

In spite of the expected jet delivery delays, Mr Tassapon was optimistic that Thai AirAsia would achieve this year's target to carry up to three million passengers, bringing the total number carried since its inception in 2003, to five million. ''We may opt to lease more aircraft to make up for the jet delivery delay from AirAsia,'' he added.

The rationalisation of Malaysian domestic services was expected to affect AirAsia's expansion plans in Indonesia and Vietnam, AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes indicated.

Mr Fernandes added that AirAsia would need about 50 additional staff for each new plane delivered to support expansion plans. The rationalisation would cause an entrenchment of 6,500 workers in the domestic sector.

Malaysia Airlines Workers Union has already threatened industrial action.

However, with an expected delivery of 100 new A320 planes coming in over the next five years, AirAsia may not need to take over any existing aircraft that MAS is cutting from its domestic fleet.

The Malaysian government's decision was reportedly to ensure the long-term success of MAS and AirAsia.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Motorists wake up to record high at pumps : Crises in Iran and Nigeria lead to further increases

Retail petrol prices hit a record high this morning as oil companies passed on sharp spikes in crude oil prices.

Today, only PTT Plc is holding back its price.

At most service stations, all types of fuel will cost 40 satang per litre more today. Octane-95 petrol will retail for Bt28.54 a litre, octane-91 for Bt27.54, gasohol for Bt26.84 and diesel for Bt26.69.

PTT president Prasert Bunsumpun last night said the company would wait another day before deciding what to do.

"I believe that throughout this month, global oil prices will remain high due to troubles in Nigeria and Iran. Prices will fall only when those troubles are resolved," he said.

Global oil prices reached all-time highs yesterday as Iran's protracted row with the West over its nuclear plans fanned fears about potential supply disruptions. At 4.45pm Bangkok time, the Brent contract for June delivery on London's ICE Futures exchange was up 39 cents at US$71.85 (Bt2,725) a barrel, after touching a record high of $72.20. The crude contract for May delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading up 30 cents at $70.73 a barrel, off the $70.88 high reached earlier in the session.

Metta Banterngsook, director-general of the Energy Policy and Planning Office, said global oil prices could increase further if the situation in Iran remained problematic.

"Iran is the world's second largest oil producer, second only to Saudi Arabia, with daily production capacity of eight million barrels. Importantly, it controls the vessels coming in and out of the Persian Gulf," Metta said. "That raises concerns that supplies to the world from the Middle East, particularly from Kuwait, Dubai and Abu Dhabi could be blocked."

High oil prices have sparked complaints from consumers, who have asked the government for help.

Metta quickly brushed aside the possibility of any intervention.

"To solve the problems induced by high oil prices no longer concerns intervention, as that could incur a huge burden in the future. We opt to ease problems by providing alternative fuels and encouraging consumers to use public transport," he said.

Jitters have crept into the crude-oil markets on concerns Iran could withhold its oil from the market because of its anger with the West over its uranium enrichment programme.

Yesterday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned Iran will "cut off the hand of any aggressor", and insisted its military had to be equipped with the most modern technology.

Aside from concerns about supply, KGI Securities (Thailand) also attributed the recent increases to greater-than-expected economic growth, driven by East Asia, particularly Japan and China.

"With the current tensions, fuel prices will likely remain high (at $76 per barrel) through the year. If that's the case, this would bring full-year average price up to $74.5, up 6.4 per cent from our previous estimate of $70, or even higher," the securities company said in the latest research.

Dominic Bryant, oil economist at BNP Paribas in London, told Dow Jones Newswires: "In terms of future price developments, the fact the price is at $70 a barrel in the second quarter - traditionally the weakest quarter for oil demand - suggests a significant risk the price could go higher during the summer".

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Thai pickups: Trucks for the world

By Peter Janssen

Bangkok - When Ford launched its latest Ranger model one-ton pickup at Bangkok International Motor Show from March 24 to April 2, it was hoping to make a splash in more than just the Thai market.

"In Europe the emissions requirement is at a stage four level, and the new engine we launched here will meet that level. In fact, we developed this truck to meet that standard," said Mark Bill, chief platform engineer for Ford Hiroshima Operations.

Ford Motors, in collaboration with its Japanese partner Mazda, has been manufacturing one-ton pickups in Thailand since 1998. It is not alone.

Nearly all the Japanese auto giants - Toyota, Isuzu, Mitsubishi - have shifted their one-ton pickup production from Japan to Thailand over the past decade and Nissan, the last holdout, will follow suit when it launches its latest pickup model in 2007.

The reason is simple. Thailand is the world's second largest market for pickup trucks, an all-purpose commercial vehicle that is the most popular means of transport in the country's rural areas.

It is also the cheapest buy in Thailand because, as a commercial vehicle, it enjoys favourable tax treatment. Consequently, pickups account for more than 60 per cent of all vehicles on Thai roads.

Only the US market is bigger.

In 2005, however, Thailand's overall production of one-ton pickups for both the domestic and export market inched past production figures in the US, according to Thai industry sources.

"Last year we produced about 820,000 units of one-ton pickups, for both exports and domestic markets while the US market for light weight trucks, one-ton and under, was around 800,000 units," said Vallop Tiasiri, President of the Thailand Automotive Institute.

Vallop admitted, however, that the US market for all size pickups, including 1.5 ton and 2.5 ton trucks that are more popular in the States, remains the largest.

The Thailand Automotive Institute predicts that local production of pickups could near the 1 million mark this year, with an estimated 470,000 units sold domestically and 500,000 exported.

Thailand's main export market for pickups in 2005 was Australia and New Zealand, both of which signed free trade agreements (FTAs) with Thailand last year.

Of the 111,000 vehicles Thailand exported to the two countries, more than 97,000 were one-ton pickups. The Middle East came second in 2005, importing 78,000 pickups while Europe was third with 65,000 units.

"Manufacturers in Thailand export to 140 countries around the world," said Vallop. "We can sell to both developed countries and developing countries."

The only large markets Thai pickups have yet to successfully penetrate are China and the US.

That may change in the near future, if income distribution improves in China, especially in the agricultural sector, and if the US signs an FTA with Thailand. Currently, Chinese farmers cannot afford Thai pickups while Thai trucks face a 25 per cent import tax in the US market.

The US market also favours gasoline engines, whereas Thai pickups are diesel.

Meanwhile, local manufacturers of pickups have been coming up with increasingly sophisticated products to meet both domestic and international consumer trends.

For instance, all the latest models of Thailand-made one-ton pickups use common rail injection systems, a fairly new diesel engine technology that reduces emissions and conserves fuel.

Interior designs have also advanced.

"Pickup customers nowadays want a tough exterior, a capable chassis but all the comforts on the inside of the vehicles that you can get with a passenger car, which means power windows, power locks and comfortable seats," said Ford's chief pickup engineer Bill.

Competition has also extended to the exterior design over the past two years.

Mitsubishi, for example, rocked the market last year with the launch of its new Triton one-ton pickup model featuring a curvy, bubble cab that crashed with the long-established road rule that trucks need boxy, tough-looking exteriors to sell to the working man.

"When we launched the Triton we stunned the market for a while," said Supasak Tulalamba, general manager of Mitsubishi's exhibition division, who admitted that sales were initially slow during the first two months but improved thereafter.

"It's a breakthrough design but the Thai market is very conservative and American-like, not European-like. The European market is more interested in new design and aerodynamics so we're hoping it will do well there," said Supasak.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Songkran tourists spent big

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said that what tourist officials now call "the traditional Songkran water festival" generated 25 billion baht ($660.8 million) in tourism-related spending across the country. Bangkok topped 2 billion baht, followed by Chiang Mai with billion.

Declaring Songkran a major triumph in boosting tourism, TAT spokesman Wansadet Tawornsuk said that between April 9-15, Songkran festivities across the nation led to 25 billion baht in tourism-related spending.

Bangkok still proved a magnet of tourists as over two million foreign and Thai revellers spent 2 billion baht during the period, according to TAT's estimate.

Chiang Mai was just as busy, with over 90% of its hotel rooms were booked in advance.

TAT estimated 180 million baht a day turnover during the period in the northern capital.

The southern city of Hat Yai meanwhile received a stream of about 50,000 tourists per day during the week, the majority of whom were Malaysian and Singaporean.

Over 10,000 rooms in Songkhla province were booked ahead of the festivities and up to 400 million baht was estimated as tourism spending during the period.

For the northeast, TAT said that the Songkran week generated a daily turnover of 40 million baht in tourist spending in Khon Kaen province.

Occupancy rate in hotel rooms in Nongkhai was at 70% during the period as a large number of Thai tourists transited on route to Laos.

TAT also estimated 100 million baht in tourism spending in Ubon Ratchathani province.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Chiang Mai to ban alcohol at next year's Songkran festivities

Brewers will be banned from next year's Songkran parade in Chiang Mai, the city's cultural councillor said yesterday.

Chiang Mai's campaign against alcohol sales within the city walls during the holiday was a success, with a 70-per-cent drop in sales, said Wallop Namwongphrom.

However, some people brought their own alcohol and that led to drunkenness, fights breaking out and women being molested, he said.

Many people did not want alcohol manufacturers in the festival parade because they were advertising, Wallop said. So it has been decided they will be excluded next year, he said. The Chiang Mai Cultural Council will also ask stage organisers to ban shows featuring young women in skimpy clothes dancing, as were seen this year and broadcast to the nation, because they gave the city a bad image, Wallop said.

Next year the city will promote activities in temples with people wearing traditional dress, and continue its campaign against the sale of alcohol, he said. Muang Chiang Mai deputy mayor Pornchai Jitnawasathien said this year's festivities raised between Bt500million and Bt600 million, compared to last year's Bt1 billion.

He attributed this to a 40-per-cent drop in tourism, due to many foreigners choosing to avoid Thailand's political turmoil and local people preferring to save their money. The festival also left giant piles of rubbish, which took officials 32 hours to remove, Pornchai said.

The city usually produces about 300 tonnes of refuse a day but that increased by 70 per cent last Tuesday and Wednesday and by 120 to 150 per cent on Thursday and Friday.

As for road accidents, the Chiang Mai Probation Office said 694 drivers, bailed after they were arrested for drink-driving, would be asked to volunteer to help people suffering mental problems caused by alcoholism. This would allow them to serve society and learn the dangers of alcohol abuse, said office director Rommanee Klanbida yesterday.

As most of road accidents involved motorcycles, Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit yesterday said research on preventive measures for reckless riding were also planned.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 19 April 2006 :-

'Sunday the year's hottest'

Sunday ( 23 April 2006 ) will be the year's hottest day, while Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi will suffer the most with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, a Meteorological Department official said yesterday.

The hottest day will be caused by the sun staying at its highest point for the
longest period over Bangkok, and would also increase temperatures nationwide, especially in Chiang Mai and Kanchanaburi, said the department's Weather Watch Office director Dulyapol Pisalayabutr.

Meteorological Department director-general Suparerk Tansriratanawong said Thailand, except the southern region, had been under the influence of cold winds from China and predicted the rainy season would arrive sooner than usual - and stay longer this year.

Anon Sanitwong na Ayutthaya, an expert on weather changes at Chulalongkorn University, said the world now faced the "La Nina" syndrome - unusually cold ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific - which will bring more rain and a longer rainy season. La Nina is forecast to last for between 18 months and two years in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Gasoline price to hit 30 baht

The price of premium gasoline on the domestic market is likely to surge to 30 baht per liter if global oil prices continue to skyrocket, according to an industry executive.

Anusorn Sangnimnuan, President of Bangchak Petroleum Public Company Limited (Bangchak), said on Wednesday that the current price of premium gasoline stays at 28.34 baht per liter after all oil traders, except PTT Public Company Limited (PTT), decided to increase the retail price by 0.40 baht on Wednesday.

However, the marketing margin remains in deficit.

Should the oil traders set the margin to reflect their actual costs at 1.50 baht per liter, the premium gasoline price would exceed 30 baht per liter definitely, Mr. Anusorn noted.

He said whether the fuel prices would be further raised or not depends on a decision by major oil traders.

He conceded that the global oil prices had continued to increase upon concern on a tension between the United States and Iran on a nuclear program, as well as unrest in Nigeria.

Such unfavorable incidents led to a fear that the fuel production would decline.

It is also projected that the global crude oil prices would continue to increase throughout this year, particularly in the September-November period of every year when fuel production capacity often drops, as natural disasters--such as Hurricane-- normally occur, he said.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Better sex please: We're Thai

Thais claim they are getting less satisfying sex than almost any other nationality in the world. That's according to a study by the Archives of Sexual Behavior, which ranks 29 countries in order of sexual satisfaction among 40-to-80-year-olds.

Sex is best in Austria, at least according to people who live there, with 71 percent smiling over their sex sessions. But just one-in-four Japanese say they are satisfied.

And the other countries in the bottom five are Taiwan, China, Indonesia - and Thailand.

A sex expert says the findings show cultures with relationships based on equality offer more satisfaction for both genders. Sociologist Edward Laumann says male-centered societies often discount sexual pleasure for women. Researchers contacted 27-thousand-500 people by phone, in person or by mail. The maker of Viagra paid for the study.

Smiling and Grumpy:

TOP FIVE

1. Austria: 71.4 percent satisfied with their sex lives.
2. Spain: 69%.
3. Canada: 66.1%.
4. Belgium: 64.6%.
5. United States: 64.2%.

BOTTOM FIVE

25. Thailand: 35.9%.
26. China: 34.8%.
27. Indonesia: 33.9%.
28. Taiwan: 28.6%.
29. Japan: 25.7%.

One reason why women are so dissatisfied is that "evolution hasn't caught up with us," said lead researcher Edward Laumann, a sociology professor at the University of Chicago.

"Women are very sensitive to the quality of a relationship and when those things aren't in good order they're not interested," he said in a telephone interview. "It's a way of regulating (pregnancy) and protecting the children."

Another reason for lower levels of sexual satisfaction among women is a lack of foreplay, which is particularly problematic in male-dominated cultures in Asia and the Middle East, Laumann said.

"On entry it takes four minutes (for men) to ejaculate on average. Women need 11 minutes. That's why foreplay is so important," he said.

"In 75% of the cases the men report always having an orgasm. With women only 26% say they always have one, although 45% of men believe their partners always have an orgasm." - (Agencies)

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Tollway charge up B10 beyond Don Muang

Motorists using the Don Muang tollway will have to pay 10 baht more if they go beyond Don Muang from Saturday as the construction firm has decided to resume its normal fare charges. Don Muang Tollway Co will end its toll waiver on the northern section from Don Muang to the National Memorial from Saturday, Chaisawat Kittipornpaibul, director-general of the Highways Department, said yesterday.

Earlier the government asked the company to cut its toll to 20 baht temporarily pending talks on a new toll structure. The grace period ends tomorrow.

From Saturday, motorists going beyond Don Muang will be charged another 10 baht.

Sombat Panichcheewa, president of Don Muang Tollway, said reinstating the old toll charge would increase his company's daily income by up to 800,000 baht, which would enable it to gradually repay its principal.

At present, the company can only pay interest on the debt, amounting to 1.64 million baht a day.

Meanwhile, Chao Phraya Express boat operators and other public transport service providers will begin talks with the Transport Ministry on new fare structures in the face of rising diesel prices.

A ministry official said operators of boats running between Bangkok to Nonthaburi want a one-baht fare rise.

In Nakhon Ratchasima, passenger bus operators have raised fares by 1-2 baht.

Bus operator Thongsuk Poonman said the diesel price raised fuel costs from 250-300 baht to 500 baht a day so they had to increase fares, which now stand at 7.50 baht.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

EX-AD BOSS TURNED TRENDY RESTAURATEUR

These days, Pornsiri Rojmeta, a shareholder in the fashionable Greyhound Cafe' in Bangkok, is much happier and more relaxed than she used to be.

When Mrs Pornsiri, now 51, was Group CEO of Leo Burnett, part of the communications firm Publicis Groupe, she was very different.

She was kept very busy, winning new clients, driving business growth, generating award-winning advertising creativity within the Thai office, and raising its profile internationally. Thinking about business even kept her awake at night.

However, Mrs Pornsiri faced her toughest challenge during the economic collapse when she juggled steering operations, looking after clients and introducing cost-cutting programmes to keep hold of her skilled staff.

Mrs Pornsiri revealed that she found advertising very stressful. She would spearhead team pitches to help keep a competitive edge.

Winning a 300-million-baht contract with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) was one award for her hard work. Mrs Pornsiri worked through the night, returning home just a few hours before dawn to take a shower before heading to the TAT office to present the pitch.

Mrs Pornsiri ended her 20-year advertising career at Leo Burnett in 2004, as the industry had reached saturation point. ''I am very happy now. I have more time to do the things I like to do, such as playing golf, meeting with friends and foreign travel,'' she said.

Mrs Pornsiri is now a managing director for the Greyhound Cafe' Co, in which she holds a 10% stake. The founder is her close aide, Bhanu Inkawat, the previous chairman of Leo Burnett.

The nine-year-old company operates eight restaurants under three brands, they are: six Greyhound Cafe's, Another Hound by Greyhound Cafe', and To Die For.

Another Hound by Greyhound Cafe' recently opened at Siam Paragon shopping centre at the cost of 10 million baht.

Her experience in handling international clients such as McDonald's at Leo Burnett, and new technology, will go towards building a stronger brand.

''I accept I have no cooking skills, but I do have rich marketing experience to drive the chain. I jumped into this business because it is my passion. I learn from books and existing staff,'' she said.

Mr Bhanu creates unique menus to differentiate the restaurant from the rest of the market, while Mrs Pornsiri oversees day-to-day operations.

She visits other restaurants across the capital to sample menus to help update her restaurant business knowledge, and gain a better idea of outlet standards, scrutinising their software and workforces.

Mrs Pornsiri said that the company offered career paths for all its 300 staff to retain employees in a fiercely competitive environment.

Training courses had also been designed to upgrade customer-service skills, and regular staff meetings provided a chance for employees to share problems and to harmonise operations between the kitchen and front of house.

Quality control is checked at the company by mystery shoppers, who make random visits to every outlet, to maximise customer satisfaction.

Currently, Greyhound Cafe' targets high to middle-income earners, while Another Hound by Greyhound Cafe' targets fashionable foreigners and high-end Thai consumers. Its creative menu incorporates Thai and Italian styles.

Domestically, Mrs Pornsiri said the company wouldn't expand on a mass scale, to maintain the firm's image as a niche market for urban customers.

The company had conducted a feasibility study for establishing new restaurants in Chiang Mai and Hua Hin, which, she claimed, showed that these areas attracted Bangkokians and foreign travellers who didn't want to spend money on trendy establishments when they arrived.

But internationally, the company sees big business potential. It is currently in talks with a Thai food and drinks investor about forming a joint venture to operate Greyhound Cafe' abroad.

Mrs Pornsiri said one of the keys to her business was talking to her nephews and nieces to catch up on social trends and consumer behaviour - it proved a good way to keep up with the changing world in which she conducts business.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

TAKING THE STING OUT OF HIDE : Labrador Factory stands out with its high quality leather, unique designs, and unusual affordability

Anek Kulthaveesup and his friend Supreeya Udonchai had no idea that one day they would be able to turn their passions into a flourishing venture.

But two years ago, Labrador Factory emerged as a manufacturer of leather stationery and furniture. What makes this company different is its unique design and the high quality of its leather.

Mr Anek, a 29-year-old interior designer who has expanded his skills into furniture and stationery, said the company was based on the firm belief that following one's passions in life would eventually lead to job satisfaction and success in business.

The designer said he had come across several pieces of stylish leather stationery in art-supply stores overseas. However, he didn't buy them because the prices were so unreasonably high.

''So now we're making what we once couldn't afford, but at affordable prices. We know what consumers want, since we once were consumers too,'' said Ms Supreeya.

Currently the pair produce more than 30 leather items, including business-card holders, notebooks, CD organisers, document folders, vases and beanbags - prices range from 300 to 1,200 baht.

''The prices are two to three times cheaper than for imported products,'' she said.

The company's products are currently sold in various department stores such as Central, The Loft, Propaganda, and stylish shops in the Siam Center and Siam Paragon.

Initially, the company did not own a factory but produced goods under sub-contract agreements. However, difficulties in quality control and production delays led the founders to open a three-million-baht factory in Nonthaburi.

An engineer graduate from Kasetsart University, Ms Supreeya took control of the factory and production processes, leaving Mr Anek more involved in product design.

After a shaky start, the company has seen sharp growth in revenue of between 200% and 300% over the past two years. It expects similar figures this year.

Its core market is still domestic, representing 95% of total sales, leaving 5% for export, mainly to Singapore, Japan, France and Holland.

The Labrador Factory stakes its claim on its products' unique quality, design focus and services. Delivery is usually punctual and retail customers are guaranteed that if the products are found to be damaged they can be returned and changed within three months.

The company has focused on building its own brand over original equipment manufacturing (OEM). Sometimes it produces premium products tailored to customers' needs.

''The key reason is that we don't want to confuse our end customers over who is actually the owner of the designs, which can easily be mixed-up when an OEM is involved,'' Ms Supreeya explained.

For the export market, however, it relaxes the rules and takes OEM orders, but only from customers who come up with their own designs.

''We're very serious and cautious about brand building and image,'' Ms Supreeya said.

Due to its emphasis on brand building, the company's long-term goal is to build up local customers' awareness of Labrador. Customers are 40-year olds and under at the medium to high end.

The company plans to achieve this with a distribution strategy of only selling its products in stylish shops that fit the product's image, through brand positioning and advertising through magazines.

It also plans to continue making itself known at exhibitions and fairs, such as the Bangkok International Gift Fair (BIG).

In terms of short-term expansion, it plans to continue to increase its variety of product lines every six months.

The founders believe their early success has allowed the small company to manoeuvre flexibly and keep control over its production and quality, as well as maintaining direct contact with the customers.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

How to successfully rent your condo

By Neil Simmons

The other day I had a call from a rather worried owner of a lovely property in a great central location about why her property hadn't been rented out for more than 12 months. These are some of the tips I suggested:

I mentioned that the key ingredients for a tenant are not the same as those for a landlord. The tenant is more inclined to look at the interior of the unit, the size, and of course the asking amount.

For the rent in Bangkok, common annual rental returns for a condominium unit normally fall within 6-7% of the value of the unit. After allowing for common area maintenance fees, agent fees and repair costs, you may be looking at nearer 5% or 6% per annum as a net figure. However, just because you've paid 18 million baht for your 150 square metre condominium unit doesn't automatically mean that you can charge 100,000 baht per month for it. A prospective tenant may feel better staying in a serviced apartment building with all the extras for a similar price. The above percentage figures can be used as a guideline, but some landlords are asking over 1,000 baht per square metre per month. Just because you know of someone who rented out their 40 square metre condo unit for 40,000 baht per month doesn't mean that you will. Most prospective tenants look around before they sign and have a good idea of the going rate.

The location is, of course, also important for rental rates. Ekamai BTS station may be 2.04 km from Phrom Phong BTS station and it may take three minutes and 25 seconds to get from one to the other, but for many tenants Ekamai is out in the sticks. If you know the area, then you may disagree. Given that the location, or even prospective tenants' perception of the location, can greatly influence rental amounts, there is nothing wrong with seeking advice from an estate agent with experience, even if they do tell you to drop the asking rent by 20%.

Probably the most highly erroneous area for landlords in Bangkok is the interior decoration of the unit. Most prospective tenants do not favour old formica fitted wardrobes, fitted dressing tables, fitted beds and fitted TV cabinets. Not that there's anything wrong with fitted furniture, it's just that when the furniture has been ravaged by 10 years of tenants who, as it's not their furniture, don't mind leaving a few scratches, it tends to look pretty ghastly. Smelly old carpets also don't go down that well.

If you own a condominium unit and wondered why you haven't had a tenant for 12 months, maybe this could be the reason. If you needed to spend 360,000 baht on a make-over, and had missed out on 12 months of rent at 30,000 baht per month, then you would have made your money back by now. Not only that, you would have an attractive unit that would do you for a few years more.

A nice renovation would also increase the sales value of your property. You may need to give your property a make-over every three to five years. A good estate agent should be able to advise.

Generally, most tenants want fully-furnished units. You may be kidding yourself by keeping your unit unfurnished, thinking that you might get a tenant who doesn't want furniture, and save yourself some money. If your rent is 60,000 baht per month, that means that every week the unit is empty you loose 15,000 baht of rent. You could buy a nice piece of furniture for that. In any case, a non-furnished unit will not look anywhere near as appealing to a prospective tenant as a furnished unit, even if they have their own furniture. Sometimes it's difficult to use your imagination in an unfurnished unit to determine what furniture should go where.

As for unit preparation, smaller touches make a big difference. A plain mattress does not look as nice as a bed with nice duvet and pillows. Even if you don't offer the unit with the duvet and pillows, they don't cost much and these little touches can make all the difference.

Get some nice warm lighting. A few modern stand-alone lamps look much nicer than a daylight florescent tube. Make sure that the lights and air conditioning are all turned on for when the prospective tenant walks in.

Some landlords even lay the dining table with cutlery and crockery. Why not? I would bet that these landlords are more successful at finding tenants than the smelly-carpet landlord.

Neil Simmons is a director of Soho Properties, www.soho-properties.com. He can be reached at 09-651-3930-1.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 20 April 2006 :-

Leaders of 27 country to join celebration of His Majesty's 60 years on Throne

The Foreign Affairs Ministry announced Thursday that leaders of 27 countries had confirmed that they would participate in the celebration of 60th anniversary of His Majesty the King's accession to the Throne.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinon said leaders of the 27 countries had affirmed they would attend the celebration on June 12 and 13.

The leaders include the Japanese emperor and kings from Malaysia, Nepal, Cambodia, Brunei, Sweden, Monaco, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Luxembourg, Lesotho, Swaziland and Liechtenstein.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 19 April 2006 :-

Songkran road accidents cost Bt1 billion

Fatal road accidents over the 10-day Songkran holiday cost the country more than Bt1 billion, the director general of the Probation Department Wanchai Roujanavong said on Friday.

If the cost of each of the 476 deaths was put at Bt3 million, Thailand suffered an economic loss of more than Bt1 billion, excluding medical expenses and the cost to society for the care of those maimed.

Wanchai said most of the road accidents were caused by drunk driving.

As part of its campaign to reduce drunk driving, the Probation Department is to counsel 4,841 drivers, bailed after being arrested for drinkdriving during the holiday, on the dangers of alcohol and make them help people suffering from mental problems caused by alcoholism.

They will also be required to do the usual social service of caring for accident victims at hospital emergency units, he said.

Chiang Mai topped the list of drinkdriving arrests over Songkran with 694 cases, followed by Bangkok with 428, Nakhon Ratchasima with 350, Songkhla with 233 and Maha Sarakham with 186. Most drunk drivers were aged between 18 and 25.

Wanchai said provinces that refused to get tough on drunk drivers tended to incur more accidents. As an example, Chiang Rai police arrested and put on probation just one drunk driver and it ended up with the most accidents over Songkran, with 223 cases. Conversely, Chiang Mai caught 694 drunk drivers yet had only 199 accidents, a low figure compared to the province's huge number of revellers.

Wanchai said he would contact provincial governors and ask them to set up more checkpoints to arrest drunk drivers and put them on probation. The penalties they suffer, he said, would go a long way to discouraging them from reoffending, not to mention the prospect of far harsher punishment for a repeat offence.