Anything & Everything About Thailand

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 30 April 2006 :-

S&P partners deliver new product

S&P Syndicate Plc is branching out into the pizza business, in partnership with the upmarket Italian restaurant operator Zanotti (Thailand) Ltd, to expand its delivery services.

The two companies each hold 50% of the registered capital of 20 million baht, divided into 200,000 shares, in the new joint venture, which has been called S&PizZanotti (Thailand) Ltd.

The company will start business next month and will offer authentic Italian pizza, mainly through home delivery, said S&P president Pravesvudhi Raiva.

According to Mr Pravesvudhi, S&P had long had plans to enter the Italian food business and would do well now it has the expertise of Zanotti founder Gianmaria Zanotti on side.

In turn, S&P can offer Zanotti a comprehensive network for product distribution, as well as a modern food preparation factory with sufficient capacity to accommodate future growth, he said.

The Pizzanotti brand currently is available from six outlets. With the support of S&P, Mr Zanotti said, availability would rise to around 10 branches within a year and expand to 30 within three to four years.

The investment in each branch has been estimated at around 300,000 baht.

Right now, with six delivery points and more than 30 delivery men, Mr Zanotti said the joint venture had the capacity to make more than 2,000 pizzas a day.

Pizzanotti production and the call centre (02-271-1770) are now operated by Zanotti. In June the call centre will merge with S&P's call centre, according to Kessiri Kukeatnun, the joint venture's project manager from S&P.

According to Ms Kessiri, S&PizZanotti is expected to break even in one year.

S&PizZanotti's revenue during the first 12 months is projected at 25 million baht, growing to 70 million in its second year and 90 million in its third.

Ms Kessiri said that during the eight years that S&P has operated its delivery business, revenue had grown steadily at 10-15% a year, and by 16-18% in the past two years.

Mr Pravesvudhi said S&P was looking for more partners for similar niche ventures such as S&PizZanotti.

S&P shares closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 23.20 baht, up 20 satang, in trade worth 1.04 million baht.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Sunday 30 April 2006 :-

Mala set to strike 13 provinces : Residents warned of possible landslides and flash-flooding

Tropical cyclone Mala hit five provinces in the North and Central regions yesterday, prompting a warning from authorities.

Residents in 13 provinces have been told they could face heavy rainstorms and landslides from today until early tomorrow.

The five afflicted provinces are Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Tak, Lampang and Uthai Thani. The other eight provinces at risk are Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Kanchanaburi, Suphan Buri and Ratchaburi.

The weather bureau said the worst hit area was Mae Hong Son, which has suffered storms since Friday evening.

"Heavy rain will easily cause wild and flash-floods in certain risk areas," said Supharerk Tansrirat-anawong, director general of the Department of Meteorology.

The latest monitoring showed that the cyclone continued to grow in strength but it is expected to peak tonight before winds slow down from about 4am today.

Cyclone Mala formed in the Bay of Bengal and crossed the Burmese coast at 4pm yesterday. The storm, with maximum wind speeds of 120kph, was 500km north of Ran-goon and travelling north at 10kph.

"Residents in the 13 potential afflicted provinces should closely monitor the situation through our announcements," the director general said.

Supharerk said the department had warned governors of the 13 provinces to prepare for Mala. Each governor would contact local authorities to prepare to help any villages hit by the cyclone, he said.

Residents affected by the storm could ring the department hotline 1784 to get help 24 hours a day.

At Mae Hong Son, heavy rain began on Friday evening. The local weatherman said 46.9 millimetres had fallen by 10am yesterday.

Official Khomsan Suwan-ampha of Mae Hong Son Provincial Office said he made urgent calls to seven district heads to prepare for possible landslides and flash-floods. Preparations were also being made to remove villagers to higher areas, if necessary, he said.

Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantiphat said he had prepared evacuation plans for villages in three districts at risk - Mae Chaem, Om Koi and Hord, which would be monitoring round the clock.

Bunkia Kunatharnkul, the senior official at Mae Chaem district, said he had been closely monitoring the amount of rain that has fallen and would announce evacuations if it reached 100 millimetres. Yang Luang village was vulnerable and had experienced two landslides recently, he said.

Kanchanaburi Governor Cherdwit Ritprasart ordered officials to prepare for the cyclone, especially in the high-risk districts of Sangkhlaburi, Srisawasdi, Thong Pha Phum and Saiyoke.

Fishermen have been told to prepare for two-metre waves in the Gulf of Thailand and the two to three metre waves in the Andaman Sea.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 1 May 2006 :-

Thais rush for cheaper fuel in Malaysia

Hundreds of vehicles from southernmost provinces are queueing up at the Sungai Kolok checkpoint everyday as motorists try to stock up on the cheaper Malaysian fuel.

This follows rumours that Malaysia will soon impose a fuel surcharge on Thais filling up at its petrol stations.

Private cars and buses have been forming long queues everyday for over a week now at the border checkpoint in Narathiwat province as more and more vehicles head for petrol stations in Rantu Panyang in the Malaysian state of Kelantan to stock up.

The vehicles mostly come from Narathiwat and nearby provinces.

It has been rumoured the Malaysian authorities may soon impose a fuel surcharge of 200 baht for a car and 40 baht for a motorcycle in order to discourage the influx of motorists from Thailand.

The petrol rush has drawn complaints from Malaysians in Rantu Panyang that they sometimes have to wait for almost an hour to top up their tanks. Sometimes the petrol stations run dry, which really annoys the local people.

Higher oil prices are also hitting fishermen in the deep South. About half of the trawlers in Krabi and Satun remain tied up in port.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 1 May 2006 :-

HOSPITALITY TAKING FLIGHT

A former pilot hangs up his wings to pursue a career he has longed for, and his guests are glad that he did

Somchet Yossundara's life has been different by all accounts. The architecture graduate from Chulalongkorn University went on to become a pilot for Thailand's national carrier and has now operates a guesthouse.

However, he says, he sees the careers as connected. His 30 years in the aviation business, flying to different cities worldwide, opened his eyes to the hospitality business and helped him find out what travellers truly wanted during their trips.

He said his love of travelling abroad as a backpacker was beneficial. During his trips, he liked to talk with other people who loved travelling, like him. Operating a hostel soon became his dream.

In 2001, he and his son established the Suk 11 guesthouse, on Sukhumvit 11 at a cost of 10 million baht, from savings accrued during his life as a pilot.

"In the beginning, when I had yet to decide to open a hostel, I just wanted to develop my family's old commercial building after the contract with the old tenants ended," he recalls.

"Suk in Thai means 'happiness' and the figure 11 signifies the location. Importantly, it's easy to remember," Mr Somchet explains.

Soon after its opening, Suk 11, a Thai-style hostel occupying a shaded site among the tall office buildings in the commercial area, became well known among backpackers by word of mouth.

Nineteen units of the old commercial building were renovated and a corridor links one to 19. The face of the building was kept as it was.

"It's amazing when people pass by the hostel, that they don't know that inside the old building, from the second to the fourth floors, there are 75 rooms available for guests," he says.

The ground floor of the building is a relaxation zone and coffee shop, there is a lobby and space available for rent.

The guesthouse stands out from rivals in the area because of its impressive service and attractive decoration, in a Thai neighbourhood style.

The internet, drinking water and telephone are all self service.

"This is not a luxury place, but a warm one, and there are many friends from around the world to share your experiences," says Mr Somchet.

The small, open-air lobby is a spot for foreign tourists to chat about their trips and make new friends. Around them, a concrete wall covered with hand-written messages left by guests provides more memories.

"Most of the clients come back and find the messages they wrote during their times before," he says.

The guests come from different nations, including China, Japan, Taiwan, the United States and Europe. The occupancy rate is healthy during the peak season with full bookings, while it declines by about half during the low season.

Mr Somchet says business has only been slightly affected by the economic slowdown. Bookings were harder hit in 2003 and 2004, when Sars and bird flu were concerns, and in the immediate aftermath of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

'Today, I work with my children, I call them 'my bosses'. We deliberate and solve problems together, while my wife is in charge of accounts. We love it so much because it's part of our own lives," says Mr Somchet, adding that guesthouses are highly suitable family businesses.

He hopes the business will be taken on by his children. It's not a big business, he says, but one he believes will be able to make them self sufficient.

Mr Somchet says he is happy with the job, as money is not his first priority in life. He expects the business will take anywhere between eight and 11 years to break even.

As an aviator he had to carry passengers to destinations and, similarly as a hostel operator he must make the guests feel like they are staying in their own homes.

"Once, a guest back from travelling lay on the bench in the lobby and said 'Yeah! I m home'. I really take pride in that in my job" he says.

However, he adds, "Being a hostel owner will be my last career because I have lived as much as I've wanted to and really want to rest with my wife when I retire."

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 1 May 2006 :-

Seri Center adapting to changing needs

The operator of Seri Center is looking for partners and adopting a new policy to rotate vendors every month to differentiate its shopping complex on Srinakarin Road.

"If you think of the Seri Center, our tenants are different from those of other shopping centres in Bangkok. Our store is a destination for customers who really want to shop for daily products, not for luxury items," said Vorrapong Sukteera-anantachai, the assistant managing director of Seri Center Management Co.

The changes would help the company maintain its number of customers in all kinds of economic environments, he said.

The company plans to spend about 50 million baht on minor changes to the second and third floors of the shopping centre. It will set aside 2,500 square metres of sales space to add about 10 new tenants related to education, augmenting the 24 educational and tutoring centres that currently provide services.

As well, Aquatina, which sells various kinds of fish, will open its doors in a 1,000-square-metre space next month.

The company also plans to start modifying another 1,000 square metres in preparation for the addition of the D Day IT Market, which will comprise about 70 small IT stores. More new services are also set to be added soon.

Despite competition from big retailers in the area, including Central, Big C and Robinson located in the giant Seacon Square nearby, Seri Center expects to increase its visitors to 28,000 per day during the week and 50,000 on weekends.

"We are gaining more than we lose," said Mr Vorrapong. "Due to the rise in oil prices, consumers have changed their behaviour to shop at stores nearer home. There are enough crowds of customers from new housing estates, factories and office buildings in the Srinakarin location."

He said the company tried to offer products that could not be found at other retail chains and every month new vendors would replace existing ones to offer a change.

Mr Vorrapong said he expected the company's sales would reach 460 million baht by the end of the year, up by about 12% over last year.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Monday 1 May 2006 :-

Spa operator smells more success in China

Nature Touch Aromatherapy Co Ltd, a leading operator of spas and manufacturer of spa products, will soon open two new spas in Shanghai and Guangzhou in partnership with China's third-largest jewellery company, Jing Ling Jewellery Co Ltd, which operates more than 30 jewellery shops.

The spas will cost Bt5 million each and each cover 200 square metres of space with five twin treatment rooms. They will open 24 hours a day and target local and foreign business people.

Wiriya Phungsoonthorn, managing director of Nature Touch Aromatherapy, said the Guangzhou spa would open in the next six months and the Shanghai one three months later. Wiriya visited China last week to discuss spa investment possibilities with Jing Ling.

Nature Touch Aromatherapy opened a 7,000-sqm spa called Wung Shun Ghee Commercial Club in Beijing in December in partnership with Wung Shun Ghee Group, a restaurant chain in the city.

Costing around Bt250 million, it too opens round the clock and employs 80 Chinese therapists and six Thai trainers able to handle more than 300 customers a day. The charge for Thai traditional massage is Bt1,800 per hour and up to Bt9,000 for a two-hour spa course.

The Shanghai and Guangzhou spas are expected to break even in only eight months, the one in Beijing in two years.

"We should like our spas to become a key distribution channel for our spa products in China," said Wiriya, adding that China was a big market where local consumers, particularly the B-plus class, had great spending power.

Nature Touch Aromatherapy has operated spas in Thailand for almost eight years, one on Sukhumvit Soi 20 and one in the Erawan Bangkok complex at the Ratchaprasong intersection. The company makes spa products in Samut Prakan and Nakhon Pathom.

"We are getting an Australian manufacturer to subcontract our product formula and packaging for the Chinese market, which is very choosy about country of origin and would go for Australian spa products over Thai ones any day," said Wiriya, who expected production in Australia to start in a month and the goods to be on Chinese shelves a month after that.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 2 May 2006 :-

New Erawan Shrine in 10 days

People will be able to pay their respects to the new Thao Maha Phrom statue at the Erawan Shrine in 10 days' time, after a deranged man smashed the old one to pieces with a hammer.

Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, at a Brahmin ceremony to coat the statue with gold leaf, said the ceremony came a week earlier than planned because of the hard work from a Culture Ministry team known as the "Top Ten Artists".

Brahmin priests are now plotting the date for an enshrining ceremony.

A procession carrying the new statue - a copy of the original - will pass important locations in Bangkok, such as the Giant Swing and the Emerald Buddha Temple, before the statue is enshrined, Surakiart said.

About 10 days after the new statue's enshrining ceremony, the Top Ten Artists will make a replica, cast from nine blended holy metals (including gold, silver and copper), which will then be housed at the National Museum, Surakiart said.

On March 21, a man with a history of mental illness smashed the much-revered Thao Maha Phrom statue to pieces with a hammer, shocking devotees.

The caretaker government ordered a replacement of the Ratchaprasong landmark to be made quickly.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 2 May 2006 :-

Mountain golf course in Lamphun gets positive feedback

Pravit Reung-po, 48, learned how to design golf courses while working for a company that built links designed by Jack Nicklaus and Nick Faldo in Thailand.

Pravit said that he has worked for 10 years building courses since he graduated an engineering degree from Uthenthawai Technology Institute (now known as Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan).

After building courses designed by golf experts, Pravit decided it might be fun to own his own golf club. So he took his savings and bought 1,000 rai near Khuntan National Park in Lamphun at a price of Bt100,000 per rai over a period of 15 years between 1987 and 2002. Once he'd amassed the land he started designing the course on his own in 2003 and opened the club in November 2004.

Pravit said that he spent his life savings on the course and had to dig deeper by borrowing funds from a Thai bank to develop the Bt700-million Gassan Khuntan Golf & Resort.

"I used my nearly 10 years of experience to design the 18-hole Gassan Khuntan Golf & Resort, which combines both easy and difficult holes, and will challenge almost every golf player," he said.

Before Pravit built Gassan Khuntan Golf & Resort, he opened driving ranges on Rama II Road in Bangkok and another in Chiang Mai, both of them under the name Gassan.

Pravit said the name Gassan - Japanese for "Sunshine in the mountains" - had been suggested to him by a Japanese friend who visited his land in Khuntan. One morning the sun was peaking over the peaks of Khuntan Mountain and his friend made the remark, "Gassan". At that point the name stuck with Pravit.

"We tried to design and develop our golf course to be the best in Southeast Asia and are proud that it was designed by Thai people, proving that we can compete with golf clubs designed by foreign golf experts," he said.

He said Gassan Khuntan Golf and Resort had received positive feedback from visitors.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 3 May 2006 :-

Suvarnabhumi Airport to open in August 2006 'at latest'

The much-delayed Suvarnabhumi Airport will open in August at the latest, caretaker Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Wannasathit said yesterday. ''The government will announce the exact opening date in June,'' he said, after inspecting the project in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district and chairing the airport's development committee.

Doubts were cast on the planned July opening of the airport by transport officials, including caretaker Deputy Transport Minister Chainant Charoensiri, and airline representatives.

Pol Gen Chidchai said construction work was almost complete, as were systems tests.

''Construction has been over 99% completed and the delayed part is the outsourcing, for example, of security, cleaning and ground services. The government will have all construction work finished in May,'' he said.

Readiness reports of the new Bangkok airport will be submitted to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (Icao) on May 11.

Icao should reach its conclusion on airport readiness within two months and then the Aviation Department will issue an airport operation licence.

Although damaged roofing fabrics and terrazzo floors have yet to be repaired, Pol Gen Chidchai said the issues were trivial and what mattered was aviation safety.

Caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal said the opening depended on the readiness of runways, aeronautical radio systems, conveyors and check-in systems, not on whether floors still had cracks.

He admitted there were more than 100 cracks on terrazzo floors, but said the areas could be partitioned off for repairs while the airport operates.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 3 May 2006 :-

Likely winner of baggage system deal at Suvarnabhumi Airport : Bangkok Airways venture leads pack

A joint venture led by Bangkok Airways has been touted as the lowest bidder for the contract to operate and maintain the baggage-handling system at the new Suvarnabhumi international airport. Bangkok Baggage Services (BBS), a partnership between the ground handlers Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) and Bangkok Flight Services (BFS), part of Bangkok Airways, placed a bid with Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) for the two-year contract at 531.7 million baht.

Dan Thai, which operates the baggage-handling system at Don Muang airport, also participated, according to an industry source.

Siemens AG, Germany's industrial technology group, was disqualified during the technical evaluation stage and did not submit a financial bid to the AoT.

Dan Thai's bid was not disclosed, but the company apparently offered a greater scope of work than those specified in the terms of reference.

However, although BBS seems to have emerged as the clear winner, AoT has deferred the announcement of the results from April 25, pending an ''examination of the details'', which has caused BBS some concern.

AoT executives were not available for comment yesterday.

The Bangkok Airways-WFS joint venture is counting on the baggage handling contract to support the ground handling service bid won by the WFS-PG Cargo joint venture.

The partnership has already invested 1.5 billion baht in infrastructure to support its 20-year concession to operate the cargo facilities at Suvarnabhumi.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 3 May 2006 :-

$98m paid for Phuket resort

Dubai - The Dubai-based hotel group Kingdom Hotel Investments yesterday announced its first foray into Asia with the $98.5-million (3.9 billion baht) purchase of the Karon Beach Hotel in Phuket. The hotel company, chaired by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, said it purchased the property, currently managed by Crowne Plaza, from LaSalle Investment Management, a division of the property company Jones Lang LaSalle.

The deal included $30.5 million baht in debt.

KHI will rebrand the hotel as a Movenpick. It comprises 352 rooms, including 186 villa-suites with private plunge pools and 30 two-bedroom apartments to be sold as leasehold and run by the hotel.

The hotel opened in 1984 as the Karon Villa Resort and was acquired by LaSalle in December 2003. It was closed during 2004 and most of 2005 for major renovations and reopened in August last year.

KHI said it would raise additional debt and would seek to sell the 30 two-bedroom apartments attached to the hotel within two years.

''The hotel will benefit from the recovery of tourist arrivals to the region and through Movenpick will capture increasing levels of European demand,'' Prince Alwaleed said in a statement. REUTERS

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 3 May 2006 :-

China bans Thai 'voodoo dolls'

Restrictions on Thai-made goods might be common hurdles for exporters or manufacturers when it comes to product quality, but makers of a handmade doll have been hit by a ban in China that few could have foreseen.

Chinese authorities been banned the dolls - made mainly of ropes, steel wires and threads - because of concerns they possess black-magic powers and have obsessed young Chinese buyers, who use them against people they hate.

Chinese officials acted on complaints from parents that their teenage children had performed black-magic rites on their dolls - including piercing needles into them - in the belief that they could harm people they hate, said Kanya Thuailai, manager of Saen Ha Co Ltd, which produces the dolls.

Kanya said the ban had affected her company quite drastically, as China was the main buyer of the dolls.

Her company produces about 60,000 dolls each month. It also exports them to Taiwan, Japan and the US.

She said the dolls, made in 70 styles, generated around Bt3 million for her company and the more than 250 villagers in Chiang Mai's Doi Saket, Chaiya Prakarn and Mae Rim districts who produce the dolls.

She said the problem began two years ago when retailers in Taiwan started marketing the toys as voodoo dolls that could be used to harm other people.

"But there are no problems elsewhere except for China, after parents petitioned authorities, complaining that their children were obsessed with the black-magic frenzy," she said.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 3 May 2006 :-

Major goes for 500 screens in six years

Major Cineplex Group Plc plans to invest Bt2 billion to open another 240 theatre screens over the next five to six years.

Chairman Vicha Poolvaraluck said the group was committed to opening between 30 and 40 screens at selective locations throughout the Kingdom every year.

The cost per screen would be between Bt10 million and Bt12 million for those located in Bangkok, and Bt5 million to Bt7 million upcountry.

"We would like to have a total of 500 theatre screens in prime locations throughout the Kingdom over the next five to six years, up from 260 screens in 32 locations currently," said Vicha, adding that Major Cineplex has a 70-per-cent market share in the local cinema industry in terms of screens.

Major yesterday officially opened the Paragon Cineplex, the group's latest flagship theatre complex in the heart of Bangkok. On the fifth floor of the Siam Paragon shopping complex, the 20,000-square metre complex has cost Bt1 billion and consists of 16 cinemas with a total of 5,000 seats, 38 bowling lanes, and 13 karaoke rooms.

The luxurious theatre complex is expected to attract more than three million viewers per annum and to reach break-even point in four to five years.

The highlight of the Paragon Cineplex is the Siampavalai, with 1,200 seats and a Grand Hall Lobby created for world-class gala premieres and events.

Other theatre magnets include Nokia Ultra Screens and the Enigma, created to serve members-only customers.

The group will also relocate the Krungsri Imax Theatre from its Major Ratchayothin complex to the Paragon Cineplex with a soft opening by the middle of this month.

Vicha said that the opening of the Paragon Cineplex would contribute tremendous growth to the group this year.

He added that Major Cineplex Group expected its total revenues from cinema, bowling and karaoke to grow by over 30 per cent this year to Bt5 billion.

Overall, the movie industry is expected to enjoy growth of between 15 and 20per cent this year.

He said the company this year would open another flagship cinema complex consisting of 13 theatres and a 26-lane bowling alley at the Esplanade Complex on Ratchadapisek Road. With an investment of Bt400 million, the new complex will be opened in November.

"We will today open our four-screen multiplex theatre and 12-lane bowling alley at the Tesco Lotus complex on Koh Samui. They cost about Bt40 million," said Vicha.

He also said the group would like to make its ticketing process more convenient.

He gave the example of South Korea, where mobile ticketing accounts for 25 per cent of all sales.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 3 May 2006 :-

Petrol may cost 30 baht in 30 days

The chairman of Shell Corp (Thailand) said today that prices at the pumps will likely rise again in the next two days and hit 30 baht within 30 days. The energy minister said he was on the verge of recommending a cut in the oil excise tax to seek some relief for dealers and drivers alike.

Theerapot Vatcharapai, chief of Shell, said the sharp increase in the refined oil prices in Singapore by around US$3-to-$4 per barrel would likely mean another 40 satang rise in pump prices for all fuel - diesel, gasoline and gasohol.

Prices are already recent levels in baht, and nearing the 1973 level of the "oil shokku" in adjusted baht.

Mr Theerapot said the surge in Singapore prices had put a marketing margin of gasoline and diesel in greater deficit.

He projected the local fuel prices would edge up further this week but in a gradual manner to ensure consumers are not adversely affected.

Actually, he said, retail fuel prices would edge up by around 0.25 baht per litre if the global oil prices hiked by $1 per barrel. But the strengthening of the baht for now had help reduced the sharp rise of the local oil prices.

“It is very likely the gasoline price will increase to 30 baht per litre within this month if the global oil prices stay higher.“

Caretaker Energy Minister Viset Choopiban on Wednesday hinted he would propose an oil excise tax cut if fuel prices continued to increase and would seek refineries’ cooperation to reduce refining margins if refined oil prices rose unusually above crude oil prices.

He conceded the oil price increase is beyond control. One of the best ways to ease impacts from the price surge is to boost campaigns for fuel consumption conservation and encourage the use of energy alternative, particularly natural gas for vehicle (NGV) whose price equals 30-35 per cent of fuel prices.

He said the ministry would discuss with other state agencies concerned, particularly the Finance Ministry additional measures to ease impacts.

One of them might be a reduction of a diesel excise tax if the Finance Ministry deemed it appropriate to do that to ease economic costs.

As well, should the refined oil prices surge unusually above the global crude prices, the ministry might need to seek cooperation from refineries to help reduce refining margins.

However, he insisted the government would not intervene in the oil price movement by instructing the refining margin cut. Instead, it would seek a discussion with oil traders and refineries on the matter.

“We won’t intervene by ordering the refining margin cut. Instead, we will seek cooperation from oil traders and refineries for help like that in the United States when hurricanes stormed certain states last year. During that time, refineries agree to cut refining margins to help traders.

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 4 May 2006 :-

Thailand 'among top movie pirates'

Internet and DVD piracy cost major Hollywood movie studios $6.1 billion in lost revenue last year, according to a study by the Motion Picture Association of America, the industry's trade group.

The MPAA said the largest portion of losses, $4.8 billion, stemmed from piracy outside the United States. China, Russia and Mexico accounted for the bulk of the theft, the report claimed.

Thailand was rated the seventh biggest pirate, costing Hollywood $149 million, after the US ($1.3 billion), Mexico ($483 mln), Russia ($266 mln), Spain ($253 mln), China ($244 mln), and Italy ($161 mln).

Of the $6.1 billion, $3.8 billion was lost to bootlegging and illegal copying, while Internet piracy cost the industry $2.3 billion, according to the study.

The Wall Street Journal said some studio executives second thoughts about releasing the information to the public, because it showed that the "public awareness campaigns", police raids and DVD-factory seizures have done about nothing to stop piracy.

Previous estimated losses were $3.5 billion.

For months, MPAA members debated whether and how to release the information. Some studios argued that making the figures public would help the industry win tougher laws and enforcement. Other studios said the figures were so bad that releasing them would hurt their stock prices and make a laughingstock of their enforcement efforts.

The new study also found that the typical copyright thief was a male who was 16 to 24 years old and lived in an urban area. In the U.S., college students caused most of the piracy losses, the survey found.

Despite becoming a laughingstock, MPAA CEO Dan Glickman advocated staying the course.

"We are calling on governments internationally to continue to work with us in limiting the impact of piracy on local economies and the film industry," he said.