Anything & Everything About Thailand

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Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 23 May 2006 :-

'AirAlbum' offers 1,000 free tunes : Nokia handsets to feature the latest I'nesian invention

Indonesian-owned inTouch Wireless Services has developed an electronic application that puts "1,000 songs in one place" - in this case, in new Nokia mobile phones, and it aims to revolutionise the marketing and sale of popular music.

Known as the "AirAlbum", the application's most important features allow mobile-phone owners to preview samples of music and share them with their friends, legitimately and free of charge. The samples of songs are between 10and 15 seconds long.

In an exclusive deal with Nokia, inTouch is launching its AirAlbum "mobile music catalogue" in seven of the biggest markets in the Asia-Pacific region - China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Thailand and Indonesia. The deal involves international and local music labels including EMI, SonyBMG, Universal, Warner, RS, and Platinum.

Nokia has pre-installed the AirAlbum application, loaded with 1,000 songs, in its N71, N80, N91 and Nokia 3250 handsets sold in the seven markets. Users are able to preview the songs for free, select the songs they like, buy the full versions from the handset.

Owners of new Nokia N70, N90, 6630, 6680 and 6681 handsets can acquire the songs from a CD bundled with handset package or distributed by Nokia for free, or by downloading them from the website www.AirAlbum.net.

"There are three things I believe people will like about AirAlbum," said Nokia (Thailand)'s managing director for customers and market operations, Bob McDougall.

"First it is easy, intuitive and fun to use, secondly it allows peer-to-peer transfer of the application and its digital-rights-management-protected files, and lastly it is pre-installed in our easy-to-use Nokia mobile devices."

AirAlbum charges Bt30 for each full Thai song downloaded and Bt40 for international songs, a price competitive with iTune, which charges US$0.99 (Bt38) for each song.

However, iTune services are not yet available in many Asia-Pacific markets, including Thailand, partly because of low acceptance of online credit card payment, said inTouch's managing director Kendro Hendra.

AirAlbum, meanwhile, provides for payment by operator billing, through AIS, DTAC and TrueMove in Thailand.

Hendra said AirAlbum expects to gain a significant share of legitimate digital music downloads in markets where it operates. Nevertheless, he said, it remains to be seen how much the new application will help music companies overcome the problem of pirated music.

"Illegal music has the advantage that consumers can share full songs with their friends for free," Hendra admitted.

As a means to fight pirated music, inTouch is urging music labels to make new albums available first on AirAlbum, because unlike CDs, pirated music operators cannot copy from it for resale.

Unlike other online music stores, which require users to pay first before they can download a song, AirAlbum uses what it calls "separate delivery" technology.

This enables content to be preloaded or pre-installed via several channels, but they are still "locked", preventing playing of a full song until consumers decide to purchase the music and an activation key is sent to them in an SMS message.

"You can pre-load, download the previewed songs from the web, from CDs ... and you can do it offline, without having to pay for the streaming charges. But once you buy, then you pay," Hendra said.

There is no expiry time or limit on how many times users can listen to the music they purchase from AirAlbum. However, the full songs cannot be transferred to other handsets, meaning the music is lost if the user buys a new handset.

RS Promotion Plc's director of new media Vorapoj Nimvijit said one of the best benefits of AirAlbum was allowing people to promote the songs of their favorite artists.

"It's likely we will introduce a [new music] album exclusively for AirAlbum. We're preparing for this," he said.

Vorapoj said consumers have welcomed legitimate digital music downloads and, since the third quarter of last year when RS began offering full song downloads from its own online music store, "there has not been a single month in which the growth has been lower than 50 per cent."
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Tuesday 23 May 2006 :-

The Pizzeria tosses its image, goes Italian

The Narai Hotel on Silom Road yesterday announced a Bt40-million renovation, including a rebranding and new business model for its in-house pizza restaurant, The Pizzeria, bringing to an end the 30-year-old, pioneering pizza name in Bangkok.

The Pizzeria, which was launched in 1968 and spawned the Narai Pizzeria chain, will soon be known as Peperoni the Italian restaurant.

The Pizzeria's overhaul was spurred by the sale of the Narai Pizzeria chain, including the brand name and recipes, to the J Press Group in 2002. The sales contract mandated that the original pizzeria change its name and culinary bent. The J Press Group runs 16 Narai Pizzerias in prime locations around Bangkok and recently introduced home delivery of Italian food.

The Bt12-million renovation, which includes adding an outdoor terrace, will begin next month, when the restaurant will close, then reopen in September in its new incarnation.

Narai Hotel Co Ltd managing director Pichet Nithivasin said he hoped Peperoni would be able to attract bigger spenders willing to part with Bt230 to Bt350 a person. "We'll modernise our three-star hotel to cope with tougher competition, particularly in the Rama I and Sukhumvit areas, where there are more than 10 hotels," said Pichet. "This year's renovation, which will focus on guestrooms, will modernise the Narai Hotel and move it very close to the four-star level."

The renovation of the 12-floor, 469-room hotel will be conducted gradually floor by floor. Pichet said the upgrades were in response to changing demand by guests, of whom about 70 per cent come from Finland, Germany and the Netherlands. More than Bt40 million will be spent this year on renovations.

Pichet said the 38-year-old Narai Hotel would differentiate itself from its nearby sister hotel, The Triple Two, a four-star 75-room hotel that mostly serves business travellers. The Narai Hotel itself will target visitors coming to Thailand for leisure.

"Along with the renovation, we raised the room price for our the Narai Hotel 10 per cent last November. The current room price is now Bt2,200 per night for a standard room and up to Bt7,000 for the Narai Suite," said Pichet. He added that the hotel ran at 88-per-cent occupancy in the first quarter. The average occupancy throughout the year is about 77 per cent, thanks to its prime location in one of the business centres of Bangkok and its strong base of returning visitors.

The Narai Hotel owns a 120-rai plot of land in Pran Buri district of Prachuap Khiri Khan that the company hopes eventually to develop into a resort hotel complex, at a cost of Bt400 million to Bt1 billion. The hotel, however, has no immediate plans to invest in the Pran Buri project, which will yield returns only in the long term.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

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Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 24 May 2006 :-

Floods, mudslides batter Northern Thailand : 23 confirmed dead, scores still missing

Rescue and relief officials are working against the clock to help hundreds of thousands of people in Uttaradit, Phrae, Lampang, Nan and Sukhothai provinces still trapped by rising floodwaters and landslides which have so far claimed at least 23 lives.

Uttaradit had the highest death toll, with 15 confirmed dead and 47 missing. About 100 homes collapsed.

Five were dead in Sukhothai's Si Satchanalai district and three in Phrae, caretaker Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanich said yesterday. Many are feared missing.

An official in the North told AP the death toll could reach 100.

Days of incessant rain triggered severe flash floods and landslides which struck early yesterday morning, damaging roads, railways and power lines. More rain is forecast.

In hardest-hit Uttaradit, power supplies have been cut off in Muang and Laplae districts, which are submerged under up to four metres of water.

Chainarong Choeisuwan, 27, of Laplae district, said he was awoken at about 3am by the sound of a huge rock rolling down a nearby mountain. He fled for his life when he saw a torrent of water rushing towards him.

''I still don't know the fate of my parents or wife who were in the house... I was so shocked I fled without thinking,'' he said.

Rescuers aboard flat-bottomed boats were evacuating people in Muang, Laplae and Tha Pla districts to emergency shelters.

Army helicopters were transporting military medical teams to areas inaccessible by boat and dropping the injured off at Uttaradit Songkro Foundation's convention centre as the provincial hospital was cut off by one-metre deep water.

At Uttaradit Hospital, where the 580 hospital beds were fully occupied, all 65 doctors were busy, while only half the hospital staff came to work by wading along submerged roads.

The hospital continued to function with electricity generated on site, but food and drink for patients and staff was expected to run out today.

The Corrections Department sent three generators to the inundated Uttaradit prison to facilitate the transfer of all 700 inmates to Phitsanulok prison, said deputy director-general Pittaya Sangkanakin.

In neighbouring Phrae province, residents were evacuated to higher ground -as flash floods from mountains and swollen rivers inundated Muang, Den Chai and Wang Chin districts.

Mudslides smashed into tambons Chor Hae and Pa Daeng in Muang district.

Rescuers were travelling on foot for 25km to five villages at the foot of Song Kwae mountain. The fate of the villages was unknown.

The floods washed away houses in the -villages along with the bodies of Jaruayporn Kaewmani, 7, and her aunt Pin Kaewmani, 77.

For Waree Pinchai, 32, of Muang district, the nightmare began at about 2am yesterday when she heard what sounded like thunder that was followed by the sound of rattling pieces of wood. Then water rushed into her house which shook as if it was about to collapse.

''It was only thanks to a large jackfruit tree growing nearby, which blocked the onrushing wood, that the house did not fall down,'' she said.

Collapsed bridges and landslides blocked access to five villages while a helicopter could not be sent on rescue missions due to poor visibility.

Elsewhere, in Sukhothai province, the Third Region Army sent helicopters to transport the injured to hospital.

Meanwhile, the State Railway of Thailand has cancelled all north-bound trips as long stretches of railway tracks have been submerged.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 24 May 2006 :-

City decides to resume 14 megaprojects : All tainted by bidding collusion allegations

The city administration decided yesterday to resume 14 of the 16 public works megaprojects which were suspended earlier this year following allegations of collusion in the bidding process. Deputy Bangkok Governor Bannasopit Mekwichai said City Hall gave the green light to the 14 projects because they would help complete the current road links and help ease city traffic problems, including in areas around Suvarnabhumi airport.

''But the contractors for the 14 projects will have to qualify under new e-auction regulations,'' she said.

The two projects which will remain suspended are the Krungthep Kritha-Rom Klao route and the Phran Nok-Phutthamonthon Sai 4 route. This was due to budget constraints as the government has refused to provide additional funds, saying that the projects needed to be reviewed.

The 16 projects, together worth over 20 billion baht, had been investigated by the Department of Special Investigation and the National Counter Corruption Commission for irregularities.

The 14 projects given the go-ahead yesterday were:

* The 800-million-baht construction and improvement of Phatthanakan road from Sukhumvit 77 to Sukhumvit 103;

* The 300-million-baht extension of Phatthanakan road to Rama IX park;

* The 180-million-baht Sakae-ngam road (Rama II road to Bang Khunthian-Chai Thalay road) project;

* The 16.46-billion-baht Phahon Yothin-Rattanakosinsompote road project;

* The 1.36-billion-baht Suwinthawong elevated road project;

* The Hathairat (Suwinthawong-Sai Mai) road project;

* The 969-million-baht Charan Sanitwong-Phran Nok underpass project;

* The 1.02-billion-baht Charan Sanitwong-Boromratchonnanee underpass project;

* The 1.15-billion-baht Taksin-Ratchadaphisek underpass project,

* The Si Ayutthaya-Rama VI underpass project; the Ramkhamhaeng-eastern ring road overpass project; and the Phatthanakan-Onnuj parallel road project.

* The construction of the Srinakarin-Udomsuk underpass; and Phutthamonthon Sai 1 road project.

Under yesterday's resolution, the three projects heading the list will be implemented first since new rounds of e-++++++++ are being arranged for them next month.

Ms Bannasopit said the reintroduction of the 14 projects would not affect the administration's extension of the three skytrain routes - at least for now - because it would not cost much for a start.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The New Straits Times dated Wednesday 24 May 2006 :-

Raise a hand to enter Thailand

BUKIT KAYU HITAM: Want to know an easy way to enter Thailand without any travel documents?

Just ask any of the locals here, who will be only too happy to tell you about the "angkat tangan" practice.

How it works is simple: just raise a hand and wave at the personnel manning the Bukit Kayu Hitam checkpoint, a gesture generally accepted as indicating an intention to visit the duty-free complex a few hundred metres beyond.

Once there, there is no stopping anyone from going across to the Thai town of Danok, often to be waved on at the Thai checkpoints.

Locals like Ibrahim (not his real name), who travels regularly to Danok, said he preferred the "angkat tangan" method despite having a passport and border pass.

"I go there to have a good time but I don’t want my wife to know. A heavily-stamped border pass will give me away," he said, smiling.

Ibrahim said it was easier to walk the 700m stretch between the Malaysian and Thai checkpoints than drive.

"You are less noticeable if you walk, which makes it easier to slip in and out of both countries," he said.

Ibrahim claimed the locals had been using the "system" for years to enter Thailand for various reasons.

Smugglers, however, have taken advantage of the "angkat tangan" practice to ferry contraband between the two countries.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 26 May 2006 :-

Suvarnabhumi Airport opening now set for September : New deadline greeted with much scepticism

First it was June, then August, then October _ and yesterday the opening date for the much-delayed Suvarnabhumi airport was changed again, for the fourth time this month. This time, caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra waded in and brought the deadline forward a bit to September.

The aviation industry remained largely unconvinced.

One of Mr Thaksin's first tasks after his controversial 45-day political break was to chair the Suvarnabhumi development committee, and he placed speeding up the airport's construction at the top of the agenda.

He also made a short visit to the airport to see the troubles for himself _ and that slowed the work in progress.

''The airport will open and offer commercial services within the month of September,'' Mr Thaksin said firmly after the meeting.

He played down the more than 100 cracks in the passenger terminal and the fact some roofing materials need replacing.

''Don't worry. Experts told me they [the cracks] could be fixed,'' Mr Thaksin said.

The prime minister wanted sub-contractors to finish construction next month. Then there would be a two-month testing period of all facilities. Airport staff would work during that period.

''Planes will be allowed to land and take off... but the airport will open for commercial use in September,'' said caretaker Transport Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisal. September would be an appropriate time as it was the high tourist season, he added. This would ease the pressure on Don Muang airport.

The sub-contracting process had slowed the work, Airports of Thailand Plc managing director Chotesak Artpawiriya said. With so many companies interested it took time to choose the right ones.

Other airport executives also expressed confidence the airport could open in September, but many aviation executives remained sceptical .

They questioned whether the new opening target was achievable, given the number of problems still to be settled and the number of dates that had been repeatedly missed.

''It is critical that Suvarnabhumi airport should begin commercial operations only when it is ready,'' said Albert Tjoeng, a spokesman for the International Air Transport Association. ''This should be only after robust and comprehensive testing of the systems.

''New airports use incredibly complex systems that must be integrated and work efficiently. And it is important that airlines are involved in the process.

''Ample notice of the opening date should also be given to airlines to give them time to prepare for the shift to Suvarnabhumi airport,'' he said.

Capt Yothin Pamon-Montri, president of PB Air, said last night he did not believe the opening deadline could be met.

''The government has lost all credibility when they speak about the opening date. Could they work out a possible and definite date before announcing it to the public, instead of keeping on changing the date?''

John Evans, Gulf Air general manager for Thailand, said the airline had started preparations to move to the airport after recently receiving clearance for space and guidelines from Airports of Thailand.

''We expect to put ourselves together at the new site over the next three months, on my personal interpretation that the airport will be ready for commercial start-up in September,'' he said.

Suvarnabhumi airport director Somchai Sawasdeepon said main construction work, luggage conveyor and communication systems were completed. Decoration of the duty-free zone and airline offices was still under way, but would be finished in July.

Mr Chotesak said they might have to use buses from the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority to serve airport passengers and get trolleys from Don Muang if ground service facilities were not ready in time.

Aviation Department chief Chaisak Angkasuwan said airlines worldwide had already been given details of runways and parking bays so they would be familiar with the airport.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 26 May 2006 :-

Malaysia seeks bigger role in auto world : Motor show aims to raise profile

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia has stepped up its efforts to compete against Thailand to become a regional hub for the automotive industry, using a major motor show to raise its profile.

The Kuala Lumpur International Motorshow 2006 (KLIMS), which runs from today to June 4, is expected to draw 350,000 visitors and showcases 242 companies with 176 brands from 16 countries.

While it is not on the official international motor show calendar like the Bangkok International Motorshow - which attracts five times more visitors - KLIMS 2006 is the biggest in the region based on exhibition space of 33,000 square metres.

The event, organised by the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), is using the theme ''Accelerating Towards a New Horizon''.

Malaysia needs a jumpstart for its auto industry, which has fallen behind the ''Detroit of Asia'' as Thailand is known.

Thailand has become a global production hub for one-ton pickup trucks, with nearly every major international player represented with manufacturing and assembly plants.

Malaysia, on the other hand, has resisted competition by placing the emphasis on its national-car programmes, Proton and Perodua, which are based on Mitsubishi and Daihatsu technologies respectively.

There was a time when the two brands combined for an 80-90% share of domestic sales, helped by preferential taxes and financing for buyers. However, their share had slipped to 55% as of last year.

Thailand, despite the absence of a national car programme, has a market dominated by three Japanese brands: Toyota, Isuzu and Honda.

Out of total vehicle sales of 223,000 - 138,000 of them pickup trucks - from January to April of this year, Toyota accounted for 38.6% and Isuzu 27.4%. Isuzu dominates the one-ton pickup segment with 40% against Toyota's 33%. Toyota (48%) and Honda (36%) lead the passenger car segment that totalled 60,000 units in the first four months.

Malaysian Transport Minister Chan Kong Choy said his government had introduced measures to support expansion of the local motor industry and related downstream activities such as component manufacturing and niche ventures.

''In line with these initiatives, our government will continue to support the development of Malaysia as a regional hub for the automotive industry,'' he said.

Aishah Ahmad, president of the MAA, said the Kuala Lumpur show differed from its counterpart in Bangkok, taking as its role models high-profile events such as the +++yo and Geneva motor shows.

''KLIMS is an event where the latest models are displayed and exhibitors show off their technologies to the public, with some concept models. In Thailand and Indonesia, the motor shows are used to generate sales and they are quite successful at that too,'' said Mr Ahmad.

According to the MAA, the 2006 event is displaying a total of 14 concept cars and boasts a handful of Asean firsts such as the LDV Maxus, the Mazda CX-7, the Suzuki Swift Sport and a new Proton.

While Malaysia may have regional ambitions, it has a way to go, if figures from the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (Jama) are a guide. Local assembly of Japanese makes totalled 460,000 units last year in Malaysia, versus more than one million in Thailand, which also has a thriving automobile export sector.

Domestic vehicle sales in Thailand last year totalled 703,000, against 551,000 units in Malaysia, which has less than half the population of its northern neighbour.

However, soaring oil prices and the continuing political stalemate have applied the brakes to Thailand's drive to become the outright regional leader of the automotive industry.

Malaysia is not lacking in potential, and the fact that it is on the Formula One calendar with annual races on the Sepang Circuit is good from an image standpoint. It certainly has the resources, capability and market potential to build its automotive industry to new heights but is still behind Thailand in sheer volume, production capability and export-hub status.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 26 May 2006 :-

Chulalongkorn University remains first choice for students

Chulalongkorn University remains the top choice with the cream of this year's crop of freshmen.

The state university is getting most of the students with the highest admission scores, the Higher Education Commission said yesterday.

The popular faculties are engineering, arts, law, economics, architecture, political science and commerce, and accountancy,

Khaimuk Kriengsakphong, who booked a seat in Chulalongkorn's Faculty of Engineering by scoring the highest in engineering - 90.88 out of 100 - said she had turned down an invitation to study medicine at Mahidol University under the direct admission system because engineering was more to her liking.

She had wanted to study chemical engineering since she was at Triamudom Suksa School, where she graduated with a GPA of 3.99.

The key to her success?

"The answer might bore you. It's simply paying attention in class and never leaving unanswered questions in my head," she said.

While many students criticise the testing system for university admission that was used for the first time this year, Khaimuk said she liked it better than the old "entrance examination", which she said was harder.

Nuanphan Tangthavorn, who is also a former pupil from Triamudom Suksa School and holds the highest score among medicine students accepted by the nine state medical schools, said although she did not thoroughly understand the new system and could not tell exactly whether it was right or wrong, she had managed to adjust to it.

"But the new system should have been tested carefully before it was put into use," Nuanphan said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 26 May 2006 :-

Three Skytrain extensions given the go-ahead

The Bangkok Council yesterday unanimously approved a plan to take up all expenses for the construction of three Skytrain extension routes. The approval came at the end of a meeting, which, having begun on Wednesday went on until the small hours of yesterday.

As part of the approval, the Bangkok Council also allowed Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) to spend Bt719.2 million on the construction of the On Nut - Soi Bearing Skytrain route.

An official said that no Bangkok councillors questioned the Skytrain plan but the meeting dragged on only because Bangkok councillors from Thai Rak Thai took turns attacking Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin's work during the meeting.

Apirak - who is a deputy leader of the Democrat Party - was criticised for failing to implement mega-projects transparently, irregularities in a plan to purchase fire engines and fireboats from Austria, as well as failure to regulate street stalls. "It was already past midnight when I began to present my side of the story," Apirak said yesterday.

However, he also said that the Bangkok Council took a long time deliberating a draft regulative on the upcoming Bangkok municipal councillors' election, which is to be held on July 23.

At one point during the meeting yesterday, Bangkok Councillor and Thai Rak Thai member Chaiwoot Jariyavirojkul was asked to leave after he rudely criticised chairperson Chanin Rungsaeng.

Chanin acted as chairperson during the meeting because Bangkok Council's chairman Thana Cheeravinij asked him to. At that time, Thana was already engaged in a war of words with Chaiwoot for more than an hour. Thana's complaint that Chaiwoot failed to dress politely generated the initial dispute.

Chaiwoot wore a headband but not a necktie.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 26 May 2006 :-

Northern Thailand flood death toll hits 115

The official death toll of this week's flash floods and mudslides in northern Thailand reached 62 on Friday, with another 53 listed as missing and presumed dead, the government's disaster relief agency said.

Heavy rains that started Sunday triggered flash floods and mudslides in five northern provinces of Lamphang, Nan, Phrae, Sukhothai and Uttaradit. It is being described as the worst monsoon-wrought disaster in the area in six decades.

As of late Friday, according to the official figures given by the Department of Disaster Prevention, the calamity had killed 62 and left 53 missing and feared dead under piles of mud, logs and debris.

Uttaradit was by far the hardest hit province, accounting for 52 of the dead.

Emergency relief workers and 1,000 personnel from Thailand's army, navy and airforce have been working around the clock to provide aid and search for the missing in the disaster zone on the instructions of Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

The catastrophe has affected some 121,380 people in the five provinces, destroyed 490 houses and washed away 80 roads, authorities said.

Observers blamed the catastrophe on deforestation, global warming and, more prosaically, unusually bad weather.

The unusually heavy rains caused rivers and reservoirs to overflow their banks.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 26 May 2006 :-

Govt twists and shouts with +++yo over trademark move

The government yesterday lodged a complaint with the Japanese Foreign Ministry in a bid to prevent the name of an ancient Thai exercise from being registered as a company trademark by a Japanese businessman.

Maskai Furuya has applied to the Japan Patent Office (JPO) to trademark the Thai phrase and his English translation, "Rusiedutton", for his Thai massage and yoga business.

Rusie Dut Ton ("Hermit Body Twists") refers to a style of posture-based Thai exercise that can be traced back to the reign of King Rama I.

Although Furuya's company website purports to promote the exercise as Thai massage, along with pictures of the postures, there are concerns that anyone else trying to use the term, especially operators of Thai massage businesses, will be prohibited from doing so.

"We can't let that happen, as everybody knows Rusie Dut Ton belongs to Thais. It can be traced back to the era of King Rama I," said Public Health Minister Pinij Charusombat.

Pinij said that if the trademark has actually been registered, the Thai government must talk to Japan.

Traditional and Alternative Medicine Development Department director-general Wichai Chokewiwat said the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP) sent a letter opposing the trademark registration to the JPO yesterday.

He said that while the Thai government only had until Monday to voice its opposition, they still had up to five years to petition the JPO to cancel the registration, if it had already approved it.

However, the latter case would require a complicated and expensive legal process, he said.

He also said that it was unclear whether Furuya had asked for registration of the name as a trademark or copyright. But the documents seemed to indicate that trademark registration was more likely, he said.

The DIP will be the main agency handling the case, with the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Development Department supplying information and representatives for discussions, he said.

He said Thailand should win the case as there was plenty of evidence that the exercise had been practised in Thailand since King Rama I renovated Wat Phra Chetuphon Vimolmangkalararm Rajvoramahaviharn, or Wat Po, where 80 sculptures can be seen showing many of the 127 postures used in the exercise.

He said that Furuya's move to trademark such a part of Thai culture showed how valuable and popular Thai intellectual property was abroad.

National Research Council of Thailand secretary-general Anond Bunyaratvej said the council registered its opposition to the registration application through the Thai Embassy in +++yo.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Kitti Wasinonth said the ministry was informed by a Tourism Authority of Thailand office on April 28 that it had found JPO announcements of the rights of Furuya's company to use the trademark in teaching Thai massage and yoga in newspapers and magazines since April 18.

The Thai Embassy in +++yo complained to the Japanese foreign ministry and talked to the JPO, he said, adding that other Japanese companies doing the same business had also opposed the trademark registration.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 28 May 2006 :-

Flood disaster tipped for Bangkok City in next 2 months : Even bigger one picked for end of year

Bangkok could be hit by a flood disaster in the next two months, when the annual monsoon joins forces with the La Nina weather phenomenon triggering torrential rain, chairman of the National Committee on Natural Disaster Warning Smith Dharmasaroja has warned.

However, ''the worst flood'' is predicted to strike the city in November and December.

''It is likely that Bangkok will face one of the worst floods in its history at the end of the year due to a combination of the annual sea water intrusion, arrival of northern runoff and La Nina-triggered downpours,'' said Mr Smith.

La Nina is characterised by unusually cold ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. It brings humidity from the sea to the land, leading to a sharp rise in rainfall.

La Nina has occurred for four months so far and would last for another eight months, said Mr Smith, also a former director-general of the Meteorological Department.

He urged agencies to step up flood prevention measures, including improving the water drainage system in the Mae Klong and Bang Pakong _ the two major rivers in the west and the east of Bangkok.

Mr Smith yesterday chaired a meeting at the National Disaster Warning Centre (NDWC) on the flood and landslide warning system, in the wake of the northern floods, where 72 are reported dead and 42 still missing.

The NDWC will seek cabinet approval on Tuesday for a 288-million-baht budget to install 144 disaster warning towers, including 42 towers in the northern provinces.

The warning towers, which cost two million baht each, were the ''missing link'' in the country's disaster warning system, said Mr Smith. ''We can obtain the information we need from our satellites and radar stations, but we don't have warning towers to send out warnings to villagers,'' he said.

The 25-metre-high warning towers would relay warnings after receiving a signal from the NDWC headquarters in Nonthaburi.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Sunday 28 May 2006 :-

Big C mounts small-shop challenge :Slower growth forces retailers to diversify

The hypermarket operator Big C is expanding into convenience stores, challenging the dominance of the 7-Eleven chain operated by the Charoen Pokphand Group. According to a source at Big C Supercenter Plc, the company believes convenience stores are one of two retail formats with potential to expand because local purchasing power is still high. During times of economic uncertainty, consumers tended to shop closer to their homes because of the impact of high oil prices.

Big C, whose major shareholder is the French retail chain Casino, opened its first Mini Big C outlet - the company's fourth retail format - as a prototype store on Sukhumvit 103 in mid-May.

It plans to announce a proposal shortly to open dozens more outlets in Bangkok and its suburbs by the end of this year.

A Mini Big C outlet has sales space of 200 square metres and carries about 2,000 product items including beverages, snacks, cosmetics and vegetables, with parking space for about 10 cars.

The source said that adding a smaller retail format would help Big C diversify and reduce reliance on large superstores, for which good sites are becoming harder to find. As well, new government zoning regulations aim to curb hypermarket openings in central business districts.

Big C's rivals, particularly Tesco Lotus, have also been expanding into new, smaller formats. They include Tesco Lotus Express, Talad Lotus and Value Store, which aim to get closer to communities.

Currently, Big C is the country's second largest discount store chain with 50 outlets nationwide. Of the total, 45 are conventional and Big C Compact stores and the remaining five are Leader Price stores selling Big C house-brand products.

Big C shares closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 38.50 baht, down 25 satang, in trade worth 10.2 million baht. According to Chatrchai Tuongratanaphan, a consultant to the Thailand Retail Association, declining consumer purchasing power was becoming a real threat to the 1.1-trillion-baht worth of Thailand retail business.

Many experts anticipate sluggish or flat growth this year, said participants at a seminar on wholesale and retail trends held yesterday by the Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Speakers including Siam Paragon Development's Supaluck Umpujh and Siam Makro's Suchada Ithijarukul said retailers would need to adopt various strategies to keep their businesses growing.

They include differentiating stores from rivals, reducing operating costs, delaying big new investments, focusing on their core strengths, turning rivals into partners, and joining forces where possible in purchasing in order to lower costs.

''Whether the economy is good or bad, the significant factor making a retailer stand out in the market is to have the lowest operating cost,'' said Mrs Suchada.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Sunday 28 May 2006 :-

Ancient sport of Sumo takes novel twist in Thailand

Sumo, the 1,500-year-old Japanese sport, has seen its popularity steadily rise in Thailand over the past decade, with Bangkok teens among its most enthusiastic fans.

A decade ago, there were only about 10 Thai Sumo wrestlers, according to Sumio Kurasawa, president of the Sumo Association of Thailand (SAT).

"Today, the number of sumo wrestlers has grown to over a hundred as more young people become interested in the 'game of giants'," he said.

While this traditional Japanese sport might be far less fashionable than the wildly popular forms of Japanese pop culture introduced here, Sumo wrestlers from Thailand have made their presence felt at several recent Asian and global competitions.

"Only a few people know that some Thai Sumo wrestlers have won top Asian awards as well as a silver medal in the recent global competition," Kurasawa said.

"We're still a small association and have not done much publicity in the past years," he explained. "Yet, we've seen more and more Thai teens interested in this sport, and we expect wider interest." Every Sunday afternoon, some 40 enthusiasts, including children and young adults, gather to practice sumo with professional coaches at the SAT office in Bangkok's Soi Pridi Bhanomyong 20 off Sukhumvit Road.

Nicha Wittisirichai, a 14-year-old girl from Suwan Sutharam Wittaya School, has been attending the Sunday class for three years.

Her "love" of the sport began accidentally.

"I was introduced to this Japanese sport at one of the Thai-Japanese cultural exhibitions," the resident of Nonthaburi province said.

"My friend was interested in doing sumo, so I went along with her, and then I fell in love with it myself."

"I also play other sports, but sumo is No 1 since it's fun and you need both brains and physical strength," Nicha said.

Former boxer Thaweesak Anoree got hooked on sumo the first time he saw a match.

"A friend invited me to see a sumo-wrestling match. It looked fun and quite easy to win," the 25-year-old resident of Bangkok's Phra Khanong district said.

Sumo, however, is not as simple as it seems at first glance, he said.

"I tried, and I was defeated. Afterwards I practised very hard for months and became a success," Thaweesak recalled.

"Coaches selected me for the national team. I've been wrestling for it for three years," he says.

Wanwisa Boonnak and Chalong Phatsutham, both of whom are nine years old, said Sumo appealed their sense of fun.

"We live near the association, so one day our parents stopped by to see what then looked like a 'strange' game, and we were invited to join by the older wrestlers. Now we come every week," they said.

Jakraphong Chaorungmethee, who won a gold medal in the middleweight division at the 2002 Asian Sumo Championship, told The Nation he had started judo in grade six but switched to sumo five years ago.

"I like sumo because a win or a loss is obvious and transparent," he explained. "The outcome is less dependent on a referee's judgement."

Ryu Murayama, the Japanese coach of the Thai national team, says the charm of sumo is that it requires wrestlers to integrate three things: physical strength, soul and brain.

Essentially, sumo epitomises Eastern philosophy, he says.

"First you've got the brevity of the fight. Then you use your brain to imagine how to defeat your competitor as fast as possible. You need skills, technique and strength to do it," Murayama said.

Jakraphong notes that sumo's attraction is that it leaves no time for vacillation.

"There is no time for hesitation, because you need to decide quickly how to win: there's no time for second thoughts. That's the challenge of it," he explained.

Prior to 1991 there was no official sumo group in Thailand, although a few Thai sumo wrestlers competed at international tournaments. Most of them were judo practitioners who had picked up sumo skills.

Kurasawa said the SAT had been founded after one of his Japanese friends saw Thai wrestlers defeated in Japan.

"I was asked to coach these Thais as a former professional sumo wrestler living in Thailand," he said.

Kurasawa also operates +++yodo Books. The 16-shop chain sells Japanese books here.

Kurasawa trained members of the Thai national team from 1996 to1998, after which Murayama, a karate expert, took over. Murayama works for Kokuyo International (Thailand) Co.

The SAT has been holding an annual national competition for years to select the best sumo wrestlers for the Asian competition and the global youth competition.

Former champion Jakraphong said the government should provide the SAT with financial support and include sumo as an alternative sport, like judo, on school curriculums.

"That would teach Thai teens about sumo," he noted. "Many would like to try it if they had the chance."

Coach Murayama, however, said sumo faced a few hurdles. First of all there is major misunderstanding that sumo is merely a sport for the obese.

Second, it is believed to be only for boys and young men

Sumo is, in fact, for everyone, Murayama insisted.

"People of any age, both males and females, can do sumo, even little kids or seniors," he said.

The SAT is eager to challenge the stereotypes about sumo.

"We're happy to demonstrate sumo at any school interested in it," Murayama said.

"We hope to see it as an alternative [on school curriculums]."

SAT president Kurasawa said the growing popularity of sumo outside Japan should promote it as a sport for the Olympic Games, especially when the games go to +++yo in 2016.

In July next year Chiang Mai will host two sumo events.

The 9th Asian Sumo Competition and the 4th Shinsumo (female Sumo) Competition will be held in the northern province, Murayama said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 29 2006 :-

Singapore developer on the move : CDL says hotelis just the beginning

Singapore's City Development Limited, one of the city state's largest property developers and hotel owners, is looking to expand its presence in Thailand both organically and through investment.

"We have never said that we want to shy away from any kind of growth, if and when there is the right opportunity, we will look at it," said Kwek Leng Beng, the executive chairman of CDL.

Mr Kwek, who is ranked among Singapore's three richest men with nearly US$4.5 billion in assets as estimated by Forbes magazine, said he saw Thailand as a good long-term investment destination, despite the small problem that the country was witnessing from anti-Singapore sentiment.

"We don't think this is a permanent issue. We are not here to look at Thailand in the short term, we look at least to the medium to long term and on this scale, Thailand is the place to invest," he said.

"There maybe some hiccups, but that doesn't deter us from our long-term goal," Mr Kwek added.

As part of the overall expansion in Thailand, CDL, a member of the Hong Leong Group, has invested billions of baht in properties in the country. With its local and foreign partners, on Friday it officially launched the Millennium Hilton Hotel in Bangkok and plans to open other properties such as the Millennium Sukhumvit and Millennium Residence in Sukhumvit Soi 18. It has also acquired the Exchange Tower, once an abandoned highrise at the Sukhumvit-Asok intersection.

CDL will additionally take on a major hotel and retail complex in Patong, Phuket. The Phuket Jungceylon project involves about 90,000 square metres of retail space, more than 900 car-parking spaces, as well as a hotel with more than 400 rooms.

Mr Kwek said the company had made more than $200 million in equity investments in various projects in Thailand.

The group declined to give many details about the Millennium Hilton, citing the competitive market environment, but said the long-abandoned building on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River took "slightly more" than the 1.4 billion baht the group had budgeted for renovation.

Purchased from an asset-management company after having being abandoned by its former owners, the 543-room, 32-storey hotel was redesigned as a five-star complex, marking CDL's first entry into the hotel segment in Thailand.

"We're the new kid on the block and our intention is to stay in the hotel/real estate segment, although we have various other operations across the world ranging from steel to refrigerators, we intend to focus on real estate as it is our core competence," Mr Kwek said.

As part of its growing operations, the group has already purchased 15 rai of freehold land on Sukhumvit Soi 18 and plans to build four condominiums offering 604 high-end units by the end of 2008.

M.R. Chatumongol Sonakul, a former Bank of Thailand governor and an adviser to the group, said pricing for nearly 100,000 sq m of space in the four condominium units would range from 90,000 to 105,000 baht per sq m. The site would be accessible from Sukhumvit sois 16, 18 and 20.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork