10 Bangkok cooking schools that will turn you into a master chef. Or at least a decent one | CNNGo.com
It wasn’t that long ago that Bangkok’s cooking-school scene was defined by just a handful of pricey hotel-bound sessions, all of which dealt strictly with Thai food. Today there’s a huge range of prices, locations and cuisines to choose from.
Keep in mind when choosing a school that a typical half-day course should at least include an introduction to fundamental ingredients and techniques and a hands-on chance to prepare and cook at least four dishes.
Most schools offer a revolving cast of dishes, making it possible to study for a week without repeating a lesson and Thai courses often include a visit to a wet market. Nearly all lessons include a set of printed recipes and end with a communal lunch where you get to sample your handiwork.
At the more expensive schools, students are also usually given an apron, a gift box filled with Thai cooking ingredients and a certificate that’s sure to impress your friends, even if it doesn't land you a job at El Bulli.
Ready to learn? Here are 10 great cooking courses in Bangkok that offer a wide range of cuisines and styles.
Bangkok cooking school Amita's canal-side location adds to the learning experience.
Amita Thai Cooking Class
Amita’s lessons are held in an antique canal-side home in Thonburi, making it the homiest of Bangkok’s Thai cookery schools. Classes include an explanatory visit to the resident herb garden and instruction in four dishes, with the fee including transportation.
162/17 Soi Wutthakat 14, Wutthakat Road, Thonburi. Tel: +66 (0)2 466 8966. www.amitathaicooking.com. Lessons: 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday-Tuesday. Price: 2,800 baht/lesson.
Baipai Thai Cooking School
With an army of staff and set in an attractive suburban villa, Baipai offers two daily lessons that each teach you how to make four dishes. See the website find out which ones are on offer on which days.
150/12 Soi Naksuwan, Nonsee Road. Tel: +66 (0)2 294 9029. www.baipai.com. Lessons: 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. & 1:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. Price: 1,800 baht/lesson.
At Beccofino, students have a rare chance to learn how to cook Italian from professional chefs.
Beccofino
This upscale Italian restaurant now offers conference-style classes in Italian cooking. Instruction in three recipes is followed by an executive chef lunch and a wine tasting.
146 Soi 4, Soi Thong Lor. Tel: +66 (0)2 392 1881. www.beccofino.co.th. Lessons 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday & Saturday. Price: 1,500 baht/lesson.
Bo.lan
One of Bangkok’s best upscale Thai restaurants is offering private tuition in Thai cooking, taught by the restaurant’s chefs/owners. Held on Saturdays, courses vary in skill level, with the Fundamental Plus course featuring a visit to a market and the Turn Pro course tacking on an additional Sunday session.
42 Soi Rongnarong Phichai Songkhram, Soi 26, Sukhumvit Road. Tel: +66 (0)2 260 2962. www.bolan.co.th. Lessons: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday. Price: 3,900-8,200 baht per course.
At Khao Cooking School, lessons are taught by Kobkaew Najphinit, who has been teaching for over 30 years and authored several Thai cookbooks.
Blue Elephant Cooking School
The longstanding Blue Elephant is Bangkok’s best-equipped cooking school. Two courses are offered daily, with the morning session featuring a visit to a local market and the afternoon session including a detailed introduction to Thai ingredients.
233 Sathon Tai Road. Tel: +66 (0)2 673 9353. www.blueelephant.com. Lessons: 8:45 a.m.-1 p.m. & 1:15 p.m.-4.30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Price: 2,800 baht/lesson.
Face
This attractive restaurant compound recently opened a cooking school with instruction in Thai, Indian and Japanese cooking. Lessons are taught by natives of those countries, and there’s also the option of the chefs teaching private lessons at your home.
Face, 29 Soi 38, Sukhumvit Road. Tel: +66 (0)2 713 6048. www.facebars.com. Lessons: 9 a.m.-noon, Wednesday-Friday. Price: 2,500 baht/lesson.
Students of Mrs. Bablir learn how to make Indian classics like chicken tikka masala and vegetable samosas.
Khao Cooking School
Khao San Road is the least likely place one would expect an authentic Thai cooking school experience, but Khao was started up by an experienced authority on Thai food and features instruction on a wide variety of authentic dishes. Come for regular daily lessons or arrange for private tuition.
D&D Inn, 68-70 Khao San Road. Tel: +66 (0)89 111 0947. www.khaocookingschool.com. Lessons: 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. & 2:30-6:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Price: 1,500 baht/lesson.
Mrs Balbir’s
Television personality-slash-restaurant owner Mrs Balbir offers courses in Indian cooking from her Nana-area restaurant. Lessons span three Saturday sessions and a total of 12 Indian dishes, ranging from savory to sweet. There’s even a cooking course for maids, taught in English or Thai.
155/1-2 Soi 11/1, Sukhumvit Road. Tel: +66 (0)81 835 6553. www.mrsbalbir.com. Lessons: 2 p.m.-6 p.m. every Saturday. Price: 6,000 baht/course.
Students at Silom Thai Cooking school learn about the different styles of rice, including how to make the popular sticky version.
Oriental Hotel Thai Cooking School
Bangkok’s poshest and most expensive cooking school is located across the river from the Oriental Hotel in an antique wooden home. Lessons here feature a daily revolving menu of four dishes, with much of the ingredient preparation done in advance and the cooking done in groups.
Oriental Hotel, 48 Oriental Avenue (Soi 38, Charoen Krung Road). Tel: +66 (0)2 659 9000. www.mandarinoriental.com. Lessons: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. & 2 p.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Price: 4,000 baht/lesson.
Silom Thai Cooking School
This casual, home-based cooking school crams a visit to a local market and instruction of six dishes into nearly four hours, making it the obvious choice for those on a budget. Transport is available.
Read more: 10 Bangkok cooking schools that will turn you into a master chef. Or at least a decent one | CNNGo.com http://www.cnngo.com/bangkok/eat/10-bangkok-cooking-schools-654075#ixzz10ebZXVYB
Sunday, September 26, 2010
NTT opens new office in Ayutthaya, Thailand | TradingMarkets.com
NTT opens new office in Ayutthaya, Thailand | TradingMarkets.com
NTT Communications Corporation (NYSE: NTT | PowerRating), a provider of network, management and IT service solutions, announced today that its subsidiary NTT Communications (Thailand) Co Ltd will be opening a new branch office in Ayutthaya, Thailand at the end of the months.
The company said that the new branch office, due to open on 30 September, will be the companyaEUR(TM)s third branch office in Thailand and will provide multinational companies with ICT solutions including services such as network, data centre and security, systems integration and Internet access services.
Ayutthaya is located 70 km north of the countryaEUR(TM)s capital, Bangkok. It has a large-scale industrial estate which has been developed over the last two decades and some 500 Japanese and other multinational companies are currently located in the region.
The new branch means that NTT common now has a network of subsidiaries and offices in 73 cities in 29 countries or regions around the world.
NTT Communications Corporation (NYSE: NTT | PowerRating), a provider of network, management and IT service solutions, announced today that its subsidiary NTT Communications (Thailand) Co Ltd will be opening a new branch office in Ayutthaya, Thailand at the end of the months.
The company said that the new branch office, due to open on 30 September, will be the companyaEUR(TM)s third branch office in Thailand and will provide multinational companies with ICT solutions including services such as network, data centre and security, systems integration and Internet access services.
Ayutthaya is located 70 km north of the countryaEUR(TM)s capital, Bangkok. It has a large-scale industrial estate which has been developed over the last two decades and some 500 Japanese and other multinational companies are currently located in the region.
The new branch means that NTT common now has a network of subsidiaries and offices in 73 cities in 29 countries or regions around the world.
Bangkok Post : Sanan to push for Kaeng Sua Ten dam
Bangkok Post : Sanan to push for Kaeng Sua Ten dam
Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart on Friday insisted he will again push for cabinet approval for the construction of the long-delayed Kaeng Sua Ten dam in Phrae province.
Maj-Gen Sanan said this in the House meeting in replying to a question by Samphan Tangbenjapol, a Democrat Party MP for Sukhothai, about the management of water resources in the Yom River basin which encompasses Phrae, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Nakhon Sawan provinces which have suffered from severe drought and flooding.
The question was directed to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who assigned Maj-Gen Sanan to reply on his behalf.
Maj-Gen Sanan said that according to Mahidol University's research on development of water resources in that area the problems of drought and flooding can be solved with either Kaeng Sua Ten or Yom River dam.
By comparison, Kaeng Sua Ten is more viable in terms of engineering and costs, he said.
Maj-Gen Sanan said he would push for the Kaeng Sua Ten dam project, which has been delayed for nearly 20 years, and hopes for cabinet approval within the term of this government.
Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kachornprasart on Friday insisted he will again push for cabinet approval for the construction of the long-delayed Kaeng Sua Ten dam in Phrae province.
Maj-Gen Sanan said this in the House meeting in replying to a question by Samphan Tangbenjapol, a Democrat Party MP for Sukhothai, about the management of water resources in the Yom River basin which encompasses Phrae, Sukhothai, Phitsanulok, Phichit and Nakhon Sawan provinces which have suffered from severe drought and flooding.
The question was directed to Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, who assigned Maj-Gen Sanan to reply on his behalf.
Maj-Gen Sanan said that according to Mahidol University's research on development of water resources in that area the problems of drought and flooding can be solved with either Kaeng Sua Ten or Yom River dam.
By comparison, Kaeng Sua Ten is more viable in terms of engineering and costs, he said.
Maj-Gen Sanan said he would push for the Kaeng Sua Ten dam project, which has been delayed for nearly 20 years, and hopes for cabinet approval within the term of this government.
Volunteer in Thailand with Cross-Cultural Solutions
Volunteer in Thailand with Cross-Cultural Solutions
Thailand, a Buddhist country, experienced exponential growth in the late 20th century in economy, industrialization, and population. Progress continued until 1997 when the Thai currency collapsed as a result of overextension and fluctuating worth. This financial crisis led to increasing unemployment, decreasing social services, and a widening socio-economic divide in Thailand, and even affected many other Asian countries.
Since then, the government has been able to make considerable progress in development, and combat health issues such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, even after the country regained its financial footing, education continues to be a challenge. While literacy in the country is high, school enrollment, especially at the secondary level and beyond, is comparatively low and education has a direct link to future employment options. Since Thailand was never colonized, its education system has a unique structure, and therefore may not help students to compete for employment on the global stage.
Thailand, a Buddhist country, experienced exponential growth in the late 20th century in economy, industrialization, and population. Progress continued until 1997 when the Thai currency collapsed as a result of overextension and fluctuating worth. This financial crisis led to increasing unemployment, decreasing social services, and a widening socio-economic divide in Thailand, and even affected many other Asian countries.
Since then, the government has been able to make considerable progress in development, and combat health issues such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic. However, even after the country regained its financial footing, education continues to be a challenge. While literacy in the country is high, school enrollment, especially at the secondary level and beyond, is comparatively low and education has a direct link to future employment options. Since Thailand was never colonized, its education system has a unique structure, and therefore may not help students to compete for employment on the global stage.
Monuments and statues in Bangkok ? a Glimpse of Thailand?s Rich History « Inside Bangkok
Monuments and statues in Bangkok ? a Glimpse of Thailand?s Rich History « Inside Bangkok
The city of Bangkok, apart from being famous for its numerous entertainment and shopping venues, is also home to a considerable number of important statues and monuments. All of them have a rich history to its existence and is revered by many of the Thai people. Much of the statues and monuments are located along busy areas of the city, and still events like parades and celebrations are held at these sites to commemorate them.
Many of the sculptured statues and monuments initially made in Bangkok were influenced by Buddhist culture. Today however, it is easy to see the Western influence on the architectural styles and designs. One of such is the Democracy Monument designed by the Italian Corrado Feroci in remembrance of the military coup in 1932 where democratic constitution had gained first rule. Situated on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, this monument is truly a majestic sight with four 24 meter tall wings that surround its base.
The Victory Monument is also a breathtaking sight with its tall structure that has an obelisk in its center. It was built in 1945 to commemorate the Thai victory over the French colonists in the Indo-China struggle. Located on Phahonyothin Road are many other sculptures dedicated to those who gave their lives up in this conflict can be found here.
An important monument that stands to recall the lives of those that were taken during the 1973 pre democratic protest is the October 14 Memorial. This monument is eye catching with its granite spire that stretches on towards the sky. Tourists upon visiting the memorial should venture into the museum housed in its structure that takes you back into this historical event.
Amid Bangkok’s many statues are many of King Rama from different eras and time periods. The King Rama I statue lies next to the Puttayodfa Memorial Bridge, and is a sculpture that is larger than life of this king. The King Rama V statue is located near the Royal Plaza and continues to be revered and honored by many Thai people as they flock in to pay respect towards it. The sculpture was built here in 1908 and depicts the king in a field marshal outfit. There is also a grand looking statue of King Rama VI set majestically outside the entrance of the Lumpini Park. Built in 1942, the statue is covered in metal plating and much bigger than a normal life size statue.
Tourists holidaying in Bangkok should visit many of these historical monuments and statues which reveal much about the country’s past. If you are looking for Bangkok accommodation which is well placed for exploring the city, the Compass Hospitality complex is great choice. The complex offers luxury apartments in Bangkok that are comfortable and elegant.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
The city of Bangkok, apart from being famous for its numerous entertainment and shopping venues, is also home to a considerable number of important statues and monuments. All of them have a rich history to its existence and is revered by many of the Thai people. Much of the statues and monuments are located along busy areas of the city, and still events like parades and celebrations are held at these sites to commemorate them.
Many of the sculptured statues and monuments initially made in Bangkok were influenced by Buddhist culture. Today however, it is easy to see the Western influence on the architectural styles and designs. One of such is the Democracy Monument designed by the Italian Corrado Feroci in remembrance of the military coup in 1932 where democratic constitution had gained first rule. Situated on Ratchadamnoen Avenue, this monument is truly a majestic sight with four 24 meter tall wings that surround its base.
The Victory Monument is also a breathtaking sight with its tall structure that has an obelisk in its center. It was built in 1945 to commemorate the Thai victory over the French colonists in the Indo-China struggle. Located on Phahonyothin Road are many other sculptures dedicated to those who gave their lives up in this conflict can be found here.
An important monument that stands to recall the lives of those that were taken during the 1973 pre democratic protest is the October 14 Memorial. This monument is eye catching with its granite spire that stretches on towards the sky. Tourists upon visiting the memorial should venture into the museum housed in its structure that takes you back into this historical event.
Amid Bangkok’s many statues are many of King Rama from different eras and time periods. The King Rama I statue lies next to the Puttayodfa Memorial Bridge, and is a sculpture that is larger than life of this king. The King Rama V statue is located near the Royal Plaza and continues to be revered and honored by many Thai people as they flock in to pay respect towards it. The sculpture was built here in 1908 and depicts the king in a field marshal outfit. There is also a grand looking statue of King Rama VI set majestically outside the entrance of the Lumpini Park. Built in 1942, the statue is covered in metal plating and much bigger than a normal life size statue.
Tourists holidaying in Bangkok should visit many of these historical monuments and statues which reveal much about the country’s past. If you are looking for Bangkok accommodation which is well placed for exploring the city, the Compass Hospitality complex is great choice. The complex offers luxury apartments in Bangkok that are comfortable and elegant.
Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.
Budget Travel in Thailand - Thailand Travel Information
Budget Travel in Thailand - Thailand Travel Information
The main reasons for travel are to experience other cultures and to gain an insight to other ways of life. Clearly the best way to do this is to ‘go native’ and try as best you can to experience a country the way it is experienced by locals. This means eating the local food where locals eat it, travelling in the same way locals travel, and going to the same places locals might go for entertainment. If you ‘go native’ in Thailand, your travel experience will certainly be an inexpensive one.
Street and restaurant food in Thailand is some of the best in the world. It’s cheap, and above all, it is Thai – one of the world’s most favoured cuisines. Travel in Thailand is also inexpensive. However, if you hunger for something a bit different, Thailand’s restaurants offer a wealth of culinary experience offering food from almost every part of the world at affordable prices.
Long hauls from one end of the country to the other by bus or train can often cost only a few dollars. The emergence of a number of ‘low cost’ airlines in Thailand now means that air travel is no longer the privilege of a wealthy minority – a number of special promotions advertised on the Internet now mean that aircraft travel can be as cheap as any other form of travel. Imagine flying to the Northeast of Thailand for only 99 Baht – it’s possible if you keep your eyes open!
Depending on what you do, entertainment in Thailand can also be reasonably inexpensive. Cinema tickets are among the cheapest in the world and local and international artists perform concerts at prices substantially cheaper than you will encounter in the west. Look around and you will find bars clubs and other entertainment venues all available at moderate prices. But probably the most enticing aspect of travel in Thailand for the budget traveller is accommodation. Thailand is well equipped for those on limited budgets. Almost every part of Thailand has guesthouses and low-cost hotels available for only a few dollars a night. Look around and you’ll find cheap, clean and safe budget accommodation is plentiful, whatever your budget
The main reasons for travel are to experience other cultures and to gain an insight to other ways of life. Clearly the best way to do this is to ‘go native’ and try as best you can to experience a country the way it is experienced by locals. This means eating the local food where locals eat it, travelling in the same way locals travel, and going to the same places locals might go for entertainment. If you ‘go native’ in Thailand, your travel experience will certainly be an inexpensive one.
Street and restaurant food in Thailand is some of the best in the world. It’s cheap, and above all, it is Thai – one of the world’s most favoured cuisines. Travel in Thailand is also inexpensive. However, if you hunger for something a bit different, Thailand’s restaurants offer a wealth of culinary experience offering food from almost every part of the world at affordable prices.
Long hauls from one end of the country to the other by bus or train can often cost only a few dollars. The emergence of a number of ‘low cost’ airlines in Thailand now means that air travel is no longer the privilege of a wealthy minority – a number of special promotions advertised on the Internet now mean that aircraft travel can be as cheap as any other form of travel. Imagine flying to the Northeast of Thailand for only 99 Baht – it’s possible if you keep your eyes open!
Depending on what you do, entertainment in Thailand can also be reasonably inexpensive. Cinema tickets are among the cheapest in the world and local and international artists perform concerts at prices substantially cheaper than you will encounter in the west. Look around and you will find bars clubs and other entertainment venues all available at moderate prices. But probably the most enticing aspect of travel in Thailand for the budget traveller is accommodation. Thailand is well equipped for those on limited budgets. Almost every part of Thailand has guesthouses and low-cost hotels available for only a few dollars a night. Look around and you’ll find cheap, clean and safe budget accommodation is plentiful, whatever your budget
Steel Guru : Japanese carmakers prefer Thailand to India as small car hub - 167034 - 2010-09-26
Steel Guru : Japanese carmakers prefer Thailand to India as small car hub - 167034 - 2010-09-26
Japanese automakers are veering around to the idea of using Thailand as a global hub for their compact cars in the Asia-Pacific region and parts of Europe. In contrast, India's domestic market will be top priority though exports could be conceived later.
Importing fully built up cars back to Japan from Thailand is also emerging a strong possibility. The Thai eco car plan is a key growth driver of this strategy where the likes of Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Suzuki and Mitsubishi have planned similar models for India. For instance, the Nissan March is the Micra for India while Honda's compact car will debut in both countries by end-2011.
Where Thailand outscores India as an attractive location is the fact that it is part of the ASEAN Free Trade Area, which eliminates tariff barriers between 10 countries in the region. Japanese carmakers have constantly maintained that similar trade pacts would help Indian ancillary suppliers become part of their global sourcing plans.
What is interesting about the Thai eco program is the opportunity of exporting cars back to Japan. Nissan, which launched the March early this year, is a case in point.
Mr Ammar Master senior marketing analyst of JD Power and Associates said that “In a bold move, the company relocated production of its March from Japan to Thailand. Thai shipments to Japan began in end June and we expect volumes to reach 40,000 units this year and 60,000 units in 2011.”
Honda is expected to follow a similar business plan where its small car will be part of the Thai eco project and exported from there to Europe and Asia (and even back to Japan). For India, the company will focus on catering to the large domestic market.
Toyota has the Etios planned for an India debut and reports have been doing the rounds that it will find its way into Thailand's eco car plan too. Suzuki, likewise, is tipped to launch the Swift in Thailand while Mitsubishi is working on an eco car that could also enter India as part of an alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen.
Has India lost out to Thailand as a hub for compact cars? Not everyone agrees with this view, citing the cases of Ford, General Motors and even Nissan, which exports the Micra to nearly 100 countries in Europe. Sources said that “India offers the best mix of costs and quality even while Thailand has the advantage of free trade pacts and Japanese patronage.”
Japanese automakers are veering around to the idea of using Thailand as a global hub for their compact cars in the Asia-Pacific region and parts of Europe. In contrast, India's domestic market will be top priority though exports could be conceived later.
Importing fully built up cars back to Japan from Thailand is also emerging a strong possibility. The Thai eco car plan is a key growth driver of this strategy where the likes of Nissan, Honda, Toyota, Suzuki and Mitsubishi have planned similar models for India. For instance, the Nissan March is the Micra for India while Honda's compact car will debut in both countries by end-2011.
Where Thailand outscores India as an attractive location is the fact that it is part of the ASEAN Free Trade Area, which eliminates tariff barriers between 10 countries in the region. Japanese carmakers have constantly maintained that similar trade pacts would help Indian ancillary suppliers become part of their global sourcing plans.
What is interesting about the Thai eco program is the opportunity of exporting cars back to Japan. Nissan, which launched the March early this year, is a case in point.
Mr Ammar Master senior marketing analyst of JD Power and Associates said that “In a bold move, the company relocated production of its March from Japan to Thailand. Thai shipments to Japan began in end June and we expect volumes to reach 40,000 units this year and 60,000 units in 2011.”
Honda is expected to follow a similar business plan where its small car will be part of the Thai eco project and exported from there to Europe and Asia (and even back to Japan). For India, the company will focus on catering to the large domestic market.
Toyota has the Etios planned for an India debut and reports have been doing the rounds that it will find its way into Thailand's eco car plan too. Suzuki, likewise, is tipped to launch the Swift in Thailand while Mitsubishi is working on an eco car that could also enter India as part of an alliance with PSA Peugeot Citroen.
Has India lost out to Thailand as a hub for compact cars? Not everyone agrees with this view, citing the cases of Ford, General Motors and even Nissan, which exports the Micra to nearly 100 countries in Europe. Sources said that “India offers the best mix of costs and quality even while Thailand has the advantage of free trade pacts and Japanese patronage.”
A market economy thrives in Bangkok - thestar.com
A market economy thrives in Bangkok - thestar.com
BANGKOK — Shopping at Bangkok’s seemingly endless lists of markets is as much a part of the country’s DNA as spicy tom yum goong soup and the white sand beaches of its southern islands. Residents of Thailand’s capital take to the activity with a tenacity that makes you wonder whether it should be named the country’s official sport. From bulk buys of Hello Kitty nail clippers in Chinatown to near-perfect duplications of famous art on Silom, Bangkok’s markets are everywhere, and offer a variety of goods that will impress even the most jaded shopper.
The granddaddy of this vibrant shopping scene is the 35-acre Chatuchak Weekend Market (On Nut BTS; Chatuchak MRT), which dates to the mid-1900s. Located in Bangkok’s northern Chatuchak district, the open-air expanse of stalls is legendary; indeed, when someone says, “Have you been to the weekend market yet?” there’s no need to ask which one they mean. Chatuchak is only a skeleton of itself during the week, but it comes alive on weekends with bustling masses eager to make that one great find, be it a funny T-shirt or an antique doorknob.
Chatuchak’s energy comes from the roughly 200,000 shoppers that walk through its gates every Saturday and Sunday. Kilometres of compact aisles (called sois in Thai) zig and zag through a dizzying variety of goods as shoppers search for animals, furniture, clothes, art, food, plants and even weapons (bring home a few throwing stars for Mom!). Scattered food stalls whip up $2 bowls of mouth-watering noodles that would cost four times as much in Canada, while wandering vendors offer freshly made coconut ice cream out of a freshly made coconut bowl.
For a shopping experience that’s the exact opposite of Chatuchak, head over to Suan Lum Night Bazaar (corner of Rama IV and Wireless Roads). In fact, do this before you do anything else, because it might not be around for much longer. The comparatively quiet market is slowly closing up one vendor at a time because of a lengthy battle that will eventually see it completely shuttered (this was supposed to happen in 2006), although many vendors still remain. Busy but not packed, it sells everything from boutique furniture to jewelry to Indian incense and is clean and well-lit.
To make a night of it, head a few blocks west to Silom Road where the infamous Pat Pong Night Market spills out of Soi Pat Pong onto Silom for several blocks on either side. Though mostly crammed with tourist tchotchkes and dodgy tuk-tuk drivers, the atmosphere is certainly never boring, and it’s a great place to pick up souvenirs for friends.
To sample a more local market where few tourists ever go, visit the Saphan Phut Night Market (Saphan Phut Road, under the Memorial Bridge), where all manner of new and used clothes, crafts, furnishings, art and general knick-knacks can be found at great prices. Many of the goods here are brought in from the slightly, er, grungier Thai/Cambodian border markets, so you’ll likely run into a few unique finds.
Just around the corner (Chakphet Road) you’ll find yet another market, but one that’s unlike any other in Bangkok. This is Pak Klong Talat, the flower market. You’ll likely be able to smell it before you see it. For three blocks on either side of the road, colours and activity leap out of every space as vendors run to and fro carrying huge sacks of flowers of all sizes and types: chrysanthemums, roses, daisies, orchids, haleconias and dozens more you won’t recognize.
The market is busiest from 11 p.m to 6 a.m, when trucks and boats from farms in surrounding provinces bring huge shipments of flowers into Bangkok for local vendors to buy wholesale. Prices for the public aren’t too bad either — a newspaper-wrapped bundle of 24 roses will set you back about 60 baht ($2), and orchids — much prized and valued in colder climates like Canada — sell for 30 baht ($1) a bunch.
There are many more markets to see, but try these on for size first to get a good idea of what’s available. And remember: bargain hard, but be nice — vendors have to eat too.
BANGKOK — Shopping at Bangkok’s seemingly endless lists of markets is as much a part of the country’s DNA as spicy tom yum goong soup and the white sand beaches of its southern islands. Residents of Thailand’s capital take to the activity with a tenacity that makes you wonder whether it should be named the country’s official sport. From bulk buys of Hello Kitty nail clippers in Chinatown to near-perfect duplications of famous art on Silom, Bangkok’s markets are everywhere, and offer a variety of goods that will impress even the most jaded shopper.
The granddaddy of this vibrant shopping scene is the 35-acre Chatuchak Weekend Market (On Nut BTS; Chatuchak MRT), which dates to the mid-1900s. Located in Bangkok’s northern Chatuchak district, the open-air expanse of stalls is legendary; indeed, when someone says, “Have you been to the weekend market yet?” there’s no need to ask which one they mean. Chatuchak is only a skeleton of itself during the week, but it comes alive on weekends with bustling masses eager to make that one great find, be it a funny T-shirt or an antique doorknob.
Chatuchak’s energy comes from the roughly 200,000 shoppers that walk through its gates every Saturday and Sunday. Kilometres of compact aisles (called sois in Thai) zig and zag through a dizzying variety of goods as shoppers search for animals, furniture, clothes, art, food, plants and even weapons (bring home a few throwing stars for Mom!). Scattered food stalls whip up $2 bowls of mouth-watering noodles that would cost four times as much in Canada, while wandering vendors offer freshly made coconut ice cream out of a freshly made coconut bowl.
For a shopping experience that’s the exact opposite of Chatuchak, head over to Suan Lum Night Bazaar (corner of Rama IV and Wireless Roads). In fact, do this before you do anything else, because it might not be around for much longer. The comparatively quiet market is slowly closing up one vendor at a time because of a lengthy battle that will eventually see it completely shuttered (this was supposed to happen in 2006), although many vendors still remain. Busy but not packed, it sells everything from boutique furniture to jewelry to Indian incense and is clean and well-lit.
To make a night of it, head a few blocks west to Silom Road where the infamous Pat Pong Night Market spills out of Soi Pat Pong onto Silom for several blocks on either side. Though mostly crammed with tourist tchotchkes and dodgy tuk-tuk drivers, the atmosphere is certainly never boring, and it’s a great place to pick up souvenirs for friends.
To sample a more local market where few tourists ever go, visit the Saphan Phut Night Market (Saphan Phut Road, under the Memorial Bridge), where all manner of new and used clothes, crafts, furnishings, art and general knick-knacks can be found at great prices. Many of the goods here are brought in from the slightly, er, grungier Thai/Cambodian border markets, so you’ll likely run into a few unique finds.
Just around the corner (Chakphet Road) you’ll find yet another market, but one that’s unlike any other in Bangkok. This is Pak Klong Talat, the flower market. You’ll likely be able to smell it before you see it. For three blocks on either side of the road, colours and activity leap out of every space as vendors run to and fro carrying huge sacks of flowers of all sizes and types: chrysanthemums, roses, daisies, orchids, haleconias and dozens more you won’t recognize.
The market is busiest from 11 p.m to 6 a.m, when trucks and boats from farms in surrounding provinces bring huge shipments of flowers into Bangkok for local vendors to buy wholesale. Prices for the public aren’t too bad either — a newspaper-wrapped bundle of 24 roses will set you back about 60 baht ($2), and orchids — much prized and valued in colder climates like Canada — sell for 30 baht ($1) a bunch.
There are many more markets to see, but try these on for size first to get a good idea of what’s available. And remember: bargain hard, but be nice — vendors have to eat too.
Art Institute names new curator of Asian and textile arts - Chicago Tribune
On the heels of the opening of the Alsdorf Galleries of Indian, Southeast Asian and Islamic art, and in tandem with the autumn reopening of renovated galleries for textiles and Japanese art, the Art Institute of Chicago has a new curator to head related departments.
Today, the museum made public the appointment of Daniel Walker as its Pritzker Chair and Curator of Asian Art, as well as the Chair and Christa C. Mayer Thurman Curator of Textiles. Walker's dual duties go into effect Oct. 18.
"It's one of the top positions at one of the top institutions," Walker said of his appointment via telephone today, "and it's very difficult to imagine what might be better than that."
Walker joins the Art Institute's curatorial staff following a brief stint as an independent consultant, after heading Washington, D.C.'s Textile Museum from 2005 to 2009, preceded by seven years as head of the Islamic Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1988 to 2005). His curatorial career began at the Cincinnati Art Museum; he left in 1988 as curator of Ancient, Near Eastern and Far Eastern Art.
Today, the museum made public the appointment of Daniel Walker as its Pritzker Chair and Curator of Asian Art, as well as the Chair and Christa C. Mayer Thurman Curator of Textiles. Walker's dual duties go into effect Oct. 18.
"It's one of the top positions at one of the top institutions," Walker said of his appointment via telephone today, "and it's very difficult to imagine what might be better than that."
Walker joins the Art Institute's curatorial staff following a brief stint as an independent consultant, after heading Washington, D.C.'s Textile Museum from 2005 to 2009, preceded by seven years as head of the Islamic Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1988 to 2005). His curatorial career began at the Cincinnati Art Museum; he left in 1988 as curator of Ancient, Near Eastern and Far Eastern Art.
Asian art auctions in NY exceed estimates | Reuters
Asian art auctions this week totaled nearly $50 million, including $3.3 million for an ancient wine vessel that set a new record at Christie's for an item sold to an online buyer.
The vessel dating from the 12th or 11th century BC was the top seller at Christie's where the week-long sales fetched more than $20 million, far exceeding pre-sale estimates.
Sotheby's said their total was more than $27 million.
"This week's sale saw enthusiastic bidding and strong prices across a range of different categories from porcelain and jades, to furniture and paintings," said Dr. Caroline Schulten, Sotheby's head of Chinese works of art.
"Collectors from around the world often raised the bidding to multiples of the high estimate in order to secure the very best works," said added in a statement.
A Christie's spokesman said their online record for the wine vessel adorned with a dragon surpassed the previous record for an item sold in an online sale in 2008 when $1.27 million was paid for a Stradivari violin.
Theow H. Tow, the deputy chairman of Christie's America, said the small vessel still had "residual millet wine solidified in the bottom."
Christie's next highest selling piece, a ritual food vessel from the 10th century BC changed hands for nearly $3 million.
Tow said that bronze pieces are particularly valuable.
"Bronze work is an indispensable section in the development history of ancient China, symbolizing the advanced civilization and embodying the social hierarchy," he explained in an interview. "Bronzes were predominantly made for the wealthier class to begin with, the material being rare and expensive."
The auctions were part of New York Asia Week, which has been held since 1995. The event is also held in March.
In addition to Christie's and Sotheby's, more than a dozen other art galleries held exhibitions and auctions.
According to Tow, the quality of ancient Chinese art makes it unique, even among other notable pieces of ancient art.
"The bronze age in any culture gives one a very good marker for comparison with other early cultures. The fact that China stumbled upon casting bronze around 1900 BC places it behind development in the Euphrates Delta, Luristan and Egypt but in terms of bronze casting skills by 1200 BC it was second to none when judging by form and quality," he said.
Also included in the auctions were antique and contemporary art from Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia.
The vessel dating from the 12th or 11th century BC was the top seller at Christie's where the week-long sales fetched more than $20 million, far exceeding pre-sale estimates.
Sotheby's said their total was more than $27 million.
"This week's sale saw enthusiastic bidding and strong prices across a range of different categories from porcelain and jades, to furniture and paintings," said Dr. Caroline Schulten, Sotheby's head of Chinese works of art.
"Collectors from around the world often raised the bidding to multiples of the high estimate in order to secure the very best works," said added in a statement.
A Christie's spokesman said their online record for the wine vessel adorned with a dragon surpassed the previous record for an item sold in an online sale in 2008 when $1.27 million was paid for a Stradivari violin.
Theow H. Tow, the deputy chairman of Christie's America, said the small vessel still had "residual millet wine solidified in the bottom."
Christie's next highest selling piece, a ritual food vessel from the 10th century BC changed hands for nearly $3 million.
Tow said that bronze pieces are particularly valuable.
"Bronze work is an indispensable section in the development history of ancient China, symbolizing the advanced civilization and embodying the social hierarchy," he explained in an interview. "Bronzes were predominantly made for the wealthier class to begin with, the material being rare and expensive."
The auctions were part of New York Asia Week, which has been held since 1995. The event is also held in March.
In addition to Christie's and Sotheby's, more than a dozen other art galleries held exhibitions and auctions.
According to Tow, the quality of ancient Chinese art makes it unique, even among other notable pieces of ancient art.
"The bronze age in any culture gives one a very good marker for comparison with other early cultures. The fact that China stumbled upon casting bronze around 1900 BC places it behind development in the Euphrates Delta, Luristan and Egypt but in terms of bronze casting skills by 1200 BC it was second to none when judging by form and quality," he said.
Also included in the auctions were antique and contemporary art from Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thailand Stock Echanges Closes Above 950 | Live Stock Trading News | Equities, Forex, Gold, Silver and Oil Trading
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) composite index went up 4.80 points or 0.51% to close at 951.90 points at the end of trading session on Friday afternoon. The trade value was 28.03 billion baht.
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) will build a new 20- billion-baht gas-fired power unit at its existing North Bangkok plant this year to help meet growing demand.
Egat governor Sutat Patmasiriwat said that construction of the 800-megawatt unit could start next year for operation from 2015. The move is aimed at addressing a predicted shortfall in power supplies from the delay of two gas-fired power plants in Chachoengsao province.
The delayed plants were awarded to independent power producers but face strong opposition by local communities.
One of them belongs to Siam Energy with a planned capacity of 1,600 MW, and the other to National Power Supply Co with a capacity of 540 MW, previously scheduled to start up in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Thai Airways International (THAI) hailed its public offering as a success yesterday with subscription demand from existing shareholders and retail investors exceeding supply.
Most existing shareholders subscribed to their entitlements and beyond, while subscriptions from retail investors were more than twice the amount offered.
THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand said the strong interest reflected investors’ confidence in THAI and its improved performance over the past year.
The flag carrier offered 221.83 million shares to existing shareholders, excluding the Finance Ministry, whose names appeared on the share register book on Aug 30 at the entitlement ratio of one old share to 0.2667 new shares.
The baht’s appreciation has hurt many business sectors, but outbound tourism will probably receive a windfall as expenses of Thais travelling abroad decline.
Charoen Wangananont, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), said that if the baht continues to strengthen for another three to six months, outbound tourism will prosper. However, the local political and economic situation would have to remain positive to help lift travellers’ confidence.
The TTAA expects the stronger baht will cause outbound tourism to grow by 17-18% this year. Air ticket sales for flights abroad will total 4.7 million seats, 60% of them for tourists. Forward bookings for next month are significantly higher than last year, with Japan, China and South Korea the favourite destinations.
Top five most active values were as follows;
TRUE closed at 4.46 baht, up 0.36 baht (8.78%)
SCB closed at 99.00 baht, down 0.25 baht (0.25%)
BANPU closed at 702.00 baht, up 6.00 baht (0.86%)
PTT closed at 290.00 baht, down 1.00 baht (0.34%)
KTB closed at 15.80 baht, up 0.10 baht (0.64%)
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) will build a new 20- billion-baht gas-fired power unit at its existing North Bangkok plant this year to help meet growing demand.
Egat governor Sutat Patmasiriwat said that construction of the 800-megawatt unit could start next year for operation from 2015. The move is aimed at addressing a predicted shortfall in power supplies from the delay of two gas-fired power plants in Chachoengsao province.
The delayed plants were awarded to independent power producers but face strong opposition by local communities.
One of them belongs to Siam Energy with a planned capacity of 1,600 MW, and the other to National Power Supply Co with a capacity of 540 MW, previously scheduled to start up in 2014 and 2015, respectively.
Thai Airways International (THAI) hailed its public offering as a success yesterday with subscription demand from existing shareholders and retail investors exceeding supply.
Most existing shareholders subscribed to their entitlements and beyond, while subscriptions from retail investors were more than twice the amount offered.
THAI president Piyasvasti Amranand said the strong interest reflected investors’ confidence in THAI and its improved performance over the past year.
The flag carrier offered 221.83 million shares to existing shareholders, excluding the Finance Ministry, whose names appeared on the share register book on Aug 30 at the entitlement ratio of one old share to 0.2667 new shares.
The baht’s appreciation has hurt many business sectors, but outbound tourism will probably receive a windfall as expenses of Thais travelling abroad decline.
Charoen Wangananont, president of the Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), said that if the baht continues to strengthen for another three to six months, outbound tourism will prosper. However, the local political and economic situation would have to remain positive to help lift travellers’ confidence.
The TTAA expects the stronger baht will cause outbound tourism to grow by 17-18% this year. Air ticket sales for flights abroad will total 4.7 million seats, 60% of them for tourists. Forward bookings for next month are significantly higher than last year, with Japan, China and South Korea the favourite destinations.
Top five most active values were as follows;
TRUE closed at 4.46 baht, up 0.36 baht (8.78%)
SCB closed at 99.00 baht, down 0.25 baht (0.25%)
BANPU closed at 702.00 baht, up 6.00 baht (0.86%)
PTT closed at 290.00 baht, down 1.00 baht (0.34%)
KTB closed at 15.80 baht, up 0.10 baht (0.64%)
Japan, Singapore, India, Thailand: Asia Bonds, Currency Preview - BusinessWeek
Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The following events and economic reports may influence trading in Asia’s local bonds and currencies today. Yields and exchange rates are from the previous trading session unless stated otherwise.
Financial markets in South Korea, China and Taiwan are closed today for public holidays.
Japan: Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku and Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda will hold media briefings after a Cabinet meeting in the morning. Sengoku will have another press briefing at 4 p.m. in Tokyo.
The yield on the 1 percent government bond due September 2020 was at 1.015 percent on Sept. 22, according to Japan Bond Trading Co., the nation’s largest interdealer debt broker.
Japan’s financial markets were closed yesterday for a national holiday.
The yen traded at 84.56 per dollar at 8:40 a.m. in Tokyo.
Taiwan: The government is scheduled to report data on money-supply growth for August today.
The yield on the 1.125 percent bond due September 2020 was 1.20 percent, according to Gretai Securities Market. The Taiwan dollar was at NT$31.60.
Singapore: The Economic Development Board will say today industrial production rose 11.7 percent in August from a year earlier, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists, after an increase of 9.9 percent the month before.
The yield on the 3.25 percent debt due September 2020 was 2.08 percent. The Singapore dollar was at S$1.3268.
India: The government plans to raise as much as 110 billion rupees ($2.4 billion) by selling seven-year, ten-year and 30- year bills.
The yield on the 7.80 percent bond due May 2020 was 7.96 percent. The rupee was at 45.605.
Thailand: Foreign-exchange reserves data for the week ended Sept.17 is due today. The reserves increased by 0.3 percent to $157.6 billion the previous week, according to the central bank.
The yield on the 5.85 percent note maturing March 2021 was 3.09 percent. The baht was at 30.67.
Financial markets in South Korea, China and Taiwan are closed today for public holidays.
Japan: Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku and Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda will hold media briefings after a Cabinet meeting in the morning. Sengoku will have another press briefing at 4 p.m. in Tokyo.
The yield on the 1 percent government bond due September 2020 was at 1.015 percent on Sept. 22, according to Japan Bond Trading Co., the nation’s largest interdealer debt broker.
Japan’s financial markets were closed yesterday for a national holiday.
The yen traded at 84.56 per dollar at 8:40 a.m. in Tokyo.
Taiwan: The government is scheduled to report data on money-supply growth for August today.
The yield on the 1.125 percent bond due September 2020 was 1.20 percent, according to Gretai Securities Market. The Taiwan dollar was at NT$31.60.
Singapore: The Economic Development Board will say today industrial production rose 11.7 percent in August from a year earlier, according to a Bloomberg survey of economists, after an increase of 9.9 percent the month before.
The yield on the 3.25 percent debt due September 2020 was 2.08 percent. The Singapore dollar was at S$1.3268.
India: The government plans to raise as much as 110 billion rupees ($2.4 billion) by selling seven-year, ten-year and 30- year bills.
The yield on the 7.80 percent bond due May 2020 was 7.96 percent. The rupee was at 45.605.
Thailand: Foreign-exchange reserves data for the week ended Sept.17 is due today. The reserves increased by 0.3 percent to $157.6 billion the previous week, according to the central bank.
The yield on the 5.85 percent note maturing March 2021 was 3.09 percent. The baht was at 30.67.
Phuket NEWS: Hilton deal to boost golf tourism to Phuket
PHUKET: The Hilton hotel chain has joined Golfasian, a leading inbound golf tour operator in Thailand to create the Thai marketing cooperative ‘Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience’.
The initiative will make it easier for visitors looking for a premium golf holiday to book a variety of stay-and-play itineraries. It is also hoped that Hilton’s involvement will help to attract international golfers who recognize the brand and see it as a guarantee of quality.
“Hilton doesn’t throw in with just anyone”, says Mark Siegel, CEO of Bangkok-based Golfasian Tour.
“To have Hilton as a partner is another ringing endorsement of what we’re doing with ‘Golf in a Kingdom’, that is to make Thai golf holidays easier to book and formulate, while guaranteeing international standards of quality with every course and hotel on each itinerary”, he added.
Four Hilton properties across the country, namely The Hilton Pattaya, The Millennium Hilton Bangkok, The Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa and the Hilton Hua-Hin Resort and Spa are set to join the consortium.
Phuket is already a popular destination for international golfers, with highly ranked golf courses that provide great value for money.
The tropical climate enables the sport to be played all year round. The cooperation of five star hotel brands like the Hilton will hopefully help to further promote the island as a premium golf holiday destination.
The initiative will make it easier for visitors looking for a premium golf holiday to book a variety of stay-and-play itineraries. It is also hoped that Hilton’s involvement will help to attract international golfers who recognize the brand and see it as a guarantee of quality.
“Hilton doesn’t throw in with just anyone”, says Mark Siegel, CEO of Bangkok-based Golfasian Tour.
“To have Hilton as a partner is another ringing endorsement of what we’re doing with ‘Golf in a Kingdom’, that is to make Thai golf holidays easier to book and formulate, while guaranteeing international standards of quality with every course and hotel on each itinerary”, he added.
Four Hilton properties across the country, namely The Hilton Pattaya, The Millennium Hilton Bangkok, The Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa and the Hilton Hua-Hin Resort and Spa are set to join the consortium.
Phuket is already a popular destination for international golfers, with highly ranked golf courses that provide great value for money.
The tropical climate enables the sport to be played all year round. The cooperation of five star hotel brands like the Hilton will hopefully help to further promote the island as a premium golf holiday destination.
Winning combination (From The Northern Echo)
The North-East has worked its way into the heart of a man poised to save its steelmaking industry as Business Editor Owen McAteer discovered when he met Win Viriyaprapaikit.
AS steelworkers marched to save jobs, they would have been unaware that their campaign had caught the imagination of a potential saviour thousands of miles away.
Win Viriyaprapaikit, president of Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), the Thai company proposing to buy Corus Teesside Cast Products (TCP), who has been in the region this week has already spoken of the passion of the region’s steelworkers being “second to none”.
The 40-year-old, responsible for the Thai steel firm founded by his father and aunt 55 years ago, first encountered that passion last year when 5,000 steelworkers and supporters marched through Redcar to call for the factory to be saved.
Mr Viriyaprapaikit said: “It was July last year, I read the news on the internet back home and I saw the flags and the marches, the Save our Steel campaign, and I thought it was very apparent that the whole town was really behind this.
“I was quietly reading this at home but, with a lot of interest at the time, I never thought we could be part of this.”
He said the marches clearly demonstrated how much pride the people of Teesside took in their steel industry, which was under threat after an international consortium pulled out of a ten-year deal to buy its steel.
Mr Viriyaprapaikit said: “After these marches got our interest, they didn’t really have to explain to me how they feel because the actions speak louder than words and throughout the year I was seeing these marches.”
The same month, a delegation from Corus TCP visited Mr Viriyaprapaikit in Bangkok to strike a deal for steel slabs, of which his company bought 400,000 tonnes, at a time the plant was desperately trying to secure orders.
He said: “We became acquainted with the management, we came to be confident of the quality, the production system and, of course, the people behind it, so we have confidence in the plant and the people running it.
“It makes the job of due dilligence much easier than going in somewhere without such knowledge.”
SSI is a family business and what becomes clear from talking to the married father-of-two is that the quality and attitudes of people he is dealing with is an integral part of any deal, hence his fascination with the steel marches.
He said: “Teesside is passionate about steel and I have become passionate about Teesside, what we can do here will be a lot more because of the goodwill and the support of the community.
“This 150 years of history is actually the history of steelmaking itself. This must be one of the rare places with the full history. We feel really fortunate to be part of this.
An example of the importance in which people’s feelings are held was the appointment last month of David Reid, as interim managing director.
Until September last year, Mr Reid had spent five years as supply chain director at TCP and was one of the steelworkers who marched through Redcar. He is also steel expert but, crucially, he also had a relationship with SSI going back 25 years.
Mr Viriyaprapaikit said: “When the delegation came to see us last July they had a chance to meet my father and my father called him old friend. It didn’t ring a bell at the time, it was only a few weeks ago that I proposed to my father that Dave would be the perfect person to lead this and I asked him what he meant by old friend and he said he had known David for 25 years.
“I think Dave Reid is a person of integrity, that is why all of us feel so much trust in him and I hope this is the right choice not just for us but for Teesside as well.”
Despite rumours of a potential deal with SSI surfacing in May it was only in August that it was finally confirmed with SSI and Corus signing a memorandum of understanding paving the way for a £320m deal and steelmaking restarting at the plant, near Redcar, east Cleveland, by early next year.
It transpired that the two companies had been in discussions for about a year, with Mr Viriyaprapaikit visiting TCP last October.
More than 1,000 employees have left the plant since February’s mothballing, with Mr Viriyaprapaikit confirming at the memorandum of understanding signing that the 700 steelworkers remaining at the factory would be kept on should a deal progress.
Yesterday, Mr Viriyaprapaikit spoke of his desire to create many more jobs at the plant.
He said: “It would be in terms of hundreds more jobs in addition to the 700 people we will offer the opportunity to transfer over.
“I think one of the things we would like to do is have this knowledge of all these skilled people passed on to the next generation.
“That is one thing I would like to do if we get to succeed in acquiring the plant.”
ONE reason he may speak so passionately about the region is that he happily admits that through the course of a number of private visits over the past year he has fallen in love with it. On his last visit he took home 30 pictures of the North-East, taken by professional photographers and many of those are now in the company’s boardroom in Thailand.
He said: “Our board of directors came in and they were delighted because they didn’t realise in addition to buying a steel plant we got all this beauty coming along as well.”
What has struck Mr Viriyaprapaikit on his journey is the genuine warmth and the welcome the people give visitors.
What is sometimes forgotten in the excitement of having found a potential saviour is that the deal to buy TCP is in itself an exciting move for Mr Viriyaprapaikit and SSI, which is known in Thailand’s steel industry for its pioneering spirit.
TCP produces 3.5 million tonnes of steel slab a year and SSI requires four million tonnes.
In addition, both facilities are on deepwater ports, a perfect match in Mr Viriyaprapaikit’s view. He said: “It will be a crucial part of our business, it gives us the platform for where we can grow. It is a very exciting time.”
There is still some work to be done on the final deal but Mr Viriyaprapaikit added: “We hope we can get to the finish line as soon as we can.”
AS steelworkers marched to save jobs, they would have been unaware that their campaign had caught the imagination of a potential saviour thousands of miles away.
Win Viriyaprapaikit, president of Sahaviriya Steel Industries (SSI), the Thai company proposing to buy Corus Teesside Cast Products (TCP), who has been in the region this week has already spoken of the passion of the region’s steelworkers being “second to none”.
The 40-year-old, responsible for the Thai steel firm founded by his father and aunt 55 years ago, first encountered that passion last year when 5,000 steelworkers and supporters marched through Redcar to call for the factory to be saved.
Mr Viriyaprapaikit said: “It was July last year, I read the news on the internet back home and I saw the flags and the marches, the Save our Steel campaign, and I thought it was very apparent that the whole town was really behind this.
“I was quietly reading this at home but, with a lot of interest at the time, I never thought we could be part of this.”
He said the marches clearly demonstrated how much pride the people of Teesside took in their steel industry, which was under threat after an international consortium pulled out of a ten-year deal to buy its steel.
Mr Viriyaprapaikit said: “After these marches got our interest, they didn’t really have to explain to me how they feel because the actions speak louder than words and throughout the year I was seeing these marches.”
The same month, a delegation from Corus TCP visited Mr Viriyaprapaikit in Bangkok to strike a deal for steel slabs, of which his company bought 400,000 tonnes, at a time the plant was desperately trying to secure orders.
He said: “We became acquainted with the management, we came to be confident of the quality, the production system and, of course, the people behind it, so we have confidence in the plant and the people running it.
“It makes the job of due dilligence much easier than going in somewhere without such knowledge.”
SSI is a family business and what becomes clear from talking to the married father-of-two is that the quality and attitudes of people he is dealing with is an integral part of any deal, hence his fascination with the steel marches.
He said: “Teesside is passionate about steel and I have become passionate about Teesside, what we can do here will be a lot more because of the goodwill and the support of the community.
“This 150 years of history is actually the history of steelmaking itself. This must be one of the rare places with the full history. We feel really fortunate to be part of this.
An example of the importance in which people’s feelings are held was the appointment last month of David Reid, as interim managing director.
Until September last year, Mr Reid had spent five years as supply chain director at TCP and was one of the steelworkers who marched through Redcar. He is also steel expert but, crucially, he also had a relationship with SSI going back 25 years.
Mr Viriyaprapaikit said: “When the delegation came to see us last July they had a chance to meet my father and my father called him old friend. It didn’t ring a bell at the time, it was only a few weeks ago that I proposed to my father that Dave would be the perfect person to lead this and I asked him what he meant by old friend and he said he had known David for 25 years.
“I think Dave Reid is a person of integrity, that is why all of us feel so much trust in him and I hope this is the right choice not just for us but for Teesside as well.”
Despite rumours of a potential deal with SSI surfacing in May it was only in August that it was finally confirmed with SSI and Corus signing a memorandum of understanding paving the way for a £320m deal and steelmaking restarting at the plant, near Redcar, east Cleveland, by early next year.
It transpired that the two companies had been in discussions for about a year, with Mr Viriyaprapaikit visiting TCP last October.
More than 1,000 employees have left the plant since February’s mothballing, with Mr Viriyaprapaikit confirming at the memorandum of understanding signing that the 700 steelworkers remaining at the factory would be kept on should a deal progress.
Yesterday, Mr Viriyaprapaikit spoke of his desire to create many more jobs at the plant.
He said: “It would be in terms of hundreds more jobs in addition to the 700 people we will offer the opportunity to transfer over.
“I think one of the things we would like to do is have this knowledge of all these skilled people passed on to the next generation.
“That is one thing I would like to do if we get to succeed in acquiring the plant.”
ONE reason he may speak so passionately about the region is that he happily admits that through the course of a number of private visits over the past year he has fallen in love with it. On his last visit he took home 30 pictures of the North-East, taken by professional photographers and many of those are now in the company’s boardroom in Thailand.
He said: “Our board of directors came in and they were delighted because they didn’t realise in addition to buying a steel plant we got all this beauty coming along as well.”
What has struck Mr Viriyaprapaikit on his journey is the genuine warmth and the welcome the people give visitors.
What is sometimes forgotten in the excitement of having found a potential saviour is that the deal to buy TCP is in itself an exciting move for Mr Viriyaprapaikit and SSI, which is known in Thailand’s steel industry for its pioneering spirit.
TCP produces 3.5 million tonnes of steel slab a year and SSI requires four million tonnes.
In addition, both facilities are on deepwater ports, a perfect match in Mr Viriyaprapaikit’s view. He said: “It will be a crucial part of our business, it gives us the platform for where we can grow. It is a very exciting time.”
There is still some work to be done on the final deal but Mr Viriyaprapaikit added: “We hope we can get to the finish line as soon as we can.”
PM clarifies investment in Thailand with US business community
NEW YORK, Sept 24 – Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said he will explain investing in Thailand to a segment of the US businessp community, including the issues of the Map Ta Phut industrial projects and the 3G wireless service.
Mr Abhisit is attending the 65th United Nations General Assembly in New York from September 22-26.
The Thai prime minister was to meet representatives of US-ASEAN Business Council- USABC Thursday afternoon (New York time).
Prior to the meeting,Mr Abhisit said that investors did not understand the legal problems related to suspending the Map Ta Phut Industries and the delayed 3G licence bidding and that they thought that government should get both plans moving ahead.
However, regarding the 3G bids, he said the Supreme Administrative Court upheld the ruling to suspend the auction and that the Telecommunications Commission (NTC) must comply with the court. In terms of policy, the government must speed up the bill that would eventually lead to forming the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), which will be authorised to allocate the 3G spectrum, by the end of the year.
Asked about resolving the long-delayed launch of the 3G, the prime minister said service trials have been conducted by the operators. He assigned the ministries of finance, and of information and communication technology to review the possibility of more quickly applying the technology and converting the existing 2G concession contracts into 3G agreements pending the ruling of the Constitution Court.
Thailand's Supreme Administrative Court on Thursday upheld the Central Administrative Court's injunction suspending distribution of the third generation (3G) wireless service licenses, saying the NTC was not authorised to make the awards.
The Supreme Administrative Court reasoned that the NCT's criteria for granting 3G licences was illegal and the auction process, if continued, could cause severe damage tothe country's procedural credibility.
The court ruled that the 3G auction should be held by NBTC which is to be set up soon.
Mr Abhisit is attending the 65th United Nations General Assembly in New York from September 22-26.
The Thai prime minister was to meet representatives of US-ASEAN Business Council- USABC Thursday afternoon (New York time).
Prior to the meeting,Mr Abhisit said that investors did not understand the legal problems related to suspending the Map Ta Phut Industries and the delayed 3G licence bidding and that they thought that government should get both plans moving ahead.
However, regarding the 3G bids, he said the Supreme Administrative Court upheld the ruling to suspend the auction and that the Telecommunications Commission (NTC) must comply with the court. In terms of policy, the government must speed up the bill that would eventually lead to forming the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), which will be authorised to allocate the 3G spectrum, by the end of the year.
Asked about resolving the long-delayed launch of the 3G, the prime minister said service trials have been conducted by the operators. He assigned the ministries of finance, and of information and communication technology to review the possibility of more quickly applying the technology and converting the existing 2G concession contracts into 3G agreements pending the ruling of the Constitution Court.
Thailand's Supreme Administrative Court on Thursday upheld the Central Administrative Court's injunction suspending distribution of the third generation (3G) wireless service licenses, saying the NTC was not authorised to make the awards.
The Supreme Administrative Court reasoned that the NCT's criteria for granting 3G licences was illegal and the auction process, if continued, could cause severe damage tothe country's procedural credibility.
The court ruled that the 3G auction should be held by NBTC which is to be set up soon.
TAAI convention in PHUKET
This is the third time that a convention is being held in South east asia.Last the event was held in Dubai.
The 59th annual convention ‘Indian Travel Congress’ of Travel Agents’ Association of India (TAAI) has been scheduled to start 24th September, until 27 September in Laguna, Phuket. The event is likely to be attended by around 800 delegates apart from the Tourism officials of India and Thailand and also travel industry leaders from both the countries. This is the third time that a convention is being held in South east asia.Last the event was held in Dubai.
The event goes by its theme ‘ Be the game changer’ which is intended at being the prime driving force behind the congress. The event shall also be instrumental in promoting two-way business between the two countries and provide a platform for networking, exchanging views and promoting common goals, while also giving an opportunity to hear from leading luminaries of tourism industries from around the world.
The key highlight issues to be addressed would be those of current challenges, cost reduction and alternative marketing, talent development and retention, harnessing technology, leveraging new business opportunities among others. The convention is also being anticipated to strengthen the existing tourism flux between the two countries. Thailand has been a favourite destination of Indians for a long time now on account of the affordability, geographical proximity and a quality holiday. The historic connect and cultural similarities between the two nations aside; the visibility that the event can render to the participants will enable to develop future business opportunities
It is also interesting to note that the convention coincides with the 60th anniversary of Indo-Thai relations. In terms of economic contribution, Thailand draws its major GDP from Tourism alone. Tourism industry was said to have contributed 6.7% of Thailand’s GDP in 2007.
Up to 2001 Thai investments in India accounted for in terms of amount of FDI approved were 24.40% for hotel and tourism industry alone. Hotel and tourism has been the major contributor from all sectors of Thai investments in India. As per the reports last year Thailand was targeting $10 billion trade with India by 2010 of which tourism and hospitality industry sounded to constitute the largest share owing to the surge of FDI from these sectors into India.
Thailand had also waived visa fees till March 2010 as a measure to boost tourism. It is also reducing take-off and landing charges for aircraft, and has considered lowering entrance fees at national parks by 50% and also providing free travel insurance. Thailand also came up with novel ideas, as arranging quizzes at Indian schools to promote tourism.
In 2008, 5 lakh Indian tourists went to Thailand. Over 614,000 Indians visited Thailand last year. Despite the plunge in tourism since 2008, stability was regained by 10% increase in the inbound tourists from September to 40% in December last year.
By being a ‘game changer’ TAAI is propelling the participants towards taking into stride the various challenges that have been faced by the travel-tourism industry. Improving infrastructure, rising the stature of travel agents, removing deficiencies in quality service, creating employment in tourism and hospitality sectors, emphasizing the significance of role played by a travel consultant in relation to online or internet services, etc. are just some of the key challenges in the pipeline that are to be countered.
=Jagdeep Rikhy, Co-Chairman – TAAI Convention Committee says, “The global economic slowdown and the ever-increasing requirements of the tourism and travel industry have brought about profound changes in travel agents’ attitudes. The industry, to ensure an income to the travel agent, has taken on a new dimension that, looking beyond air matters, focuses on the overall product, the contents of which ranges from the simple to the sophisticated.” He adds that The theme of our Convention " Be ... the Game Changer " , urges TAAI members to set a new benchmark for themselves . The delegates should expect to gain on many fronts from the TAAI Annual Convention at Phuket this year . Besides invigorating business sessions conducted by eminent personalities there will be immense oppurtunities at the Phuket Convention to , network , be delightfully entertained , find solace in the peaceful spas , explore the beautiful paradise island of Phuket and experience the warm hospitality which Thailand is famous the world over
“Innovation in this world is the best way to win – arguably the only way to really win. Innovation is not a separate discrete activity but the job of everyone in a leadership position and the integral, central driving force for any business that wants to grow and succeed on sustained basis. The Indian Travel Congress in Phuket is aimed to helping you be the ‘Game Changer’ become the leader of innovation.,according to Mr. Rajji Rai, President TAAI and Convention Chairman. "The delegates should expect to gain on many fronts from the TAAI Annual Convention at Phuket this year" .
The 59th annual convention ‘Indian Travel Congress’ of Travel Agents’ Association of India (TAAI) has been scheduled to start 24th September, until 27 September in Laguna, Phuket. The event is likely to be attended by around 800 delegates apart from the Tourism officials of India and Thailand and also travel industry leaders from both the countries. This is the third time that a convention is being held in South east asia.Last the event was held in Dubai.
The event goes by its theme ‘ Be the game changer’ which is intended at being the prime driving force behind the congress. The event shall also be instrumental in promoting two-way business between the two countries and provide a platform for networking, exchanging views and promoting common goals, while also giving an opportunity to hear from leading luminaries of tourism industries from around the world.
The key highlight issues to be addressed would be those of current challenges, cost reduction and alternative marketing, talent development and retention, harnessing technology, leveraging new business opportunities among others. The convention is also being anticipated to strengthen the existing tourism flux between the two countries. Thailand has been a favourite destination of Indians for a long time now on account of the affordability, geographical proximity and a quality holiday. The historic connect and cultural similarities between the two nations aside; the visibility that the event can render to the participants will enable to develop future business opportunities
It is also interesting to note that the convention coincides with the 60th anniversary of Indo-Thai relations. In terms of economic contribution, Thailand draws its major GDP from Tourism alone. Tourism industry was said to have contributed 6.7% of Thailand’s GDP in 2007.
Up to 2001 Thai investments in India accounted for in terms of amount of FDI approved were 24.40% for hotel and tourism industry alone. Hotel and tourism has been the major contributor from all sectors of Thai investments in India. As per the reports last year Thailand was targeting $10 billion trade with India by 2010 of which tourism and hospitality industry sounded to constitute the largest share owing to the surge of FDI from these sectors into India.
Thailand had also waived visa fees till March 2010 as a measure to boost tourism. It is also reducing take-off and landing charges for aircraft, and has considered lowering entrance fees at national parks by 50% and also providing free travel insurance. Thailand also came up with novel ideas, as arranging quizzes at Indian schools to promote tourism.
In 2008, 5 lakh Indian tourists went to Thailand. Over 614,000 Indians visited Thailand last year. Despite the plunge in tourism since 2008, stability was regained by 10% increase in the inbound tourists from September to 40% in December last year.
By being a ‘game changer’ TAAI is propelling the participants towards taking into stride the various challenges that have been faced by the travel-tourism industry. Improving infrastructure, rising the stature of travel agents, removing deficiencies in quality service, creating employment in tourism and hospitality sectors, emphasizing the significance of role played by a travel consultant in relation to online or internet services, etc. are just some of the key challenges in the pipeline that are to be countered.
=Jagdeep Rikhy, Co-Chairman – TAAI Convention Committee says, “The global economic slowdown and the ever-increasing requirements of the tourism and travel industry have brought about profound changes in travel agents’ attitudes. The industry, to ensure an income to the travel agent, has taken on a new dimension that, looking beyond air matters, focuses on the overall product, the contents of which ranges from the simple to the sophisticated.” He adds that The theme of our Convention " Be ... the Game Changer " , urges TAAI members to set a new benchmark for themselves . The delegates should expect to gain on many fronts from the TAAI Annual Convention at Phuket this year . Besides invigorating business sessions conducted by eminent personalities there will be immense oppurtunities at the Phuket Convention to , network , be delightfully entertained , find solace in the peaceful spas , explore the beautiful paradise island of Phuket and experience the warm hospitality which Thailand is famous the world over
“Innovation in this world is the best way to win – arguably the only way to really win. Innovation is not a separate discrete activity but the job of everyone in a leadership position and the integral, central driving force for any business that wants to grow and succeed on sustained basis. The Indian Travel Congress in Phuket is aimed to helping you be the ‘Game Changer’ become the leader of innovation.,according to Mr. Rajji Rai, President TAAI and Convention Chairman. "The delegates should expect to gain on many fronts from the TAAI Annual Convention at Phuket this year" .
Marketing a Country: Promotion as a Tool for Attracting Foreign Investment. — HBS Working Knowledge
In examining the way governments choose a structure in which to conduct investment promotion activities we found that most of the organizational issues fell within the realm of the public-private choice of management of certain nontraditional government activities.
Appropriate Organization for Investment Promotion
Like some other activities financed by governments, investment promotion has certain characteristics of tasks typically carried out by the government but others that are normally associated with tasks usually located in the private sector. Activities of this type are often financed by a government because they generate social profits that are greater than the private profits they could provide. When this condition prevails, a government must either finance the activity or risk that it will be underprovided.
In contrast to government organizations, quasi-governmental organizations tended to be created for the purpose of marketing countries as investment sites and not with the primary objectives of screening investment or negotiating with investors.
Governments can adopt two polar positions in their attempts to carry out the nontraditional government activity of investment promotion. A government can carry out investment promotion itself, but this approach has the disadvantage that the government organization may be unable to acquire skills that are required if the activity is to be managed properly. The required skills may reside in the private sector and be difficult to attract to the public sector, especially with the salary constraints typical of civil services. Accordingly, if the government decides to manage the activity, it may also, through various methods, have to take steps to obtain the appropriate skills from the private sector.
An alternative approach is for the government to delegate the management of investment promotion activities to the private sector. This approach often has the disadvantage that the private sector will not handle well the attributes of the task that are more like traditional government tasks, such as servicing investors by acquiring permits and approvals from other government departments. Indeed, neither the wholly public nor the wholly private approach to the management of investment promotion is ideal. Regardless of the approach that is chosen there will be management issues with respect to the way the inherent disadvantages of either approach are to be overcome. In an attempt to overcome these disadvantages, governments may search for the organizational approaches that combine most effectively the skills and resources of both the public and the private sectors.
Indeed, we observed that many governments did avoid these two extreme approaches and, instead, chose an intermediate approach. They conducted investment promotion through quasi-government organizations. These organizations, while reporting to the government, were not enmeshed within the conventional government and civil-service structure. Separation from the conventional apparatus of government gave these organizations certain inherent advantages over government organizations in carrying out the investment promotion function. At the same time these quasi-government organizations had an advantage over private organizations in conducting the tasks of investment promotion that required close contact with the government since they were, in fact, part of the government.
In contrast to government organizations, quasi-government organizations tended to be created for the purpose of marketing countries as investment sites and not with the primary objectives of screening investment or negotiating with investors. These agencies had the flexibility to attract personnel with the marketing expertise successful investment promotion requires. In addition, they were able to obtain sufficient autonomy to design and implement promotion strategies, and to develop integrated management control systems that tied the activities of marketers to particular investments. These management control systems provided sufficient, timely information with which agencies could simultaneously control, evaluate, and motivate marketing representatives. The overseas offices of quasi-government agencies also tended to be staffed by full-time promoters who were directly controlled by, and accountable to, the agencies. These advantages were particularly important when an agency was heavily involved in investment-generating activities.
In contrast to private organizations, however, the quasi-government agencies did not face the problems likely to be faced by a private agency in conducting the investment promotion tasks that are more like typical government tasks, such as servicing investors and cooperating with the government.
These research findings build a strong case for the location of a government's promotion program in a quasi-government organization. Many countries, however, already have promotional programs. If such a program resides in a conventional government organization or in a private organization, change may be difficult. For government organizations, conversion to quasi-government status may be politically unacceptable. Nevertheless, certain management practices may lead to better performance in both government and private organizations.
Appropriate Organization for Investment Promotion
Like some other activities financed by governments, investment promotion has certain characteristics of tasks typically carried out by the government but others that are normally associated with tasks usually located in the private sector. Activities of this type are often financed by a government because they generate social profits that are greater than the private profits they could provide. When this condition prevails, a government must either finance the activity or risk that it will be underprovided.
In contrast to government organizations, quasi-governmental organizations tended to be created for the purpose of marketing countries as investment sites and not with the primary objectives of screening investment or negotiating with investors.
Governments can adopt two polar positions in their attempts to carry out the nontraditional government activity of investment promotion. A government can carry out investment promotion itself, but this approach has the disadvantage that the government organization may be unable to acquire skills that are required if the activity is to be managed properly. The required skills may reside in the private sector and be difficult to attract to the public sector, especially with the salary constraints typical of civil services. Accordingly, if the government decides to manage the activity, it may also, through various methods, have to take steps to obtain the appropriate skills from the private sector.
An alternative approach is for the government to delegate the management of investment promotion activities to the private sector. This approach often has the disadvantage that the private sector will not handle well the attributes of the task that are more like traditional government tasks, such as servicing investors by acquiring permits and approvals from other government departments. Indeed, neither the wholly public nor the wholly private approach to the management of investment promotion is ideal. Regardless of the approach that is chosen there will be management issues with respect to the way the inherent disadvantages of either approach are to be overcome. In an attempt to overcome these disadvantages, governments may search for the organizational approaches that combine most effectively the skills and resources of both the public and the private sectors.
Indeed, we observed that many governments did avoid these two extreme approaches and, instead, chose an intermediate approach. They conducted investment promotion through quasi-government organizations. These organizations, while reporting to the government, were not enmeshed within the conventional government and civil-service structure. Separation from the conventional apparatus of government gave these organizations certain inherent advantages over government organizations in carrying out the investment promotion function. At the same time these quasi-government organizations had an advantage over private organizations in conducting the tasks of investment promotion that required close contact with the government since they were, in fact, part of the government.
In contrast to government organizations, quasi-government organizations tended to be created for the purpose of marketing countries as investment sites and not with the primary objectives of screening investment or negotiating with investors. These agencies had the flexibility to attract personnel with the marketing expertise successful investment promotion requires. In addition, they were able to obtain sufficient autonomy to design and implement promotion strategies, and to develop integrated management control systems that tied the activities of marketers to particular investments. These management control systems provided sufficient, timely information with which agencies could simultaneously control, evaluate, and motivate marketing representatives. The overseas offices of quasi-government agencies also tended to be staffed by full-time promoters who were directly controlled by, and accountable to, the agencies. These advantages were particularly important when an agency was heavily involved in investment-generating activities.
In contrast to private organizations, however, the quasi-government agencies did not face the problems likely to be faced by a private agency in conducting the investment promotion tasks that are more like typical government tasks, such as servicing investors and cooperating with the government.
These research findings build a strong case for the location of a government's promotion program in a quasi-government organization. Many countries, however, already have promotional programs. If such a program resides in a conventional government organization or in a private organization, change may be difficult. For government organizations, conversion to quasi-government status may be politically unacceptable. Nevertheless, certain management practices may lead to better performance in both government and private organizations.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Sailing Adventures & Training with Gulf Charters Thailand | Pattaya Daily News - Pattaya Newspaper, Powerful news at your fingertips
Primarily started as a bareboat yacht charter operator based out of Jomtien’s first-class Ocean Marina, Gulf Charters Thailand also offering landlubbers a chance to experience the majestic beauty that the Gulf of Thailand has to offer through several internationally accredited courses run by the experienced Gulf Charters Sailing School.
Encompassing a fleet of 10 or so keel boats and catamarans from 32-52 feet in length, Gulf Charters Thailand offer sailers of all experience levels the chance to add to their skill set or take the necessary steps to becoming a fully fledged bareboat captain while formulating friendships and memories that will last a life time.
Including a variety of courses for those interested in yacht sailing, chartering, racing and cruising, the Gulf Charters Sailing School provides the tools and training necessary to see you realise your dreams, be it recreational sailing, racing or a circumnavigation on your own yacht.
All sailing/racing courses are all-inclusive training programs and come with international accreditation from the International Yacht Training Inc (IYT). Graduates therefore qualify for the professional operation of yachts in some 29 countries including from the US Coast Guard and British MCA professional licensing bodies. The four IYT certified courses offered are; International Crew, International Watchkeeper, International Bareboat Captain and the International Small Powerboat and RIB Master Certificate.
Along with the individual courses, Gulf Charters Sailing School offers a range of value-for-money package deals including the popular fast-paced 15-day training session “Zero to Hero Program”. Encompassing classroom theory, weather and navigational training with onboard experience, the Zero to Hero Program is a proven and recognised program for teaching sailors the essentials necessary to captain their own yacht.
In addition to their sailing school, Gulf Charters Thailand offers eager sailors the chance to experience the beauty of the southeast coastline and Bangkok bite through a number of charter sailing tours and package deals. Trips encompass islands off the coast of Pattaya, Rayong, the pristine Koh Chang archipelago and Cambodia. Be it with your own vessel or on one of their fully equipped yachts Gulf Charters tours has something to suit your needs.
For more information on all Gulf Charters Thailand tours, packages and the Gulf Charters Sailing School please visit their website at www.yachtmasterthailand.com or contact their Jomtien Offices on; +6638237752 or +66845399689 to make an enquiry and/or booking.
Encompassing a fleet of 10 or so keel boats and catamarans from 32-52 feet in length, Gulf Charters Thailand offer sailers of all experience levels the chance to add to their skill set or take the necessary steps to becoming a fully fledged bareboat captain while formulating friendships and memories that will last a life time.
Including a variety of courses for those interested in yacht sailing, chartering, racing and cruising, the Gulf Charters Sailing School provides the tools and training necessary to see you realise your dreams, be it recreational sailing, racing or a circumnavigation on your own yacht.
All sailing/racing courses are all-inclusive training programs and come with international accreditation from the International Yacht Training Inc (IYT). Graduates therefore qualify for the professional operation of yachts in some 29 countries including from the US Coast Guard and British MCA professional licensing bodies. The four IYT certified courses offered are; International Crew, International Watchkeeper, International Bareboat Captain and the International Small Powerboat and RIB Master Certificate.
Along with the individual courses, Gulf Charters Sailing School offers a range of value-for-money package deals including the popular fast-paced 15-day training session “Zero to Hero Program”. Encompassing classroom theory, weather and navigational training with onboard experience, the Zero to Hero Program is a proven and recognised program for teaching sailors the essentials necessary to captain their own yacht.
In addition to their sailing school, Gulf Charters Thailand offers eager sailors the chance to experience the beauty of the southeast coastline and Bangkok bite through a number of charter sailing tours and package deals. Trips encompass islands off the coast of Pattaya, Rayong, the pristine Koh Chang archipelago and Cambodia. Be it with your own vessel or on one of their fully equipped yachts Gulf Charters tours has something to suit your needs.
For more information on all Gulf Charters Thailand tours, packages and the Gulf Charters Sailing School please visit their website at www.yachtmasterthailand.com or contact their Jomtien Offices on; +6638237752 or +66845399689 to make an enquiry and/or booking.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
pattayadailynews.com • View topic - Tradition being a part of modernism.
Today even in each and every country we could see houses being built in a water frontage location. Today certain houses are also laying the clay and mud made tiles on the slanting roofs of their houses. The interior designers are also suggesting the wooden materials, though the substitutes are available in every slot of the same. The kitchen do have a chimney and to be more specific a fashionable chimney from all angles. The portrayals by Raja Ravi Verma, Leonardo da vinci and Picasso are being some of the probable portrayals beautifying the walls of the modern houses. What does all this suggest? Is man being more and more traditional or is he trying to bring back the tradition in the modern era and making it one of the features too is rather unanswerable yet.
It is always good to have a traditional approach towards many things but not everything also. It is indeed a good sign which suggest that man still have a remembrance of his past and more or less he does respect his tradition. The features which he is trying to bring back through his homes and are being considered to be modern are traditional as such. Today if we take a new home, the best part we like would be built in a traditional style. It is still an aching truth to know that we might have a substitute for the traditional, in the modern era but modernism could never surpass or even match the beauty of the tradition.
To tackle the same man is merging the old beauty and the modern tactics into the design of his new home as such. Most of the features thus adopted are from the custom homes, and if we search for those it might extend to the custom house of Dublin. The specifications and the spaciousness are kept intact in the designs and thus the New Custom Built Homes will bear both the features existing under the same roof in harmony. Thus custom homes which were the glory of the past, has been renovated to be the glory of the present as well. But as we all know, no home theatre can give the peace of mind and the beauty to the interiors which a mere gramophone can give, even today. Past is always past and to an extent a bit more beautiful too.
It is always good to have a traditional approach towards many things but not everything also. It is indeed a good sign which suggest that man still have a remembrance of his past and more or less he does respect his tradition. The features which he is trying to bring back through his homes and are being considered to be modern are traditional as such. Today if we take a new home, the best part we like would be built in a traditional style. It is still an aching truth to know that we might have a substitute for the traditional, in the modern era but modernism could never surpass or even match the beauty of the tradition.
To tackle the same man is merging the old beauty and the modern tactics into the design of his new home as such. Most of the features thus adopted are from the custom homes, and if we search for those it might extend to the custom house of Dublin. The specifications and the spaciousness are kept intact in the designs and thus the New Custom Built Homes will bear both the features existing under the same roof in harmony. Thus custom homes which were the glory of the past, has been renovated to be the glory of the present as well. But as we all know, no home theatre can give the peace of mind and the beauty to the interiors which a mere gramophone can give, even today. Past is always past and to an extent a bit more beautiful too.
Thai Advertising companies, thailand Advertising Agencies, Agency in Bangkok
Many foreign advertising agencies as well as Thai advertising agencies maintain a Bangkok office to service their Thai clients as well as the seemingly bottomless advertising budgets of multinational companies and multinational corporations.
Thailand and it's capital Bangkok is home to a thriving advertising and marketing industry. All forms of media are well represented including several TV channels, radio stations a host of Thai newspapers and magazines as well as foreign language press in Japanese English and other well known languages.
Thailand and it's capital Bangkok is home to a thriving advertising and marketing industry. All forms of media are well represented including several TV channels, radio stations a host of Thai newspapers and magazines as well as foreign language press in Japanese English and other well known languages.
UN-backed aquaculture conference opens in Thailand
22 September 2010 – A United Nations-sponsored conference opened today in Thailand to review progress made in developing aquaculture as a sustainable food producing sector and to take stock of its future potential and contribution to the global community.
A collaborative effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific, and the Thai Department of Fisheries, the Global Conference brings together more than 700 participants experts and others from 60 countries.
During the four-day conference, which takes place in Phuket, participants will consider ways to reduce and mitigate the sector’s environmental impact and improve its governance, while further increasing its contribution to food security, economic development and the alleviation of poverty.
They will seek to build consensus on advancing aquaculture as a global, sustainable and competitive food production sector. They will also seek to improve knowledge, information, research, extension and communication in aquaculture, and to facilitate global understanding of the current status of the aquaculture sector and the challenges facing it.
Aquaculture has grown over the past decade to where it now provides nearly 50 per cent of global supplies of fish as human food, in a sector that already provides more than 30 million jobs worldwide. As a result, governments are increasingly seeing aquaculture as an important element in rural development and investment strategies. Yet some regions, such as Africa, are being left behind.
Over the next four days, participants will hear about technological advances over the past 10 years in such areas as water treatment, new farming systems and species, health management, improved information and communication, and fish feed with substantially reduced fishmeal content. The question of genetics in aquaculture will also be a hot topic.
A collaborative effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific, and the Thai Department of Fisheries, the Global Conference brings together more than 700 participants experts and others from 60 countries.
During the four-day conference, which takes place in Phuket, participants will consider ways to reduce and mitigate the sector’s environmental impact and improve its governance, while further increasing its contribution to food security, economic development and the alleviation of poverty.
They will seek to build consensus on advancing aquaculture as a global, sustainable and competitive food production sector. They will also seek to improve knowledge, information, research, extension and communication in aquaculture, and to facilitate global understanding of the current status of the aquaculture sector and the challenges facing it.
Aquaculture has grown over the past decade to where it now provides nearly 50 per cent of global supplies of fish as human food, in a sector that already provides more than 30 million jobs worldwide. As a result, governments are increasingly seeing aquaculture as an important element in rural development and investment strategies. Yet some regions, such as Africa, are being left behind.
Over the next four days, participants will hear about technological advances over the past 10 years in such areas as water treatment, new farming systems and species, health management, improved information and communication, and fish feed with substantially reduced fishmeal content. The question of genetics in aquaculture will also be a hot topic.
Channel NewsAsia - Authorities step up efforts to boost Thailand's tourism industry - channelnewsasia.com
CHIANG MAI, Thailand: Thailand's tourism industry has been hit hard by the ongoing political unrest in the kingdom, but efforts to woo visitors back are in full swing.
Tourism makes up just 6.5 per cent of Thailand's GDP, but welcoming visitors is what the kingdom is best known for.
Protests by the "red shirts" and violence in Bangkok earlier this year had a big impact on cities like Chiang Mai, where tourism accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the local economy.
Occupancy rates at local hotels dropped sharply, reaching a low of 10 per cent at times.
Sarawut Saetiao, the president of the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, said: "If we compare this year's first quarter to last year's, this year has been better. But in the second quarter, we suffered badly. Cancellation rates were very high, especially from foreign tourists. The financial loss in Chiang Mai was over US$300 million."
Mass cancellations are extremely damaging for the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) sector.
Companies must take into account participants' safety and their own viability.
Efforts to revitalise the MICE sector aim to convince decision makers that Thailand still has a lot to offer, despite the unrest.
Akapol Sorasuchart, who is the president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, said: "Of course hope is not enough. You can't go and tell people that 'I hope that it won't happen.' We hope that they learn that business is (separate from) politics. If you try to mix the two together then it is bad for the country."
700,000 visitors a year come to Thailand for meetings, conventions and exhibitions - accounting for 10.7 per cent of tourism as a whole. And by 2016, officials hope the kingdom will be the most popular MICE destination in Asia.
Thailand's tourism industry has gone through many obstacles in the past several years, but has proven to be extremely resilient.
Janet McNab, the general manager of Four Points Sheraton, Bangkok, said: "I think Thailand has great brand equity. I think we are starting to see a bounce back. But I think...the sheer strength of Thailand as a destination is one of its best marketing tools."
In fact, the Pacific Asia Travel Association predicts a 6 per cent increase in tourism next year, if there are no political problems. - CNA/ms
Tourism makes up just 6.5 per cent of Thailand's GDP, but welcoming visitors is what the kingdom is best known for.
Protests by the "red shirts" and violence in Bangkok earlier this year had a big impact on cities like Chiang Mai, where tourism accounts for nearly 40 per cent of the local economy.
Occupancy rates at local hotels dropped sharply, reaching a low of 10 per cent at times.
Sarawut Saetiao, the president of the Chiang Mai Tourism Business Association, said: "If we compare this year's first quarter to last year's, this year has been better. But in the second quarter, we suffered badly. Cancellation rates were very high, especially from foreign tourists. The financial loss in Chiang Mai was over US$300 million."
Mass cancellations are extremely damaging for the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) sector.
Companies must take into account participants' safety and their own viability.
Efforts to revitalise the MICE sector aim to convince decision makers that Thailand still has a lot to offer, despite the unrest.
Akapol Sorasuchart, who is the president of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, said: "Of course hope is not enough. You can't go and tell people that 'I hope that it won't happen.' We hope that they learn that business is (separate from) politics. If you try to mix the two together then it is bad for the country."
700,000 visitors a year come to Thailand for meetings, conventions and exhibitions - accounting for 10.7 per cent of tourism as a whole. And by 2016, officials hope the kingdom will be the most popular MICE destination in Asia.
Thailand's tourism industry has gone through many obstacles in the past several years, but has proven to be extremely resilient.
Janet McNab, the general manager of Four Points Sheraton, Bangkok, said: "I think Thailand has great brand equity. I think we are starting to see a bounce back. But I think...the sheer strength of Thailand as a destination is one of its best marketing tools."
In fact, the Pacific Asia Travel Association predicts a 6 per cent increase in tourism next year, if there are no political problems. - CNA/ms
Consider flights to Thailand for silk shopping?
Thailand could be the ideal destination for shoppers interested in the exotic world of silk.
According to GMA News, the Asian country has a rich history of producing some of the world's leading silk materials and products.
For those taking flights to Thailand, the first stop could be the Chatuchak Market, which has an amazing array of everything silk including scarves, bags and shawls. The market has over 8,000 stalls and up to 200,000 shoppers can descend on the site at the weekend.
However, buying silk is not always straightforward. Buyers should remember that authentic Thai silk is traditionally sourced from silk worms that live on mulberry trees and tends to have a unique satiny finish.
Die-hard silk fans could consider a trip to the Khon Kaen silk road – around seven hours by bus from Bangkok, the market is packed with a wide range of bright and stunning cloths. The small town is very rural but recent developments, including a new hotel, show that it is increasing in popularity with tourists.
According to GMA News, the Asian country has a rich history of producing some of the world's leading silk materials and products.
For those taking flights to Thailand, the first stop could be the Chatuchak Market, which has an amazing array of everything silk including scarves, bags and shawls. The market has over 8,000 stalls and up to 200,000 shoppers can descend on the site at the weekend.
However, buying silk is not always straightforward. Buyers should remember that authentic Thai silk is traditionally sourced from silk worms that live on mulberry trees and tends to have a unique satiny finish.
Die-hard silk fans could consider a trip to the Khon Kaen silk road – around seven hours by bus from Bangkok, the market is packed with a wide range of bright and stunning cloths. The small town is very rural but recent developments, including a new hotel, show that it is increasing in popularity with tourists.
Thailand: Natural highs on a Golden Triangle trek - Telegraph
You have to travel a long way to find an opium museum. And then, when you do, there's another one almost next door. These two idiosyncratic tourist attractions – the only opium museums in the world – are to be found in the Thai town of Sop Ruak, at the confluence of the Nam Ruak and Mekong rivers, where Thailand, Burma and Laos collide. At one time, Sop Ruak was a key player in a trade in opium that earned this strikingly beautiful part of the world the name "Golden Triangle".>
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Thailand’s insurance sector unphased by political instability | Thailand Business News
Thailand’s insurance sector looks set to shake off any lingering concerns following the recent period of political instability. A number of insurers recently reported strong growth in premiums and earnings for the first six months of 2010, a trend that is expected to continue into 2011.
Speaking at a conference on the Thai life insurance sector, Sara Lamsam, chairman of the Federation of Thai Insurance Organisations, said that insurers had shrugged off the effects of riots that struck Bangkok in May.
“The industry was barely affected by the political violence, growing robustly in the first half of the year by 15%. We expect the industry will manage to surpass 18% growth by year-end, as the second half is normally the peak season.”
he told the conference.
These projections are in line with recent results posted by individual companies. On August 20, Bangkok Insurance (BKI) announced that it had achieved a 15-year high in net earnings for the first six months of the year. Earnings amounted to $27.6m, an increase of almost 80% compared to this same period in 2009. BKI also reported that written premiums rose by 18.5% to $160m, with net underwriting profit up by 64.4% to $15m.
According to Panus Thiravanitkul, BKI’s president, the outlook is as good or better for the remainder of the year.
“Our target growth of 13% is well achievable, as the global and Thai economies are recovering, exports are growing, banks are lending more, car sales are improving and the government’s stimulus spending is under way,”
Panus told local media.
Another policy writer, MSIG Insurance (MSIG), announced on August 18 that its earned profits amounted to $2.2m during the first seven months of 2010. The company also reported that it expects earned premiums to increase this year by at least 17% to $80bn. MSIG said in a statement that its strong performance was in part due to the recovery of the economy and a more selective approach to the underwriting of car insurance.
One factor that could slow Thailand’s economic recovery, and have a direct impact on the country’s insurance sector, would be a re-igniting of the political tensions that flared during the first half of the year.
Parts of downtown Bangkok were heavily damaged, resulting in substantial claims filed with insurance firms. This in turn is likely to affect the bottom line of a number of leading policy writers. However, the strong overall growth predicted for the sector means that the exposed insurers should be able to cover any losses.
In a statement issued in late May, BKI said it expected to incur losses of around $250,000 as a result of the political unrest, a figure the company said would not affect its financial status or operations.
Thailand’s insurance sector looks set to shake off any lingering concerns following the recent period of political instability.
Read More http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/country/Thailand
Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global publishing and consultancy company which produces original economic and business intelligence on markets in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. Through its print and online publications, OBG offers comprehensive analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments.
Bangkok Insurance Public Company Limited is a Thailand-based company engaged in the provision of non-life insurance. The Company’s services include travel, motor, personal accident (PA), health, residential and commercial property, personal property, third party liability, business all risks, industry all risks (IAR), marine and cargo and miscellaneous insurance services.
Fire insurance covers loss of or damages to insured residential properties, such as detached houses, semi-detached houses and townhouses. It also covers furniture, decorative items and electronic appliances against damage caused by fire, lightning and explosion. Marine insurance covers cargo and hull insurances. Motor insurance includes compulsory and voluntary insurances. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had two associate companies, namely Asia Insurance (Cambodia) Plc and Asian Insurance International (Holding) Limited.
Speaking at a conference on the Thai life insurance sector, Sara Lamsam, chairman of the Federation of Thai Insurance Organisations, said that insurers had shrugged off the effects of riots that struck Bangkok in May.
“The industry was barely affected by the political violence, growing robustly in the first half of the year by 15%. We expect the industry will manage to surpass 18% growth by year-end, as the second half is normally the peak season.”
he told the conference.
These projections are in line with recent results posted by individual companies. On August 20, Bangkok Insurance (BKI) announced that it had achieved a 15-year high in net earnings for the first six months of the year. Earnings amounted to $27.6m, an increase of almost 80% compared to this same period in 2009. BKI also reported that written premiums rose by 18.5% to $160m, with net underwriting profit up by 64.4% to $15m.
According to Panus Thiravanitkul, BKI’s president, the outlook is as good or better for the remainder of the year.
“Our target growth of 13% is well achievable, as the global and Thai economies are recovering, exports are growing, banks are lending more, car sales are improving and the government’s stimulus spending is under way,”
Panus told local media.
Another policy writer, MSIG Insurance (MSIG), announced on August 18 that its earned profits amounted to $2.2m during the first seven months of 2010. The company also reported that it expects earned premiums to increase this year by at least 17% to $80bn. MSIG said in a statement that its strong performance was in part due to the recovery of the economy and a more selective approach to the underwriting of car insurance.
One factor that could slow Thailand’s economic recovery, and have a direct impact on the country’s insurance sector, would be a re-igniting of the political tensions that flared during the first half of the year.
Parts of downtown Bangkok were heavily damaged, resulting in substantial claims filed with insurance firms. This in turn is likely to affect the bottom line of a number of leading policy writers. However, the strong overall growth predicted for the sector means that the exposed insurers should be able to cover any losses.
In a statement issued in late May, BKI said it expected to incur losses of around $250,000 as a result of the political unrest, a figure the company said would not affect its financial status or operations.
Thailand’s insurance sector looks set to shake off any lingering concerns following the recent period of political instability.
Read More http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/country/Thailand
Oxford Business Group (OBG) is a global publishing and consultancy company which produces original economic and business intelligence on markets in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. Through its print and online publications, OBG offers comprehensive analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments.
Bangkok Insurance Public Company Limited is a Thailand-based company engaged in the provision of non-life insurance. The Company’s services include travel, motor, personal accident (PA), health, residential and commercial property, personal property, third party liability, business all risks, industry all risks (IAR), marine and cargo and miscellaneous insurance services.
Fire insurance covers loss of or damages to insured residential properties, such as detached houses, semi-detached houses and townhouses. It also covers furniture, decorative items and electronic appliances against damage caused by fire, lightning and explosion. Marine insurance covers cargo and hull insurances. Motor insurance includes compulsory and voluntary insurances. As of December 31, 2009, the Company had two associate companies, namely Asia Insurance (Cambodia) Plc and Asian Insurance International (Holding) Limited.
Cheapflights.ca releases Asia & Oceania Rising Stars Report - {Travel Daily News}
Cheapflights.ca's has released the third instalment of its Rising Stars series, which takes a look at travel to Asia and Oceania, two regions that rule the Pacific with their tropical beaches, historical cities and legendary geography.
After compiling search data from the first six months of 2009 and 2010, Cheapflights.ca, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, has published its 2010 Asia and Oceania Rising Stars Report. The list ranks the 75 most frequently searched destinations in Asia and Oceania at Cheapflights.ca according to their change in popularity over 2009.
Amman, the capital of Jordan, tops the list with a phenomenal percentage change between 2009 and 2010 of 603 per cent. Searches for flights to Bora Bora, the popular French Polynesian island, were up by 552 per cent while the neighbouring island of Tahiti also saw a jump of 160 per cent.
Additionally, out of the 75 rising stars in Asia and Oceania, twelve are in India and five are in China, showing that trade and tourism between Canada and those vast countries are growing year by year. Canada received Approved Destination Status from China in June (2010) and the VFR market (Visiting Friends and Relatives) is very healthy. And once again, the performance of the Canadian dollar over the past year has meant that many destinations have become more affordable to Canadian travellers.
After compiling search data from the first six months of 2009 and 2010, Cheapflights.ca, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, has published its 2010 Asia and Oceania Rising Stars Report. The list ranks the 75 most frequently searched destinations in Asia and Oceania at Cheapflights.ca according to their change in popularity over 2009.
Amman, the capital of Jordan, tops the list with a phenomenal percentage change between 2009 and 2010 of 603 per cent. Searches for flights to Bora Bora, the popular French Polynesian island, were up by 552 per cent while the neighbouring island of Tahiti also saw a jump of 160 per cent.
Additionally, out of the 75 rising stars in Asia and Oceania, twelve are in India and five are in China, showing that trade and tourism between Canada and those vast countries are growing year by year. Canada received Approved Destination Status from China in June (2010) and the VFR market (Visiting Friends and Relatives) is very healthy. And once again, the performance of the Canadian dollar over the past year has meant that many destinations have become more affordable to Canadian travellers.
China, the biggest opportunity of our times, requires a local approach that is driven by social media | Jens Thraenhart
While three flight hours south in Macau, the Pacific Asia Travel Association hosted its annual PATA Travel Mart, over 500 delegates gathered in Beijing on September 15-16 at the so far largest China Travel Distribution Summit. This key event for travel executives looking to understand how to distribute and market online to Chinese consumers, focused on the theme of “China, Consumer, Content”. For global companies, China is no longer the future. It is the present. China’s market share in the global tourism world is rapidly growing, and with over 420 million Internet users, China has the most online users in the world.
The key outcomes from this year’s China Travel Distribution Summit which are important for domestic and international travel organizations to keep in mind when looking to understand and take advantage of the lucrative China tourism market include:
It is critical to have a well balanced execution between direct and non-direct channels, as well as online and offline mediums. Convergence is more important in China than anywhere else, however online is growing and is the most important information source for Chinese consumers.
Social media in China is complex and vastly different than outside of China. China has its own social media sites, and blocked sites, such as Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare are becoming more and more irrelevant. Any company looking to be successful in China needs to have a local social media strategy. Social media channels will also become important platforms for booking and transactions in the future, not just for information gathering. Most of the big online travel agencies in China, namely Ctrip and eLong, and media sites such as Qunar and Daoao have social media functionalities built in.
Service is a key component for success in China, as most transactions are still offline, and various bottlenecks still exist, such as obtaining visas for outbound travel and payment systems. Being able to service Chinese customers is critical.
Mobile will continue to grow, and will be the future for travel planning and distribution. The official and successful entry of the iPad into China is another catalyst that will drive this consumer behaviour which travel organizations have to adapt for. Having a Chinese content strategy that leverages various platforms and channels, including mobile will be the cornerstone to reach Chinese consumers.
Search is important in China, with or without Google. Baidu’s market share will push Baidu to innovate and learn from search engines like Google. However, China still has different rules when it comes to search. The traveler-centric future is more personalized results that combine mobile and social media with search.
Ram Badrinathan, general manager-Asia Pacific for PhoCusWright (www.phocuswright.com) kicked off the summit by comparing China with India, and came to the conclusion that while China is leading India with physical infrastructure, it comes short in soft infrastructure, namely travel innovation which he attributed to the shortcomings of the GDS landscape in China. While China may need different models and systems, according to Larry Liang, general manager of airline solutions of TravelSky, China’s leading GDS, certain functions that create efficiencies are still performed manually and offline. Only Chinese companies can better understand its consumers, no other international GDS will be able to handle the volume and scale.
When it comes to online distribution, eLong (www.elong.com) and Ctrip (www.ctrip.com) are still the leading players, with Ctrip having the majority of the market share. eLong’s CEO Cui Guanfu wants eLong to be part of the mix for hotels to improve revenues. According to him, the hotel’s direct channels should be in harmony with the OTA’s as they are complimentary to each other. Demand generation could come from portal websites, search, or even social networks.
Ctrip’s CEO Fan Min on the other hand focused his comments mainly on the importance of customer service. Ctrip has always understood the shortcomings and the complexity of the Chinese market, and developed its model around it. Since 80% of the business of the OTA is transacted offline, call center operations and customer service obviously become a major part of being successful. While Ctrip may entertain expanding into other markets, it seemed clear that China is the core market for Ctrip, and that Fan Min sees still growth opportunities for the company.
This year’s summit also attracted more and more international travel organizations, represented with most senior executives from Sabre, Travelport, Priceline, Amadeus, and Tripit, as well as a few international hotel companies and airlines. China is definitely a market that is becoming more and more attractive for international travel brands, however reaching and connecting with Chinese consumers remains a complex and painful undertaking.
As anywhere in the world, social media is becoming a very powerful tool to engage with potential customers. China is seen as the most engaged country online with 92% of online users actively participating in social media. However the common sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, as well as Foursquare, are all blocked. The social media landscape in China has its own sites, as well as its own rules of engagement. Knowing which channels to use, how to set them up, and how to engage users is still complex for domestic Chinese companies, and extremely difficult for internationally organizations. George Cao, Co-founder of digital marketing and social media agency Dragon Trail (www.dragontrail.com) presented a case study of Canadian tourist board Banff Lake Louise Tourism. In a social media contest that Dragon Trail helped Banff Lake Louise Tourism launch in China, Banff’s new Chinese web site attracted nearly 200,000 visits and close to 100,000 registrations in a six-week period, without any advertising spend. Mr. Cao also showed the invite tree of the contest participants, and it demonstrated that the campaign had a viral spread of over 90%, meaning that 90% of registered people were invited by somebody that was already registered. The invite tree allows Dragon Trail now to identify the most influential people for its client, and interact with them in future campaigns or initiatives.
The conclusion of the China Travel Distribution Summit, as elegantly summarized by Charlie Li, head of summit organizer TravelDaily.cn, is that China welcomes foreign companies to be part of the growth of the China travel industry with all its opportunities. China is everyone's biggest dream, yet it could be everyone's worst nightmare if one is not prepared. Foreign companies need to be savvy in leveraging the digital landscape as well as align themselves with strong local partners that understand the Chinese culture and travel landscape, and that can act as a bridge by also understanding the western way of doing things, to avoid misunderstandings and disappointments. China is in a socio-economic transformation, and travel and tourism is major catalyst to drive that change.
By: Jens Thraenhart, Publisher & Chief Editor of www.ChinaTravelTrends.com (CTT is an information website and community jointly published by Dragon Trail and the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute - COTRI) – September 18, 2010
TAGS
pacific asia travel, pacific asia travel association, pata travel mart, online travel agencies, china tourism, obtaining visas, chinese consumers, global tourism, tourism world, china china, chinese customers, china travel, travel organizations, tourism market, travel
The key outcomes from this year’s China Travel Distribution Summit which are important for domestic and international travel organizations to keep in mind when looking to understand and take advantage of the lucrative China tourism market include:
It is critical to have a well balanced execution between direct and non-direct channels, as well as online and offline mediums. Convergence is more important in China than anywhere else, however online is growing and is the most important information source for Chinese consumers.
Social media in China is complex and vastly different than outside of China. China has its own social media sites, and blocked sites, such as Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare are becoming more and more irrelevant. Any company looking to be successful in China needs to have a local social media strategy. Social media channels will also become important platforms for booking and transactions in the future, not just for information gathering. Most of the big online travel agencies in China, namely Ctrip and eLong, and media sites such as Qunar and Daoao have social media functionalities built in.
Service is a key component for success in China, as most transactions are still offline, and various bottlenecks still exist, such as obtaining visas for outbound travel and payment systems. Being able to service Chinese customers is critical.
Mobile will continue to grow, and will be the future for travel planning and distribution. The official and successful entry of the iPad into China is another catalyst that will drive this consumer behaviour which travel organizations have to adapt for. Having a Chinese content strategy that leverages various platforms and channels, including mobile will be the cornerstone to reach Chinese consumers.
Search is important in China, with or without Google. Baidu’s market share will push Baidu to innovate and learn from search engines like Google. However, China still has different rules when it comes to search. The traveler-centric future is more personalized results that combine mobile and social media with search.
Ram Badrinathan, general manager-Asia Pacific for PhoCusWright (www.phocuswright.com) kicked off the summit by comparing China with India, and came to the conclusion that while China is leading India with physical infrastructure, it comes short in soft infrastructure, namely travel innovation which he attributed to the shortcomings of the GDS landscape in China. While China may need different models and systems, according to Larry Liang, general manager of airline solutions of TravelSky, China’s leading GDS, certain functions that create efficiencies are still performed manually and offline. Only Chinese companies can better understand its consumers, no other international GDS will be able to handle the volume and scale.
When it comes to online distribution, eLong (www.elong.com) and Ctrip (www.ctrip.com) are still the leading players, with Ctrip having the majority of the market share. eLong’s CEO Cui Guanfu wants eLong to be part of the mix for hotels to improve revenues. According to him, the hotel’s direct channels should be in harmony with the OTA’s as they are complimentary to each other. Demand generation could come from portal websites, search, or even social networks.
Ctrip’s CEO Fan Min on the other hand focused his comments mainly on the importance of customer service. Ctrip has always understood the shortcomings and the complexity of the Chinese market, and developed its model around it. Since 80% of the business of the OTA is transacted offline, call center operations and customer service obviously become a major part of being successful. While Ctrip may entertain expanding into other markets, it seemed clear that China is the core market for Ctrip, and that Fan Min sees still growth opportunities for the company.
This year’s summit also attracted more and more international travel organizations, represented with most senior executives from Sabre, Travelport, Priceline, Amadeus, and Tripit, as well as a few international hotel companies and airlines. China is definitely a market that is becoming more and more attractive for international travel brands, however reaching and connecting with Chinese consumers remains a complex and painful undertaking.
As anywhere in the world, social media is becoming a very powerful tool to engage with potential customers. China is seen as the most engaged country online with 92% of online users actively participating in social media. However the common sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, as well as Foursquare, are all blocked. The social media landscape in China has its own sites, as well as its own rules of engagement. Knowing which channels to use, how to set them up, and how to engage users is still complex for domestic Chinese companies, and extremely difficult for internationally organizations. George Cao, Co-founder of digital marketing and social media agency Dragon Trail (www.dragontrail.com) presented a case study of Canadian tourist board Banff Lake Louise Tourism. In a social media contest that Dragon Trail helped Banff Lake Louise Tourism launch in China, Banff’s new Chinese web site attracted nearly 200,000 visits and close to 100,000 registrations in a six-week period, without any advertising spend. Mr. Cao also showed the invite tree of the contest participants, and it demonstrated that the campaign had a viral spread of over 90%, meaning that 90% of registered people were invited by somebody that was already registered. The invite tree allows Dragon Trail now to identify the most influential people for its client, and interact with them in future campaigns or initiatives.
The conclusion of the China Travel Distribution Summit, as elegantly summarized by Charlie Li, head of summit organizer TravelDaily.cn, is that China welcomes foreign companies to be part of the growth of the China travel industry with all its opportunities. China is everyone's biggest dream, yet it could be everyone's worst nightmare if one is not prepared. Foreign companies need to be savvy in leveraging the digital landscape as well as align themselves with strong local partners that understand the Chinese culture and travel landscape, and that can act as a bridge by also understanding the western way of doing things, to avoid misunderstandings and disappointments. China is in a socio-economic transformation, and travel and tourism is major catalyst to drive that change.
By: Jens Thraenhart, Publisher & Chief Editor of www.ChinaTravelTrends.com (CTT is an information website and community jointly published by Dragon Trail and the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute - COTRI) – September 18, 2010
TAGS
pacific asia travel, pacific asia travel association, pata travel mart, online travel agencies, china tourism, obtaining visas, chinese consumers, global tourism, tourism world, china china, chinese customers, china travel, travel organizations, tourism market, travel
Monday, September 20, 2010
SE Asia Stocks-Indonesia at record high, Bangkok recovers | Reuters
SE Asia Stocks-Indonesia at record high, Bangkok recovers | Reuters
* Thai central bank comments on baht policy soothe fears
* Inflows push Indonesia to record high
* Singapore recovers, around 2-year highs
* Thai central bank comments on baht policy soothe fears
* Inflows push Indonesia to record high
* Singapore recovers, around 2-year highs
China Reawakens Trans-Asian Railway Ambitions | Manila Bulletin
China Reawakens Trans-Asian Railway Ambitions | Manila Bulletin
BANGKOK (dpa) – Plans to link mainland Asia by railway have been around for decades.
In 1960, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (ESCAP) initiated the Trans-Asian Railway project to establish a 114,000-kilometre rail network between Asia and Europe.
The project was derailed by wars in Indochina, the Cultural Revolution in China and a lack of finance for Asian mega-projects.
The scheme was given a new shot in the arm, on paper anyway, in 2006 when 22 Asian governments signed a deal to cooperate on the rail link. That agreement finally went into effect in June last year after China ratified it.
More significant than the agreement itself has been China’s push to turn the rail network dream into reality, especially in South- East Asia, which accounts for the lion’s share of the 8,000 kilometers of “missing links.”
Thailand and China this year started talks about constructing a high-speed standard-gauge 850-kilometer new rail link from Nong Khai, on the Thai-Lao border, to Bangkok. A second 1,000-kilometre line, between Bangkok and Padang Besar, on the Thai-Malaysian border, would be built later.
The two lines would cost an estimated 300 billion baht ($9.7 billion).
“The Chinese government believes this can be implemented within three years,” Thai Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanich said. “If there is any delay, I suspect it will be at our end, not theirs,” he said.
One foreseeable obstacle is the State Railways of Thailand (SRT), which runs the country’s existing rail network at a massive loss. It is highly politicized, prone to strikes and historically opposed to any attempts at privatization.
“If the SRT is given no role in the project, I will oppose it as an advisor to the SRT labor union and the head of the New Politics Party,” said Somsak Kosaisuk, a politician who formerly headed the SRT's labor union.
Another likely problem for the Thai-China rail project is the Lao link.
Having a high-speed rail link between Nong Khai and Bangkok makes little economic sense unless there is a similar link between Laos and southern China. Such a link is under discussion.
In August, senior railway officials from China visited Vientiane to discuss the project with the Lao Railway Authority, which manages the country's current rail network – a 3.5-kilometer link between the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge and Dongphosy town, outside Vientiane.
China and Laos have signed an agreement to conduct a feasibility study on a medium high-speed (200-kilometre-per-hour) rail link between Boten, Luang Namtha province, and Vientiane, a distance of about 400 kilometers. The link would provide a connection for freight and passengers with Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province.
The cost of construction would be prohibitive.
“I understand they are looking at three different routes but all of them would be mountainous, and potentially very expensive,” said one Vientiane-based aid expert.
“But the Lao government is taking the project extremely seriously, as part of their aim to turn Laos from a landlocked to land-linked country,” he added.
A lot will depend on whether Laos sees sufficient economic returns from the railway for providing the link between its two economically much more active neighbors, China and Thailand.
“Laos is the weakest but most important link,” said Nipon Poapongsakorn, president of the Thailand Development Research Institute, a think tank. “Unless there is a benefit for Laos it will just become a transit for goods and passengers. What will they get from this program other than pollution?”
BANGKOK (dpa) – Plans to link mainland Asia by railway have been around for decades.
In 1960, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (ESCAP) initiated the Trans-Asian Railway project to establish a 114,000-kilometre rail network between Asia and Europe.
The project was derailed by wars in Indochina, the Cultural Revolution in China and a lack of finance for Asian mega-projects.
The scheme was given a new shot in the arm, on paper anyway, in 2006 when 22 Asian governments signed a deal to cooperate on the rail link. That agreement finally went into effect in June last year after China ratified it.
More significant than the agreement itself has been China’s push to turn the rail network dream into reality, especially in South- East Asia, which accounts for the lion’s share of the 8,000 kilometers of “missing links.”
Thailand and China this year started talks about constructing a high-speed standard-gauge 850-kilometer new rail link from Nong Khai, on the Thai-Lao border, to Bangkok. A second 1,000-kilometre line, between Bangkok and Padang Besar, on the Thai-Malaysian border, would be built later.
The two lines would cost an estimated 300 billion baht ($9.7 billion).
“The Chinese government believes this can be implemented within three years,” Thai Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanich said. “If there is any delay, I suspect it will be at our end, not theirs,” he said.
One foreseeable obstacle is the State Railways of Thailand (SRT), which runs the country’s existing rail network at a massive loss. It is highly politicized, prone to strikes and historically opposed to any attempts at privatization.
“If the SRT is given no role in the project, I will oppose it as an advisor to the SRT labor union and the head of the New Politics Party,” said Somsak Kosaisuk, a politician who formerly headed the SRT's labor union.
Another likely problem for the Thai-China rail project is the Lao link.
Having a high-speed rail link between Nong Khai and Bangkok makes little economic sense unless there is a similar link between Laos and southern China. Such a link is under discussion.
In August, senior railway officials from China visited Vientiane to discuss the project with the Lao Railway Authority, which manages the country's current rail network – a 3.5-kilometer link between the Thai-Laos Friendship Bridge and Dongphosy town, outside Vientiane.
China and Laos have signed an agreement to conduct a feasibility study on a medium high-speed (200-kilometre-per-hour) rail link between Boten, Luang Namtha province, and Vientiane, a distance of about 400 kilometers. The link would provide a connection for freight and passengers with Kunming, the capital of China’s Yunnan province.
The cost of construction would be prohibitive.
“I understand they are looking at three different routes but all of them would be mountainous, and potentially very expensive,” said one Vientiane-based aid expert.
“But the Lao government is taking the project extremely seriously, as part of their aim to turn Laos from a landlocked to land-linked country,” he added.
A lot will depend on whether Laos sees sufficient economic returns from the railway for providing the link between its two economically much more active neighbors, China and Thailand.
“Laos is the weakest but most important link,” said Nipon Poapongsakorn, president of the Thailand Development Research Institute, a think tank. “Unless there is a benefit for Laos it will just become a transit for goods and passengers. What will they get from this program other than pollution?”
Thailand August Vehicle Output, Exports Rise On Year
Thailand August Vehicle Output, Exports Rise On Year
BANGKOK -(Dow Jones)- Thailand's vehicle production and exports continued to increase in August from a year earlier on the back of the improving economy, the Federation of Thai Industries said Thursday.
August vehicle output in Thailand, a regional manufacturing hub for many of the world's biggest automakers, shot up 67.6% on year to 141,043 units, the federation said in a statement.
The number of units exported in August was 77,750, up 80.4% on year, with increased shipments to every market.
The value of car, truck and bus exports--including detached engines and automotive parts--totaled THB51.96 billion ($1.68 billion) in August, a 54.5% rise from August last year.
If motorcycles and motorcycle parts were included, the total value of exports would have been THB55.21 billion, up 52.2% from a year earlier.
In the first eight months of this year, vehicle production surged 92.6% to 1.06 million units.
The federation forecast vehicle production will reach 426,354 units in the September to November period, up 25.6% on year but down 2.1% from the June to August period.
-By Bangkok Bureau; Dow Jones Newswires; 66 2 690 4200; djnews.bangkok@ dowjones.com
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201009160028dowjonesdjonline000004&title=thailand-august-vehicle-outputexports-rise-on-year#ixzz106YJ9mSt
BANGKOK -(Dow Jones)- Thailand's vehicle production and exports continued to increase in August from a year earlier on the back of the improving economy, the Federation of Thai Industries said Thursday.
August vehicle output in Thailand, a regional manufacturing hub for many of the world's biggest automakers, shot up 67.6% on year to 141,043 units, the federation said in a statement.
The number of units exported in August was 77,750, up 80.4% on year, with increased shipments to every market.
The value of car, truck and bus exports--including detached engines and automotive parts--totaled THB51.96 billion ($1.68 billion) in August, a 54.5% rise from August last year.
If motorcycles and motorcycle parts were included, the total value of exports would have been THB55.21 billion, up 52.2% from a year earlier.
In the first eight months of this year, vehicle production surged 92.6% to 1.06 million units.
The federation forecast vehicle production will reach 426,354 units in the September to November period, up 25.6% on year but down 2.1% from the June to August period.
-By Bangkok Bureau; Dow Jones Newswires; 66 2 690 4200; djnews.bangkok@ dowjones.com
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201009160028dowjonesdjonline000004&title=thailand-august-vehicle-outputexports-rise-on-year#ixzz106YJ9mSt
New Market Research Report: Thailand Infrastructure Report Q4 2010
New Market Research Report: Thailand Infrastructure Report Q4 2010
Sep 20, 2010 – Despite the sensational scale of the government's clash with the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), or the 'Red Shirts' as they are better-known, the Thai economy appears to have shrugged off the impact of the unrest within weeks. With the exception of those linked with the tourism sector, most industries - including the construction industry - have been largely unscathed by the April-June 2010 conflict on the face of it. Thailand's construction sector will follow the country's wider economy and exports, which have been growing strongly in recent months. The sector will have emerged from a two-year recession this year, after contracting by 5.35% in 2009 to THB244bn (US$7.12bn). BMI expects to see the sector grow by 1.17% in 2010 to THB253.7bn (US$7.65bn).
Sep 20, 2010 – Despite the sensational scale of the government's clash with the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), or the 'Red Shirts' as they are better-known, the Thai economy appears to have shrugged off the impact of the unrest within weeks. With the exception of those linked with the tourism sector, most industries - including the construction industry - have been largely unscathed by the April-June 2010 conflict on the face of it. Thailand's construction sector will follow the country's wider economy and exports, which have been growing strongly in recent months. The sector will have emerged from a two-year recession this year, after contracting by 5.35% in 2009 to THB244bn (US$7.12bn). BMI expects to see the sector grow by 1.17% in 2010 to THB253.7bn (US$7.65bn).
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Thai Silk Fabric Website Fights for Village Lifestyles - PR.com
Thai Silk Fabric Website Fights for Village Lifestyles - PR.com
lifestyles of their village
Si Sa Ket, Thailand, September 19, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Thai Silk Magic, a family funded Thai silk manufacturer, is dedicated to improving the lifestyle opportunities of their small Thai village in far north eastern Thailand.
They have launched a new website to highlight their handmade Thai silk fabric at http://www.thaisilkmagic.com. Their website, using the silk weaving skills of their village, is dedicated to marketing their fabrics and distributing all profits, after expenses, to the village weavers.
In a village beset with crippling rural debt problems where the average family income is less than US$120/month, this initiative of self-help with handmade silk by Thai Silk Magic, has significant potential to improve their village lifestyles.
Apart from Thai silk fabric, their website provides educational information related to Thai silk. In addition, they also provide a range of business articles, using their village experiences as examples that create a unique twist on common business problems.
According to the Thai Silk Magic founder, Amnuai Beckenham, “When we saw tears in the eyes of some parents last year who had to take their children out of our village school simply because they could not afford the small school fees or the cost of uniforms, we knew it was time to do something special.”
Thai Silk Magic is aware that their key mission of improving village lifestyles will have many challenges but there is “a real passion to make this work for everyone’s benefit,” says Amnuai.
Amnuai further states, “This is an opportunity to really help people to help themselves rather than relying upon the limited handouts of public funds.”
The Thai silk Magic project has created significant excitement and quoting Amnuai Beckenham, “has sent a real message of help and self pride” throughout their small Thai village.
###
Contact Information
Thai Silk Magic
Amnuai Beckenham
66812675896
info@thaisilkmagic.com
www.thaisilkmagic.com
thaisilkmagic@gmail.com
lifestyles of their village
Si Sa Ket, Thailand, September 19, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Thai Silk Magic, a family funded Thai silk manufacturer, is dedicated to improving the lifestyle opportunities of their small Thai village in far north eastern Thailand.
They have launched a new website to highlight their handmade Thai silk fabric at http://www.thaisilkmagic.com. Their website, using the silk weaving skills of their village, is dedicated to marketing their fabrics and distributing all profits, after expenses, to the village weavers.
In a village beset with crippling rural debt problems where the average family income is less than US$120/month, this initiative of self-help with handmade silk by Thai Silk Magic, has significant potential to improve their village lifestyles.
Apart from Thai silk fabric, their website provides educational information related to Thai silk. In addition, they also provide a range of business articles, using their village experiences as examples that create a unique twist on common business problems.
According to the Thai Silk Magic founder, Amnuai Beckenham, “When we saw tears in the eyes of some parents last year who had to take their children out of our village school simply because they could not afford the small school fees or the cost of uniforms, we knew it was time to do something special.”
Thai Silk Magic is aware that their key mission of improving village lifestyles will have many challenges but there is “a real passion to make this work for everyone’s benefit,” says Amnuai.
Amnuai further states, “This is an opportunity to really help people to help themselves rather than relying upon the limited handouts of public funds.”
The Thai silk Magic project has created significant excitement and quoting Amnuai Beckenham, “has sent a real message of help and self pride” throughout their small Thai village.
###
Contact Information
Thai Silk Magic
Amnuai Beckenham
66812675896
info@thaisilkmagic.com
www.thaisilkmagic.com
thaisilkmagic@gmail.com
Better arts, better life - GlobalTimes
Better arts, better life - GlobalTimes
About 100 meters from the office building of Ansai government, a county in Shaanbei，northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is situated a folk arts gallery, whose owner is Hou Xuezhao, a 56-year-old woman dubbed Ansai's "master of folk arts".
Of the two-story, 18-room, plain-looking building, five exhibit Hou's treasures: about 100 paper cuts, folk paintings and embroidery works.
"This is my favorite work", Hou said satisfied, pointing to one of her works depicting a woman riding a donkey with her husband running along.
"In the past, there were no other transportation tools but donkeys. Thus if a new bride wanted to go back home, she would have to ride the animal. Usually the husband would accompany the wife in demonstration of his love. This inspired me to create such a special painting", Hou explained.
The art family
As many women in Ansai in the past, Hou Xuezhao started learning paper cutting with her mom and grandmother when she was very young. But not every woman shows such skills towards Shaanbei folk arts as this now 56-year-old grandma.
Hou's works characterize ordinary Shaanbei people's lifestyle, representing the strong flavor of Huangtu folk culture which mainly concentrates in Shaanbei.
However, it was not until 10 years ago that Hou's works spread internationally. In 1994, under the recommendation of the Culture Affairs Bureau of Ansai County, Hou was invited to Austria for cultural exchange. About 10 years later, in 2005, Hou had the chance to bring her works to Thailand. The well-received folk arts exchange activities brought Hou confidence to continue her folk arts career. Since 2002, Hou's works have won her many awards, including the first place at the China's Second Grand Exhibition of Peasant Paintings and Calligraphy, the silver medal of China Paper Cutting Expo.
Not only Hou, other six members from her family are known for their talents on Shaanbei folk arts. Chen Piliang, Hou's husband, is an excellent dancer of Ansai Yaogu (Waist Drum). Currently, Chen not only trains people Ansai Yaogu in his homeland, but is also frequently invited for performances and training by other cities around the nation.
The couple's five children- 3 sons and 2 daughters- were all trained from their early ages for a certain skill within folk songs, Yaogu and paper cutting.
"My mom and my mom's mom (no longer among us) are all smart women. My mom taught me paper cutting and painting while my dad was my Yaogu teacher. I learned paper cutting when I was six, and at the age of eight, I could already cut a butterfly. ", Chen Hongmei, the fourth child of the couple said proudly.
"Most of my mom's works depict her life in Ansai, which is sometimes not familiar to me: the post-80 generation. I'd like to add some more modern elements to my works. In the future, of course I would definitely teach my children these skills,” the 23-year-old girl told the Global Times.
About 100 meters from the office building of Ansai government, a county in Shaanbei，northwest China's Shaanxi Province, is situated a folk arts gallery, whose owner is Hou Xuezhao, a 56-year-old woman dubbed Ansai's "master of folk arts".
Of the two-story, 18-room, plain-looking building, five exhibit Hou's treasures: about 100 paper cuts, folk paintings and embroidery works.
"This is my favorite work", Hou said satisfied, pointing to one of her works depicting a woman riding a donkey with her husband running along.
"In the past, there were no other transportation tools but donkeys. Thus if a new bride wanted to go back home, she would have to ride the animal. Usually the husband would accompany the wife in demonstration of his love. This inspired me to create such a special painting", Hou explained.
The art family
As many women in Ansai in the past, Hou Xuezhao started learning paper cutting with her mom and grandmother when she was very young. But not every woman shows such skills towards Shaanbei folk arts as this now 56-year-old grandma.
Hou's works characterize ordinary Shaanbei people's lifestyle, representing the strong flavor of Huangtu folk culture which mainly concentrates in Shaanbei.
However, it was not until 10 years ago that Hou's works spread internationally. In 1994, under the recommendation of the Culture Affairs Bureau of Ansai County, Hou was invited to Austria for cultural exchange. About 10 years later, in 2005, Hou had the chance to bring her works to Thailand. The well-received folk arts exchange activities brought Hou confidence to continue her folk arts career. Since 2002, Hou's works have won her many awards, including the first place at the China's Second Grand Exhibition of Peasant Paintings and Calligraphy, the silver medal of China Paper Cutting Expo.
Not only Hou, other six members from her family are known for their talents on Shaanbei folk arts. Chen Piliang, Hou's husband, is an excellent dancer of Ansai Yaogu (Waist Drum). Currently, Chen not only trains people Ansai Yaogu in his homeland, but is also frequently invited for performances and training by other cities around the nation.
The couple's five children- 3 sons and 2 daughters- were all trained from their early ages for a certain skill within folk songs, Yaogu and paper cutting.
"My mom and my mom's mom (no longer among us) are all smart women. My mom taught me paper cutting and painting while my dad was my Yaogu teacher. I learned paper cutting when I was six, and at the age of eight, I could already cut a butterfly. ", Chen Hongmei, the fourth child of the couple said proudly.
"Most of my mom's works depict her life in Ansai, which is sometimes not familiar to me: the post-80 generation. I'd like to add some more modern elements to my works. In the future, of course I would definitely teach my children these skills,” the 23-year-old girl told the Global Times.
Thailand postpones new 3G license auction | News | Rapid TV News
Thailand postpones new 3G license auction | News | Rapid TV News
Thailand’s telecommunications regulator is postponing 20 September's 3G licence auction following confusion in the courts over its legal authority to allocate wireless spectrum.
In response, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has pledged his government will speed up drafting a new bill in an attempt to establish the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to oversee the matter.
The Supreme Administrative Court has instructed the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that the Constitution Court must rule on its authority, or a new regulatory body – the NBTC – must be formed before the auction can begin.
The NBTC should be established, as prescribed under the 2007 Constitution, according to the Central Administrative Court. The NTC, however, has appealed the matter, saying it does have the legal authority to offer the 2.1 gigahertz frequency, and cited the detrimental effects on Thailand’s social and economic development if 3G bidding is not allowed.
The stock of Advanced Info Service (AIS), DTAC and True Move - the three companies involved in the bidding - dropped on Friday after the court ruling was announced.
This proposed 3G auction is not the first. CAT Telecom and TOT Pel (formerly the Telephone Organisation of Thailand) have already been allocated 3G frequencies by the NTC.
“3G is much more than [a] mobile phone service,” said Col Natee, NTC Commissioner told the Thai News Agency. The NTC gives importance on [a] broadband internet service which will speed up the country’s development and the NTC has prepared the 3G bidding process for over four years as the existing network is not sufficient.”
Col Natee said Thailand’s current internet accessibility is only two per cent. However, by 2014, once the 3G network is rolled out, 80 per cent of the country will have internet access.
The NBTC Bill has already passed readings in both the House of Representatives and the Upper House of Parliament, before being revised by the Joint Parliamentary Committee. It will now be brought for consideration by parliament again.
Thailand’s telecommunications regulator is postponing 20 September's 3G licence auction following confusion in the courts over its legal authority to allocate wireless spectrum.
In response, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has pledged his government will speed up drafting a new bill in an attempt to establish the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to oversee the matter.
The Supreme Administrative Court has instructed the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) that the Constitution Court must rule on its authority, or a new regulatory body – the NBTC – must be formed before the auction can begin.
The NBTC should be established, as prescribed under the 2007 Constitution, according to the Central Administrative Court. The NTC, however, has appealed the matter, saying it does have the legal authority to offer the 2.1 gigahertz frequency, and cited the detrimental effects on Thailand’s social and economic development if 3G bidding is not allowed.
The stock of Advanced Info Service (AIS), DTAC and True Move - the three companies involved in the bidding - dropped on Friday after the court ruling was announced.
This proposed 3G auction is not the first. CAT Telecom and TOT Pel (formerly the Telephone Organisation of Thailand) have already been allocated 3G frequencies by the NTC.
“3G is much more than [a] mobile phone service,” said Col Natee, NTC Commissioner told the Thai News Agency. The NTC gives importance on [a] broadband internet service which will speed up the country’s development and the NTC has prepared the 3G bidding process for over four years as the existing network is not sufficient.”
Col Natee said Thailand’s current internet accessibility is only two per cent. However, by 2014, once the 3G network is rolled out, 80 per cent of the country will have internet access.
The NBTC Bill has already passed readings in both the House of Representatives and the Upper House of Parliament, before being revised by the Joint Parliamentary Committee. It will now be brought for consideration by parliament again.
'Red Shirts' mark anniversary of 2006 coup in Thailand - CNN.com
'Red Shirts' mark anniversary of 2006 coup in Thailand - CNN.com
More than 10,000 anti-government demonstrators gathered in the heart of Bangkok's shopping district Sunday to mark the fourth anniversary of a bloodless coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The peaceful demonstration lasted about four hours under scattered rain. One of the city's main intersections was again flooded with "Red Shirt" demonstrators -- so named for the color of their clothing -- resembling the picture when the group occupied the area from March to May until a crackdown by the government's security forces that left 91 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.
The crowd chanted "there are deaths here!"
Several symbolic activities were performed by the demonstrators, including tying red robes and forming a giant spider web, lying on the street to represent the dead, and lighting red candles around the area. Balloons tied with letters were released into the sky.
Red Shirt leader Sombat Boon-ngamanong, who organized the demonstration, told his supporters to leave the area around 5 p.m. (6 a.m. ET), although some people lingered. The demonstration ended peacefully.
Similar activities were held in Chiang Mai, Nong Khai, and in the north and northeastern parts of the country, according to local media.
Bangkok and six other provinces remain under emergency rule, which the government imposed in April. The decree allows authorities to detain suspects without formal charges up to three months.
The Red Shirts support Thaksin, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 while he was attending a U.N. assembly. His supporters protested for weeks, demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and call new elections.
Thaksin briefly returned to Thailand to fight a corruption charge, but fled again in 2008. He left before Thailand's Supreme Court convicted him of abusing his power and purchasing land owned by his wife.
More than 10,000 anti-government demonstrators gathered in the heart of Bangkok's shopping district Sunday to mark the fourth anniversary of a bloodless coup that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
The peaceful demonstration lasted about four hours under scattered rain. One of the city's main intersections was again flooded with "Red Shirt" demonstrators -- so named for the color of their clothing -- resembling the picture when the group occupied the area from March to May until a crackdown by the government's security forces that left 91 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.
The crowd chanted "there are deaths here!"
Several symbolic activities were performed by the demonstrators, including tying red robes and forming a giant spider web, lying on the street to represent the dead, and lighting red candles around the area. Balloons tied with letters were released into the sky.
Red Shirt leader Sombat Boon-ngamanong, who organized the demonstration, told his supporters to leave the area around 5 p.m. (6 a.m. ET), although some people lingered. The demonstration ended peacefully.
Similar activities were held in Chiang Mai, Nong Khai, and in the north and northeastern parts of the country, according to local media.
Bangkok and six other provinces remain under emergency rule, which the government imposed in April. The decree allows authorities to detain suspects without formal charges up to three months.
The Red Shirts support Thaksin, who was ousted in a bloodless military coup in 2006 while he was attending a U.N. assembly. His supporters protested for weeks, demanding that Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dissolve parliament and call new elections.
Thaksin briefly returned to Thailand to fight a corruption charge, but fled again in 2008. He left before Thailand's Supreme Court convicted him of abusing his power and purchasing land owned by his wife.
Asia-Pacific destinations marketed at travel forum | guampdn.com | Pacific Daily News
Asia-Pacific destinations marketed at travel forum | guampdn.com | Pacific Daily News
Visitors bureaus from Guam and Yap last week used the Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart 2010 in Macau to not only market their individual destinations but also the Micronesia region as a whole.
"We understand that our duty as chapter members is to not only market our individual islands among potential visitors in the Asia-Pacific, but to market our region as a whole," said PATA Micronesia Chairman Darin De Leon. "Our hope is that by making our region more desirable, our airline partners will help make it more accessible. If that happens, the individual economies of our island partners will improve, and visitor arrivals to our region will get a boost."
The Guam Visitors Bureau and Yap Visitors Bureau utilized the event -- known to be an influential networking and contracting event in the Asia Pacific region -- to make contacts in the area, as well as in nearby Hong Kong, where both entities have worked to increase exposure among potential visitors for several years, the release stated.
"We hope to generate more business out of the Hong Kong/Macau area as well as use PATA Travel Mart as an opportunity to meet with international buyers from our other source markets," said De Leon.
PATA Travel Mart 2010 featured a full day of seminars covering topics including prospects for Asia Pacific tourism, PATA's Strategic Intelligence Centre, and human resources issues in the industry, as well exhibit space for networking opportunities.
Visitors bureaus from Guam and Yap last week used the Pacific Asia Travel Association Travel Mart 2010 in Macau to not only market their individual destinations but also the Micronesia region as a whole.
"We understand that our duty as chapter members is to not only market our individual islands among potential visitors in the Asia-Pacific, but to market our region as a whole," said PATA Micronesia Chairman Darin De Leon. "Our hope is that by making our region more desirable, our airline partners will help make it more accessible. If that happens, the individual economies of our island partners will improve, and visitor arrivals to our region will get a boost."
The Guam Visitors Bureau and Yap Visitors Bureau utilized the event -- known to be an influential networking and contracting event in the Asia Pacific region -- to make contacts in the area, as well as in nearby Hong Kong, where both entities have worked to increase exposure among potential visitors for several years, the release stated.
"We hope to generate more business out of the Hong Kong/Macau area as well as use PATA Travel Mart as an opportunity to meet with international buyers from our other source markets," said De Leon.
PATA Travel Mart 2010 featured a full day of seminars covering topics including prospects for Asia Pacific tourism, PATA's Strategic Intelligence Centre, and human resources issues in the industry, as well exhibit space for networking opportunities.
Thailand August Vehicle Output, Exports Rise On Year
Thailand August Vehicle Output, Exports Rise On Year
BANGKOK -(Dow Jones)- Thailand's vehicle production and exports continued to increase in August from a year earlier on the back of the improving economy, the Federation of Thai Industries said Thursday.
August vehicle output in Thailand, a regional manufacturing hub for many of the world's biggest automakers, shot up 67.6% on year to 141,043 units, the federation said in a statement.
The number of units exported in August was 77,750, up 80.4% on year, with increased shipments to every market.
The value of car, truck and bus exports--including detached engines and automotive parts--totaled THB51.96 billion ($1.68 billion) in August, a 54.5% rise from August last year.
If motorcycles and motorcycle parts were included, the total value of exports would have been THB55.21 billion, up 52.2% from a year earlier.
In the first eight months of this year, vehicle production surged 92.6% to 1.06 million units.
The federation forecast vehicle production will reach 426,354 units in the September to November period, up 25.6% on year but down 2.1% from the June to August period.
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201009160028dowjonesdjonline000004&title=thailand-august-vehicle-outputexports-rise-on-year#ixzz100XbvMEF
BANGKOK -(Dow Jones)- Thailand's vehicle production and exports continued to increase in August from a year earlier on the back of the improving economy, the Federation of Thai Industries said Thursday.
August vehicle output in Thailand, a regional manufacturing hub for many of the world's biggest automakers, shot up 67.6% on year to 141,043 units, the federation said in a statement.
The number of units exported in August was 77,750, up 80.4% on year, with increased shipments to every market.
The value of car, truck and bus exports--including detached engines and automotive parts--totaled THB51.96 billion ($1.68 billion) in August, a 54.5% rise from August last year.
If motorcycles and motorcycle parts were included, the total value of exports would have been THB55.21 billion, up 52.2% from a year earlier.
In the first eight months of this year, vehicle production surged 92.6% to 1.06 million units.
The federation forecast vehicle production will reach 426,354 units in the September to November period, up 25.6% on year but down 2.1% from the June to August period.
Read more: http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201009160028dowjonesdjonline000004&title=thailand-august-vehicle-outputexports-rise-on-year#ixzz100XbvMEF
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