News from Thailand – September 26, 2012
From October 1, experts expect a fierce competition between Nok Air and Thai AirAsia with interesting discounts and other marketing tricks, from which passengers on domestic destinations will only benefit.
On that date, Nok Air will be joined by competitor Thai AirAsia (TAA), because then the three AirAsia budget airlines will move to Don Mueang.
With the arrival of TAA, which flies from Suvarnabhumi until the end of the month, Nok Air loses one of its unique appeals to its customers, namely easy accessibility to the airport. And TAA can't benefit from it right away either with competitor Nok Air next door. Nok Air, which moved back in March, has since benefited significantly from its position as many passengers prefer Don Mueang to Suvarnabhumi.
Orient Thai Airlines, which moved to Don Mueang a little later than Nok Air, was not a competitor, as domestic destinations make up only 20 percent of its operations, the rest being international charter services.
TAA operates 24 A320 jetliners, operating 73 daily flights and serving 12 domestic and 16 international destinations. Nok Air has 13 aircraft, makes 55 flights a day and flies to 19 domestic destinations. On Monday, a daily flight to Chumphon will be added.
Flood news
- Water from the North reached an all-time high in Bang Rakam (Phitsanulok) district yesterday and started flowing into Phichit province. Bang Rakam was flooded on September 9 and will remain flooded for at least 40 days. The water is starting to recede in the districts of Phrom Phiram and Muang Phitsanulok. The Yom River in Bang Rakam was nine meters above mean sea level yesterday. Water from the Yom is still drained to the Nan River.
- The Yom overflowed its banks in four districts of Phichit province. Twenty villages were flooded and connecting roads became impassable. About 2.800 families have been affected and 4.870 rai worth of rice fields have been destroyed.
- The Sirikit reservoir in the Nan River is now 66 percent full. In the same river, the Khwai Noi reservoir is 65 percent full. The lake will be filled to 80 percent to provide enough water for the dry season.
- Flooding in Lamphun province damaged properties in seven districts; 40.000 people are affected.
- In the eastern province of Prachin Buri, two districts are still under water. That water comes from the province of Sa Kaeo.
- Heavy rain showers are expected on the eastern and western sides of the southern region.
Other news
– The family of the policeman, who was hit on his motorcycle on September 3 by Vorayuth Yoovidhya's Ferrari, has agreed to compensation of 3 million baht. The compensation is considered an attempt to avoid a civil suit.
At the end of this month, the police will close its investigation into the high-profile accident on Sukhumvit Road. Police are still awaiting further details on the blood test, as drug traces were found in Vorayuth's blood. Vorayuth is charged with driving after an accident and driving under the influence. So maybe there will be another charge. Vorayuth is the grandson of Red Bull creator Chaleo Yoovidhya.
– The investigation into the murder case of police doctor Supat Laohawattana, suspected of four murders, may be taken over by the Department of Special Investigation (the Thai FBI). A human trafficking charge is being considered, because Supat allegedly tortured his employees as well. He has not yet been charged with murder; the results of the examination of the three excavated skeletons in the orchard of Supat are awaited.
In the meantime, more clarity is also being gained about the quarrel between Supat and his brother Suthep. In November, Supat asked the court to declare his mother incompetent and to appoint him as an administrator. The brother has appealed to the court saying that their mother is not suffering from Alzheimer's as claimed by Supat. Supat would have tried to drug his mother.
A video has been uploaded on YouTube in which the mother calls Supat a bad son. The video was set up by a younger sister of the two brothers.
– The ministry of Yongyuth Wichaidit hangs by a thread. Yongyuth, interior minister and chairman of ruling party Pheu Thai, has been found guilty of malfeasance by the National Anti-Corruption Commission for authorizing the transfer of temple land to a private company as deputy secretary of the interior ministry at the time . As a result, the Ministry's Civil Service Committee retroactively dismissed him as a civil servant on September 14.
There is currently a lot of argument about whether the Exoneration Law applies to him. If not, he should resign. The case may come before the Constitution Court, which may take the decision.
– Eight companies have been selected by a selection committee to carry out projects within the framework of the 350 billion baht allocated by the government for anti-flooding works. It concerns works in the basin of 25 rivers. The companies must submit a conceptual plan by 23 November at the latest. Interviews will be held with the applicants in December. The companies will be informed on April 10 who will ultimately be allowed to carry out the work.
– The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation has encountered another case of illegal construction on the island of Phuket. This hotels is located in Khao Ruak-Khao Muang forest reserve and partly in Sirinath National Park, where the other previously caught 14 holiday parks and hotels are also located. National Parks will press charges against the offenders. It is also being investigated whether staff of the service are involved in the issuance of false land deeds.
– The health services in the country have been warned by the Ministry of Health to be alert to cases of illness caused by the coronavirus, a virus from the Sars strain. The new virus has been detected in two patients in Qatar and Saudi Arabia. One died. In Thailand no infections have yet been reported.
– Two alleged Vietnamese poachers were killed and two others captured during a shootout with a village protection team in Nan province. The suspects had cut krissana (aloeswood). The civilian team was set up to protect the forest, in which Thai and foreign gangs often cut wood illegally. The aloe is a protected tree.
Economic news
– The automotive industry is faced with a large number of vacancies for welders and automation engineers, but students in vocational training usually choose automotive engineering, which means they end up in garages.
Students' top five specializations are automotive engineering, electrical and electronics, automation, welding, and construction. The students make up 20 percent within the field of study industry, which in turn accounts for 60 percent of the students. The most popular course of study is accounting within the commercial field of study.
The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) and the office of the Vocational Education Commission met with 50 companies and 80 vocational colleges yesterday to discuss the new dual system, under which students admitted to vocational schools receive two years of on-the-job training. They already earn a monthly wage of 9.000 baht. The aim is to place 2.000 students in the system next year, increasing to 20.000 in 2014.
The automotive industry currently employs 600.000 workers, 55 percent of whom have primary school education and 35 percent have vocational training. The others have a bachelor's degree.
FTI Deputy Secretary-General Thavorn Chalassathien foresees problems in the future as the country aims to reach production of 3,5 million vehicles. "What we could do is not increase the number of employees by 400.000 workers, but by 100.000 doing highly skilled work."
Thailand has 416 public vocational schools and 400 private ones with a total of 400.000 students. This number decreases by 5 percent each year as students prefer to go for a bachelor's degree. The government aims to increase the percentage of students who opt for vocational training from 40 to 60 percent. The dual system responds to this.
– Hybrid cars, biofuel cars and electric cars are the future, predicts Ratanavalee Inochanon, vice president of the PTT Research and Technology Institute. The deciding factor whether EVs (electric cars) will make it is the battery.
The Mitsubishi innovative electric vehicle (MiEV), which has been tested since last year, has a range of 100 to 120 kilometers. It is expected that this will go to 200 to 300 kilometers in the future.
In addition to the MiEV, the Chevrolet Volt from GM will also be tested this year.
Only Metropolitan Electricity Authority of Thailand personnel may purchase a MiEV. There are now two charging stations: one in Bangkok and one in Ayutthaya. This year two will be added in Bangkok and next year the number will be expanded by another six.
– The City Center Group, operator of City Center Pratunam, is opening two new wholesale fashion complexes. It anticipates the Asean Economic Community, which will come into effect in 2015 and is expected to lead to a run by foreign traders.
The first, City Rich, will open next month at Petchaburi soi 21. City Rich is a four-storey building with 1.000 square meters of retail space. There will be 140 outlets. The complex will open on October 24. Eighty percent of the space has already been rented.
Number 2, City Airport Link, on Phaya Thai Road will start booking sales space in the first quarter of next year. It will have seven floors, 1.200 square meters of retail floor space and 41 condominiums.
The group is in talks with two wholesale companies in the Philippines and one in Myanmar to sell Thai fashion products from both complexes in those countries. Preparations are also being made for online sales. The website will be launched in the second quarter of next year.
The turnover of the Thai garment industry is estimated at US$2,88 billion; annual growth is 15 percent.
Japanese youth, women and honeymooners are the 'quality tourists' that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) wants to attract to Thailand to meet the government's target of 2 trillion baht in annual tourism revenue by 2015.
Currently, Thailand only attracts a limited number of Japanese tourists. The number slumped in April 2010 during the disturbances, remained low because of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and only started to recover in March this year. The stronger yen is boosting tourism, but security remains a thorny issue.
"If the government wants to generate more revenue from tourism, it must reassure foreign tourists that Thailand is a safe destination," said Nittaya Aumbhitaya, director of TAT's Tokyo office.
For next year, the TAT has planned a campaign in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka that focuses specifically on school trips. Women who love arts and crafts are lured with the 'Sabai Thailand' campaign to take a small part in the ambitious plans of the TAT.
www.dickvanderlugt.nl – Source: Bangkok Post
About this blogger
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Known as Khun Peter (62), lives alternately in Apeldoorn and Pattaya. In a relationship with Kanchana for 14 years. Not yet retired, have my own company, something with insurance. Crazy about animals, especially dogs and music.
Enough hobbies, but unfortunately little time: writing for Thailandblog, fitness, health and nutrition, shooting sports, chatting with friends and some other oddities.
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