Posts Tagged ‘Thai’
A popular Thai Pub was raided by Pattaya Police in the early hours of Saturday. Police Major General Jumnong, Commander of Chonburi Provincial Police led the raid on the Damnan Chon Pub at the…
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After an 18 percent tourist drop in November owing to the national floods emergency, passenger traffic through Suvarnabhumi airport boomed in the recent holiday period. Anirut Thanomkulbutra, president of the Airports Authority of Thailand, said that January 2 2012 was the busiest day on record with a 24.2 percent increase on last year.
“The extra traffic during the holiday season pushed Suvarnabhumi beyond its 45 million passenger capacity. Some provisional figures suggest that the country might have achieved its tourist arrival target of 19.5 million for the whole year 2011,” Anirut added. He agreed that the closing of Don Muang airport had caused additional pressure at Suvarnabhumi as regards domestic and charter flights.
Meanwhile, marketing experts are urging the government to focus on big extravaganzas this year to maintain tourist confidence whilst avoiding new political conflict which could lead to a return of mass demonstrations. It is being noted that China built up its brand image by sponsoring events at the international level, such as World Expo in Shanghai 2010, the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and the 16th Asian Games in Guangzhou.
A survey of Pattaya Today readers suggests a number of common-sense approaches to boosting tourism in 2012. The research was conducted on a random sample basis of readers during the period December 24 to January 3. The majority of respondents were British, American and Russian and staying in the Pattaya area.
Surprisingly perhaps, the biggest recommendation – supported by 82 percent of the respondents – was to reform immigration regulations so that those arriving with a 30-day stamp at the airport could simply extend their stay for a further month on payment of a fee rather than having to face a visa run to the Cambodian border. “Many people decide not to extend their stay once they realize the complications,” said 40-year old London-born Anne Walker. “It’s usually said that people should obtain a longer visa at a Thai embassy before they get here, but not everybody is aware of the ins and outs. Make it easy is my recommendation!”
Other suggestions for attracting a greater number of international visitors for a longer time included more sports and music festivals, an end to tourist scams such as the jet ski menace, a police complaints procedure which led to results and an urgent addressing of the problems of grid-locked traffic. Russian tourist Andrei Andropov, 23, said “I have been coming to Thailand for three years but the traffic is definitely getting worse.”
City Hall commented that many facilities for family tourists had been improved in recent years, particularly the opening of first-class malls and premier hotels, and a complaints procedure was in place by phoning 1337 day or night. Massive improvements in infrastructure, including roads, were in the pipeline with the aim of doubling tourist numbers and revenue in Pattaya by 2017.
BANGKOK, Feb 3 – THAI Smile Air, Thai Airways International (THAI)’s new sub-brand carrier, will begin its first operational flight July 1 from Bangkok to Macau.
Pattaya Daily News – Pattaya Newspaper, Powerful news at your fingertips
The spectrum-management and broadcasting master plans will drastically change the landscape of the Thai television industry with up to 100 digital-TV channels being available for public viewing in the near future.
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission aims to grant digital terrestrial TV broadcasting licences late this year and expects to see the number of digital-TV channels grow to 100 within the next five years, NBTC broadcasting committee chairman Natee Sukonrat said yesterday.
About 50 licences are expected to be handed out in the first lot by early next year.
The move is in line with the NBTC draft of the spectrum-management master plan aiming to take radio and TV broadcasters to the digital era within four years after the master plan takes effect.
After a long delay plagued with disputes stemming from political and business motives, the NBTC came into full existence just a few months ago. Formed under a constitutional spirit that treats broadcast and telecom frequencies as national resources that are to be shared and must benefit all Thais equally, the NBTC apparently has hit the ground running with its digital-TV plan.
Natee told the Nation Multimedia Group yesterday that the watchdog was expected to trial the digital terrestrial TV broadcasting system in June in its attempt to educate viewers on a wider scale. Free-TV operators will be invited to conduct the test.
The NBTC digital-TV plan seems set to shake up the television-industry landscape as the operating costs of TV will significantly go down. The large number of new channels will draw a massive number of content providers to the long-monopolised playing field.
He added that digital broadcasting technology would enable the maximum use of TV broadcasting spectra and provide better service quality to viewers.
But the watchdog might not need to specify the technology platforms that the broadcasters should use for the trial.
The NBTC’s draft of the broadcasting master plan determines that the watchdog will complete the details of this digital switch-over plan for TV broadcasting within one year and for radio broadcasting within two years, and will start digital radio and TV broadcasting within four years. It will also complete regulations on licensing of digital TV broadcasting within two years and for digital radio broadcasting within three years.
Natee said prospective digital-TV broadcasters should be encouraged to use a common infrastructure to create a cost-effective operation.
The watchdog will put the drafts of the spectrum, broadcasting and telecom master plans for nationwide hearing next Friday.
They are expected to become effective in March.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Revolution-looms-for-Thai-digital-television-30175162.html
He said TOP and the PTT group had conducted a joint study on possible investment destinations in Asean, especially Burma, Indonesia, Vietnam and Cambodia. TOP will focus its investment on the refinery business in these countries.
The study focuses on upstream petroleum investment, natural-gas and oil pipelines, gas-separation plants, refineries, and the petrochemical business.
He added that there was potential for investment in Burma, which is opening up its economy. TOP is also interested in investing in refinery-related businesses in Vietnam when there are favourable opportunities.
He forecast that the Dubai crude oil price this year would be in the range of US$ 105-$ 106 per barrel, almost the same as last year, despite global economic problems. TOP has devised a risk-management plan to deal with the volatile global oil price.
As part of its five-year investment plan, TOP will spend $ 1 billion (Bt31 billion), part of which would be poured into the expansion of its seaport capacity to enable transport of 50,000 tonnes per year, up from the present 5,000 tonnes per year. It will also expand its paraxylene production capacity by 100,000 tonnes per year from the present 400,000 tonnes.
The expansion is expected to be completed in the third quarter.
It will also invest in setting up two small power plants, each with capacity of 120 megawatts, and costing Bt10 billion per plant. They will sell 90MW to the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, starting in 2014 or 2015.
Energy expert Manoon Siriwan said he expected the average global oil price this year to be $ 100-$ 115 per barrel but it could jump to $ 200 if Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil-transport route. But he said Iran was unlikely to do so because it would affect its oil exports, too.
On the other hand, the economic problems in Europe and the United States could bring the oil price down to $ 75-$ 80. One should keep a close watch if the Western economies are able to solve their problems within the first half of the year.
He believes that the domestic oil price could rise to Bt5.30 per litre after the government’s planned gradual imposition of the diesel excise.
Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Thai-Oil-scouting-for-investment-30175069.html
