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Thailand set to go ahead with cross-border farming scheme with Myanmar
Details of a contract farming project have been announced
that will see Thai investment flow across the country’s northern border to
fund plantations in Myanmar in a bid to stem the flow of illegal migrant
workers into the kingdom. Government and private sector interests in the
northern Thai border province of Tak have agreed to back the scheme which
will link the Tak district of Mae Sot with the town of Myawaddi in Myanmar.
Nawin Thepwong, the province’s commercial chief, said
that both countries’ governments and the private sector have agreed to
seek the endorsement of the provincial authorities. The project would see
Thai investors fund the contract farming of 30,000 rai (4,800 hectares) of
maize, mung beans and castor-oil plants in the Myawaddi area. The
plantations would then be extended to Tak’s Mae Sot, Mae Ramad and Pobpra
districts, covering 500,000 rai of land, Nawin said. This contract farming
venture is part of the two governments’ joint effort to deal with the
influx of illegal migrant labor from Myanmar.
Meanwhile, traders in Tak said they would be asking the
government to relax regulations which cap the value of each cross-border
transaction at US$200, or 8,000 baht. They said these regulations were
impractical and restricted border trade. (TNA)
Attorneys confident of nailing Saxena in banking scandal
Attorneys remained confident of securing the extradition
from Canada of Rakesh Saxena, one of the principle players in the Bangkok
Bank of Commerce (BBC) scandal.
Speaking on January 21, a day after the long-awaited
conviction of former BBC president Krirkkiat Jalichandra, who has been found
guilty of embezzling millions of baht from the now defunct bank, attorney
Trakul Winitnaiphak said that he was now working to gain the full ruling on
Krirkriat’s case to send to attorneys in Canada, where the fugitive,
Saxena, now resides.
Although Saxena never held a formal role at the bank and
only ever acted in an advisory capacity, he was heavily implicated in the
scandal, and was once described by the Asiaweek Magazine as ‘Thailand’s
most wanted man’.
Trakul expressed confidence that Thailand would secure
Saxena’s extradition, saying that a decision was likely to be made after
the fugitive’s case went through the Canadian Appeal Court in February.
Although the Canadian Lower Court ruled in the past that
Saxena could be extradited, Saxena has managed to buy time by lodging a
judicial appeal. (TNA)
Further Thailand-
Japan FTA talks scheduled
Senior Thai and Japanese officials are scheduled to hold
further discussions on a free trade agreement (FTA) in Bangkok, according to
senior government officials. The two sides plan to discuss reducing duties
on both industrial and agricultural products.
Thailand plans to ask Japan to open its market to Thai
chicken meat by fixing import quotas equivalent to total value of chicken
exports from Thailand for the whole year, a senior government trade
negotiator, Pinit Korsriporn, told reporters.
Thailand will suggest that Bangkok should be given the
same privileges included in Japan’s FTA with the Philippines, due to be
signed soon, which exempts Philippine exports of chicken meat from import
duties. Thailand is also keen to convince Tokyo to reduce import duties on
Thai tapioca and sugar. The Thai authorities also want Japan to open its
markets to Thai marine products. They argue that most fish products are
raised locally by fishermen and do not harm the environment as the Japanese
allege.
Negotiations on imports of Thai vegetables and fruits are
also on the agenda. Although Japan has opened its market to these products,
it has imposed strict hygienic standards.
The results of the meeting will be discussed by the FTA
committee, headed by the permanent secretary of the Foreign Ministry,
sometime in February. (TNA)
Finance Ministry makes shift to social fiscal measures
The Ministry of Finance has announced a shift towards
more community involvement in fiscal measures, in an initiative that will
start with senior ministry executives staying overnight with local people to
gather ideas and opinions.
The move, announced by the vice minister for Finance,
Weerachai Weeramethikul, in a seminar held on January 21, marks a greater
swing towards grassroots economic involvement in a government already noted
for its dual track approach to economic development.
Weerachai said that under the ‘roving ministry’
plans, senior ministry executives would eat and stay overnight with
community leaders in order to get a picture of the genuine needs of local
communities. With society and the public placed firmly at the center of new
policy directives, senior ministry officials will be expected to think
outside traditional frameworks so as to draw up effective social development
measures.
Weerachai said that although the government had done much
to develop Thai society, it recognized that more needs to be done. “This
includes the transformation of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural
Cooperatives (BAAC) into a true bank for the rural population and the
development of One Tambon One Product (OTOP) goods,” he said.
The initiative, which echoes a similar one over a decade
ago, was applauded by Phaiboon Wattanasiritham, a member of the National
Social and Economic Advisory Board. Advocating the establishment of a
people’s committee, Phaiboon said that the involvement of the people was
essential in the determination of policies.
The committee would also work in a supervisory role,
scrutinizing government work. “The government must constantly recognize
that the national budget and assets do not belong to the government or to
government leaders, but are money and assets belonging to public
taxpayers,” Phaiboon said. “The government must allow public
participation in determining policies and operations, particularly urgent
policies such as addressing the tsunami in the six southern provinces,” he
added. Describing social fiscal measures as a challenge, he called on Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to honor his promise to give the people a role
in public decision-making. (TNA)
Katoen Natie opens phase 3 logistic plant on the Eastern Seaboard
Belgian logistics company Katoen Natie automotive
division officially opened their phase 3 expansion plant on Friday, January
21 at the Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate in Rayong. The new 9,000 square
meter facility represents an additional 110 million baht investment into the
region’s growing automotive business.
Dr. Ulf
Osmers, Technical Planning and Quality director for BMW Thailand; Chin Weng
Chow, Delphi Automotive Systems general manager and Dr. Pricha
Pantumsinchai, TLAPS president cut the ribbon to declare the new 9,000 sq.
meter facility open.
Guests, customers and business associates throughout the
eastern seaboard attended the opening festivities and were privy to an array
of Thai cultural shows with elegantly dressed performers.
The official ceremonies began with Alain Deurwader,
Katoen Natie (Thailand) Ltd. managing director welcoming guests and
customers to the new plant.
 Kateon
Natie Sembcorp vehicle used to transport raw plastics.
“Kateon Natie began here on the Eastern Seaboard just
four years ago and since then our facilities have grown to a total of 19,000
square meters,” said Alain.
Stephen De Vrieze from Kateon Natie in Belgium echoed
Alain’s sentiments saying that Thailand and the Eastern Seaboard in
particular after witnessing the industry’s pro-active attitude. “I feel
that this is the place where things are going to happen,” said Stephen,
who spent two years in Thailand when the company opened on the Eastern
Seaboard.
 Alain
Deurwader, Katoen Natie (Thailand) Ltd. managing director watching the time
as he leads guests on a tour of the facility.
Guest speaker, Dr. Pricha Pantumsinchai, Thai Logistics
and Production Society (TLAPS) president, spoke on the future of the
industry in Thailand. “Thailand is aiming to be the logistics hub for Asia
but in order to do so, we (Thailand) must compete better on price, have
better qualified people and improve our communications,” said Dr Prich,
who also lectures at Chulalongkorn University and recently conducted an
extensive survey into the logistics industry -customers and suppliers - in
Thailand. He also said that there is a push to give further tax breaks to
BOI companies.
Dr. Ulf Osmers, Technical Planning and Quality director
for BMW Thailand and current, Chin Weng Chow, Delphi Automotive Systems
general manager, a Katoen Natie customer, also presented their ideas and
feedback on logistics. The central theme behind all three speakers was the
need for professionalism and flexibility, a quality that Katoen Natie offers
to its varied customer base.
Katoen
Natie management, staff and guests take to the stage to remember the
occasion.
All three then cut the ceremonial ribbon declaring the
facility open. With the official ceremonies over, a tour of the company’s
facilities was conducted, during which Alain Deurwader told his guests that
the warehouses and facilities had been built to international standards with
natural ventilation, a standard floor load weight 5 tons per sq. meters and
a flexible system for their in-house customers.
“Our customer UMU, which manufactures fiber composite
mats required at least 7 tons per square meter and to meet those needs we
reinforced the floor. Similarly, we (Katoen Natie) are flexible enough to
meet our customer’s needs in terms of space for manufacturing, storage or
delivery systems,” said Alain.
Following the plant tour a buffet lunch laid out on site
by the Amari and was enjoyed by all and even the Belgian Ambassador H.E. Jan
Matthysen who arrived for the event.
“Kateon Natie is indeed a well established company and
represents the ideals of Belgium such as innovation, commitment and
efficiency,” said the ambassador.
Based in Antwerp, Katoen Natie has expanded greatly since
its humble beginnings. Kateon is the Dutch/Belgian word for cotton and since
1855 is still Europe’s largest handler of the cotton. However, since then
the privately owned company has expanded into 22 countries, dealing with all
forms of logistics, engineering and petrochemicals.
In an Alain Deurwader, Katoen Natie (Thailand) Ltd.
managing director said, “Kateon Natie has invested 250 million baht in
Thailand and with the opening of this new facility we have already had
enquiries from potential customers and orders to fill by the end of the
year. Once it’s about 75 percent full we’ll start the process of
acquiring the land next store and expand once again. That takes about six
month to complete.”
Kateon Natie Thailand has two facilities: the automotive division in the
Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate (ISIE) - with it neighbors being Ford and
General Motors. The other is a joint venture; Kateon Natie Sembcorp dealing
with petrochemicals and logistics in the Maptaput industrial estate, also in
Rayong.
Permanent housing begins
for tsunami survivors
Just weeks after massive tsunami waves smashed into
Thailand’s southern Andaman coastline, the government has officially begun
its program of constructing permanent housing for those made homeless by the
disaster.
In Phuket to ceremonially lay the first post of the first
house in Thalang district was Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh, who traveled to the southern resort island to oversee the
construction of an initial batch of 36 houses.
Built and designed by the Community Organization
Development Institute (CODI) in conjunction with the Treasury Department,
the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning, and the Tha
Chat Chai tambon administrative organization, the houses will provide
accommodation for some of the 55 households whose homes were swept away when
the massive waves struck on December 26.
The semi-detached houses, constructed at a cost of
100,000 baht have open areas at the front which residents will be able to
use for petty trade or for storing fishing equipment. Construction is
expected to be completed within a month.
However, Gen. Chavalit refrained from painting a
completely rosy picture of the future, warning local residents that they had
to form community groups to streamline the receipt of aid and cope with
future contingencies. (TNA)
Thai exporters take advantage
of Thailand-Australia FTA
More than 200 Thai exporters have taken advantage of the
privileges under the Thailand-Australia free trade agreement (FTA) which
came into force some weeks ago, according to senior commerce ministry
officials. More than 200 local exporters have already checked with the
government office on the details of the Thailand-Australia FTA, senior trade
official Apiradi Tantraporn reported.
Thai exporters of auto parts, electrical products,
including air-conditioners, canned seafood, furniture and ceramics, have
taken advantage of the FTA, Apiradi confirmed.
Imports from Australia during the period were mostly
margarines, malt, wheat, aluminum and cherries worth around sixty million
baht. Most of these goods were imported for processing into finished
products in Thailand. The import of ‘sensitive’ goods, including beef,
has not risen since the agreement came into force. (TNA)
More exports to Russia
Thailand plans to increase exports to Russia, with the
promotion of new products, including electronic, sports and recreation
products, according to senior government officials.
Thailand plans to increase its exports to Russia
following a recent meeting with Russian senators in Bangkok, a senior
bureaucrat, Chutaporn Lumpasara recently announced. At the meeting, Thai
officials suggested increasing the export of televisions, radio sets and
plastic resins. They also told their Russian visitors that Thailand wants to
promote the export of new products including electronic, sports and
recreation products to Russia.
Thailand’s public and private sectors are now
conducting a feasibility study on how to organize one-to-one meetings
between Thai and Russian businessmen, aimed at exchanging information and
expanding Thai exports to Russia.
Thailand has a trade deficit with Russia. Bangkok’s
exports to Russia last year were worth nearly three hundred million dollars,
while imports from Russia were worth nearly twice that. (TNA)
Thai fishermen battered
by tsunami to receive help
Under an agreement between Thailand and the UN’s Food
and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN will provide US$ 400,000 to
assist Thai fishermen affected by the tsunami on December 26. The FAO
assistance will be offered to Thai farmers, especially fishermen, in the
country’s six southern coastal provinces which were devastated by the
massive tidal waves, according to a senior agricultural official, Pinit
Korsriporn.
Under the agreement signed on January 24, the FAO will
provide fishing equipment worth US$ 400,000 to nearly nine thousand farmers
and fisherman. The assistance will available until the end of October.
In 2004, the FAO also extended assistance to help relieve
those affected by the flooding problem in Sukhothai province.
US officials are expected to visit Thailand soon to
inspect the damage down by the massive tsunami waves, Pinit said. The US is
also expected to use the FAO’s information when it considers Thailand’s
requests to lower the anti-dumping duty imposed on Thai shrimp imports.
(TNA)
SET appoints new assistant president
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has appointed a new
assistant president to take care of its information and research projects,
and foreign affairs.
The newly-appointed SET’s assistant president is
Sethavuth Suthivatnarueputhi, 39, who was a former senior economist of the
World Bank. He was also a top economist at government agencies under the
Ministry of Finance, including the Comptroller General’s Department and
the Fiscal Policy Research Institute, and at New York-based consulting
company, McKinsey & Co., Inc.
Sethavuth, an undergraduate with the First Class Honor
from Swarthmore College, as well as a post graduate and Ph.D graduate, from
the Faculty of Economics, Yale University in the United States, was also a
lecturer of universities in Bangkok, including Chulalongkorn University and
the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). (TNA)
Bird flu preventive measures are still strong, says health ministry
Monitoring measures on bird flu in Thailand are still
being strictly imposed to prevent its re-emerging for the third time, Public
Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan has affirmed. “New cases of bird flu
patients have not been found in Thailand since October,” said Sudarat.
The monitoring measures have been increased to the
highest level of awareness, especially the preventative measures on
human-to-human transfer. Public health volunteers across the country were
given training on how to deal with the situation, and were assigned to pass
on the information to villagers whenever local fowls suspiciously die.
The Ministry of Public Health is planning to open more
labs with the potential to test for the disease, increasing the number from
the current 6 to 12 nationwide, in order to speed up the testing process.
“A few cases of suspicious bird deaths have been found in only four lower
northern provinces and the situation has been kept under control,” said
the director-general of the Department of Disease Control, Dr. Thawat
Suntrajarn. “With close cooperation and coordination between the Ministry
of Public Health, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and the
National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department, fresh information
on the disease has been obtained daily and this has helped in planning the
prevention of any further spread,” he said.
Bird flu hit Thailand twice last year, causing several
billion baht damage to local poultry businesses, especially in the export
sector. Millions of fowl have been culled to stop the spread. Dozens of Thai
people, mostly in rural areas, were infected with the disease and many of
them died. (TNA)
Steel price volatility likely to ease this year
The steel price volatility is expected to ease this year
on an assessment that the demand for the product in the world market would
increase at a slower pace that of last year, according to the Kasikorn
Research Center (KRC).
KRC disclosed the International Iron and Steel Institute
(IISI) projected the global demand for steel this year would increase 5%
from that of last year with China still becoming the biggest consumer of
around 290 metric tons. The expected growth rate is lower than that in 2003
and 2004, which saw the demand increase at an average of 7.5% and 7.6% per
year respectively.
The report said the decline in the steel demand in China
and speculation on the price volatility would ease the pressure on the
demand and price of the product in the world market although prices of
various kinds of steel continue to stay high.
KRC projected the steel demand would grow steadily at
2.2% during 2005-2008 compared with an average of 6.23% during 2002-2004.
The high consumption of steel in China will still dictate the demand in the
world market.
The leading think tank forecast the local steel price
volatility, which was very high last year, would also ease as a result of
the decline the price fluctuation in the world market and the increase in
production capacity of many local steel plants. Although the local steel
demand would rise on the rehabilitation of houses damaged by last month’s
tsunamis, it would be offset by the increasing supply in the market. (TNA)
Studies aimed
at private jail initiative
Thailand’s prison system could be privatized in the
future, Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana recently revealed, while
insisting that plans to allow the private sector to run new prisons will
rest with the results of feasibility studies.
But the justice minister stressed that the private prison
initiative was at present simply one idea among many for reforming
inmates’ behavior. While noting that several nations had adopted similar
approaches to prison management, he said that this did not mean that the
idea would necessarily take off in Thailand.
At present, he said, the government was conducting more
studies and gathering opinions on the issue, and the initiative would only
come off the drawing board if it seemed appropriate.
He also dismissed suggestions that private sector prisons
would be places of luxury, saying, “Don’t jump to the conclusion that
private sector prisons will be five-star hotels or resorts. That would
require a high level of investment. These prisons must be cheaper than those
run by the public sector.”
Stressing that the plans would not result in any lay-offs
among current prison staff, he said that bringing in the private sector
would help reduce the burden on an already overstretched public sector
workforce.
However, he hinted that the prison service could face
wholesale privatization in the future, saying that privatization could
improve the quality of life for prison inmates, while simultaneously
reducing costs. He added that it is possible that the private sector prisons
might accommodate inmates on minor charges who are willing to pay special
fees for greater comfort. (TNA)
Ride for Peace returns to Pattaya
Thundering sounds of big bikes and classic cars to rumble in February
Suchada Tupchai
The second annual ‘Ride for Peace’, hosted by the
Burapha Motorcycle club, American Classic Car society and Classic Old Bike
society is again set to roar through the streets of Pattaya. In a recent
meeting at city hall Mayor Niran met with organizers and law enforcement
agencies to coordinate the 3-day event, from February 11-13.
Prasan Nikaji, president of Burapha Motorcycle Club
Thailand, explained the 3-day bike-riding event was initiated to promote
tourism in many aspects - aiming to raise awareness of eco-friendly tourism,
carbon monoxide reduction, and to generate understanding amongst the public
that bike riders such as his group love peace and social harmony.
Prasan said it was common in some parts of the world to
see chopper bikers as troublemakers, but his group is made up of respectable
people with jobs and businesses who just happen to love big bikes. They
genuinely desire to uphold peace and interact with the community in a
responsible way.
“Our members are also involved in many charitable
events,” said Prasan. The group leader said his squad endorses the
campaign for 4-stroke motorcycle engines to help reduce CO2 emission, the
wearing of helmets and switching on headlights for safety,
Asian-European-American relationship strengthening, and fundraising for
Pattaya student scholarships, and improvement of facilities.
Prasan said, “This year we can expect at least one
thousand riders of different nationalities, to join in a huge parade from
North Pattaya Road, proceeding to Beach Road, to Pratamnak Road, and end at
Na Jomtien. Tight security will be enforced by local police and volunteers
to ensure the event comes off without a hitch.”
A number of shows will again take place at the event
ground in Jomtien including a chopper bike show, Jet Ski show, para-motor
show, Miss Chopper beauty pageant, and a Cowboy and Cowgirl contest.
The event opens from 8.30 a.m. till 6 p.m. and entrance is free for all
spectators.
Thailand faces shortage of HIV medicines
A Thai AIDS support group has warned the government that
Thailand faces a shortage of a medicine used in the treatment of the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The shortage in the country’s
eastern province of Rayong was so severe that hospitals have run out of
their stocks of Efavirenz, said Nimit Thien-udom, director of the AIDS
Access Foundation.
Rayong’s hospitals have had to rely on neighboring
provinces for their supplies. But now their supplies are so limited they
have had to reduce the prescriptions of the tablets for HIV carriers, Nimit
said. “The HIV carriers now have to go to hospital every week to get the
drug, instead of every month as previously,” he said.
The Foundation has urged the government to look into the
problem, as it is worried that these shortages could spread to other
provinces, Nimit said.
There has been a shortage of Efavirenz ever since the
manufacturer moved its factory outside the country. More than 3,000 HIV
carriers need to take the drug regularly to prevent their infection become
resistant to the treatment.
Nimit said his group has also petitioned the health
minister. A meeting with the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Vichai
Tienthavorn, has been arranged for February 7 to discuss the problem.
Efavirenz, an anti-HIV drug, is a non-nucleoside reverse
transcriptase inhibitors. It is used with other medicines to treat HIV
infection. (TNA)
EDITORIAL: Exercise your rights to a fair election
Suchada Tupchai
As the February 6 election date draws close,
parliamentary candidates are stepping up the campaigns and knocking doors in
a last ditch effort to win over the voting populace. The campaigners are
being closely monitored by election officials to ensure candidates remain on
the straight and narrow path in the lead up to Sunday.
The election regulations were formed in 1998 to ensure a
fairer and tighter system of controls, right down to the ballot boxes. Since
then, regulations have been adjusted to close loopholes and maintain the
essence of democracy.
The Election Monitoring Committee (EMC) members in each
province have been chosen and told to follow the middle path in allowing
equanimity for all parties - especially for those honest and no so honest.
Each member has been selected based on their political neutrality in the
selection of community leaders by the voting public.
Throughout the nation and even in Pattaya candidates are
forging ahead to make the grade and EMC members and ballot box scrutinizers
have received specialized training in advance and directly involved with the
government. These people must adhere to the policy being impartial during
this period and instructed to follow their duty with honesty and due
diligence to enforce the regulations laid down by the EMC and the laws it
abides by.
More importantly on this issue, is honesty and the
ability to carry out the special instructions with a sense of justice and
fairness for all - as the general public monitor every move and detail as
Thailand tries to improve its democratic system.
Eligible voters throughout the nation have been urged to cast their
ballots this weekend, already many have used their right to vote knowing in
advance that they will not make it on Election Day, February 6,between 8
a.m. to 3 p.m. The public has also been urged to report discrepancies or
suspected vote buying directly to National Police Bureau Election monitoring
office via emailing [email protected] or calling 02 278 8000, 08 619 7472-3
(for those outside the greater Bangkok area).
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