|
It may look like rubbish, but to some it is a recession-proof industry
Chatchanun Chaisree
The one-rai plot of land is full of discarded scrap
metal, newspapers, cardboard boxes, cans, beer bottles and daily refuse. It
looks like rubbish to most of us, but to some it is money. Few people would
stop and consider that the garbage business can actually generate a good
income.
A huge
mountain of scrap metal needs a backhoe to shift it.
Pattaya Mail interviewed Somchat Phongtheerapol, the
owner of this garbage patch beside Bangkok Pattaya Hospital. Somchat says
the business is all about bringing in and selling out. He said it’s not
like selling fresh produce, which quickly stacks up and goes rotten unless
it is sold promptly. The more “produce” he has in his yard, the more it
is worth.
This is the real nitty-gritty of recycling. Plastic
bottles are sent to a factory in Prachinburi where they are cut up and
melted down, and blown back into new bottles. Glass beer bottles are washed
and sent back to the original brewer’s bottling plant where they are
hygienically cleaned and reused. Boxes go back to a paper and pulp factory
where they are reconstituted. Scrap metal is sent to a foundry for melting
down and reusing.
A young
man carries a beer bottle sack to add to the pile.
During Pattaya Mail’s visit, Somsri, one of the
collectors who regularly brings garbage to Somchat’s yard, arrived with a
fresh delivery. Somsri sells bikinis around Pattaya Beach, and sees many
discarded water bottles there. These she collects, performing a valuable
social service as well as providing herself with income, for by selling to
Somchat she can earn at least 80 to 100 baht a day.
Another regular collector is Somchai, who has his own
business in Pattaya and also regularly brings in plastic bottles and beer
cans. It’s a pity to throw them away because this place gives a good
price, said Somchai.
Somchat said that his business is fairly recession-proof, but different
times can mean more or less of a certain commodity. For example, the down
period for tourism means that there are not so many beer cans being
discarded. But the business always provides him with a good income, he said.
Clean and green reservoir thanks to the school children
Suchada Tupchai
Mabprachan reservoir might be looking a little dry these
days, but it is also looking less cluttered following a cleanup operation by
20 children from the Regent’s School and another 20 from Wat Mai Nernpayom
School in Laem Chabang.
Children
from the Regent’s School and Wat Mai Nernpayom School in Laem Chabang join
forces in cleaning up the bush land beside Mabprachan reservoir.
Peter Smith and other members of Cosmopolitan Lions Club
of Jomtien led the children on a cleanup of the bush land surrounding the
reservoir. This was the first time the Lions Club had organized such an
event.
Regent’s
School students were on hand to look out for their younger counterparts,
handing out water and chatting amongst themselves.
“The Lions Club’s main aim is to create a good
relationship between Thai school students and international school students
and the project in itself is beneficial for the local environment and the
children,” said Smith. “The Cosmopolitan Lions Club of Jomtien selected
this cleanup around the reservoir because not only is it the area’s main
water resource but it’s also a place where people come and relax.
 Hi
Ho, hi ho, it’s off to clean we go...
“Our aim is to also create a better awareness among
residents and those who lazily throw garbage from their vehicles as they
drive by, so they take care of the environment.”
The children were supplied plastic bags and bottled
water, and collected a large amount of refuse, particularly plastic bags and
water bottles. The Lions Club then treated them to lunch, with both groups
from different ends of the economic scale bonding and creating a warm
atmosphere.
Yuri Sricharoen, Wat Mai Nernpayom School teacher told
reporters, “The children here today are mostly year 5 students and are
very happy to carry out such activities outside the school. The Cosmopolitan
Lions Club of Jomtien has supported our students continuously through the
school lunch project and scholarship programs.
“Today the children have not only an opportunity to help care for the
environment but meet other students from the international school and
practice their English and make new friends.”
Swiss International updates travel agents on bargain deals
Vimolrat Singnikorn
Pattaya’s leading travel agents attended a seminar
staged by Swiss International Airlines at the Amari Orchid Resort to hear
the airline’s district sales manager for Bangkok Betty Pongsathorn and
senior sales executive Supoj Lokunsombat present details of new packages
that offer advantageous rates to the travel industry and to passengers.
Amongst the hot items was a round-trip flight to Singapore that includes
two nights’ accommodation in a double room with breakfast at an
all-inclusive price of 6,400 baht. Packages to Switzerland were also
considered to be especially economical, with a choice of destination cities
and a special pass that allows the passenger unlimited travel within the
country by train, bus and boat.
Supoj
Lokunsombat (front, center, left), senior sales executive and Betty
Pongsathorn (front, center, right), district sales manager for Bangkok, with
the seminar participants.
Revamped call centre proposed after 1555 failure
Suchada Tupchai
Progress on the revamping of Pattaya’s Call Centre
project was presented by representatives of Integrated Communication
Technology (ICT) Co Ltd to Mayor Niran Wattanasartsathorn and city
administrators and councilors on June 16.
 An
operator demonstrates the new call center equipment.
The company had earlier submitted the project, aimed at
developing a stable information centre for residents and tourists after the
previous 1555 system failed miserably at a cost of 1 million baht.
The previous system saw the city receive numerous
complaints over service issues and operating hours, which had been typical
government office hours. Users said there was a lack of information and up
to date news, along with language problems.
City hall has given the company an opportunity to present
a new proposal to develop the system and eliminate the mistakes of the past
project, ensuring the Pattaya Call Centre is a viable addition to city
services.
ICT managing director A-Witsada Pattarodom said the
latest proposal is for a full capacity call centre that will focus on
servicing the target groups of tourists and local residents.
“The aim is to reach and maintain a high standard of
quality that services tourists, creates satisfaction, and improves the
city’s income opportunities as a one-stop service open 24/7 in both Thai
and English,” said A-Witsada .
The main services will include tourism information such
as entertainment, restaurants, directions to tourist spots, traffic and
travel information and hotel bookings, along with providing emergency
information and informing police in emergency situations.
This will be further broken down into three separate
sections: 1) Providing information; 2) Providing assistance and coordinating
with relevant bodies; and 3) Receiving complaints over the telephone, fax or
website.
During and after the presentation opinions were given
with the main point being that it would be more beneficial if there were
more languages available apart from English and Thai. There was a strong
opinion that languages should include Russian and Chinese, since many
visitors from these countries visit the city. Other points raised were that
there should be designated people to service these groups and not let
callers hang on the phone too long.
ICT recorded the opinions in order to revise their plans
and propose the expected costs to be submitted to the city in a future
meeting.
The example of the call centre in Phuket was presented at
the meeting, which features similar information and services as well as
providing charters for yachts in the area.
Everyone agreed that a substantial PR campaign was needed for the call
centre, citing that many tourist centres have the same systems but lack
decent public relations campaigns for both residents and tourists.
TAT Singapore stays
at Chaophya Park Hotel
Andrew
J. Wood (4th from right), general manager of Chaophya Park Hotel, Bangkok,
recently welcomed a group of TAT joint media on an educational trip from
Singapore, led by Low Chun Yeen (5th from right), Tourism Authority of
Thailand marketing manager, during their trip to promote Thailand travel.
Korean airlines cancel Phuket services
Jeremy Colson TTG Asia
In another major blow to Phuket, South Korea’s two
major airlines are canceling all flights to Phuket until business picks up
again, perhaps later this year.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines both confirmed to TTG
Daily News they will suspend all flights from all points in Korea by
Wednesday this week.
The Korean pull-out follows a similar decision by
Taiwan-based China Airlines earlier this month, and means that any hopes of
a recovery before November have now been dashed. June to October is normally
the high season for Asians visiting Phuket.
Korean Air passenger sales manager in Bangkok, Ms Jooyoun
Shin, said they had been flying to Phuket four times weekly using an Airbus
A330 with 296 seats. “But there’s no demand, hardly any, the cabin
factor was less than 20 percent and forward bookings are hopeless.”
Asked if she thought that reducing landing fees and
slashing hotel prices would help boost demand, Ms Jooyoun said, “Lowering
prices will have no effect. Asians are afraid to go, they can’t forget the
tsunami and they are switching to places like Bali.”
For Phuket hoteliers, the absence of the Koreans is a
serious issue. Diamond Cliff resident manager, Yongsak Natpracha, said
honeymooners from Korea are big spenders and normally a major source of
revenue.
“We just don’t know how to replace them. The Asian
market has collapsed and our occupancy is now well below 20 percent on
weekdays,” he told TTG Daily News.
Amari Watergate Hotel cares about the environment
The
management and the staff of the Amari Watergate Hotel, led by Pierre Andre
Pelletier (sitting front row, 3rd left), general manager, in cooperation
with Rajthevi District, jointly cleaned Petchburi Road in the Pratunam area
of Bangkok on the occasion of World Environment Day.
|
