Airport Rail Link project 98% complete

The Suvarnabhumi Airport rail link project is almost complete and will be ready to offer services in mid-August 2009 as planned, Minister of Transport Sopon Zarum affirmed on Friday.
Presiding at a test-run of a train from Ramkhamhaeng Station to Suvarnabhumi Station, Sopon said both the infrastructure and operating system are now 98 percent completed.
He said the Airport Rail Link between Suvarnabhumi Airport to the City Air Terminal in the Makkasan area can be fully operational on schedule on August 12.
If the baggage check-in system at the City Air Terminal is not completed in time, he said, the service would operate for passengers only, without the baggage check-in service.
It would operate with full service once the check-in facility is completed, said the minister.
As the Airport Rail Link line will be owned and operated by State Railway of Thailand (SRT), Sopon instructed the SRT to speed up the plan to set up a subsidiary company to administer the overall operations in order to get ready for the operation in August.
According to a preliminary study, the fare for an express trip will be Bt150 per person while the fare for City Line commuter trips, would vary from Bt30-50 per passenger.
Transport for airport express riders and local commuters will run on the same track with the same equipment, but with a staggered schedule.
Premium-fare express services will run on the hour between Suvarnabhumi Airport and City Air Terminal, while the City Line service would stop at six stations along the route.
However, the current study will be sent to the Ministry of Transport for consideration and making decision about possible fare changes. (TNA)

Commerce ministry campaigns against intellectual property rights violations

Thailand’s Commerce Ministry on Saturday launched a campaign, urging the public to stop buying goods which violate intellectual property rights as the kingdom is optimistic that the United States will upgrade it to its Watch List instead of the current Priority Watch List.
Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot presided over the campaign kick-off held at two major Bangkok shopping centres - Siam Square and Central World - and informed shoppers that the government places violations of intellectual property rights high on the national agenda.
A committee has been formed with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as chairman to make sure that serious suppression is enforced while Ministry of Commerce officials are scheduled to visit Washington in mid-March and hold talks with American officials on Thai progress in prosecuting violations of US intellectual property rights.
The upcoming visit coincides with American officials having compiled updated reports for use of relevant agencies in April whether it should upgrade Thailand in accordance with Section 301 of the US Trade Act.
Also, the campaign comes at the time when the ministry finds that the value of Thai movie production accounts for about Bt130 billion annually but producers suffer huge losses due to counterfeited DVDs and CDs available on the market.
The ministry has set as its target to reduce counterfeited CDs by as much as 90 percent within three months by also asking genuine CD producers to lower the prices on copyrighted products to persuade consumers to buy copyrighted products. (TNA)

Money Expo entices investors

Dignitaries cut the ceremonial ribbons to open the Money Expo Pattaya.

Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Banks and other financial institutions offered low-interest loans and higher interest on savings at the Money Expo Pattaya held on February 6 at Royal Cliff Resort Pattaya.
Finance Minister Korn Jatiwanich presided over the opening ceremony of the expo with Santi Wiriyarangsrit, editor of Banking Magazine, and guests attending.
The minister said that this was the first money expo held in the eastern region and more would be held throughout the country to increase investments as banks moved to increase available cash flow.
Interest rates are an important factor as financial institutes compete for investors. In early April, plans are in the works to organize another money expo at Impact Arena Muang Thong Thani to attract further investments.
Editor Santi said that 19 financial institutions from both the private and the public sectors attended the Money Expo Pattaya 2009.
Investors were able to avail themselves of various promotions such as high interest rates for savings accounts and various types of credits for housing, renting, SMEs, and credit cards.
Some of the attractive promotions included 0% interest on the first 3 months, high interest rate for savings accounts free of various service charges.
Santi said that there was plenty of information available on financial choices ranging from investments, stock analysis, real estate taxes, insurance premiums and how to reduce taxes.

19 financial institutions from both the private and the public sectors attended the Money Expo Pattaya 2009.
 

AFG meeting the automotive challenges

Dr. Iain Corness
The Automotive Focus Group (AFG) held its annual general meeting at the new d2 baraquda hotel on Second Road.
With the previous year’s committee having closed loopholes which had allowed too many non-automotive members, the 36 fully registered AFG members voted for their committee representatives for 2009, with founding president George Strampp being the election officer.
Outgoing president Mike Diamente (Dana Spicer) was returned, as was secretary Maurice Bromley (GoIndustry-DoveBid), with the other four elected committee members being Uli Kaiser (Interstar Technology), Ray d’ Silva (Bosch Chassis Systems), Klaus Kinzelmann (BMW) and Alain Duerwaerder (Katoen Natie).
This group has become much more active and goal oriented as far as the automobile industry is concerned, and has arranged for interesting speakers with pertinent content to address the members. Next month, Supachai will speak on the HR problems associated with down-sizing, and how to avoid them.
The next meeting will be held at the Hard Rock Hotel on March 13, and further details can be obtained from Maurice Bromley (Maurice. [email protected]).

Government to ask retailers for 10% discount to low-income earners

Thailand’s government will ask major retailers and mall entrepreneurs to offer a 10 percent to low-income earners (less than Bt15,000 monthly) who receive financial assistance from the government, Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu said on Thursday.
Talks between government officials and the entrepreneurs will be held soon and the latter will be requested to offer the 10 percent discount to low-income earners who will each receive a government cheque worth Bt2,000 as part of its stimulus package, Korbsak said.
The discount, if approved by retailers and mall entrepreneurs, will also stimulate buying and spending, affecting the overall economy, he said, expressing optimism that there should not be a problem because malls usually organize discount promotional activities on a regular basis.
More than nine million people are entitled to receive the Bt2,000 government assistance and it is expected that cheques could be sent out to low-income earners beginning March 26. The process would be completed within two weeks, Korbsak explained.
The expense involved in delivering the cashier’s cheques are estimated at Bt40 million, he said.
Concerned government agencies, meanwhile, are now preparing medium- and long-term economic stimulus measures along with government expenditures for the 2010 fiscal year, starting October 1, according to Korbsak.
Next Tuesday, the Cabinet will consider a budget for Fiscal 2010 which is expected to remain in deficit in order to stimulate the economy. (TNA)

Minister meets German green experts

Wolfram Reda
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Suwit Khunkitti held fruitful talks on the environment with German entrepreneurs and environmental experts at the German Embassy in Bangkok on February 2.

H.E. Dr. Hanns Schumacher, German Ambassador to Thailand, answers reporters’ questions.
Dr. Raphael L’Hoest invited members of the Arbeitsgruppe Umwelt-Know-How (task force environment know-how) of Thailand to a meeting at the embassy.
The task force comprises about 25 members, most of whom are representatives of German companies and experts in environmental and other fields.
Its main objective is the exchange of experience on technical affairs as well as possibilities for cooperation with Thai authorities when launching certain projects.
After the session, H.E. Dr. Hanns Schumacher, German Ambassador to Thailand, welcomed Minister Suwit.
The minister explained the Thai government’s stance on environmental issues to task force members and guests invited by the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce.
With water management and wastewater treatment, Suwit picked two practical operations as examples to illustrate the importance of ecological-minded actions.

Suwit Khunkitti, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, speaks with some of the attendees.
Financing was another item on the agenda. The main question here is under which conditions German entrepreneurs may allocate their technologies.
Suwit also addressed a third critical issue: To what extent are German enterprises willing to invest in Thai environmental production facilities?
Representatives from German companies lamented the unstable political situation in Thailand. No one dares to predict the future development of the investment climate or which environmental projects the government will concentrate on, they said.
The collaboration of German businesses with Thai authorities is often hindered due to a lack of jurisdictional clarity. The joint engineer’s training is given top priority as Thailand is in urgent need of qualified workers.
One attendee mentioned the local restricted ecological awareness: the beauty of Thai nature is jeopardized by polluters time and again.
Regarding this, Suwit asked for patience. It is costly in terms of time, until environmental education finally makes itself felt in society. Even in Europe, many years passed before the movement developed, he said.
Suwit invited people to precisely articulate their concerns and put them forward to the ministry or directly to himself.
Ambassador Dr. Schumacher thanked the minister for his informative lecture and the attendees for the useful round of talks, hoping that the mutual consultation will be intensified in the days to come.
He promised Minister Suwit to always be ready to discuss environmental affairs with the minister and Cabinet.
Suwit in return commented that in a group of German entrepreneurs it was easy to find experts who can provide apt solutions to many environmental problems.