More campaigns to help retailers

More help is on the way for riot-hit retailers to sell their products and pare down inventories after the success of the Silom walking street campaign last weekend.


TOURISM HELP
Many small tourism operators affected by the red-shirt protests sign up to seek assistance from the coordinating centre set up by the Tourism Council of Thailand. About 300 operators reportedly are signing up for the aid at the ground floor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand offices each day. WEERAWONG WONGPREEDEE
Both the government and operators are looking to tap consumers' eagerness to help revive business by shopping.

Thaya Theepsuwan, a Bangkok deputy governor, said a second walking street would be set up in front of Siam Paragon from the Henri Dunant intersection to MBK on Saturday and Sunday. Another Silom walking street - the first one generated 140 million baht in sales - will be staged on June 12-13.

"The retailers who missed the chance to join the first Silom walking street will be offered space in a new 800-metre walking street [near Paragon]," she said.

The Commerce Ministry also plans to expand a walking street dubbed "Together We Can Grand Sale" every weekend to provincial areas until July to stimulate shopping and tourism.

Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai said the aim was to help entrepreneurs affected by the riots and arson attacks in the capital following the dispersal of the red-shirt protests on May 19. The events will be held in Pattaya on June 5-6, Nonthaburi from June 12-13, and in Nakhon Sawan from June 19-20.

Affected businesses would also be allowed to join other trade fairs to be held throughout June by the ministry in border provinces such as Mukdahan and Tak.

In a bid to revive confidence of traders and foreign visitors in the Ratchaprasong shopping hub, the ministry also plans to organise a world-class fashion show in October or November, featuring international brands such as Fendi, Louis Vuitton and other internationally renowned products and international supermodels.

Chulalongkorn University, which owns Siam Square, is arranging temporary tents in Siam Square sois 1, 2 and 3 covering 3,000 square metres to allow retailers hit by the fires and riots to sell non-food goods. Food operators will be offered to use empty shophouses covering 3,000 sq m along Henri Dunant Road, and 10 tutorial schools will be offered space at a parking lot at the Novotel Siam Square.

The temporary retail space, which opened since last week, will be available for two years pending the redevelopment of 40,000 sq m to replace the Siam Theatre, which was destroyed on May 19.

"The space is free of charge for just a period of time, not two years, and Chulalongkorn University will decide how long is the free period," said the university's vice-president, Gp Capt Permyot Kosolbhand.

Arena in Thong Lor Soi 10, a football field owned by Oishi Group CEO Tan Passakornnatee, is also offering free space until June 6. Over the past weekend, bargain-hunting shoppers thronged Arena for products ranging from clothes to bags, shoes and toys.

Central Retail Corp yesterday also announced a new offering of free space at Baan Silom Arcade for three months to help riot-hit businesses sell their goods.

It also offered 1,500 sq m at Tops Marketplace Udomsuk free of charge for small retailers. Those renting 700 sq m at China World Wang Burapha will pay only electricity bills. Another 300 sq m at Power Centre Hua Mark are available at cheap rents of 200 baht per day.

A CRC spokeswoman said most of the affected retailers were now heading for the walking streets held by the BMA. After that, they will seek space from private operators.

The Mall Group, meanwhile, will stage a fair at Bitec from tomorrow to Sunday to allow its suppliers and other affected retailers to distribute their inventories.

Bonus Taiwan

While China hogs the spotlight, there's seldom any mention of Taiwan, its neighbour across the straits with whom the world's emerging superpower has much in common, if not the system of governance.


The western side of the Lotus Pond in Kaohsiung city is dotted with an arresting cluster of landmarks. Among them are the brightly-painted Dragon and Tiger pagodas, floating structures built in 1974 and linked to the shore by a zigzag nine-cornered bridge. Many visitors enter the pagodas through the dragon’s mouth and exit out the tiger because, according to Chinese belief, it turns bad omen into good fortune.
The contrast couldn't be more glaring: Taiwan is a tiny spit of land southeast of the Chinese mainland, whereas China is the third largest country in the world. The two countries also sit on opposite ends of the political spectrum.

This much I knew, though, not much else. Thus, when the time came to go there I tried to make myself familiar with the country and its people.

Unfortunately, the information that came my way held out little promise since most of what I read about the country, and its capital Taipei, was replete with mention of a highly urbanised society, ubiquitous skyscrapers, clusters of factories, an industrialised economy and high-speed transportation. And with that in mind I didn't expect much from the trip.

Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. Taiwan turned out to be everything I had feared, but it was also much more than in the literature I had read.

Soon after landing in Taipei, I found myself in a downtown area so busy that I had to elbow my way through the crowd, before being ushered to a table for my first dinner in the city, a delightful experience indeed, followed by the predictable hustle and bustle, an endless maze of streets with pedestrians clogging the sidewalks lined with stalls and vendors serving up a dazzling selection of freshly prepared delicacies, the air thick with their aroma, titillating the taste buds.

After a day and night well spent in the capital, I took the speed train to Kaohsiung on the southern tip of Taiwan, a ride lasting just an hour, before hitting Tainan the following day. After a couple of nights enjoying the cosy ambience of the southern towns I travelled north and immersed myself in the urban culture and lifestyle so characteristic of Taichung.

Next stop was Taipei County which is home to the vintage charms of Jinguashi and Jiufen, small yet adorable destinations nestled on a mountain hemmed by the sea, before bidding farewell to the island-state.

By the time I left Taiwan I was fully in awe of the island and its diverse range of attractions.

Prominent among them were modern architecture and lifestyle dominated by cutting-edge technology, natural beauty, hospitality of the people, cultural legacy, an affinity for arts rooted in history that stretches far back across the straits to mainland China, and last but not least a culinary culture matched only by its vibrant night life.

Lakers beat Celtics in first game of NBA finals

Kobe Bryant scored 14 of his 30 points in the third quarter as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics 102-89 in the opening game of the 2010 National Basketball Association finals.


Lamar Odom of the Los Angeles Lakers puts a shot up over Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Glen Davis of the Boston Celtics in Game One of the 2010 NBA Finals at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers won 102-89
Bryant came out firing on all cylinders for the Lakers, who outscored Boston 34-23 in the third period to extend their lead to 20 points in front of a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center arena.

Pau Gasol had 23 points and 14 rebounds for the defending champion Lakers, who are trying to make amends for losing in the 2008 finals to Boston.

For the second time in three years and the 12th time in history the Lakers and the Celtics are battling in the post-season showcase.

The Lakers have home court advantage but the Celtics have history on their side having won nine of 11 previous finals meetings between the two storied franchises.

And it didn't take long for the sparks to fly Thursday as Lakers forward Ron Artest and Celtics star Paul Pierce were slapped with technical fouls just 27 seconds into the game after they tangled under the Boston basket.

The melee drew players from both teams and resulted in some pushing and shoving.

Bryant was in full post-season mode Thursday, cutting his way through the Celtics' defence and breaking the game open in the third by shooting five-of-seven from the field.

The Lakers are now 9-0 at home in the playoffs and haven't trailed in a series.

Phil Jackson-led teams are also a perfect 47-0 in series wins after having won the first game.

Pierce had 24 points and nine rebounds for Boston who were outrebounded 42-31 and had several players get into foul trouble Thursday.

Game two of the best-of-seven series is Sunday in Los Angeles.

Commonwealth Games to battle cricket for viewers

The Commonwealth Games in October are set to compete against India's obsession with cricket if a high-profile home series against Australia goes ahead as scheduled.


A general view of the newly-built Badminton stadium in New Delhi in April 2010 ahead of the Commonwealth Games. The Commonwealth Games in October are set to compete against India's obsession with cricket if a high-profile home series against Australia goes ahead as scheduled.
Ricky Ponting's men are due to tour India in September-October at the same time the four-yearly Games take place in New Delhi from October 3 to 14.

An official of the Indian cricket board (BCCI) said details of the tour, which is part of the International Cricket Council's Future Tours Program, were being worked out with Cricket Australia.

"We have requested Australia to play two Tests and three one-day internationals instead of a series of seven one-dayers," the BCCI's chief administrative official Ratnakar Shetty told AFP.

Australia are due to arrive in late September and must return home by October 31, when they begin a home series of Twenty20 and one-day matches against Sri Lanka.

The tour, once finalised, is certain to further annoy Indian Olympic officials, who are already seething at the BCCI's decision not to send the men's and women's cricket teams to the Asian Games in China in November.

"The BCCI is not taking part because there is no money to be made at the Asian Games," said Indian Olympic Association chief Suresh Kalmadi, who heads the Commonwealth Games organising committee.

"They think only of money. I am glad cricket is not part of the Commonwealth Games."

Although New Delhi is unlikely to figure in Australia's itinerary, millions of television viewers will be glued to the cricket when the Games are on.

Cricket has such a strong following in India that organisers of the field hockey World Cup in New Delhi in March advanced the tournament by a week so that it would not clash with the Indian Premier League.

Cricket, a non-Olympic sport, was last seen at a major multi-sport event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, but was dropped for the next two editions in England and Australia.

Water at major dams "critically low"

Former finance minister Naoto Kan became Japan's new leader Friday, pledging economic recovery and close ties with Washington after his predecessor quit over a festering dispute about a US air base.


Former finance minister Naoto Kan has become Japan's new prime minister, pledging economic recovery and close ties with Washington after his predecessor quit over a festering dispute about a US air base.
A parliamentary vote confirmed Kan as the successor to Yukio Hatoyama, who tearfully resigned as prime minister Wednesday, citing the row over the base on Okinawa island and money scandals that sullied his government.

Kan, a 63-year-old former civic activist, was also deputy prime minister in Hatoyama's centre-left government that came to power last year in a landslide election, ending half a century of almost non-stop conservative rule.

"My first job is to rebuild the country, and to create a party in which all members can stand up together and say with confidence, 'we can do it!'" a smiling Kan said after his party earlier installed him as its new leader.

Kan vowed to revitalise Asia's biggest economy, which has been in the doldrums since an investment bubble collapsed in the early 1990s.

"For the past 20 years, the Japanese economy has been at a standstill," said Kan. "Growth has stopped. Young people can't find jobs. This is not a natural phenomenon. It resulted from policy mistakes.

"I believe we can achieve a strong economy, strong finances and strong social welfare all at the same time," he said, pledging to reduce Japan's huge public debt which is nearing 200 percent of gross domestic product.

On foreign policy, Kan pointed at the threat posed by communist North Korea, the isolated and nuclear-armed regime that has been blamed for the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship in March.

"Japan has a lot of problems, including the North Korean issue," said Kan, stressing that US-Japanese ties remain the "cornerstone" of foreign policy.

He also said he would maintain Japan's goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020 from 1990 levels, one of the most ambitious targets of any country, and to seek an EU-style Asian community in future.

It was not immediately clear whether Kan would stick with the expected July 11 date of upper house elections or delay the vote, in which his coalition will fight to keep its majority to avoid policy gridlock.

In one of his first meetings after the party vote, Kan met Shizuka Kamei, head of the tiny People's New Party, and agreed to maintain their coalition, which together gives them a paper-thin majority in the upper house.

But Kan faces an uphill battle to win back voters after the government's approval ratings under Hatoyama slumped below 20 percent this week.

Water at major dams "critically low

Water at major dams "critically low"
Published: 4/06/2010 at 02:01 PM
Online news: Local News

Water levels at many major dams are now critically low and water is available only for consumption, not for agriculture, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) governor Suthas Pattamasiriwat said on Friday.

Mr Suthas said the dams where water levels are crtically low are Pasak Jolasid in Lop Buri, Ubonrat in Khon Khaen, Bhumibol in Tak, and Sirikit in Uttaradit.

He said the water stored in Bhumibol and Sirikit dam reservoirs totalled only about 1,000 million cubic metres.

The water levels in these dams is at the same level as 1992, when the supply dropped dropped to record low levels, he said.

Water can now be released only for consumption and is no longer available for agriculture.

With so little water left, there may problems with availability this year for consumption and agriculture, Mr Suthas said.

The governor said the low quantity of water at Pasak Jolasid dam has affected Egat's electricity production because a power plant at Wang Noy relies on water from the dam for the cooling system.

He hoped rainfall during this period would help increase water in the dams.

Mr Suthas said that over the past five months the consumption of electricity in the industrial sector was 15 per cent higher than the same period last year because of a higher demand for exports.

The higher consumption of power, if continued, would affect the country's power production capacity in two or three years, he said.

Meanwhile, the government has set up a working committee chaired by Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut to closely monitor the water supply.

The Agriculture Ministry has advised farmers to delay rice planting until mid July when more rain is expected.

The ministry will speed up construction of reservoirs under the Thai Khem Khaeng economic restoration project and make a new study of the construction of the long-delayed Kaeng Sua Ten dam across the Yom river in Phrae province

The evolution of self and society

In a white uniform and a white belt tied loosely around his waist, a tall, tan-complexioned man with salt and pepper coloured, close cropped hair was kowtowing to a chubby 10-year-old girl, his practice partner on the Aikido platform or dojo.


‘‘We have to face the truth with courage and patience. If we stand in the fire with a still mind, we will see how we can create new causes for future positive feedback" — CHAIWAT THIRAPANTU

"I felt a bit awkward and uneasy to practice with a girl my granddaughter's age. But the child proved me wrong. She was focused and very kind. She threw me down so gently as if she tried to avoid breaking me," said political activist Chaiwat Thirapantu, and avid football player.

In his sixties, Chaiwat is perhaps the oldest beginner on the dojo.

"I would like to keep myself on the edge, as a beginner. A beginner's mind always learns," he said, quoting Zen master Shunryu Suzuki-roshi's The Beginner's Mind. "When we open our hearts, we learn. I have learned to overcome my prejudices and judgemental mind," said Chaiwat, now an aikido blue belt after three years of practise.

Chaiwat does not do aikido simply to improve his fitness or fulfil his appetite for sports. He takes this martial art of peace and reconciliation to master his mind through "evolutionary politics".


Photos by Somkid Chaijitvanit
For Chaiwat, a learning mind - aware, open and calm - is crucial to create social equilibrium and cope with crises, especially now, while our country is going through a major transitional period.

"The quality of our mind and activity, individually and collectively, will designate our future," he said.

"We need to shift our paradigm of thinking and doing to tackle intricate problems. We cannot think anew from a mind that is restless and preoccupied with theories and judgments. Only when the mind is calm, adept, and sharp will we see clearly and act wisely."

For better politics, we need to better our being. "Politics is a spiritual act. Good politics needs inner strength and spiritual power," he said, his voice deep and clear. Chaiwat sometimes calls himself a "Shambala" warrior of Bodhisatva, the warrior for an enlightened society.

For the past two decades, the president of Civic Net Foundation has been facilitating workshops to enhance the human learning capacity. The processes include generative conversations, appreciative inquiries and meditative reflection. The groups he has worked with range from civil groups, community leaders and NGOs to civil servants, youth groups, university lecturers, officers in justice systems and human rights organisations.

"The quality of citizens determines the quality of democracy," he said. "I believe in organic democracy which is based on living values, community spirit and collaboration among people. This is, to me, the foundation of democratised society, which will counter-balance institutionalised politics - political parties, law and constitution," he said.

In his book Chaos Theory and Siamese Society at the Bifurcation, Chaiwat says Thailand is already plunging into an age of "Darkenss", and it will take years for us to get out of it. According to the law of cause and effect, we have accumulated detrimental causes for decades, and now it's time for the repercussions - political, economical, social and environmental.

"We have to face the truth and approach the problem with courage and patience. If we stand in the fire with a still mind, we will see how we can create new causes for future positive feedback."

Borrowing some Taoist wisdom, he added: "We live in a world of paradox; yin and yang; dark and light. When we are in the dark, be aware that there is light. We need to find it and then expand the area of light until the dark room is lightened to day."

The "light" or hope in the dark for Thailand lies in learning and commitment, he asserted.

"Despite the corrupt politicians and system, our country has steadily prospered. The credit should go to the small people like each of us, community leaders and civil groups, who have been working to sustain the country."

"We need to be aware of our contribution and work together to create a country we all want to live in. Don't leave it to politicians, policymakers or any other group."

From the ashes come ideas

If it were a normal Sunday, I would have complained about the consumption of tyres in Thailand and written about alternative energy and recycling. In normal times, most used tyres in Thailand would e used as fuel at cement factories. Since 1998, cement factories in Thailand have burned used tyres as an alternative energy source to reduce the dependence on bunker oil and coal. Tyres are known as a good energy source as its energy value is equal to that of coal. Burned tyres can produce high temperatures for cement manufacturing incinerators that require inferno-like temperatures of 1,800C.


PHOTO: PAWAT LAOPAISARNTAKSIN
Old tyres have also been reused for good causes. The Fisheries Department has been using tyres as artificial coral reefs. Tyre companies, including Michelin, collect used tyres to create playgrounds. Tyres are used as boat bumpers at piers, and for mixing with asphalt to pave roads, to name but a few.

But this is not a normal time.

During the ongoing protests - as well as in past protests - tyres are used as bunkers, or rally fortresses. Street protesters have been rolling out hundreds of tyres to burn. The thick, black smoke from burned tyres blocks soldiers from seeing what's going on. A bird's-eye view of Bangkok streets last week showed black clouds from the burning tyres.

Perhaps it is an over-reaction to complain about air pollution from burning tyres while residents are trying to evade bullets.

Yet the Ecological Alert and Recovery Thailand (Earth) group - a local environmental non-government organisation - recently issued a warning to residents about the potential health hazards and pollution from the black smoke. Sixty per cent of tyres are made of polyaromatic hydrocarbons and contain pollutant chemical substances like benzene phenol - a source of carcinogenic dioxin produced when tyres are burned at temperatures lower than 800C.

The good news for Bangkok residents, soldiers, UDD supporters and snipers alike is that the smoke from burning tyres can be carcinogenic from long-term exposure - like more than a decade.

In the immediate term, smoke from burned tyres is a health hazard for residents, especially for those whose houses are located near the fires. For the environment, burned tyres give off carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide, global warming emissions into the atmosphere.


PHOTO: SAROT MEKSOPHAWANNAKUL
Residue from tyres, when washed away, contain pollutants in the contaminated water, which will cause plants to wither. Imagine Wireless Road after extended exposure to burning tyres. And as tyre burning continued, residents - particularly children and elders - could suffer from respiratory problems caused by the black smoke. Such health problems may seem trivial compared with the scale of the political crisis we have been experiencing. Yet, imagine you have burning tyres close to your home and the paramedics cannot gain access to your house while your ageing immediate family members are choking from dangerous fumes.

While claiming that their protests are peaceful and noble, these protesters have been dousing petrol on the tyres. Petrol runs away into sewage gutters connected to the gutters of nearby hospitals such as Chulalongkorn Hospital and the Police Hospital.

We do not know when the political scene will calm down. But in the near future, we can expect the government will issue laws that regulate protest activity in Thailand to ensure that protests in the future will be peaceful and won't create social unrest.

Chaiyan Chaiporn, from Chulalongkorn University's Faculty of Political Science, told Earth Alert that the ideal protection law against protest activities - such as those found in Britain - should not only control the number of protesters, time and place, but it should also regulate materials that protesters bring with them to rally sites.

"If protesters have to use loudspeakers, the London or British police forces will make sure the volume will not violate the rights of others. London police would definitely deny access to any protesters who bring tyres to make a wall around the protest site. The police would say that we can look after your safety," said Mr Chaiyan.

Certainly, political rallies in Thailand have a long way to go before they match the standards elswhere.

I wish to see this law control the materials protesters are allowed to bring in. It is hard to prevent people from inciting unrest, yet it is possible to nip the problems in the bud by banning risky substances such as cooking gas, petrol and tyres.

Put it in legal text and in the future, people will at least have an idea what a peaceful protest looks like.

At the UDD's protest site at the Ratchaprasong intersection, anti-government protesters used tyres and bamboo poles to build a "Bang Rachan Fortress", referring to a historic battle of old.

It shocked me when the UDD started fencing the protest site with tyres and rolling in gas tanks for their cooking.

It was more shocking that the media and society did not see the tyre-walls and cooking gas as potential threats. Perhaps we are all numb, insensitive with all the pollution and health hazards. Perhaps only snipers can get our attention.

Next time, we should make sure the law makes sure any protests are conducted within an open area with security provided by the state, and with limited loudspeakers. Next time, let protesters eat at a canteen or from street vendors like the rest of us and put their waste in public rubbish depots just like the rest of us, if possible.

Protesters - whatever colour of shirt - are first and foremost Thais. There must be no fences or walls at their protest sites since they are, after all, public spaces.

There is an old adage that says a good fence makes a good neighbour. On Bangkok's streets, tyres may make good fences but they are a recipe for anarchy - politically, socially and environmentally.

The man with golden hands

Some people are destined for fame. But Suppachai ''A'' Srivichit is destined to make a name for others rather than himself.


Photos by YINGYONG UN-ANONGRAK
''It is like planting trees. ... I must see whether to sell the fruit, flowers or leaves. I have to find different kinds of fertilisers so that the different trees bear satisfactory results,'' said Suppachai of his career.

''I do everything possible to nurture my trees so that when people see them, they won't chop them down. Instead, they want to plant them in their own garden.''

Suppachai is an artist personal manager. The 36-year-old is very well known for his ability, his aptitude even, to create fame and fortune for an unknown person. Around 40 stars are now under his wing, including familiar names such as Patcharapa ''Aum'' Chaichuea, Natthawut ''Por'' Sakidjai, Sukollawat ''Weir'' Kanaros, Thana ''Oil'' Suttikamol, Praiya ''Poo'' Suandokmai, Tawin ''Win'' Yavapolkul and, of course, Thailand's sweetheart Mario Maurer.

The first thing 'Outlook' spotted upon meeting Suppachai at his 2-rai mansion was his genuine friendliness and hospitality. His easy-going personality was impressive especially when our photographer asked him to pose and even enter the pool despite the fact that he was wearing a casual suit and trousers. Suppachai has a good sense of humour. Interviewing him was more like having a pleasant conversation with a friend.

His verdant residence _ or empire, to be precise _ comprises four finely decorated houses encircling a large swimming pool. Each house caters to either established or soon-to-be stars who are under Suppachai's supervision. Black and white drawings of many of his artists hang on the walls and a vast array of awards stand underneath the drawings, testifying to the remarkable career achievements of Suppachai.

Though he has achieved much fame and wealth, he never forgets his origins. A native of Nakhon Si Thammarat, he recalled of one of the most exciting days in his childhood memories _ the day that he was greatly inspired to work in showbiz.

''It was when my dad bought a television,'' said Suppachai in his enthusiastic tone. ''While I was watching it, I wanted to be on it. I wanted to be a star.''

Unfortunately, his parents adhered to the traditional social view of showbiz as a bad career choice. His father was a teacher _ a government officer who believed in five socially acceptable jobs _ an engineer, a doctor, a nurse, a teacher and a pharmacist.

The young Suppachai consequently ended up enrolling at the College of Engineering, Rangsit University.

His first chance to get a little closer to the entertainment business arrived in his second year when he was offered a job as a coordinator in a modelling agency. He worked like crazy, made connections with a lot of people and, at the same time, saved up his money. It was like he was studying another interesting subject besides his full-time civil engineering course, he said.

''My family back in Nakhon Si Thammarat learned that I had a side job and people in the neighbourhood began to look down on me. But their insulting words gave me strength and courage. I told myself I would never ask for money from my family. I would create my own future. I would rather die than fail in my pursuit for the top,'' said the artist manager.

And one day his golden opportunity arrived.

Tried and Tested

Young people today might not have an inkling about what Tra Phra-Arthit-Dunmek is. But this traditional medicine brand was a household name in days of yore when most Thais were familiar with Ya Hom Phoonprasit, which was the flagship product of the Tra Phra-Arthit-Dunmek brand.


The brand produced Thai traditional herbal medicine sold at a reputable shop owned by M.R. Sa-ard Dinakara and was held in high regard for over 100 years.

The shop was passed down from generation to generation and is currently managed by a sixth-generation descendant, who stocks over 60 types of traditional medicine produced by the Phoonprasit Company, Ltd.

"There are over 200-300 kinds of Thai traditional medicine that were passed down to us by M.R. Sa-ard who in turn received the recipes from his father HSH Prince Phoonsawat Dinakara. The medicine shop was called Mom Ratchawongse Sa-ard Dinakara medicine shop and has been passed down through the family, allowing for constant development of our traditional herbal products till today. We selected about 60 or so products and have developed them to be more compatible with modern medical treatment," said Komsan Dinakara na Ayudhaya, managing director of Phoonsawat Company.


Komsan Dinakara na Ayudhaya
Komsan said that loyal customers of the M.R. Sa-ard medicine shop have always been impressed with the Ya Hom Phoonprasit product which is a Thai traditional product that is still made by the original recipe and uses only the best ingredients which are quite expensive and hard to find; this has resulted in Ya Hom Phoonprasit maintaining its high quality.

Over the past year since the http://www.yahomthai.com website was created to educate people on the benefits of Thai traditional medicine in the treatment of modern ailments, a huge interest and following has developed.

Online purchases and telephone orders have increased.

The most common type of ailment is Office Syndrome which is caused by sitting too long without changing positions, eating at odd hours and lack of rest.

Surprisingly many young people, especially teenagers, have resorted to Thai traditional medicine in the treatment of acne, other skin disorders and abnormal menstruation cycles after modern medical treatment had failed to cure them.

"In the past ya-hom was our prime seller and adults were our main customers but now medicine packages for the treatment of various ailments are becoming popular. Working professionals are taking a growing interest in our products. However, what is disturbing is that young children in the 13-14 age group are suffering from ailments caused by using computers and also have abnormal eating disorders," said Komsan

As good as it looks

Prior to a visit to Ruen Urai, my perception on a Thai restaurant that's set in an exquisite, Thai-style wooden house was simply a place for foreign tourists looking for an ``exotic'' meal. I could always see why these beautiful eateries were rarely a place for local diners, let alone a favourite among Thai cuisine connoisseurs. And the reasons just rested on the plates.


The restaurant occupies a well renovated, Thai-style golden teak wood house built in the reign of King Rama V.
I usually say that the most important aspect I look for when reviewing a restaurant is good flavour. And at most ``tourist-attraction'' restaurants, no matter how authentically Thai their ambience presented, the flavours of the food often came out wrong, regardless of whether they're pleasurable.

Ruen Urai is a Thai restaurant which opened three years ago. Though I'd like to go straight to telling you about the palate-pleasing lunch I had there (obviously, the only matter of today's article), I couldn't omit talking a little bit about its awe-inspiring setting.

The restaurant occupies a carefully renovated Thai-style two-storey wooden house built over a century ago on private premises which once belonged to a herbal medicine doctor during the reign of King Rama V.

The interior is graciously adorned with valuable artefacts, such as architectural ornaments and sculptures, but at the same time offering the luxurious comfort of the modern day.

Gastronomy-wise, with approximately 100 items on the main menu plus three lunch sets, five degustation menus for dinner and an extensive list of Old and New World wines, you can say that Ruen Urai has pretty much everything one would look for from a fine Thai restaurant.

'Quick Draw' Exhibition

Asnee Tasnaruangrong is an architect by trade. After working in Singapore for over 25 years he retired in 2003 and now resides in Thailand. Since then, he has travelled extensively and developed his interest in keeping travel sketchbooks. In addition, he has also rediscovered his love of watercolour painting, long lost under the pressure of work in Singapore.


''Quick Draw'', a painting and sketchbook exhibition that will begin on June 12 at Cassia Gallery, is Asnee's first solo show. The exhibition will be comprised of 30 watercolour paintings and sketches of picturesque Yunnan and Bhutan, as well as various scenes of bustling Bangkok such as Tha Tian market and Chinatown. Some of the paintings are an expanded experience of his travel sketchbook, done on the move, while many are simply ''inspiration hangovers'' made after trips.

All of the works reflect the locations' environmental nuances, with the use of simple tools, minimal time, great fun and lots of sweat, especially those of Bangkok.

Asnee's works are anything but laborious studio productions.

Basel Novelties 2010 Bangkok

Swatch Group, the largest producer and distributor of Swiss luxury watches, is organising the ``Basel Novelties 2010 Bangkok'' fair on June 14-20 on the 67th floor of Lebua Hotel on Silom Road.


Glashutte Original’s PanoMaticCounter XL
The second edition of the fair, which follows the success of the ``Basel Novelties 2009 Bangkok'', promises to bring the atmosphere of BaselWorld 2010, the world's most prestigious international watch fair, to Bangkok with the grand showcase of the latest innovations, technologies and designs from the watchmaking industry.

At this year's seven-day fair, watch enthusiasts will have the chance to experience at first-hand legendary time-pieces from Breguet, the signature complication watches from Blancpain and the art of engineering watches from Glashutte Original. Other well-known brands from Swatch Group will include the pioneering watchmaker Omega, the elegant classic Longine brand, Rado the design watch, Tissot the watch for innovation, cK the fashion watch, and Swatch and Flik Flak, the fun and lifestyle watch brands.

Among the fair's highlights are Breguet's TYPE XXII, Blancpain Villeret collection, the Glashutte Original's PanoMaticCounter XL, and Longine's Prima-Luna collection.

For the 60th anniversary of the famed Type XX watches designed by Breguet in the 1950s for the French Fleet Air Arm _ which celebrates its first century of service this year _ a technically updated reinterpretation of that legendary chronograph, the Type XXII design will be introduced.

Polanski at his best, Thailand at its worst

A week of extremes on the cinema calendar, with a gem starring McGregor and Brosnan.

Starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan, Olivia Williams, Kim Cattrall. Directed by Roman Polanski.


Ewan McGregor as the unnamed Ghost Writer in Roman Polanski’s new film.
The Ghost Writer

The film opens with a ferry shrouded in fog and a washed-up body on a moonless beach. It ends, superbly, with a static shot of a London street surprised by the invisible yet inevitable. In between, Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer treats us to pulpy twists, mocking humour, and a Google search that reveals a top government secret. But never mind.

This modest material is elevated to a moody thriller by Polanski's direction, by his precise composition and his premonition that all life (including his own) is running towards a cul-de-sac. This is no Chinatown, but this ghost haunts us with delicious persistence.

Based on a novel by Robert Harris, The Ghost Writer could be studied as an allegory of the US influence over the British government during the Bush-Blair years. But that, for now, would take away the savoury delight that Polanski and his actors dutifully, amusedly serve up.

Ewan McGregor's unnamed _ he's a ghost, after all _ character is hired to fix the autobiographical manuscript of scandalous former British Prime Minister Adam Lang, played with casual verve by Pierce Brosnan.

In accepting this well-paid job, the Ghost writer must travel to the soggy, rain-swept Martha's Vineyard off the US coast, where Lang, his wife and their staff hole up in a gated house surrounded by wet sand and bodyguards

This beautiful house _ part industrial-chic, part dungeon, with a study framed by a large window overlooking the perpetually damp, depressing Atlantic sky _ is smouldering with secrets.

Lang lives with his opinionated wife, Ruth (Olivia Williams), but the affairs are mostly run by Amelia Bly (Kim Cattrall, much more level-headed than her Samantha in Sex and the City), a secretary with whom Lang is apparently having a fling.

Upon arriving at the house, the Ghost finds that Lang is being hounded by the media for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and torturing of terrorist suspects, which is now blown into an international scandal. The Ghost also senses that he's let himself into an unusual situation when he learns that his predecessor recently died in a drowning accident.

As we expect from the Polanski universe, eccentric details creep up, which our ghost deals with with a mix of bewilderment and pluck _ just like JJ Gittes in Chinatown.

The Ghost, a man with no past and no opinion, becomes a blank screen where everybody around him projects their lies and manipulations, and instead of focusing on editing the memoirs, he's swept into the intrigues of Lang's hidden past and then the investigation of the death of the previous ghost writer.

What Polanski does here is not a rug-pulling, heart-thumping thriller, but something along the classical school where suspense slowly boils; we can go back to Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby or even Frantic to familiarise ourselves with the man in top form.

In The Ghost Writer, he makes each scene seem longer that most contemporary thrillers; watch the coasting, masterfully-sustained sequence when the Ghost leaves the island to pursue a lead.

For Polanski, it's not all just about the unravelling of the mystery _ and indeed the mystery here isn't terribly original _ but it's about the cagey psychology of the characters, how they size each other up, interact, and how we're not sure who's speaking the truth.

All of this is underlined by deadpan humour that comes at the most unexpected moments, as if to remind us that even a man facing a cul-de-sac can still console his worried soul with a dry laugh, in his own throat.

With great expectations come unfair criticisms

That addictive website Arts & Letters Daily recently posted links to a collection of articles that expressed sympathy for the brilliant young Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel _ and he needs it. He has fallen victim to what might be called the Obama Syndrome.


JOHN ADAMS: City Noir. Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. Deutsche Grammophon DG Concerts (digital download)
His appointment as music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic received the kind of press coverage that might have been given a UFO landing in Washington, DC. He was to be a miracle worker, a magical presence that would lure audiences back into the concert hall and put classical music back on the map for younger listeners.

But, during his recent tour of the eastern US, his aura dimmed a little. The series of concerts he gave wasnt exactly his Katrina, but the critics did point out a fluffed detail here and a slightly superficial interpretation there, and there was the occasional tone of disappointment.

He fell short of utter perfection.

Ridiculous. No conductor is at his inspired best for every performance, and the recordings he has made over the past year or so, some of the best ones recorded live at a single concert so that there was no possibility to eliminate shortcomings in the editing room, make it clear that he is a major artist. Take this one, for example.

The American composer John Adams wrote City Noir for Dudamel's inaugural concert with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, when it shared the programme with his very good performance of Mahler's First Symphony (discussed in this column some months back). It was the second symphonic portrait of their city that the LA Philharmonic has premiered recently, together with Arvo Part's Fourth Symphony (Los Angeles), performed when Esa-Pekka Salonen was still music director.

While Part's symphony was often ethereal and religiously tinged (he took the angels of the city's name literally), Adams's three-movement piece is a sensual and brilliantly scored evocation of its pop-culture side, especially movie music and the kind of sultry, dark-toned scoring, with intrusions of nervous jazz, that gives film noir so much of its atmosphere.

In his note that accompanies this downloaded recording, Adams writes that the idea for the piece was suggested to him by Kenneth Starr's Dream books, which chronicle the social history of Los Angeles.

His idea was to compose music that conveyed ``the tenor and milieu of the late 40s and early 50s as it was expressed in the sensational journalism of the era and in the dark, eerie chiaroscuro of the Hollywood films that have come to define the period sensibility for us.''

He goes on to explain that he had in mind not only the moody scores for those shadowy movies, but also the genre of ``jazz-inflected symphonic music, a fundamentally American orchestral style and tradition that goes as back as far as the early 1920s.''

The idea obviously inspired him, because City Noir is thrilling listening. Adams is an ingenious orchestrator who conjures sounds of the most subtle emotional colouring from the ensemble. After the aggressive opening of the first movement (called The City and Its Double, in reference to Antonin Artaud's concept of the dual nature of the theatre _ the thing itself and the way audiences experience it through their senses, here applied to the city as a physical entity and as an emotional experience), the music subsides (at 0:33) into a jittery texture of clicking percussion, scurrying winds, low string pizzicatos and other fleeting sounds that the composer likens to a ``late-night empty street scene''. It gathers force and dynamism, especially after a saxophone joins in at about 3:00, until a very cinematic-sounding climax precipitates a collapse into more subdued but uneasy night music, with what sounds like a quotation from Hier ist Friede, the last of Alban Berg's Altenberg Lieder, at about 5:15.

At first listening it is Adams's virtuosity at creating ear-hijacking sound structures that makes the strongest impression. Listen to the way he uses Morse Code-like wind chatter to bend the mood of the long-lined string melody at 6:30 of the first movement, and the way he elaborates this idea a few minutes later. At the opening of the second movement (The Song is for You), astringent string chords melt delectably into warm string sonorities, and the mid-movement eruptions of jazz from the saxophone and especially the trombone are hair-raising.

Further hearings allow the music's strong sense of continuity to come through, and with it an appreciation of the way the composer integrates cinematic passages with introspective music that work quite differently on the emotions.

Dudamel is completely in his element with this piece, putting it across with a Bernstein-like flair for its pop music punch. The Los Angeles musicians, who know as much about film music as any players anywhere, give it their all. The sound on the digital download is good enough to let you understand the wild applause at the conclusion.

B200m Supersports facelift

CRC Sports Co, the operator of the Supersports sporting goods and apparel chain, will spend 200 million baht to renovate six flagship stores to revive sales damaged by recent unrest in Bangkok.


Suburban store sales helped offset losses from Ratchaprasong branches, says Mr Thomson.
Managing director Alan Thomson said the extensive facelifts would include a new brand concept as ``New No. 1 Sporting Goods Shopping Destination in Bangkok''. The renovations will take place at the branches at CentralPlaza Pin Klao, Bang Na, Ladprao, CentralWorld, Central Chidlom and Central Festival Phuket.

The new look was introduced on May 14 at the 200-square-metre Pin Klao branch, where the company spent 20 million baht. It was designed by Zebra Projects, an international retail, department store and supermarket designer and project management specialist.

Mr Thomson said that another 70 Supersports outlets throughout the country would be gradually renovated to create a brighter and more modern image, with different merchandising zones to meet shoppers' different needs.

Sales of Supersports in the first five months of this year grew by 5% year-on-year despite political unrest. Detailed figures were not disclosed.

``Sales of some Supersports stores at the Ratchaprasong area suffered an impact from the recent demonstrations, but we have seen a significant growth of over 20% in sales for our stores in suburban areas such as Chaeng Watthana, Pin Klao and Bang Na because customers have shifted to shopping at our stores that are close to their homes,'' Mr Thomson said.

The company is confident it can achieve sales of 4.2 billion baht this year, up 10% from last year.

Mr Thomson also plans to open a new Supersports outlet at Robinson Department Store in Trang in November.

The company is also spending 60 million baht on marketing this year, including 5 million for football-related events linked to the World Cup.

Sunny side up

It looks like any one of thousands of tuk-tuks that rattle up and down Bangkok's side streets, all garish colours, bright chrome pipes and faux leather seats. Until the driver turns the key, that is.


Models take a spin in the Arun Sawasdi solar-powered tuk-tuk yesterday. PATIPAT JANTHONG
Instead of a puff of oily black smoke and the growl that gives the three-wheeled vehicle its name, there is only silence.

Arun Sawasdi, which means good morning, is the brainchild of Air Marshal Morakot Charnsomruad, chairman of Clean Fuel Energy Enterprise Co Ltd (C-FEE). The vehicle uses solar power and a battery instead of petrol or gas.

``When I go to other countries I always ask foreigners about the first thing they do when they come to Thailand. They say they ride tuk-tuks because it is part of the image of Bangkok. But they complain about the smell and pollution,'' said AM Morakot, who owns a company making electric-powered vehicles.

Although the vehicle has solar panels installed on the roof to store power, batteries can also be charged to provide an alternative source of energy.

With a battery charged for three to four hours, which costs 20 baht, the tuk-tuk can be used for a whole day or night for a distance of up to 60 kilometres. Use of solar panels for some of the day halves that cost.

Sponsored partly by the National Research Council of Thailand, the whole project cost 3-4 million baht for research and development.

Arun Sawasdi has been developed as a prototype for 40 tuk-tuks distributed in Thailand and worldwide.

``We have an order for 10 tuk-tuks from New Zealand to be handled in the next two months. We have exported to England, the United States and the Netherlands already,'' said AM Morakot. ``India is considering buying it for factory production.''

Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban has bowed to the demand of Bhumjaithai Party de facto leader Newin Chidchob to remove Puea Pandin from th

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau is preparing new recovery plans for the meetings industry which has chalked up revenue losses in excess of 3 billion baht from the recent political unrest.

The recent violence has led the TCEB to cut its projection for the Mice (meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions) industry's growth this year to zero from 25%. Last year, the sector generated about 45 billion baht in revenue from 620,000 visitors.

The recovery package for the sector will focus on further stimulating the domestic market, developing creative Mice, a new road map for tourism to cope with the short- and long-term challenges from the recent turmoil, and Thai New Team, a programme to build relationships among all parties.

TCEB president Akapol Sorasuchart said the bureau would establish a new mobile unit for the domestic market which would set up booths at state agencies and commercial buildings to promote Mice packages designed by the private sector. The project will run from next month to September.

This month the bureau will introduce telesales service and an online portal, www.meetinginthailand.com.

The TCEB also plans to organise familiarisation trips to rebuild tourism confidence, with the first event organised at the Ratchaprasong intersection.

Under the ``Creative Mice'' scheme, the bureau will hold domestic roadshows, including events in Chiang Mai and Phuket.

Mr Akapol said the TCEB was scaling down its plans to organise international roadshows. But it will continue its activities in certain markets, especially China which it projects will be the firstof Thailand's big international visitor markets to recover.

The bureau will also meet with the government and private sector on June 28 to hold a brainstorming sessions for the new road map and related promotional Mice packages.

``We will work harder together with other business partners and other related parties such as Thai Airways International and the Board of Investment,'' he said.

Despite the recent riots which have damaged the country's image, Thailand is committed to bidding for the World Expo 2020, he said.

Puea Pandin on way out

Democrat secretary-general Suthep Thaugsuban has bowed to the demand of Bhumjaithai Party de facto leader Newin Chidchob to remove Puea Pandin from the coalition.






The source yesterday said Mr Suthep had agreed to Mr Newin's plan after hearing how he could make up for the reduced number of coalition MPs in parliament without Puea Pandin.

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Daily News Editorial

Good or bad, it beats propaganda

Missed opportunities in the censure debate
The coalition government would be left with 22 fewer votes of support through the departure of Puea Pandin.

Puea Pandin has 32 MPs, but 10 come under the influence of Pol Gen Pracha Promnok and they did not support the administration in the first place.

The source said Mr Newin had given assurances to Mr Suthep that he could find adequate support to stabilise the coalition alliance following Puea Pandin's departure.

Mr Newin's plan calls for the coalition to keep at least 11 votes: five from the Ban Rim Nam faction of Puea Pandin which supports the government and six from the Matubhumi and Pracharaj parties, which are now in the opposition and each hold three seats in the lower house

The government also might secure six or eight more seats if Puea Pandin MP for Udon Thani Chaiyos Jiramethakarn can talk his colleagues into leaving the party.

The source said Mr Newin had suggested the three groups be given a deputy ministerial post each. Mr Chaiyos's group might be given a ministerial post if more than eight seats could be secured.

Mr Newin has also assured that he could win over two defectors from the opposition Puea Thai Party.

``If things go as Mr Newin plans, the coalition will maintain the same number of votes, or even more,'' the source said.

The source noted that under Mr Newin's plan, the Democrat Party would be able to ``retake'' the industry minister post from Puea Pandin.

``And if Mr Chaiyos can't find more than eight seats, the ICT [information and communication technology] min ister post may be returned to the Democrat Party as well,'' the source said.

Ranongruk Suwunchwee, a member of Puea Pandin's Wang Phayanak-Korat faction, is now ICT minister.

The source said the plan was raised at a meeting yesterday between Mr Suthep, Mr Newin and Anuthin Charnvirakul, the son of Bhumjaithai Party leader and Interior Minister Chavarat Charnvirakul.

Bhumjaithai, angered by Puea Pandin's failure to support Mr Chavarat and Transport Minister Sohpon Zarum in the vote on Wednesday on the censure debate, pressured the Democrats to choose between the two parties.

The Democrat Party's executive board will discuss Mr Newin's proposal today as well as the party's internal reshuffle.

Mr Suthep said earlier yesterday he would do all he could to stabilise the government and allow it to carry on working.

He said ``anything was possible'' when asked if it was possible to exclude only dissident Puea Pandin MPs who did not vote for the Bhumjaithai ministers.

Bhumjaithai deputy leader Boonjong Wongtrairat said yesterday the results of the censure debate reflected instability in the government and called for action.

He said the Democrats would not have tolerated Puea Pandin's move had its ministers been put in the same position.

Puea Pandin yesterday threatened to have its whips resign in protest if Mr Chavarat and Mr Sohpon were allowed to retain their posts.

Party spokesman Alongkot Maneekas said there was no point in serving as coalition whips if the two ministers remained in the cabinet.

He defended the party's vote in the no-confidence debate, saying Bhumjaithai would be held to account if the party was removed.

``Bhumjaithai will have to answer to the public as to what the MPs did wrong in performing their jobs,'' he said.

Pracharaj secretary-general Thanit Thienthong yesterday dismissed as unlikely a report about the party joining the coalition.

He believed the hatchets could be buried within the coalition, and he said his party had never been approached to take part in government.

``The 2011 budget bill is pending approval by the House,'' he said. ``I don't think the ruling party will show Puea Pandin the door in a situation like this.''

French revive GTi badge

The 308 hatch gets a 200hp treatment, but Thai punters may find the RCZ a more appealing option.


308 GTi gets twin exhaust pipes.
- Ah, Peugeot's high-performance hatchback isn't dead yet...

It's nice to see Peugeot reviving the GTi badge after persisting with badges like S16, RC and GT in recent years.

The most iconic GTi was arguably the 205 of the 1990s. This modern-day GTi is intended to rival the likes of the Volkswagen Golf GTi.

- But it doesn't look the part...

If you mean the styling, then we agree. The 308 GTi still looks subtle, but that's probably because the car itself isn't as masculine as some rivals like the Golf.

Cosmetic touch-ups on the skin include black skirt, diffuser, rear spoiler, twin tail pipes and the GTi badge itself.

Inside there are aluminium foot rests and gear knob and, more importantly, a flat-bottomed steering that seemingly has become very in-trend these days.

- Will performance compensate for the rather girlie looks?


Flat-bottomed steering special for GTi.
There's the usual suspect sitting under the GTi's bonnet: the super-ubiquitous 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine also used by Citroen and Mini but featuring sound-engineering to make the engine note tuneful.

In 308 GTi tune this motor, complete with direct-injection, variable-valve timing and twin-scroll turbocharger, produces 200hp and 275Nm. The 0-100kph time is clocked at 7.7sec.

To cope with increased performance, the suspension has been lowered by 10mm, the brakes have been beefed up and the car is shod with 18-inch wheels.

By the way, there's only a six-speed manual gearbox. Not auto. Whatsoever.

- Bah! Peugeot only wants to sell the GTi in Europe, right?

Err... probably. But that's the essence of driver-oriented cars. But on the other hand, the Golf is being offered with a brilliant dual-clutch automatic transmission. And combine this with a 210hp 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and faster acceleration time of 6.9sec, the Golf GTi sounds more enticing.

And if Peugeot really wants to sell the 308 GTi in Thailand (which we think they won't), it needs to be really good with numbers because the Golf GTi comes to Thailand between B2.4-2.6m - with a good equipment level to match

GPS opens up a world of smart phone socialising possibilities

The rise of GPS-enabled smart phones with social networking integration are changing today's lifestyles not only in how we communicate with one another but also in making our lives easier and more enjoyable, in what is being termed the ''mobile social media era''.


Gloe on the BlackBerry.
For example, tourists and business travellers can now get route and destination information online via smart phones rather than having to rely on paper maps and visitor centres.

At the BlackBerry Wireless Enterprise Solutions showcase in Orlando, Florida, Hewlett Packard detailed its ongoing research project ''Gloe'', which aids travellers in finding the best routes and destination information via the internet or mobile phone.

The idea is to harness local expertise and knowledge in a given area and enable visitors to access relevant digital content more effectively.

The service will rank information based on visitor feedback in the form of recommendations from previous users.

For example, the most popular web sites in a geographical area will be determined by votes and tags by users.

Yarun Luon, of HP Social Computing Lab, said that when smart phone users travel to a new location, they will typically open their browsers to access popular local content such as Wikipedia pages, official websites of tourist attractions, reviews of restaurants, and so on.

Gloe also allows users to add and tag new web content dynamically and filter their web search results according to criteria they can set themselves, such as, for example, recommendations from trusted friends, contacts or sources.

The value proposition is to fill the gap left by traditional search engines by delivering more targeted and more complete content by leveraging the wisdom of the crowd and social networks in addition to fixed contextual information, such as geographical locations and contact details.

''Gloe helps users solve the information overload via integrated search technology, social networks and contextual information like location,'' said Yarun.

''This may be similar to some services already out there in the market, but these are typically only available locally, while Gloe covers the globe.''

Chai: Thai insurers should establish terrorism fund

Local insurers should set up a pooled fund to provide terrorism coverage, particularly for retail clients, says Chai Sophonpanich, chairman of Bangkok Insurance.

Most foreign reinsurers baulk at providing reinsurance for Thai firms due to the recent political violence, he said.

''We, the Thai insurers, should co-operate by providing terrorism insurance through a pooled fund to offer coverage for the Thai businesses,'' said Mr Chai.

The pooled fund would target mainly small retail clients with sums insured worth about 5-20 million baht.

At least 15 local insurers would contribute to the initiative, led by Thai Reinsurance because of its expertise.

A key sticking point is how to calculate premium pricing for terrorism coverage, he said.

The Office of the Insurance Commission set a premium rate for terrorism insurance at 0.17% to 5% of the sums insured. Rates in excess of 5% need approval from the insurance commissioner.

Mr Chai said local terrorism coverage premiums charged by international reinsurers were expected to surge to around 5% because of the recent unrest.

Surachai Sirivallop, chief executive of Thai Reinsurance, said the recent riots and widespread arson caught foreign reinsurers off-guard when quoting prices, as this level of destruction had not taken place before in Thailand.

Premiums for terrorism more than five years ago were almost zero or coverage was free in addition to basic insurance policies for fire and property damage.

Terrorism insurance emerged locally about six years ago.

Unrest in Thailand's restive southern border provinces led Thai Reinsurance, through its partnership with Bangkok Insurance, to develop terrorism coverage for both individuals and property in addition to personal accident and property policies.

Premium for terrorism coverage were then about 0.5% of the sum insured.

The recent political violence resulted in premiums for terrorism coverage for Bangkok retailers increasing to about 1% of the sum insured, compared with just 0.2% in 2008.

International firms were said to have increased their rates for terrorism coverage in Thailand to as much as 2%, compared with a global average of about 1%.

Bangkok Insurance and Thai Reinsurance can cover insured sums up to 50 million baht. Sums beyond that amount would be subject to negotiation and ceded to foreign insurers.

''The climate has changed, and the risk has changed,'' said Mr Surachai.

Parts makers wooed to set up local bases

The Thailand Automotive Institute plans roadshows to invite foreign parts manufacturers to use Thailand as a production base in an attempt to reduce parts imports by 80% within five years, says director Wallop Tiasiri.

''Instead of focusing on bringing new investors to set up auto companies in Thailand, the approach will be on bringing in auto-parts manufacturers that supply parts to existing companies,'' said Mr Wallop.

The roadshows will focus on Japan, the United States and Germany which already supply parts to automakers in Thailand.

''Currently almost every automaker is already in Thailand, and we believe that in the future we will be able to increase the production of cars, especially eco-cars that have been widely accepted by customers. In the initial stage we have an aim to reduce imports of auto-parts by up to 80% or 400 billion baht within five years,'' he said.

Thailand currently imports 200 billion baht worth of auto parts each year, and the figure could increase to 500 billion by 2014.

Mr Wallop said he was optimistic about the future of Thailand's automotive industry. If political problems subside, automakers might revise their production target this year from 1.4 million units to 1.6 million, consisting of an increase of exports from 800,000 to 950,000 units and domestic sales from 600,000 to 650,000 units, he said.

While total production capacity is currently 2 million units, Mr Wallop said that production fell slightly in April and May to between 120,000 and 130,000 units per month compared with 150,000 in March, partly because of anti-government protests and violence.

''But after things have subsided it should take another month or two for adjustment to take place, and starting from August onward, automakers will be able to increase production capacity to 160,000 or 170,000 units a month,'' he said.

Arthit Wuthikaro, director-general of the Industrial Promotion Department, said the elimination of almost all import tariffs under the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) this year had played a large role in the development of the local automotive industry.

Although a large number of parts makers still consider Afta as an obstacle, the government sees it as an opportunity for Thai businesses, as automakers are interested in using Thailand as a centre for production in Asean, said Mr Arthit.

Thailand is currently the world's 14th largest automobile producer. The industry is the country's second largest by export value behind electrical and electronic goods.

Aapico revs up China expansion

The SET-listed automotive parts maker Aapico Hitech Plc (AH) is planning a major expansion in China as it seeks to increase its revenue from the mainland to 3 billion baht in three years from the current 800 million.

President and chief executive Yeap Swee Chuan said the company aimed to balance the revenue generated from local and overseas operations over the next few years by expanding continuously in Thailand, China and to India.

Thai operations currently account for 70% of the group's sales, with Chinese and Malaysian subsidiaries generating 10% and 20%, respectively.

Aapico, which operates three factories in China, is in the process of buying a 25-rai land plot in Kushan, west of Shanghai, to consolidate production and prepare for future expansion, said Mr Yeap.

The new consolidated forging factory, with a targeted capacity of 6-7 million units of connecting parts, is expected to reach full production by the end of next year. It will serve major customers such as General Motors, Chery and Schneider Electric, he said.

''Chinese demand is very strong with annual vehicle production of 13.6 million,'' he said. Aapico may also look at building a new press-part factory on the mainland.

Mr Yeap declined to give details on the planned investment in China but said the company's total capital expenditure this year would be no more than 500 million baht, compared to 1.5 billion it spent on a major expansion last year, including three factories in Rayong.

Meanwhile, the company has been studying investment opportunities in India where several proposals have been made to Aapico, including mergers and acquisitions.

The group aims to become a leading Asian auto parts manufacturer with strong operations in China and India.

In Thailand, the outlook of the automotive industry this year is promising as the forecast for overall vehicle production has been revised up to 1.6 million units up from 1.4 million previously. Market potential for eco-cars and small models is very strong while Isuzu, Ford and Mazda are planning new pickup truck models in two years.

Aapico supplies parts for Nissan's March eco-car and has orders for a similar project from Honda. The company has been under price negotiations for Suzuki and Toyotas Economic Family Car (EFC), while India-based Tata has switched from eco car to the Nana model, said Me Yeap.

Barring a major industry interruption, Mr Yeap said the company's revenue would definitely increase to 9.2-9.4 billion baht this year. First-quarter revenue rose 61% year-on-year to 2.4 billion baht and AH returned to profit with earnings of 55 million baht, compared with a loss of 67 million a year earlier, thanks to the recovery of the automotive sector.

Shares of AH closed yesterday on the Stock Exchange of Thailand at 8.75 baht, unchanged, in trade worth 2.75 million baht.

Tata Motors of India has not yet decided whether to sell the Nano, touted as the world's cheapest car, in Thailand after officially calling off its 7-

The Stock Exchange of Thailand must embrace change or risk being left behind by investors in the global competition for capital, said president Patareeya Benjapolchai.

Mrs Patareeya, speaking on Monday on her final day as SET president, said opportunity loss was a major risk for the Thai capital market the next several years.

''The market cannot be driven by domestic investors. If we don't do anything, the SET will be marginalised and fail to be attractive for long-term investors,'' she said.

New listings have been few and far between over the past several years, with the few entries made to the market relatively small firms that pass beneath the radar of international investment funds.

Mrs Patareeya noted that of the more than 500 companies listed on the Thai market, only about 25 have the market capitalisation and trading liquidity to be included in the MSCI indices, widely used by institutional investors in allocating capital across different markets.

''We are looking for different opportunities for the SET to compete long-term. Changing the organisation to a public company and listing itself is one choice. Another is the Asean linkage programme, where large-cap stocks from markets across the region are brought together under a single board,'' she said.

The past four years have been eventful ones for the Thai economy and SET, including the military coup and imposition of capital controls in 2006, the US sub-prime crisis in 2008 and the red-shirt rallies and Bangkok riots last month.

The SET headquarters itself saw its library on the first floor torched by arsonists during the May riots, forcing staff to relocate to a backup site. Mrs Patareeya marked the end of her 35-year career with the exchange at the Maruey Library branch at the Esplanade mall.

She credited the strong teamwork within the SET for helping the exchange survive successive crises, including the riots last month.

''We considered whether to open trade in mid-May, when the military massed to break up the mob. In the end, we decided to allow trading but with shortened trading hours. The main concern was the security for our staff,'' Mrs Patareeya said.

''On the other hand, we cater to investors around the world, and closing the market altogether would damage confidence.''

The SET allowed shortened trading hours from May 17-19, and closed altogether on May 20 and 21 after the Bank of Thailand declared a bank holiday as a result of the riots. Besides damage to the SET building in Klong Toey, the riots resulted in vast destruction at CentralWorld, Siam Square, Center One and to dozens of bank branches and public buildings.

''I end my career here at the Esplanade mall, and it's quite sad to see many places destroyed due to the political crisis, which has been the greatest negative factor for the Thai market over the past two to three years,'' she said.

''But I hope [the crisis] will be an important lesson for Thai society. We have to learn and work together to solve this problem.''

Tata unsure about selling Nano in Thailand

Tata Motors of India has not yet decided whether to sell the Nano, touted as the world's cheapest car, in Thailand after officially calling off its 7-billion-baht plan to participate in the country's eco-car project.


If the Nano is introduced here, features or options will be added, says Mr Venkataraman.
''The Nano is actually developed for the Indian market, but if it is introduced in Thailand, features or options will be added to meet local needs,'' said Ajit Venkataraman, chief executive of Tata Motors Thailand.

Importing the 625cc Nano into Thailand would be costly since it would face a steep 80% customs duty and 25% excise tax. The car sells in India for as low as 70,000 baht.

To date Tata has not exported any Nanos as it is focusing on meeting local demand.

India's largest automaker is exploring opportunities to introduce a relevant passenger car model in the Thai market to replace the scrapped eco-car. The Nano is a choice among cars with engine sizes from 625cc to 1,400cc.

The Nano was first unveiled locally at the Bangkok Motor Expo last December and later at events upcountry to survey the market. There was strong interest in the cheap small car, especially from elderly people in urban areas.

Tata Motors was one of six automakers that applied for government incentives to manufacture an eco-car with at least an annual production capacity of 100,000 units in the fifth year of operation.

Tata withdrew as it expected tough competition given that other manufacturers had already started production.

It plans to introduce small cars suitable for the Thai market.

However, Tata confirmed it would produce other small cars in Thailand as the kingdom has a strong parts network.

It has established a strong foundation in Thailand with the Xenon pickup.

Tata has the same timeframe for alternative small car production in Thailand as the eco-car _ 2012.

But a senior executive of Tata Motors Thailand said an alternative small car should be introduced before other carmakers launch their eco-cars to beat the competition.

Relate Search: Ajit Venkataraman, Tata Motors of India, Bangkok Motor Expo

World Cup likely to keep RS on track

RS Plc, the country's second-largest entertainment company, is still confident it will post 33% revenue growth to 2.9 billion baht with net profit of 330 million this year even as recent unrest dimmed ad spending in April and May.


RS Plc chief operating officer Pornpan Techarungchaikul (left) and chief financial officer Darm Nana discuss business trends at an investors’ briefing yesterday.
Chief financial officer Darm Nana said the impact from conflicts was short-lived. Music downloads and ad spending dropped only during the one-week curfew. Fortunately, RS had no show business events scheduled during that period.

''Moreover, revenue from broadcasting the World Cup 2010 football matches, which is expected to be around 700 million baht, will help boost revenue growth this year,'' he said yesterday.

RS projects 100 million baht in profits from the World Cup, with 80% of it booked in the second quarter and the balance in the third. Consequently, second-quarter performance should improve by 50% from the first quarter.

It also believes its music content will bring even stronger growth in digital music revenue.

The company is also talking with cinema operators about expanding the screening period for the movie Sam-Yan by one to two weeks because some people may have missed it during the curfew. It expects to generate another 10 million baht on top of the 30 million earned already.

In the first quarter, the company reported a net profit of 53.78 million baht on revenue of 539 million, compared to a net loss of 47 million baht on revenue of 481 million a year earlier. Music and digital business contributed 48% of total revenues, show business 28% and media 22%. It released 33 new albums, down from 39 in the fourth quarter of 2009.

RS aims to clear accumulated losses of 88.3 million baht by the end of June. Revenue from the World Cup will be the key factor in achieving this goal.

''We hope to pay dividends on about 50% of net profits next year. This would be the first dividend payment in four years. Our average net profit margin this year will improve to 11% from 9.7% in the first quarter,'' said Mr Darm.

Pornpan Techarungchaikul, chief operating officer, said the company was still confident about next year even without the World Cup. ''After restructuring to focus on digital content, our bottom line will be better. This will help boost our profit. The gross margin of digital music is lower than physical music by around 50-60%,'' she said.

Digital sales will build on the success of SuperMao *339, which has 2 million subscribers. In March, the market share of RS for top-40 downloads among three mobile operators was 60%, up from 50% in the past. Main competitor GMM Grammy gained 40%, Ms Pornpan noted.

RS currently has two satellite TV channels, U Channel and Sabaydee TV, and plans to launch another two this year to target teenagers. The first one, A-List Channel, is scheduled to launch in July but needs to wait for a significant contribution in the fourth quarter.

RS shares closed yesterday on the SET at 2.64 baht, down two satang.

Airbus insists A350 remains 'on schedule'

BROUGHTON, WALES : A long black digital panel on the wall of an 18-metre long plant flashes a message in red: ''More than 100 lessons have been learned ...''


Virtual reality: This digital mock-up unit allows Airbus engineers to see inside the A350 wings, practically from any angle and in great detail. The A350 (inset) is Airbus’s response to Boeing’s B787. Both are next generation mid-size long-range wide-body jets that are quieter and more fuel-efficient than their predecessors.
The line serves to underscore the usefulness of Demobox 2, a 50-million demonstrator that helps engineers at Airbus' Broughton plant know how best to physically build wings for the forthcoming A350 XWB jet.

Another site nearby houses a mini-theatre that shows a 3D computer simulation that allows viewers wearing 3D glasses to see inside the wing box.

This digital mock-up and its associated tooling are being used to train manufacturing engineers, operators, process planners and logistics people on how to work on the wing.

The 10-billion A350 programme is Airbus' attempt not to repeat the mistakes that earlier plagued the launch of its A380 superjumbo.

The A380, the world's largest commercial aircraft, began service in late 2007, two-and-a-half years overdue and with a huge cost overrun due to technical problems and management errors.

Executives of the European planemaker, a unit of European Aeronautic, Defence & Space Co (EADS), said they have learned their lessons.

''We do focus on early maturity and risk mitigation'', for the A350 and its systems, said Francois Caudron, Airbus's vice-president for customer and business programme development, at a press briefing in Broughton.

The demonstrators help avoid delays in the A350 programme, according to Alain de Zotti, the A350 XWB deputy chief engineer.

Airbus executives said development of the A350, launched in 2005, is on track and unlikely to face delays as the firm is doing its best to stay on schedule.

Airbus still intends to deliver the first A350 to Qatar Airways in mid-2013.

Akbar al Baker, chief executive of Qatar Airways, which ordered 80 A350s, recently sounded confidence about Airbus' ability to meet the delivery timetable when he said even if there were delays, they would be ''just a few months''.

The current schedule envisages final assembly of the A350 at the Airbus plant in Toulouse, France, starting in the third quarter of 2011, with its first flight tabled for 2012.

Construction of a final assembly hangar for the A350 in Toulouse is underway. The wing assembly plant in Broughton is scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of this year.

Meanwhile, work on different parts of the long-range mid-size wide-body aircraft by contractors and suppliers in many parts of the world are also in progress, Airbus said.

Airbus has secured 530 orders for the A350 from 33 customers, including Bangkok Airways which has ordered four of the new jets.

The jetliner was designed to compete with Boeing's hot-selling 787 ''Dreamliner'', which is running more than two years behind schedule.

The US planemaker has already received more than 850 orders for the jet that will be largely made of composite materials.

The A350 will be the first Airbus with both fuselage and wing structures made largely of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic.

Airbus claims the A350 will be fuel efficient, with up to 8% lower operating costs than the B787.

Airbus sees demand for 5,000 aircraft in the 250 to 300 seat category over the next two decades, a segment that includes the A350 and B787.

After the debut of the 314-seater A350-900 in 2013, the European company plans to follow it with the 270-seat A350-800 in 2014.

An even larger variant with 350 seats, the A350-1000, is scheduled to enter service in late 2015, according to Airbus.

Nurturing the early years

Children need to have a good start in life to ensure their potential is properly developed. Realising the important role of proper early childhood education in children's development, Mead Johnson Thailand in 2005 came up with the Enfa A+ Power to Learn project in collaboration with Srinakharinwirot University.


Mead Johnson has added a train-the-trainer programme designed for teachers and caregivers at child-care centres.
Patana Chutpong, director of the doctorate degree committee at Srinikharinwirot University's Faculty of Education, said the initiative was initially aimed at helping repair child-care centres in Phangnga affected by the 2004 tsunami. It was part of the project's attempt to improve learning environments that had been washed away by the tidal waves.

''Children in their first six years are in a fast learning stage. This vulnerable period is critical as it forms the fundamentals in their path to becoming adults,'' said Dr Patana, who has more than 30 years of experience in early childhood education.

Child-care centres are among the places where children can learn social skills such as giving and sharing early by living with their peers of the same age groups.

In the early years of the project, much of the focus was on developing the environment for learning such as adjusting facilities and providing the right tools for education.

Aware that providing only physical support was not sustainable in the long term, Mead Johnson has added the train-the-trainer programme designed for teachers and caregivers at child-care centres. Lecturers and students from Srinakharinwirot University also helped with the training process.

''Most teachers or caregivers at the child centres under the project did not have sufficient experiences in looking after children or were not specifically educated in childhood education fields,'' Dr Patana explained.

Child development research by the Department of Health and other agencies also found that Thai children in their early years were subjected to a lower standard of development in terms of emotion, cognition, psychosocial development and intelligence. This was mainly caused by inappropriate child care by families where parents were forced to work away from home, leaving their children with others or early child-care centres that lacked proper training in child development.


‘‘Educating the teachers is a key. Children could benefit moreif their teachers are equipped with the necessary skills of child development such as knowinghow to use educational media or tools to assist their students in learning more effectively,’’ says Dr Patana.
''Educating the teachers is a key. Children could benefit more if their teachers are equipped with the necessary skills of child development such as knowing how to use educational media or tools to assist their students in learning more effectively,'' she said.

The media used include wooden blocks or local materials and toys. Corners equipped with books or basic science materials were also set up.

The training seminars this year have been expanded from the South to cover provinces in other regions including Loei, Chiang Mai and Lop Buri.

More than 150 teachers from child-care centres, mostly run by provincial administrations, attend the four-day seminar each time. The Chaipattana Foundation also helps co-ordinate by seeking childcare centres that require support.

The project also aims to create 10 model child-care centres in many provinces this year so that other child centres to use them as examples.

Jorge Pinedo, general manager of Mead Johnson Thailand, said the company aimed to continue with the project to make sure it was sustainable and self-sufficient.

''This is the example when we stop doing business and focus on giving back to the community,'' Mr Pinedo said.

Education experts discuss students graduating to unemployment

Who is responsible for youth unemployment? Ma Wanhua, PhD, of Peking University, posed this question at a recent regional seminar on the employability of university graduates.


Interns Jiratatip Phumitharanon, left, and Aphapan Ovathitsakul, centre, are each 21 years old and are studying at Chulalongkorn University in their fourth year where they are majoring in political science. Supervisor Benjamin Vergel De Dios, right, is from the Philippines. All three work with the Asia-Pacific Programme of Educational Innovation for Development unit at Unesco Bangkok. SIRISAK CHAIYASOOK/UNESCO
"If I tell you the number of unemployed graduates in China, you'll be shocked," she said.

"More than 2 million graduates are unemployed every year," she added.

The Philippines registered 2.85 million jobless Filipinos in 2009, noted a report from the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology (Seameo Innotech).

Data from the Philippines National Statistics Office reveal that the number of unemployed college graduates is rising and is even higher than the number of unemployed elementary school graduates and high school dropouts.

"Higher education is regarded as a key to improving the quality of life. Parents want to have at least one graduate in the family and they would sell their last carabao (water buffalo) to make that happen," Ethel Valenzuela, PhD, of Seameo Innotech said at the seminar.

The regional seminar on the employability of university graduates was co-organised by Unesco Bangkok and the Institute for Educational Planning, Paris, to present research findings on graduate employability.

Unesco Bangkok director Gwang-Jo Kim, PhD, highlighted the need to prepare young people for a changing world.

"We're living in a time of rapid technology and labour market changes. Employers and the industrial sector need people with creative and higher-order thinking skills.

"The young generations, especially those who enter the job market for the first time, have to keep pace with these changes," he said.

So who is responsible for youth unemployment?

The answer to Dr Wanhua's question lies in the distinction between employability and employment.

Employability refers specifically to job seekers' attributes and skills that will persuade employers to offer them a job.

This includes what researchers classify as the "++ factors", such as the ability to think outside the box, to be creative, to solve problems, to speak a second language, and to work within a team, and independently.

Employment, on the other hand, is the actual hiring of a person to perform an occupation.

New graduate Patcharasorn Kanitthasoontorn said preparing young people to be employable should begin at the secondary school level, if not earlier.

"There was minimal guidance and advice from my family and teachers on my career focus," said the 24-year-old Thai. "And I've been lost for years until recently.

"Students should receive career guidance to help them realise their potential as early as possible. They can then decide their career possibilities and prepare themselves to excel in areas that suit them best."

Patcharasorn completed his bachelor's degree in library and information science at one of the public universities in Bangkok.

He realised that he did not like his subject choice but stayed on because he did not want to waste the year.

"It was as if I were dying a slow death alone in the darkness. I struggled and suffered," he said.

Patcharasorn is now an officer at a bank. "It took a lot of effort for me to relearn and acquire skills to compete successfully for the job.

"With no one to coach and guide me, I had to be my own teacher and career counsellor. But it has taken me years of hard work and pain," he said.

In Thailand, many students share Patcharasorn's experiences. They receive training in areas in which they have no interest in pursuing as a career, which adversely affects their career opportunities.

A World Bank report revealed student enrolment in higher education institutions in Thailand increased from 1.9 million students in 2001, to 2.4 million in 2006. Of 820,000 unemployed people in 2008, 200,000 held a bachelor's degree, according to Rangsit University data.

Rojana Manowalailao is a media and communications officer at Unesco Bangkok. She has a masters degree in Communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia, US, and a masters in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Tefl) from Thammasat University.