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#31
22-01-2007, 02:22 PM
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Re: 'Action' against S'poreans
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U can see how ignorant / self-centered some pple are, ie, din see pple's passports / travel documents yet they think they know it, n then keep blabbering n "chak-ing", n I believe (I dowan 2 say they "definitely") they feel song, shiok, when they chak, suan, other pple. n of course, some pple kinda appear again oredi, after "not being ard" 4 some time. Cos I posted some other anti-SGP postings, but no reaction / response until now, hahaha! 
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#32
22-01-2007, 05:53 PM
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Re: 'Action' against S'poreans
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who exactly u are implying? 
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#34
22-01-2007, 06:55 PM
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Re: 'Action' against S'poreans
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#36
23-01-2007, 12:10 PM
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AirAsia boss tells AoT to choose one airport for budget carriers
Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 23 January 2007 :-
AirAsia boss tells AoT to choose one airport for budget carriers Toulouse, France : The chief of AirAsia, Southeast Asia's largest budget airline group, has called on Thailand to either reopen the old Don Muang airport for both domestic and international flights or build a terminal dedicated to low-cost carriers (LCCs) at Suvarnabhumi airport. Tony Fernandes was commenting on a recent decision by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) to move only non-connecting domestic flights back to the old airport to relieve the congestion at Bangkok's new airport that opened on Sept 28 last year. The decision means that the airline's Thai subsidiary, Thai AirAsia, would need to split its operations between the two airports if it decided to shift domestic services to the 92-year-old site to take advantage of ample facilities and lower operating costs. In an interview following the delivery of the 16th Airbus A320 jet to AirAsia in France last week, Mr Fernandes said AoT's decision made no economic sense for AirAsia due to the prohibitive costs in operating at two bases. It's also confusing for passengers. "My proposition is clear," he said. "Either have a low-cost carrier terminal at Suvarnabhumi or reopen Don Muang for all commercial flights." However, Mr Fernandes has shown a preference for Don Muang. Thai AirAsia was among the Bangkok-based budget carriers that advocated staying at the old airport ahead of Suvarnabhumi's premature opening to avoid higher operating costs and passenger inconvenience at the new facility. But AoT's decision to allow only non-connecting domestic flights to go back to Don Muang was beyond the expectation of some low-cost carriers, especially Thai AirAsia, which was encouraged by AoT management's initial plan to build an LCC terminal at Suvarnabhumi. The budget terminal now appears to be on the back burner due to budget worries. The proposed LCC terminal, covering 40,000 sq m and capable of handling 17 million passengers a year, would cost about 1.4 billion baht and take two years to build. To avoid capital costs involved in building the new LCC terminal, Mr Fernandes suggested Thailand would be better off using Don Muang for all flights. "Why build a new facility (LCC terminal) when you have one airport (Don Muang) already? What are you going to do with Don Muang? Why put all your eggs in one basket (Suvarnabhumi) ?" he questioned. "It's no problem being at another airport," he said, noting that British Airways operates at London Heathrow while budget carrier Ryanair operates from Stansted. "Everyone does not need to be together." Mr Fernandes warned that Thailand could lose out to countries in the region that are reopening old airports or building no-frills terminals to attract budget carriers and their customers. "The Malaysian government now wants to build a huge new terminal (at Kuala Lumpur International Airport) and it even looked at reopening the old airport (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, or Subang) because it sees the business potential," he said. Mr Fernandes also criticised AoT's plan to raise the landing/parking fee by 15% in April, and the international passenger service charges to 700 baht next month. He said it was illogical for both carriers and passengers. Thailand's landing and parking charges have begun to hurt even full service airlines, making them counter-productive, he said. "There is a danger of thinking your product is strong and you can carry on charging whatever you want," he said. "I think that is a wrong strategy because of the competition." --- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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#37
25-01-2007, 04:55 PM
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Thieves steal ATM with B2.5 million inside from Hatyai bank
Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 25 January 2007 :-
Thieves steal ATM with B2.5 million inside from Hatyai bank Songkhla : Five thieves made off with an automatic teller machine (ATM) with nearly 2.5 million baht inside in Songkhla's Hat Yai district yesterday. Police said the Krung Thai Bank's ATM machine placed in front of the Social Security Office (SSO) building on Chotiwiriyakul 3 was ripped out and taken away in the back of a pick-up truck about 2am. Footage from the building's surveillance cameras showed five people involved in the robbery. Security guard Sathaporn Nimpradub, 46, said five robbers, two armed with 11mm and 9mm pistols, held him at gunpoint before making him lie flat on the floor and binding his hands and legs. Then the thieves dislodged the machine, placed it on a pushcart, took it out to a pick-up truck waiting outside the building and hoisted it on to the back. Mr Sathaporn said the entire operation took about 20 minutes. The security guard managed to free himself a short time later and informed police immediately. Police said the robbers got away with 2,450,000 baht in cash which had been put in the machine by bank staff on Tuesday evening. More than 50 investigative and crime suppression police officers were summoned to hunt for the thieves. --- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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#38
25-01-2007, 05:17 PM
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Workers find human remains near Bangkok's Chinatown
Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 25 January 2007 :-
Workers find human remains near Bangkok's Chinatown Sewerage excavation work near Bangkok's Chinatown was suspended yesterday after workers found more than 100 pieces of human skeletal remains scattered under their work site on Charoen Krung road. The gruesome discovery was made by construction workers from Si Saeng Karn Yotha near their work site in front of Xin Hua Zhong Xin, a Chinese language school located opposite Wat Traimitr Wittayaram. The workers reported their find to police around 3am yesterday before holding religious rites to pay respect to the skeletons, which were later sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for identification. There was speculation that the skeletons might belong to Japanese soldiers who died in Thailand after invading the country during World War Two. However, local residents were not very excited by the discovery. ''There are bones underneath every house in this area,'' said Kieng sae Jiew, an employer of an auto spare parts shop opposite the temple. ''This area houses a temple built by ethnic Chinese. Any site where a temple is located should also have a cemetery,'' he said. Two years ago, a local shophouse owner found a coffin and human bones while renovating his place, he added. Charoen Tanmahabrahm, a researcher of Thai-Chinese history, said it was believed that the areas surrounding Wat Traimitr Wittayaram and along Klong Lot canal to Hua Lamphong railway terminal used to serve as an ancient mass grave. The grave dated back to the reign of King Taksin the Great of Thon Buri until the early Rattanakosin period more than 200 years ago, he said. People found guilty of treason were executed and buried in this area, he said. The mass grave was abandoned and later forgotten when King Rama IV had Charoen Krung road constructed in 1861, the researcher said. --- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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#39
26-01-2007, 04:10 PM
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Four incoming flights diverted to U-tapao
Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 26 January 2007 :-
Four incoming flights diverted to U-tapao Four incoming flights were diverted from Bangkok to U-tapao for refuelling yesterday after being held in a holding pattern for too long _ a delay caused by repairs to Suvarnabhumi airport's cracked runway. Tortrakul Yomnak, a board member of Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), said one Nok Air flight, one Thai AirAsia plane and two Thai Airways International flights, from Japan and Singapore, had to land at U-tapao airport about 3pm to take on extra fuel. Afterwards they flew back to Suvarnabhumi. Large aircraft had to circle above Suvarnabhumi because only its eastern runway could serve them yesterday. The western runway was partly closed for repairs to its cracked take-off area. The repair work cut its usable length from 4,000 metres to 2,500 metres and it could serve only relatively small airraft. The repairs were expected to be completed late last night. Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen visited Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday to inspect damage to both the runway and the taxiways. He acknowledged there were over 100 damaged spots in 25 areas. Seven areas have been repaired and the repairs to each area will take about two weeks. He admitted the damage and repairs were inconveniencing passengers. Because of the cracked taxiways, aircraft cannot approach 11 of the total 51 parking aprons. The closure of those areas was causing heavy congestion and many planes were forced to use remote parking areas. An AoT source said about 10 of the total 102 concertina-like airbridges were also unusable because they developed cracks. This caused the total closure of the concourse D5 section. Adm Theera yesterday also ordered the relocation of 12 electrical control cabinets for the passenger terminal for safety reasons. The cabinets control the electrical and lighting systems of the whole terminal and were installed on the hot rooftop of the terminal to maximise usable space inside the terminal. The minister was concerned that the overheated cabinets could break down or even catch fire. The AoT board met yesterday but made no decision on the transfer of any AoT executives over the problems at Suvarnabhumi airport. It will consider revamping the whole of the AoT management at a later stage. Mr Tortrakul said the AoT board has found that King Power International Group occupies larger commercial areas than its contract allows. The contract allows King Power to use 25,000 square metres but the firm's actual commercial areas, including those leased to sub-contractors, together totalled about 36,000 square metres, he said. The issue would have to be corrected because commercial areas were obstructing the movements of passengers. Income from the shops was not the main concern of the AoT, he said. Mr Tortrakul said the AoT board was investigating whether there were any irregularities in the bidding for the contract that allows King Power to to manage all commercial space in the passenger terminal. A source on the AoT board said shops would have to be removed so the overall commercial area matched the space allowed by the contract. --- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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#40
26-01-2007, 04:21 PM
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Prasert seeks speedy Don Muang decision
Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 26 January 2007 :-
Prasert seeks speedy Don Muang decision There is an urgent need for the government to shift all domestic air traffic to Don Muang, immediately fix all the construction flaws and build two new runways at the troubled Suvarnabhumi Airport, says a local aviation industry leader. Dr Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth, chief executive of Bangkok Airways, said problems at Bangkok's new airport were reaching a critical point. The founder of the 39-year-old privately owned carrier is the first airline executive to express grave concern over more discoveries of multiple cracks at taxiways and runways at Suvarnabhumi. ''The most serious problem to happen to an airport is cracks in runways, which have critical implications on safety for jetliners and passengers,'' he said. ''What I envisage today is that there is a good chance the cracks would spread to a wider area unless remedial actions are taken immediately.'' First, Dr Prasert advocated that the government return all domestic commercial flights to the 92-year-old Don Muang airport to alleviate traffic stress on Suvarnabhumi by 30%, and to slow the spread of cracks and subsidence of runways. International flights, which constitute 70% of air traffic through Suvarnabhumi, should remain at the new airport, which was opened on Sept 28 amid criticisms of deficiencies and allegations of corruption. Second, he said, officials should start building the third and fourth runways at Suvarnabhumi right away while also repairing the existing runways and taxiways. Furthermore, they should speedily correct all the flaws such as cracks and leaking roofs in the terminal, build more toilets and install more escalators, he said. He said Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) should spare no effort and money to revive Suvarnabhumi to regain falling confidence among the aviation industry and travellers. ''In fact, it could be an ideal solution if they could completely shut down Suvarnabhumi for repairs and additional construction. But that would create even more problems and chaos'' as a shutdown could last up to two years, he said. The runway and taxiway cracks apparently are linked to an unproven construction technique using a soil-compacting method known as PVD rather than the conventional means of using concrete columns for foundations, he pointed out. He warned that AoT should insist on using the standard method for building the third and fourth runways. Dr Prasert said the new runways should be made available in the next two years, noting that a 3,600-metre runway could be built within 18 months at the cost of 10-12 billion baht. Once the new runways and repairs are completed, all commercial flights should be go through the new airport. Ideally, he said, any country should have one main airport, unless there is a question of capacity insufficiency, he said. ''Of course, Thailand will lose out in terms of lower air traffic and national image, but we must be brave enough to admit the flaws and correct them rather than having the world saying that our airport is unsafe,'' he said. The problems at Suvarnabhumi have already reduced its capacity from 72 flights per hour to about 60, according to AoT. Bangkok Airways is prepared to move its domestic flights back to Don Muang even though it would lose connections with its international services and face higher costs in running two bases. ''We have no choice but to face the same karma,'' Dr Prasert said. The AoT board recently resolved to shift non-connecting domestic flights to Don Muang. To date only three airlines - Thai Airways International, Nok Air and One-Two-Go - have said they would be willing to make the move. --- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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#41
26-01-2007, 04:28 PM
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Baht hits 34 to the dollar in offshore trading
Report from The Nation dated Friday 26 January 2007 :-
Baht hits 34 to the dollar in offshore trading Buoyed by the yuan's new high yesterday, the baht surged to 34 to the US dollar in the offshore market, underlining the futility of the central bank's drastic measures to rein in baht speculation. Onshore, the baht ran up to Bt35.75, forcing the Bank of Thailand (BOT) to enter the market with baht sales to sap the unit's upward momentum. Traders said dollar sales and the yuan's advances were both behind the rapid appreciation of the baht. Despite the BOT's intervention to stabilise the baht, analysts asked whether now was the time for the authority to revise its policy to stem capital inflows. The baht opened at 35.86, then sky-rocketed for the first time since the central bank introduced its draconian capital controls on December 19. BOT Governor Tarisa Watana-gase said the offshore baht's dazzling performance had a psychological spill-over effect on the onshore market, despite their separation. A commercial bank dealer said the baht shot up without looking back after piercing the technical resistance level of Bt35.90. Some investors, who had bought greenbacks at Bt36 expecting the baht to weaken further, due to the domestic political situation, dumped their dollars to cut their losses. Exporters also kept cashing in their dollars, while importers stayed on the sidelines thinking the baht would gain some more. "The market earlier did not think the baht would break 35.90. When it went through that level, it climbed up quickly and reached its strongest point at 35.75/35.78 in the early afternoon," the dealer said. The BOT appeared to supervise the market via primary dealers when a big lot of dollar buying went through. The baht then settled at a more sustainable level of 35.75. --- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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#42
27-01-2007, 04:32 PM
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Suvarnabhumi Airport officially unsafe
Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 27 January 2007 :-
Suvarnabhumi Airport officially unsafe Aviation authorities have refused to extend an international safety certificate for the Suvarnabhumi Airport, a senior official said Saturday. With runway and tarmac repairs at the new airport still under way, the Department of Civil Aviation decided Friday not to renew its interim safety certificate, which expired a day earlier. The airport can, however, continue to operate without the license. Somchai Sawasdeepon, the airport's general manager, said the airport has yet to set up a safety committee as required by the International Civil Aviation Organization because authorities are "busy resolving other problems." Mr Somchai said the issue will be discussed at the next board meeting. He said that he was confident the certificate will be renewed after the safety committee has been established. Local newspapers have reported that some foreign pilots raised concerns about safety issues at the Suvarnabhumi, but Mr Somchai said such fears were not voiced at a meeting of airline representatives on Friday. The International Civil Aviation Organization has made it a requirement for international airports to hold an Aerodrome Certificate -- aimed at standardizing global airport operations. Suvarnabhumi can nonetheless continue to operate without the certificate because it has yet to incorporate that requirement into law. --- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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#43
27-01-2007, 04:42 PM
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Authorities mull return to Don Muang Airport
Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 27 January 2007 :-
Authorities mull return to Don Muang Airport The government and airport executives are considering whether to reopen Bangkok's 90-year-old airport at Don Muang as attempts to fix the brand-new Suvarnabhumi Airport are causing disruption. On Saturday morning, one of the two runways was closed for repairs. About 100 cracks were found at the new airport's taxiways and runaways and damaged sections are being closed off while repair work is carried out. Transport Minister Admiral Thira Haocharoen told reporters the possibility of moving some flights back to Don Muang is being considered, especially for point-to-point domestic flights. Don Muang was decommissioned as Bangkok's main airport in September when the new airport was officially opened but support for reopening the Don Muang facility is gaining momentum as more troubles are reported at Suvarnabhumi. The minister said that the move would speed up the repair work and help ease traffic congestion at the new airport, adding that government agencies and airline executives will discuss the issue next week. Adm Thira maintained that Thailand would not shut down Bangkok's spanking new US$3.8 billion international airport completely. He admitted there were doubts about whether it was appropriate to carry out repair work in sections before a detailed study of the damage at the new airport has been completed. The cabinet on Tuesday decided to convene a panel of "independent" experts to determine how serious the cracks are and what has caused them. The head of the panel is a board member of Airports of Thaland, which runs the facility. The airport, which was officially opened in September, was designed to handle 45 million passengers a year. The minister said problems at Suvarnabhumi would not only disrupt air traffic for several weeks, but also undermine the confidence of both the public and airlines. More disruption was forecast for Saturday as the airport's east runway was closed from 2 to 6 a.m. for repairs, said Passakorn Surapipith, deputy director of the Suvarnabhumi Airport. He added that the 40 incoming and outgoing flights scheduled would use the west runway. --- KatoeyNewsNetwork
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#44
30-01-2007, 10:19 PM
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Dr M backs Thailand over feud with Singapore
eport from The Nation dated Tuesday 30 January 2007 :-
Dr M backs Thailand over feud with Singapore Malaysia's Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's interview with Thepchai Yong to be aired on Channel 5's Siam This Morning on Wednesday at 6.15am. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammed threw his support behind Thailand's diplomatic spat with Singapore, accusing the city-state of interfering in the country's internal affairs and violating diplomatic norms by permitting its senior government official to meet with ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra. In an interview with Nation Channel's Thepchai Yong over the weekend on this island resort, Mahathir said Singapore had permitted Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar to meet with Thaksin in spite of their awareness that such act would grossly upset Bangkok. "Singapore doesn't really care about the opinion of its neighbours," said Mahathir, adding that the decision was "unfeeling and not sympathetic". "Singapore believes the most important thing is what profits Singapore," he said. Thai-Singapore relation has hit one of its lowest points following the controversial meeting. The Foreign Ministry insisted that it has given the island-state prior warning about Thailand's strong objection to the meeting. Two weeks ago, army chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin accused Singapore of spying on Thailand by eaves dropping on telephone conversations, adding more fuel to what was billed as already a difficult situation between the two countries. "That's the kind of things they do," Mahathir said. The Singaporean government dismissed Sonthi's claim. When asked about his 22 years of dealing with Singapore, Mahathir said "You'll get no where with them either being nice or being tough, they only think of themselves," Mahathir said. Nevertheless, Mahathir said both sides to patch things up but "in away that is honorable", which, he said, should start with an apology from Singapore. The former Malaysian leader said he would welcome a meeting with Thaksin only if the former Thai premier asked for it. But Mahathir quickly downplayed the idea, saying "I don't have anything to discuss with him. Thaksin has publicly praised Mahathir as his role model during his time in office. "Although he has said I was his friend and he wants to follow my way. But many of his ways are not my way," Mahathir said. Thaksin has been living in exile since his ouster in September. The former premier has launched a media campaign to discredit the military-appointed government in Bangkok and the junta itself, accusing them of mismanagement and being undemocratic. Singapore's investment firm Temasek Holdings purchase of Thaksin family-controlled Shin Corp. in January had triggered an outcry in Thailand and exploded into a national scandal that led to his downfall after it was disclosed that the family paid no taxes on the Bt73-billion deal. The deal allowed the Singaporean investment fund, Temasek to control operation of mobile phone, Satellite and television network, which the junta deemed as a possible access to security concern areas, Mahathir said Thailand had benefited economically under Thaksin but added that his handlings of policy and controversies were not very diplomatic. Mahthir dismissed suggestion that Thakisin had followed his footstep by meddling with press freedom. He said his outspokenness against Western countries has put him in a bad light with the foreign press.
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#45
31-01-2007, 10:26 AM
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Re: Anything & Everything about Thailand (Part 2)
Dr M did it again. Adding fuel to the fire!! Who asked for his opinion anyway??!!
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