Anything & Everything about Thailand (Part 2)

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 14 March 2007 :-

Bill raises drinking age to 20

The cabinet yesterday approved a draft Alcohol Control Bill which imposes a total ban on liquor advertising, except those which appear in live programmes from overseas. The bill, which now goes to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), also raises the minimum age at which people can buy alcoholic beverages from 18 to 20 years.

It includes a round-the-clock ban on liquor advertising on all media, instead of the current 5am to 10pm.

Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalap said it would apply to all forms of advertising, including the display of names and logos of alcoholic beverages in the media, at theatres, shows and social functions.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said the bill specifies sites where alcohol consumption and sales are prohibited, such as religious places, schools, government offices and petrol stations.

Mr Yongyuth said Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn had warned the ban may violate the rights of businesses, and that designating alcohol-free zones may breach people's rights. His comments would also be sent to the NLA.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 14 March 2007 :-

Cabinet endorses alcohol-ad ban - Producers say their views were ignored

Alcoholic-beverage producers, entertainment operators and media companies remain frustrated by the government's refusal to accept arguments that a 24-hour blanket ban on ads is not the way to curb the problems of alcohol abuse and drunk-driving in Thailand. The Public Health Ministry yesterday won cabinet endorsement of its draft on liquor-consumption control. It would likely set the minimum age for new drinkers at 20 and impose an around-the-clock ban on ads, except for commercials that come with foreign sports programmes.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla said a committee would be set up to consider zoning for pubs and restaurants that sell alcoholic beverages so that they won't be found near schools, universities, hospitals and temples.

The draft will go to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) for final approval.

Late last year, the ministry failed to have the Food and Drug Administration issue a similar promotional ban after the Council of State ruled that the agency had no mandate to control alcohol advertisements in the media.

The advertising industry earlier said the ad ban would cost the industry two billion baht annually. Beer sales are expected to shrink by 5% to 10% next year while the 400-million-baht Thai wine industry would be hurt as well.

Brewers have maintained that the draft is unfair and would favour low-priced white spirits. Beer producers also argue that the excise tax structure further benefits low-cost spirits, resulting in greater alcohol consumption, particularly in the provinces and among low-income groups.

In their view, white liquor should share most of the blame for alcohol-related accidents nationwide.

Prin Malakul, corporate affairs director for Thai Asia Pacific Brewery Co (TAPB), the producer of Heineken, said the private sector had tried hard to explain to the government that legal measures were not the answer as long as the government did not address the problem at its root.

''Authorities would be better off strengthening the enforcement of existing regulations on the sales and consumption of alcohol. Also, authorities need to do more to educate the public about the dangers of excessive drinking,'' said Mr Prin.

He said the government had ignored the private sector's attempts to offer a broader perspective on the impact to the industry and various proposed solutions.

Mr Prin agreed with Chatchai Wiratyosin, Singha's marketing manager, who insisted that the blanket ad ban would trigger a price war among alcohol makers for lack of any other means to compete. Under such a circumstance, product quality will be compromised and consumers will be the ultimate losers.

''Singha will not be the first to jump into the price war. But [the producers of] white spirits will and they will drag in small and medium-sized operators,'' said Mr Chatchai.

Regarding the unfair tax structure of alcoholic beverages, Mr Chatchai said no state officials had dared touch the problem. Those who tried would find themselves transferred to other jobs, he noted.

Visooth Lohitnavy, president of the Thai Wine Association, also was disappointed.

''I'm so fed up with this. I won't join the conference [to be held today] on the new alcohol-consumption law because the ministry won't listen to us,'' said Mr Visooth, who also is the CEO of Gramonte Co, a local wine producer.

He said earlier that the strict measures would hurt not only the 400-million-baht Thai wine industry, but also the emerging agricultural-tourism industry, which focuses on vineyards. Twelve hundred farmers would also be hurt, he claimed.

Chaipranin Visudhipol, a former president of the Advertising Association of Thailand, hopes the NLA will understand that the problem has more to do with poor law enforcement than anything else.

''A total ad ban cannot reduce consumption. White liquor accounts for 80% to total alcohol sales although it has never been advertised,'' he said.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 19 March 2007 :-

'Separatists' behind Bangkok City bombs - Devices made the same way as in South

The police team investigating the New Year bombings in Bangkok and Nonthaburi has concluded that a southern separatist group was responsible for the nine explosions.

Police are now hunting for a man with a southern Thai accent who bought 300 silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) diodes, used in the assembly of bomb circuits, in Bangkok's Ban Mo area.

A highly-placed source in the investigation team said the insurgent group responsible for the nine bombs wanted to show its capability to launch terrorist attacks outside its home region.

Evidence collected from attack scenes and the detonation circuitry used to assemble the bombs supported the investigators' conclusion, the source said.

"After examining evidence thoroughly, it was found that the bomb detonation circuits are the same [as the circuits used by a southern insurgent group].

Moreover, the materials used to make the bombs are all the same," the source said.

The investigation team is now focusing its investigation on one insurgent group.

The materials used to assemble the nine bombs included metal boxes containing ball bearings and nails, a Casio 200 watch, a nine-volt battery and a small deodorant spray bottle containing gunpowder.

The same materials are used by the southern insurgent group, said the source.

The brand and model of diodes used in the bomb circuits was also the same as the devices the group used to launch attacks in the deep South. They are SCR diodes made by Motorola.

The owner of an electronics shop in Ban Mo told investigators that on Dec 23, one week before the bombings, he sold 300 of the SCR diodes of the same model, together with 300 nine-volt battery terminals of the same type that police collected from the bomb scenes, the source said.

The shop owner said the man who bought them wore a hat and spoke Thai with a southern accent.

Bomb disposal experts told the investigation team that the bombs used in the New Year attacks and terrorist attacks in the deep South were probably assembled by the same person.

Each bomb-maker has his or her own signatory bomb-making style, the source said.

The investigation team will report its findings to the Council for National Security (CNS) soon.

The CNS earlier believed that an "old political power clique" was responsible for the Bangkok bombing.

"Now it's rather clear that it was a southern insurgent group that launched the attacks," the source said.

Assistant national police chief Pol Lt-Gen Phanuphong Singhara na Ayutthaya, who leads the bomb probe, has ordered the investigation team to gather information to identify insurgent groups capable of launching such an attack, another police source said.

Another investigation team, led by assistant police chief Pol Lt-Gen Jongrak Juthanont, has asked the Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for two suspected New Year bombers who appear in video footage from two security cameras, one at the Saphan Khwai intersection and another at Major Cineplex Ratchayothin.

The team will make public the footage of the suspect at Major Cineplex on Wednesday, to seek more information from the public.

The team has already publicised footage of the male suspect at the Saphan Khwai intersection and received more than 300 tips from the public.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Tuesday 20 March 2007 :-

Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai disaster zones

The northern provinces of Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai have been declared disaster zones, as the number of people with respiratory problems has soared amid continuing forest fires and thick haze.

"The declaration will facilitate anti-haze operations and create public awareness of the necessity of the ban on burning activities," Deputy Prime Minister Paiboon Wattanasiritham said yesterday.

Governors of disaster provinces are empowered to allocate emergency budgets at will to cope with the crisis. Any province where the level of small dust particles in the air exceeds 200 milligrammes a cubic metre (ug/cu m) will be declared a disaster area, Mr Paiboon said.

The concentration of dust particles less than 10 microns in diameter in Mae Hong Son had risen from 278 ug/cu m on Sunday to 284 ug/cu m yesterday.

In Chiang Mai, the dust level measured in Mae Rim district jumped from 185 to 196 ug/cu m, while in Muang district it was 203 ug/ cu m.

Any reading above 120 ug/cu m is considered unhealthy. Very small particles penetrate deeper into the lungs than ordinary dust and become embedded.

Mr Paiboon said the accumulated number of respiratory patients in Mae Hong Son had risen dramatically in just three days, from 416 on Saturday to 3,541 yesterday. In Chiang Rai, cases skyrocketed from 1,780 to 11,148 and in Chiang Mai from 1,370 to 4,514, he said. The first cases were recorded on March 1.

His Majesty the King has instructed the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry to set up a special rainmaking unit in Chiang Mai to support forest fire control operations and ease the drought problem.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Wednesday 21 March 2007 :-

Don Muang Airport changes official name - Most preparations have been completed

In preparation for the resumption of regular flights this Saturday, Don Muang airport has changed its official name to prevent confusion with Suvarnabhumi, which is Bangkok's main airport. According to Don Muang airport director Pinit Saraithong, the official name has changed from Bangkok airport to Don Muang airport and its code name from BKK to DMK.

Accordingly, signs at Don Muang airport have been changed.

Most renovations and preparations have been completed and the cost has not exceeded 20 million baht. Staff of Thai Airways International (THAI), Nok Air and One-Two-Go airlines have installed their check-in counters and the facilities only need to be wired up, he added.

All flights of the two low-cost airlines, Nok Air and One-Two-Go, will move from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang.

Don Muang will officially relaunch services on Sunday to ease traffic at Suvarnabhumi, which needs repairs, especially to its runways and taxiways.

Apinan Sumanaseni, president of THAI, said the airline would operate 30 flights a day at Don Muang airport and they would be non-connecting domestic flights.

It will maintain 11 daily domestic flights connecting to international ones at Suvarnabhumi airport.

THAI flights at Don Muang will have a four-digit number code beginning with 1, such as TG1203 _ different from the three-digit flights operated at Suvarnabhumi. THAI will serve departing passengers on the second floor of the domestic terminal through check-in counters numbers 15-26. Retired staff have been recalled to work the counters initially and THAI will recruit around 300 new staff for the task later, Mr Apinan said.

Arriving passengers will be dealt with on the first floor of the same terminal. For passengers who booked tickets before March 20, THAI will provide them with special transport.

In addition, THAI will operate a check-in counter at its City Air Terminal at Lat Phrao subway station. Passengers can check in three hours before their travel time and take the shuttle bus service to Don Muang airport. Those without luggage can check in at the city terminal a day in advance. The city terminal will operate between 4am and 8pm.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Wednesday 21 March 2007 :-

Chester's Grill undergoes image makeover

Chester's Grill, a quick-service restaurant unit of the Charoen Pokphand Group, is refreshing its brand in a move to strengthen its bond with its core customers.

The target customers are teenage students and working people aged 15-30.

The brand refreshment will include store renovations to create a modern and trendy look, modernisation of all store fittings, decorations and staff uniforms and the launch of new culinary innovations.

Its latest product, the Grilled Chicken Burger, was designed for young consumers with a quick-eating lifestyle, both teenagers and first-jobbers. It was launched last Friday and goes for Bt55 at all Chester's Grill outlets.

Earlier this year, the company launched Bulgogi Korean-style grilled chicken with rice. It will unveil two more new products later this year.

Chester's Grill includes about 15 dishes on its menu. The launch of new dishes will create greater variety.

"We'll focus on two key strategies: new outlets and the launch of new products," said Suwat Songphatanayothin, assistant vice president for operations for Chester's Food.

The company operates 130 Chester's Grill restaurants locally, of which about 60 per cent are franchised.

"We want to increase the number of restaurants to 150 this year and maintain the proportion of franchised outlets at 60 per cent. At least 10 existing stores will be renovated to have a trendy and modern look that will attract people with modern lifestyles," said Suwat.

About 30 per cent of the new outlets will be upcountry, including branches for Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Koh Pha-ngan and Koh Samui.

Assistant vice president for marketing Amnat Kunlayakunawut said an internal survey showed Chester's Grill was recognised by consumers as a quick-service restaurant specialising in grilled chicken but that many felt some branches needed renovating for a more modern look.

He said Chester's Grill had set an optimistic target for sales to grow 25 per cent this year, following on from last year's 23-per-cent growth.

Suwat said fast-food restaurants had suffered little impact from the economic situation, because they required less spending per transaction compared with full-service restaurants.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Thursday 22 March 2007 :-

Don Muang Airport set to re-open this weekend

Don Muang Airport is ready to re-open for domestic flights on March 25 as planned as three airlines will initially shift their services from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Muang, according to Airport of Thailand (Aot) Acting President Kalaya Pakakrong.

Ms. Kalaya said security measures and facilities to serve airlines and passengers at Don Muang Airport were in place for the reopening of Don Muang Airport on March 25.

"Three airlines will initially return their domestic services to Don Muang -- Thai Airways, Nok Air (a subsidiary of Thai) and Orient Thai Airlines," she said.

The three airlines will offer 140 flights daily with 18,000 passengers, she said, adding that if there would be more airlines return their operations to Don Muang in the future, the airport would be ready to accommodate their needs.

She said it was expected that some 5 million passengers from the three airlines would use the airport.

Recently decommissioned Don Muang was scheduled to reopen from March 25, which would help alleviate congestion at the new airport while repairs are carried out.

The domestic terminal will be the main terminal at Don Muang with a capacity to accommodate 11 million passengers annually, Ms. Kalaya said.

She said after Don Muang is reopened for six months, AoT will evaluate the airport and report its result to the Transport Ministry.

"The evaluation report would be a major factor to decide whether the international flights will operate from Don Muang in the future or not," she said.

However, the acting AoT president said she saw the airport as capable of serving international flights in the region.

Meanwhile, Flight Lieutenant Pinit Saraithong, Don Muang's general manager, said all facilities are ready to serve passengers, including parking lots, taxi service, restaurants and souvenir shops.

The first four commercial flights to operate at Don Muang Airport would depart at 6 am: Thai flight TG 1020 Bangkok-Ubon Ratchathani, and Nok Air flights DD 9200 Bangkok-Udon Thani, DD7804 Bangkok-Nakhon Si Thammarat and DD 7102 Bangkok-Hat Yai.

Passengers should note that the code of Don Muang Airport will change from BKK to DMK.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 23 March 2007 :-

Hat Yai outlook goes from bad to worse

Hat Yai - Tourism conditions in Hat Yai are going from bad to worse, with some hotel operators leaving the area altogether, according to Nimitr Chaichiratikul, the president of the Tourist Business Federation of Songkhla.

The violence that re-emerged in the three southernmost provinces in 2004 has had an increasing effect on nearby Songkhla, where Hat Yai is the main commercial centre.

Bombings that took place in Hat Yai last year worsened the tourism outlook, and recent violence has made businesses even more pessimistic, Mr Nimitr told a meeting held yesterday by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Tourism and Sports Minister Suvit Yodmani chaired the meeting, at which businesses as well as officials were invited to voice their concerns.

Mr Nimitr estimated that Songkhla had lost about 15 billion baht since 2004. Foreign tourist arrivals are estimated at 600,000 to 700,000 this year, substantially down from one million a year before 2004, he said. Revenue is likely to be worth only 10 billion baht this year.

Foreign tourist arrivals declined to 720,826 in 2005, partially because of flooding, compared with 852,234 in 2004 and 1,044,900 in 2003. The number increased marginally last year to 720,860.

Tourism earned the province about 12 billion baht last year, a rise from 11.7 billion baht a year earlier but down from 14 billion baht in 2004. Foreign tourists, many of them Malaysians, contributed nearly half of Songkhla's tourism revenue.

Sawai Na Pathalung, executive chairman of Pink Hotel & Complex and adviser to the Thai Hotel Association of Hat Yai, said about seven three-star hotels were recently taken over by Singaporean investors.

The owners of more than 10 hotels are likely to be forced to sell this year because they could not afford to pay debt given the sharp drop in occupancy.

Normally, the occupancy rate of hotels in Hat Yai averages about 65%. The rate fell to only 20% after the latest bombings in September last year.

Hotel operations are generally able to survive only when their occupancy rate stays above 50%, Mr Sawai said.

''We desperately call on the government to help address the problems as soon as possible to restore the confidence of tourists about safety in order to boost the industry and consumption in the province,'' he said.

''Installing CCTV (closed-circuit TV) in public areas is also necessary.''

The government is also being urged to support soft loans with interest rates of 1.5% to 2% to hotel entrepreneurs in order to maintain their businesses.

According to the Songkhla TAT Office, the province has 167 hotels with a total of 11,777 rooms, 137 tour operators, 630 tour guides, and 370 restaurants.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Saturday 24 March 2007 :-

The Don's agreed, but is it Muang or Mueang?

As the old airport in North Bangkok prepares to reopen for certain domestic flights tomorrow , a new question has emerged. But this is not about runways or possible transfer headaches. Instead, it's about how to spell the name of the airport using the Roman alphabet. Passers-by might be surprised to see signs at the domestic terminal, saying Don Mueang instead of Don Muang, as it had always been written in the past.

The confusion over the spelling is clear in promotional materials of the national carrier, Thai Airways International. A recent advertisement in local newspapers cited the name of the airport using the new spelling, but the airline's website is spelling it the old way. The ad says ''Smooth as silk via Don Mueang for THAI domestic flights,'' but a headline on the website reads: ''THAI announces domestic operations at Don Muang airport.''

But despite some misgivings that others may have over the change of spelling, airport director Pinit Saraithong has insisted that Don Mueang is the correct way to spell it using Roman characters.

After an order from the government and Airports of Thailand Plc to move domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi back to the 93-year-old airport, one of Mr Pinit's first questions was how to spell the name of the airport correctly in English, he said.

''Until now we never had this name. We only had Bangkok International Airport as the official name,'' he said.

But the official name of Bangkok International Airport was passed to the new Suvarnabhumi airport when it opened last year, which meant the name Don Muang, as it had been unofficially known in the past, would now become the old airport's official name.

So Mr Pinit turned to linguistic experts, including the Royal Institute and Chulalongkorn University's faculty of arts, to garner advice on the English spelling of the old airport's name. All experts he spoke to at these and other language institutes agreed it should be Mueang, not Muang as it had always been before, he said.

''This problem gave me such a headache,'' he said. ''Now I have to keep all evidence with me to back up that decision.''

The airport will offer services for all domestic flights by One-Two-Go and Nok Air tomorrow . THAI is also moving most of its domestic services to Don Mueang.

One-Two-Go and Nok Air will test the airport by landing some inbound flights at the old airport this evening .

Welcome to Don Mueang airport.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 26 March 2007 :-

Maybe it is 'Mueang' but who can say it?

It was with some bemusement that I read that the name of the old Don Muang airport, which has been unofficially used for 93 years, has been re-spelled Mueang (Bangkok Post, March 24).

The decision by airport director Pinit Saraithong was made after conferring with the Royal Institute and the Chulalongkorn University arts faculty. Their considered opinion was that Mueang was correct.

Regrettably there is a problem - "uea" is an illegal vowel combination in English. To Westerners, the pronunciation of this configuration will cause consternation.

That is the reason why Muang has been used, and adopted nationally in Thailand, in place-names. Such a significant name change should have been tested with native English speakers, people proficient in English grammar and structure, then the error would have been found quickly.

In addition, the name change will be extremely costly to implement _ the traditional Muang spelling has been used for years by cartographers, governments, satellite navigation systems, commercial and online flight resources, plus numerous tourist guides. The name exists in hundreds of thousands of official references.

The dilemma now is who changes _ the airport or the rest of the world. In either case, the cost will be high.

There is a famous saying in English: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." It is regrettable that, despite his best efforts and intentions, Mr Pinit did not heed this advice.

PETER PENDLETON
Chiang Rai

Name change is not for everyone

The story about the airport spelling change both intrigued and amused me. The amusement was caused when I saw an Airports of Thailand advertisement, on Page 7 of the very same newspaper, announcing that Don Muang (note spelling!) would reopen on March 25.

In a similar vein, why is Bangkok's new airport spelled Suvarnabhumi when the correct pronunciation is (and I am quoting from the airport's official website) su wan na poom?

OLIVER MINTO
Chon Buri

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 26 March 2007 :-

Don Muang reopening largely problem-free

The reopening of Don Muang airport for domestic flights yesterday generally ran smoothly, although there were some flight delays.

A passenger also claimed she was misled by taxi drivers who told her that all domestic flights had been moved from Suvarnabhumi airport to Don Muang - causing her great inconvenience and added expense.

The atmosphere at Don Muang was lively, with many passengers arriving around 4am to check in.

One Thai passenger who had just returned from Germany with her kin and was booked on a flight to her home province of Sakon Nakhon said taxi drivers at Suvarnabhumi told her that all domestic flights had been moved to Don Muang.

They wanted to charge her 1,500 baht for the 60km journey. But she realised the fare was too high, and took another taxi to Don Muang for 500 baht.

But on arrival there she found that PB Air, which flies to Sakon Nakhon, is still operating from Suvarnabhumi airport, so she had to return to Suvarnabhumi.

THAI, Nok Air and One-Two-Go are operating from Don Muang.

Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongcha-um said he was satisfied with the smooth operation at Don Muang airport. He praised Airports of Thailand (AoT) for its efficient management and readiness.

The deputy minister, who visited the airport on Saturday night, said he would accompany Transport Minister Theera Haocharoen to check the readiness of the Air City Terminal, a multi-purpose check-in terminal at Lat Phrao subway station today.

THAI president Apinan Sumanaseni said the airline has added five more domestic flights from Suvarnabhumi airport to Krabi, Chiang Mai and Phuket, to facilitate the travel of passengers from overseas who wanted to connect to flights to those provinces.

He said THAI has set up a transport service counter at Suvarnabhumi airport to arrange shuttle buses for passengers to Don Muang.

As of 4pm yesterday, THAI operated a total of 19 outbound flights and 14 in-bound flights at Don Muang.

There were three flight delays due to aircraft rotation problems. About 3,000 passengers used THAI services at Don Muang yesterday.

AoT acting president Kulya Pakakrong said a study of the use of Don Muang was expected to be concluded in September.

If there was a new policy for airlines to move their international flights to Don Muang, AoT would ask the operators to move on a voluntary basis, she said.

Airport director Pinit Saraithong said AoT had coordinated with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority to provide 10 Euro 2 buses to operate between Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi.

The buses, which will charge a flat 34 baht, will leave the airport every 30 minutes. THAI will also provide shuttle services from Don Muang to the Lat Phrao subway station.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Friday 30 March 2007 :-

Travellers flocking back to Don Mueang Airport - Airlines to add flights on high demand

Carriers are reaping a windfall from operating through the reopened Don Mueang airport as more passengers feel comfortable travelling through the old site.

Thai Airways International, Nok Airlines and One-Two-Go Airlines have seen passenger travel volume leap ever since they moved their non-connecting domestic flights to the 93-year-old airport on Sunday.

Traveller reaction to the resurrection of the old airport was somewhat beyond airline expectations as passengers have become more prepared to take flights knowing they do not have to battle hassles, costs and time travelling to the troubled Suvarnabhumi Airport.

One of the trio saw its passenger volume through Don Mueang rise 20%, while the others noted stronger demand both from frequent and new air travellers despite the sluggish economy and subdued political situation.

''Yes, we are seeing a solid growth rate in our passenger numbers since we moved to Don Mueang,'' said Sehapan Chumsai, executive vice-president for marketing of Nok Airlines, known as Nok Air.

Udom Tantiprasongchai, the chief executive of One-Two-Go Airlines, said the increase in his airline's traffic had been positive.

''Passenger response to our flights through Don Mueang is definitely very positive as demonstrated by cabin factor records so far,'' a THAI executive said, adding that it was still too early to release traffic numbers.

Travellers and airline personnel alike are undoubtedly much happier at Don Mueang than at Suvarnabhumi, executives of the three airlines said.

Mr Sehapan noted that many frequent travellers and those who need to travel domestically were more prepared to fly than before, primarily because of all the convenience Don Mueang offers.

''Generally speaking, travel time and taxi fares to Don Mueang are less than going to Suvarnabhumi,'' he explained.

Furthermore, these passengers know that they do not have to endure the crowding at Suvarnabhumi and taking a long walk to the boarding gates that can be hard to find, he added.

National carrier THAI and the two budget airlines - Nok Air and One-Two-Go - offer 140 flights a day, handling about 20,000 passengers, through Don Mueang's old domestic terminal.

Encouraged by passenger enthusiasm, both Nok Air and One-Two-Go are ramping up their flights through Don Mueang.

One-Two-Go is adding ten to the 28 daily flights it offered when starting operations through Don Mueang on Sunday.

Mr Udom said in an interview that the airline intended to inaugurate four new routes _ to Nakhon Si Thammarat, Trang, Phitsanulok and Khon Kaen _ tentatively in mid-May.

One-Two-Go will soon add two 172-seat MD-82 twin-jet aircraft to its fleet of six MD-82s, before adding another two towards August or Sept this year.

Nok Air wants to step up flight frequency over its existing routes as soon as it gets its seventh B737-400 scheduled early next month.

''The aircraft will enable us to offer ten flight sectors each day,'' said Mr Sehapan.

He added that a a plan was also in the pipeline for Nok Air to introduce three additional domestic routes, from Bangkok to Chiang Rai, Surat Thani and Ubon Ratchathani, in the third quarter of this year.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from The Nation dated Friday 30 March 2007 :-

Mos Burger ready to take Thailand by storm

Japan's Mos Food Services will spend Bt90 million to set up 12 Mos Burger quasi-fast-food, quick-service restaurants in Thailand within the next three years, targeting high-end customers.

Mos Food Thailand managing director Yasunori Yoichi sees a business opportunity despite the economic slow-down and is banking on the Japanese-food craze that has been gaining momentum in Thailand.

Yoichi cited the similarities between Japanese and Thai cuisine, such as certain common ingredients, as the reason for such unprecedented popularity.

With its first branch set to open on the third floor of CentralWorld, the burger chain is looking to open other outlets in premium shopping complexes in Bangkok's city centre and suburbs, office buildings and even as standalone shops. It aims to open two branches in the first year, four in the second and six in the third.

Yoichi predicts annual revenues of not less than Bt20 million this year. Ten per cent of its turnover will be used as next year's marketing budget. In subsequent years, with more branches opened, Mos Food will allocate only 1-2 per cent of turnover for marketing, focusing primarily on print ads, such as brochures and in newspapers.

Mos Food Thailand has registered capital of Bt50 million.

Its mother company, Mos Food Services, reported net sales of 58 billion yen (Bt17.23 billion) last year, a 1.9-per-cent drop from 2005. The company lost ฅ7.3-billion in 2005 but rebounded to show a ฅ1-billion profit last year.

Mos Food's first expansion abroad was in Taiwan in 1991, where it now has 121 branches. It has 21 outlets in Singapore and two in Hong Kong and is planning an aggressive expansion into Australia and South Korea.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork

[MimeBoxer]

I loves Mos Burger!! Glad to hear that BBK going to have them soon...

[KatoeyLover69]

Report from Bangkok Post dated Monday 2 April 2007 :-

Japanese tourists drop on security fears, baht

Concerns about safety and the ongoing appreciation of the baht have taken a toll on tourism, with Japanese arrivals to Thailand dropping by 10% year-on-year in the first three months of 2007.

''Normally, the annual growth of Japanese tourist arrivals to Thailand is about 8-10%. If the downward trend continues until the end of the year, we're afraid that Japanese arrivals will not reach the number we achieved last year,'' said Anake Srishevachart, president of the Thai-Japan Tourism Association, representing inbound travel providers.

Last year, Japanese tourist arrivals totalled 1.3 million, a rise from 1.1 million in 2005.

Although the figure for the first three months of 2007 is not yet official, Japanese tourist arrivals at Suvarnabhumi Airport were reported down by 7.93% to 95,759 from 100,028 at the same period last year.

Mr Anake attributed the drop to a lack of confidence in Thailand's safety measures, growing unrest in the South and fears of further incidents in Bangkok such as the Dec 31 bombings.

Many charter flights such as large tour, incentive and student groups had been cancelled, with most deciding to visit other countries such as China and Vietnam.

Mr Anake said the baht's appreciation had also played a key role by increasing the cost of visiting Thailand. The baht recently reached a high of 28 against 100 yen and now is trading around 29.5, compared with 38 in the first two months of last year.

To encourage Japanese tourists to visit Thailand, authorities are being urged to request co-operation from major Japanese tour operators to help reassure potential travellers.

Mr Anake said the private sector should also focus on attracting tourists from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and India.

Thai authorities are scheduled to visit Japan from today until Friday to promote trade, investment and tourism as part of the celebration of the the 120th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Thailand.

Seminars on trade, investment and tourism will be held in +++yo and Osaka.

According to Phornsiri Manoharn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Japanese and Thai governments have agreed to designate 2007 as the Thailand-Japan Tourism Exchange Year. Many activities will be staged to underline the relationship between the two countries.
--- KatoeyNewsNetwork