http://www.tivarati.com/topnews/ topnews Thu, 22 May 2008 06:27:07 +0700 en http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-05-02/34706553/ Fri, 02 May 2008 21:04:22 +0700 Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday approved a Bt367.3 billion budget for the construction of five double track rail routes during the meeting with the transport mega project committee. The five routes consist of the 990 km route from Nong Khai to Kanchanaburi, which requires an investment of Bt132.7 billion; the 311 km route from Ubon Ratchathani to Nakhon Ratchasima, Bt41.7 billion; the 247 km route from Kaeng Khoi to Map Ta Phut, Bt33 billion; the 796 km route from Chiang Khong to Ayutthaya, Bt111.88 billion; and the 300 km route from Nakhon Ratchasima to Map Ta Phut, Bt48 billion. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-05-02/34706542/ Fri, 02 May 2008 20:58:11 +0700 Since inflation in April raised the four month average to 5.3 per cent year on year, consumers have begun to feel the pinch of higher prices of foods and other commodities. Indeed, the trend is unlikely to end any time soon. Thai authority warned Thai consumers to be prepared for a higher cost of living since inflation would continue surging beyond the 6.2 per cent in a few months due to soaring oil prices. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-29/34478219/ Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:28:44 +0700 With soaring prices of oil and food and US economic downturn, Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej will use his government's megaprojects to help Thailand soften the impact of a possible global recession and lead the country's economy to grow at 6.5% this year. We will push ahead with mass transit projects as our priority in reducing logistics costs to facilitate investments. This is what Thailand will do to withstand the global recession, the premier said at a business summit on the Thai US partnership at Government House. (Report by Bangkok Post) http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-28/34398506/ Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:01:14 +0700 State employees and employees may see their salaries and wages increase soon to catch up with rising fuel and food prices. Rungson Sriworasart, deputy comptroller general at the Finance Ministry, said the raise is expected to take effect from October instead of April next year as planned earlier. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-25/34281359/ Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:59:09 +0700 Bangkok Airways will join Thai AirAsia and Air Macau in offering daily flights on the fast growing route between Bangkok and the former Portuguese colony in July. The first flight by the boutique carrier will take off on July 4 using a new twin engine Airbus A319, which is capable of carrying 120 passengers. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-24/34241111/ Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:26:30 +0700 Thousands of polling booths are being erected in the former capital of Yangon for Myanmar voters to cast their ballots for the country's constitutional referendum slated for May 10, the leading local weekly Myanmar Times reported. Quoting the Yangon Division Commission for Holding Nationwide Referendum, the report said over 2,500 polling booths are being set up in the division to ensure 100 to 3,000 voters in each polling booth. (Report by Xinhua News) http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-23/34200502/ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:59:17 +0700 A Thai government agency said Thailand rice production would increase since farmers would use abandoned land to grow rice to cash in on increasing rice price. According to secretary general of the Agricultural Economics Office Apichart Jongskul, farmers will utilise any free land to capitalise on soaring prices, it's impossible to stop them from growing more since the price is on an upward trend. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-23/34200491/ Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:48:41 +0700 A Thai energy expert urges wealthy oil producing countries to cut fuel prices to curtail soaring food prices and supports Thailand's policy on biofuel. Capt Dr Samai Jai in, an alternative fuel specialist with the Royal Thai Navy said calls to limit biofuel development to help keep food prices low were misplaced. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-21/34122393/ Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:45:54 +0700 The Thai government has signed an agreement with the Nigerian government and the Vaswani Group of Nigeria to introduce rice farming techniques in an attempt to alleviate the African country's rice shortage in the long run, Nigeria's local newspaper Business Day reported last week. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-18/34073028/ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:25:27 +0700 The Transport Ministry gives the green light to a second phase expansion of Suvarnabhumi airport that includes 10 projects worth 73 billion baht. Transport Minister Santi Prompat said, after the meeting with representatives from Airports of Thailand (AoT) and the Civil Aviation Department, that at least two projects out of 10 under the scheme would be implemented in 2008. The two projects are the construction of the third runway and the hiring of the Project Management Consultant group (PMC). http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-17/34036091/ Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:57:07 +0700 A Harvard study indicates that babies and toddlers who sleep fewer than 12 hours daily and watched the most television are at greater risk for being overweight in preschool. The two (behaviours) are acting independently. In combination, they are particularly risky, said the study's lead author, Dr. Elsie Taveras of Harvard Medical School. (Report by Associated Press) http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-16/33995460/ Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:11:17 +0700 Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee has assured American investors of the country's economic viability and political stability. The minister, who travelled with a group of senior executives of four major listed Thai firms on a US roadshow, spoke with American fund managers and business leaders who oversee 32 significant mutual funds with combined assets of over US$100 billion. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-11/33949340/ Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:20:03 +0700 Permanent secretary Saksit Tridech said yesterday the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry would soon ask for the emergency budget of Bt 1 billion for the study of the possibility of diverting water from the Khong River and the Nam Ngeum Dam in Laos. His comments were made yesterday at a seminar on the Khong Chi Mool project for water diversion. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-10/33909224/ Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:28:56 +0700 The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) is looking at the possibility of lifting the ban on the use of mobile phones during flights since several studies indicate the mobile phone signals may not interfere with aircraft navigation. The use of mobile phones on planes may soon be a possibility, DCA deputy director general Wuthichai Singhamanee said. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-09/33872397/ Wed, 09 Apr 2008 17:41:59 +0700 Superstores' new agreement with rice packers will cause the retail price of rice packs to drop by 3 10% from next week. The agreement was reached yesterday during a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan and representatives of modern mega stores, the Thai Rice Packers Association and the Thai Rice Millers Association. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-08/33823584/ Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:33:45 +0700 Political tension and increasing oil price may cause Thais to hesitate to spend more during the Songkran festival. Chittima Duriyaprapan, senior director of banknote operations at the central bank, predicted that consumers might possibly spend normally, because of concerns over oil price increases and political uncertainty. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-04/33778586/ Fri, 04 Apr 2008 18:09:44 +0700 To encourage condo residents to use public transport and ease traffic, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is seeking to ban parking lots in condominiums along the routes of the electric train and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems. The request will be proposed to the Department of Public Works and Town and Country Planning to consider and enforce, said deputy Bangkok governor Panich Vikitsreth. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-03/33732455/ Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:39:12 +0700 The Board of Investment (BoI) yesterday approved promotional privileges for seven investment projects totalling 60 billion baht. Of the seven projects, three car manufacturers received the green light in their investment plans to produce small, fuel efficient eco cars. The auto industry was one of the main drivers behind the country's doubling of investment value to record high of 744.5 billion baht in 2007. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-02/33699388/ Wed, 02 Apr 2008 17:25:31 +0700 Thais are assured to have enough supply of rice for domestic demand, according to Commerce Minister Mingkwan Sangsuwan. The government on Tuesday approved a proposal initiated by the Commerce Ministry to set aside a rice quota for use in its low priced rice scheme to help consumers from increasing rice prices. http://www.tivarati.com/news/2008-04-01/33653235/ Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:18:23 +0700 Thailand's overall economy has been strong since the beginning of 2008 even though there is a sign of slow growth on exports, according to the latest data from the Bank of Thailand. Amara Sriphayak, a senior director for the central bank's Domestic Economy Department, said stronger performance of manufacturing sector, vigorous farm income and improved tourism would continue to boost investment and consumption growth.