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Raimon Land takes the lead in
environmental conservation projects
Residential condominium developer Raimon Land last week
announced a series of initiatives aimed at making its projects and the
company a leader in the field of environmental conservation.
 One
of the show units at Northpoint on Wong Amat. The expansive floor-to-ceiling
windows have been upgraded to double glazing for improved energy efficiency
and comfort of future residents. This is only one of several initiatives by
Raimon Land to lead the industry in environmental conservation projects.
The company revealed that all units at its Northpoint project in Pattaya
will have double glazed window systems. The upgrade will be provided at no
cost to existing and future buyers.
A double glazed window system is described as two or more glass panes spaced
apart and hermetically sealed to form a single glazed unit with an air space
between each pane.
When used in architectural applications, some of the most important
functions of a double glazed window system are to prevent condensation and
improve the insulating performance of glass. This is particularly relevant
in humid, tropical climates like Thailand.
Compared with traditional single glazed windows, a double glazed window
system also improves the energy efficiency of the heating and cooling unit,
reduces energy consumption, utility costs and the impact of noise pollution.
In Bangkok, The River project will make innovative use of solar panels
whenever possible to provide power for the lighting of common areas. Such
measure will reduce common area management fees and lower the carbon
footprint of the building. The heating and cooling units will have
specifications that exceed Thai regulations and meet some of the highest
environmental conservation standards in the world.
The air conditioning system, for example, will be water-cooled with central
tanks pumping water throughout the building, thus greatly reducing energy
consumption and maintenance cost for the benefits of all residents. Although
the initial investment in this system exceeds conventional methods, Raimon
Land is willing to absorb this expense and pass on its advantages to their
customers.
Faithful to its focus on “developing a better environment”, Raimon Land is
working closely with the Plant-A-Tree Today (PATT) Foundation, a UK-based
charity with an office in Bangkok, to offset the company’s carbon emissions.
Raimon Land Director of Marketing Mr. Henri Young commented: “We are taking
several initiatives to be socially responsible and to reduce our company’s
impact on the environment.
Our work with PATT is one example but environmental conservation is about
taking simple steps in our everyday lives. As such, we encourage all our
employees to participate in our corporate efforts and to bring sustainable
practices close to home.”
Garment factory closed, severance pay for employees
A garment firm, Thai Silp South East Import Export Co, will
shut down its factory on August 7 due to heavy loss and offer severance pay to
about 6,000 employees, Labour Minister Apai Chandanachulaka announced last week.
About 200 policemen were on guard last Thursday as employees peacefully rallied
outside the factory in Bang Phli district of the Bangkok’s outlying province.
Sakda Thepcharoenniran, chief of the Samut Prakan branch of the Labour
Protection and Welfare Deparment, said the company would hand out a portion of
the total severance payment while the rest would be paid after it manages to
sell its properties.
The labour minister said about 6,000 new jobs would be available in Samut Prakan
areas for the laid-off workers while nearby provinces and Bangkok would have
several thousand jobs for them.
Meanwhile, Director of Labour Relations Office Arthit Isamo, said Tops
Supermarket, an affiliate of Central Food Retail Co, planned to lay off a number
of employees at some of its outlets.
He pointed out that it would be against the law if Tops management orders
employees to resign. He advised employees to file complaints with the department
if they are forced to resign.(TNA)
Businesses want baht held
at 35.50 to dollar
A recent poll has found that most business persons want the
Thai currency to be kept from rising any higher than 35.50 baht to the US
dollar, that the government promptly reimburse cash out of a Bt5 billion fund
for Small- and Medium-Enterprise (SME) projects and that a general election be
held sooner rather than later.
According to the poll recently conducted by the Thai Chamber of Commerce
University and involving a cross section of over 800 business people, most
respondents voiced concern about the rising baht and said that measures should
be taken to prevent it from strengthening to less than 35 baht to the dollar,
otherwise they fear their businesses, especially those involving the export
industry, would be immensely damaged.
Most of those surveyed suggested that the government should promptly repay
foreign debts and cut interest rates in order that more liquidity would flow
from banks to small - and medium sized enterprises nationwide.
The government was also advised to promptly reimburse cash out of the Bt5
billion fund earmarked to reinvigorate the economy and provide financial support
for varied SME projects.
The respondents suggested that the diesel price be maintained at 28 baht a litre
and they believed that the national economic growth would range between 3.5 to
4.5 per cent throughout this year.
According to the poll, the domestic consumption and investment projects could be
expected to remain sluggish until the political situation unfolds, with a
general election expected by the end of the year. However, 56 per cent of the
respondents said they had no imminent plans to lay off their employees, though
they had been considerably affected by the rising baht. (TNA)
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