City, Burapha team up to support tourism-related businesses

(L to R) Rattanachai Sutidechanai, chairman of the Pattaya Tourism and Sport Committee, Sinchai Wattanasartsathorn of the PBTA, Deputy Mayor Ronakit Ekasingh and Jamroon Vitsavachaipan, president of the PBTA announce the new pact.

Ariyawat Nuamsawat
Pattaya-area companies will soon be able to call on academic experts from Burapha University to help build their tourism-related businesses.
The Pattaya Center for Sustainable and Excellent Business Management and Entrepreneurship will operate four offices - in front of Pattaya City Hall, at the mouth of Walking Street and two in Jomtien Beach - that will provide academic information for tourism businesses in coordination with the Pattaya Information Service Center.
Speaking at a Dec. 16 Pattaya Business & Tourism Association meeting at the Green Park Resort, PCEBE Director Virasit Pitichareonporn said this academic collaboration with Burapha’s Tourism Management Department will bring a new dimension to the way Pattaya supports and promotes its tourism-related small businesses.
“Pattaya will benefit from an academic database of entrepreneurial data. Business owners will be able to ask questions, request support and learn about business solutions all in one place,” he told the PBTA.
“Our professional researchers are teaming up to offer useful information,” he said. The center will focus on three areas: projects and special activities, knowledge and training and “one stop service.” Once open, the offices will operate from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays. The date the offices will open was not made available at press time.

FTI reports highest domestic auto sales in November

Thailand’s domestic sales of vehicles in November totaled 57,031 units, the highest monthly figure in 2009 and representing a 23.8 percent increase year-on-year, according to Surapong Paisitpatnapong, spokesman of the Automotive Industry Club of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).

Auto sales are up in Thailand.

The higher auto sales were due to a continued increase in consumer confidence thanks to the government’s economic stimulus packages since the second quarter of this year.
Motorcycle sales in November reached 130,264 units, a 3.94 percent increase from the same month last year while vehicle production amounted to 120,985 units, a 4.26 percent increase year-on-year, said Surapong, adding that it was recorded as the highest in the past 13 months.
The production from January to November 2009 accounted for 887,656 units in total, a 32.21 percent drop from the same period last year.
Meanwhile, auto production for export in November was recorded at 64,181 units, a 2.89 percent increase from the same period last year thanks to more export orders from Asian and Australian markets, said the spokesman.
Auto production for domestic sales in November totaled 56,804 units, a 5.86 percent increase year-on-year due to a sales increase since September. (TNA)
 

Regulations on environment and health impact assessment to be issued

Thailand’s National Environment Committee has agreed to issue regulations, requiring industrial projects nationwide to conduct assessments on environmental and health impacts and public hearings, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said on Thursday.
The environment panel, chaired by the prime minister, agreed with proposals by a four-party panel, chaired by former prime minister Anand Panyarachun, to solve the Maptaphut situation.
Under the regulations to be issued by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, the industry sector will be required to conduct Environment Impact Assessments (EIA), the Health Impact Assessments (HIA) and hold public hearings with local residents before an industrial project is launched, Abhisit said.
The regulations will be submitted to the Cabinet this week and are expected to be put in effect after an official announcement in the Royal Gazette.
The four-party panel will go ahead with drafting criteria to set up an independent body under the Constitution to regulate the industrial sector to comply with the regulations.
The prime minister said suspensions of about five or six industrial projects in the Maptaphut Industrial Estate are expected to be lifted, assuring that the regulations to be issued will create confidence among investors.
The Central Administrative Court issued an injunction in September ordering suspension of 76 industrial projects at Maptaphut for failing to meet environmental and health impact assessment requirements under Article 67 of the 2007 Constitution.
The injunction followed complaints from local residents and environmental groups that state agencies failed to issue proper operating licenses for the industrial projects and that the projects failed to provide health impact assessments required by the 2007 Constitution.
Out of 76 industrial projects suspended by the Central Administrative Court, 12 projects were later allowed by the court to continue while 64 others remain suspended. (TNA)

Government seeks to reduce New Year’s road toll by 5%

The government has targeted reducing the number of road accident victims during the New Year’s holidays at five percent below last year, said Anucha Mokhaves, director-general of the national Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department.
The number of fatalities during last New Year’s holidays stood at 367, said Anucha, adding that his department will establish a centre to oversee safety and assist road victims from now until January 4.
Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, who is responsible for national security affairs, has assigned both the interior and public health ministries as major agencies supervising traffic safety during the period, Anucha said.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said while presiding over the 2009 National Disaster Prevention Day ceremony, held at Bangkok’s Dusit Zoo, that members of the public should be alert in preventing accidents as the country has lost more than Bt200 billion annually in the past on accidents.
On a plan by members of the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) to organize a countdown to the New Year in the northern capital of Chiang Mai, Abhisit said he believed the planned gathering would not affect tourism in the province.
So far there are no reports of a “third-hand” creating disturbances during the gathering, Abhisit added. (TNA)

Thai bourse likely to rally to 812 late next year: survey

The Stock Exchange of Thailand’s composite index is likely to climb to 812 points late next year, higher than the 764 points predicted earlier, because investor confidence has begun to improve upon an implementation of the Thai Khem Keng (Strong Thailand) scheme, according to an opinion survey.
Sombat Naravuthichai, secretary-general of the Securities Analysts Association, said various projects implemented under the scheme are expected to help stimulate local consumption and investment.
Under the circumstances, it is believed the economy would contract only 3.2 percent this year against 3.4 percent forecast in September.
Most securities analysts believed the economy next year would expand 3.5 percent against 3.2 percent expected previously. Analysts are more optimistic about economic growth next year.
Therefore, they projected the SET index would stay at 726 points this year, higher than expected earlier at 674 points. It would edge higher to 812 points, up 48 from 764 points forecast earlier.
They estimated the index would peak at 845 points and reach a bottom at 625 points. This means the Thai stock market would remain volatile next year with a wide range of 220 points.
However, 95 percent of the securities analysts polled had the view that local political conflicts remain a key risk factor that could affect the index movement next year.
In addition, most analysts are concerned about impacts of the suspension of investment projects in the Maptaphut Industrial Estate because it could affect profits of major companies listed on SET.
Even so, combined profits earned by listed companies in 2010 would increase by 13 percent with the hotel, petrochemicals and shipping sectors enjoying the highest growth of 76.8, 40.6 and 20.39 percent respectively, in tandem with the global economic turnaround. (TNA)