 |
|
 |
BUSINESS |
|
Commemorative coins to mark Queen’s and Prince’s birthdays to be circulated
The Treasury Department has revealed that it had produced
commemorative coins to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th birthday and His
Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s 60th birthday
anniversaries. The coins will be offered to the public at the end of July.
Deputy
Finance Minister Wirun Techapaiboon, who oversees the works of the Treasury
Department, said the coins will mark the auspicious occasions of Her Majesty
the Queen’s 80th birthday on August 12th, 2012 and His Royal Highness Crown
Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s 5th cycle birthday on July 28th, 2012.
The Queen’s commemorative coins are produced in three
designs. The gold 16,000-baht coins will be sold at 30,000 baht each. The
silver 800-baht coins will be sold at 1,600 baht. And the nickel, coins
worth 20 baht, will be sold at 200 baht each. Besides, two additional
commemorative coins will also be on offer at 100 and 1,300 baht each.
As for the Crown Prince’s commemorative coins, the gold
and silver coins are similar to the Queen’s coins, but the nickel ones worth
50 baht each will be sold at 50 baht.
The Treasury Department said the Crown Prince’s
commemorative coins will be offered from July 27th onwards, while the
Queen’s commemorative coins will be circulated from August 10th onwards.
Interested people can purchase the coins at the Treasury Department
Headquarters on Phaholyothin Road in Pathumtani Province and over 70
branches across the country. (NNT)
Thailand, Germany agree to speed up EU-Thai
free trade agreement

The leaders of Thailand and Germany have agreed to
accelerate negotiations to conclude a free trade agreement between Thailand
and the European Union (EU) as a key mechanism to boost mutual trade and
investment.
The decision was made as visiting Thai Prime Minister
Yingluck Shinawatra met German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Chancellery
on Wednesday, July 18, the first day of her official visit marking the 150th
Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Thailand
and Germany.
“ASEAN has a free trade agreement with China. This makes
it even more important that the European Union reaches a free trade
agreement with Thailand, and potentially with the whole of ASEAN too,” the
DPA news agency quoted the German chancellor as saying.
Yingluck emphasized that the Thai-German partnership
would contribute to sustainable growth and employment.
Bilateral trade and investment would be a mechanism to
strengthen the partnership.
European Union products and technology are necessary for
the development of Thailand and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) countries, the Thai premier said.
Thailand is investing in post-flood infrastructure
development, Yingluck said. German investors are welcome to invest in
Thailand’s infrastructure development and other industries such as autos,
autoparts and machinery manufacturing.
The two countries planned to increase trade and
investment value through bilateral cooperative mechanisms such as the Joint
Thai-German Economic Committee (JEC).
German Economic Minister Philipp Roesler will visit
Thailand in September for negotiations to boost trade and investment.
The Thai premier also is seeking German cooperation in
product quality certification and standardization by setting up a joint
quality control centre to screen Thai exports to Europe. That will help cut
losses on transportation incurred from returning Thai goods failing to meet
EU standards.
In addition, Thailand plans to develop its Green Economy
in cooperation with Germany. The first talks on shared environmental
strategies between the two countries are expected to be held this year,
Yingluck said.
The Thai government supports renewable energy and plans
to boost its use to 25 percent of all energy use within ten years. Thailand
also promotes environmentally-friendly industries such as bioplastics in
close cooperation with Germany in terms of technology transfer. (MCOT)
Special Report: PM urged to exclude alcohol
deal from FTA with EU
The National Economic and Social Advisory Council (NESAC)
has urged Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to be cautious about the free
trade area on alcoholic beverages with the European Union (EU), saying the
deal could encourage new Thai drinkers.
During a seminar on alcohol policies for the future of
Thai youths, Jiraporn Limpananont of the National Economic and Social
Advisory Council (NESAC) said the government’s move to seal the FTA deal
with the EU must be considered carefully. The NESAC pointed out particularly
a free trade agreement on alcohol, saying if the deal was signed, it would
encourage young drinkers.
The NESAC suggested the premier abide by the Cabinet
resolution earlier to exclude alcoholic beverages from future FTA
discussions. At the same time, it also advised the government to push for
restrictions for liquor shops to be located outside a 500-meter radius of an
educational institution, impose more excise tax on liquor, and strictly
prosecute shops that sell alcohol to children under 20.
According to Dr. Thaksaphon Thammarangsi, Center for
Alcohol Studies Director, alcohol is one of the major causes of the death of
people aged 15-29. He said each year, around 250,000 become new drinkers.
Besides, alcohol also leads to other problems such as brawls, drug abuse,
and unsafe sex.
Dr. Thaksaphon explained that many young adults fall
victim to advertisements and unethical marketing strategies, which include
cheaper sale of alcoholic beverages and easy purchase.
He added that the World Health Organization cited an
academic report, saying many international free trade agreements have some
influence over national public health policies. He suggested the government
exclude the agreement on alcoholic beverages and tobacco from the FTA deal
for a healthier society.
The opinions gathered from the seminar will be presented
to the NESAC and later forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration before the
government opens the FTA talks with the European Union. (NNT)
Thai auto exports hit
25-year record high in June
Thailand’s automobile exports in June soared to over
94,000 units, marking its highest record in 25 years, according to the
Federation of Thai Industries (FTI).
FTI Automotive Industry Club spokesman Surapong
Paisitpattanapong announced last week that automobile exports in June
significantly increased by 25.22 percent year-on-year to 94,727 units.
Automobile exports in the first half of 2012 totaled
456,869 units, valued at approximately Bt323 billion.
Meanwhile, output in June climbed to 205,600 units up
33.8 percent from the same period last year, hitting a 50-year record high.
Auto production for this year’s first six months was reported at more than
1,057,000 units.
Domestic car sales in June marked a new record at 123,472
units, up 75.7 percent.
The substantial growth in the sales was because
automakers resumed their output after flood-related suspensions and sped up
manufacturing and delivering the products to the buyers making advanced
reservations, Surapong explained.
He added that vehicle sales in the country from
January-June rose to 606,523 units.
The Automotive Industry Club was confident that
Thailand’s total car production this year is likely to rise to 2.2 million
units. It also projected that the 2012 overall automobile exports, excluding
automobile parts, would be valued at Bt700 billion. (MCOT)
|
|
 |
|
 |
E-mail:
ptymail@pattayamail.com
Pattaya Mail Publishing Co.Ltd.
370/7-8 Pattaya Second Road, Pattaya City, Chonburi 20150 Thailand
Tel.66-38 411 240-1, 413 240-1, Fax:66-38 427 596
Copyright © 2004 Pattaya Mail. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or
redistributed.
|