Easy Business News tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77 2010-09-13T05:44:05Z Movable Type 3.2 Shift in Thai condominium market to Asian buyers (13-09-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12305 2010-09-13T05:41:04Z 2010-09-13T05:44:05Z Shift in Thai condominium market to Asian buyers By Jon Fernquest [Download: MP3 Audio from article starting below] Some unexpected trends are emerging in Thailand's condominium market. At Raimon Land's Pattaya projects "67.4% buyers are now Thais and 9%... Jon Fernquest

Shift in Thai condominium market to Asian buyers

By Jon Fernquest

[Download: MP3 Audio from article starting below]

condominiumSome unexpected trends are emerging in Thailand's condominium market.

At Raimon Land's Pattaya projects "67.4% buyers are now Thais and 9% are Russians, while two large prospective groups - Indians and Chinese - are emerging."

Courting "weekend visitors from Bangkok rather than holiday makers from Europe" as potential buyers is one firm's shift in strategy. 

Today's article discusses these new trends. It starts after the vocabulary below.

condominium - a building full of apartments that are individually owned by different people, common facilities such as hallways, heating system, lights, elevators and exterior are paid for by an annual fee (See Wikipedia)
unexpected - did know it was going to happen, surprising
Raimon Land - listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) in 1994 and subsequently focused on developing middle income residential housing in the suburbs of Bangkok, restructured in 2002, has recently pursued several innovative projects in the premium property sector in Bangkok’s CBD and inner city including The Lofts, The Lakes, The Legend, The River on the Chaophraya River, Northshore Condominium in Pattaya, and Kata Gardens and The Heights in Phuket (See overview and property sector news)
prospective - likely to happen or likely to become something (here: these people are likely to buy condos, likely to become buyers)
emerging - starting to become more important
courting - trying to win a young lady as your bride (here: win a new customer)
holiday makers - people taking a vacation
potential - possible
strategy - long-term plan for success in competition and to achieve goals กลยุทธ
shift in strategy - change in your plans to achieve long-term goals

Economics

Western condo buyers scarce

10/09/2010

The baht's appreciation against European currencies has changed the demographics of condominium buyers in Thailand, especially in Pattaya, a new study from the listed developer Raimon Land shows.

The 1.9-billion-baht A Attitude Asoke- Ratchada is the only condominium in the pipeline from Areeya this year. The other five will be detached-housing estates or townhouses.

Deputy vice-president Simon Derville said the condominium market in the first quarter, while historically high, was supported by strong economic fundamentals. It was the second quarter that performed beyond expectations in the face of political protests.
western - from the western part of the world, meaning Europe and US (and Australia, New Zealand, Canada, etc)
scarce - not easy to find or get ขาดแคลน, ไม่เพียงพอ, หายาก
appreciation - when a country's currency becomes more valuable compared to the currencies of other countries (which makes goods exported from the country more expensive) Mr Winai said a resurgence in Thai exports would certainly lead to improved tax revenues, as companies post stronger profits and revenues. But department officials say that
demographics - the study of human populations, in a country, region or the whole (births, deaths, age and ethnic distribution)
in the pipeline - working on a project but not yet completed
detached - not attached or connected to something
detached housing - a house that stands alone and is not connected to other houses with a wall or roof
housing estates - a residential area, a contained area with only homes (often built by only one company or developer) 
townhouses - a house with more than one level built on a small piece of land (See Wikipedia)
fundamentals - the underlying health of a company or economy (that will determine whether it is profitable and survives in the long-run) ที่สำคัญ ที่เป็นตัวกำหนดความมั่นคงของบริษัท
expectations - what people think will happen in the future การคาดคะเน
performed beyond expectations - they did better than people thought they would do
protests - meetings, sometimes forceful or violent, or public statements by people who strongly disagree with something ชุมนุมประท้วง

One of the key findings of our research is that demand from Thai buyers is stronger than ever, with many developers adjusting their strategies to tap this market. At Raimon Land, foreign demand switched to Asian nationals while European demand continued to struggle with their own economies and weak currencies," he said.

At its Pattaya projects, 67.4% buyers are now Thais and 9% are Russians, while two large prospective groups - Indians and Chinese - are emerging.

The company found a shift in focus toward Pattaya's urban area, where 89% of new condominium launches were budget units priced from 1-5 million baht and located inland, close to the city centre. "We expect future launches to tap into a more affordable market, targeting weekend visitors from Bangkok rather than holiday makers from Europe," said Mr Derville.

key - important คนสำคัญ
findings - the results or conclusions of an investigation or research
demand - the need and desire to buy goods and services by households and businesses
strategies - long-term plans for success in competition and to achieve goals กลยุทธ
tap this market - find opportunities to sell things and do business in this market
struggle - a very difficult task that you can do only by making a great effort ความพยายาม
prospective - likely to happen or likely to become something (here: these people are likely to buy condos, likely to become buyers)
shift - to change, to transfer; to move from one place to another เคลื่อนย้าย โยกย้าย
focus - the thing considered most important, the main thing it is concerned with ให้ความสำคัญ
shift in focus - change what you treat as important in some activity, business, work or project
urban - connected with towns and cities ที่เกี่ยวกับเมือง
budget - not expensive, for people with a small "budget" who have little money to spend
budget units - cheap condos
affordable - not expensive ไม่แพง
targeting - directing advertising and a product at someone เล็งไปที่

New launches at seaside locations declined to just 158 units in the first half of the year, while another 3,659 units remain on hold. Only 379 units were completed by the seaside, while owners deciding to rent out their units are achieving yields of 5% to 7%.

For Bangkok, Raimon Land found 4,098 new condo units were completed in the central area in the first half, increasing total supply by 7%. Another 9,866 units remain in the pipeline, of which 75% have been taken up so far.

The average price of condominiums sold in central Bangkok in the first half was 108,125 baht per square metre. Top-end launches in prime locations are now going for 180,000 baht per sq m upwards, with projects such as the St Regis Residences, Ritz-Carlton Residences and 185 Rajadamri achieving double that price.

yield - the income or profit that you get from an investment
top-end - of the highest quality and most expensive
launches - introducing a new product on the market for the first time
prime - of the best quality ที่ดีที่สุด

(Source: Western condo buyers scarce, 10/09/2010, link)

]]> Should the soaring fee-based income of Thai banks be cut? (09-09-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12287 2010-09-09T13:10:47Z 2010-09-10T03:20:27Z Should the soaring fee-based income of Thai banks be cut? By Jon Fernquest [Download: MP3 Audio for article starting below] Banks profits didn't suffer much during the global financial crisis and they continue to do well under what are... Jon Fernquest

Should the soaring fee-based income of Thai banks be cut?

By Jon Fernquest

[Download: MP3 Audio for article starting below]

ATM machineBanks profits didn't suffer much during the global financial crisis and they continue to do well under what are typically adverse conditions (Read analysis in Bangkok Post).

Fee-based income (money from services such as money transfers or certain ATM withdrawals) seems to be one major source of these profits as Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij recently demonstrated on his Facebook page (See Facebook book page). 

One thing is certainly true about bank fees, bank customers often don't know about them before they have been taken out of their bank account and by that time it is too late.

Today's article discusses this issue.

fee-based income - money paid to the bank for services the bank provides customers
Y-based X - X comes from Y, also expressed as: X based on Y
transfer - changing the location of something โยกย้าย
money transfers - moving money from one bank account to another bank account
withdrawals - taking money out of a bank account การถอนเงิน

Economics
BANKING

Banks 'must discuss fees'

9/09/2010

Local bank executives will meet with bank regulators today to discuss fee charges on transactions and services.

Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij, writing in his personal Facebook page, said fee-based income accounted for over 23% of the total income of banks as of the first quarter, compared with just over 17% in 2004.

Kasikornbank, the country's third-largest bank, expects its fee-based income to reach 45% of total income this year compared with 28% in 2009.

Simply put, [banks] don't have to lend much at all to still post significant profits," Mr Korn wrote.

Four of the country's top banks - Bangkok Bank, Kasikornbank, Krung Thai and Bank of Ayudhya - are on track to post profit growth of 25% this year, a combined 95 billion baht, he added.

The question that must be answered [today] is whether these fees are fair or not. Personally, I already have my own answer," Mr Korn wrote.

Bank of Thailand officials have already hinted that local banks will face increased restrictions on fees for services such as electronic fund transfers or inter-provincial transactions.

A study last year by the Thailand Development Research Institute for the central bank found that the fees for cash, interbank and ATM transfers were set uniformly across the system and reflected a lack of competition.

Fees have also risen despite the growing use of electronic banking services, which have much lower operating costs than counter-based cash transactions.

executives - a high level manager in a company (making plans and ensuring they executed successfully) ผู้บริหาร
regulators - the government agencies that make rules and laws and regulations for different industries (food, drugs, banking, transportation, commerce) and then check to see if they are being followed
transaction - a piece of business done between two people or a customer and a company (examples: buy or sell goods, deposit or withdraw money from a bank account)
first quarter - the first three months of the year (a time period used by company's and government for budgeting and financial reporting)
post profits - when a company makes profits and then it is reported in the company's annual financial reports
post significant profits - company makes a lot of money (as shown officially in financial reports)
track - a mark or line of marks showing the direction that something has moved ร่องรอย
on track - following a certain track or path with a certain goal (here: like achieve the goal of profit growth of 25%)
profit - money that you make from selling goods and services after all your costs have been paid กำไร
hinted - to say what you are thinking or feeling but not directly (people who have a little knowledge of the situation must guess what you are saying)
restrictions - the act of controlling or limiting something (especially what actions or activities a person can do) 
funds - an amount of money kept in an account เงินทุน กองทุน
transfers - changing the location โยกย้าย
electronic fund transfers (EFT) - moving money from one bank account to another using computer networks (See Wikipedia)
inter-provincial transactions - sending money to other provinces in Thailand (or withdrawing money in Bangkok from your bank account in Chiang Mai, for example)
Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) - Thailand's first public policy think tank with economics research a specialty (See website)
cash - money in the form of notes or coins เงินสด
set uniformly across the system - make it be the same everywhere
X reflected Y - X shows that Y is true, is the situation
lack - does not have ขาดแคลน
operating costs - money that a company spends daily to run a business Supplies, small equipment, training, etc)
counter - the surface (like a table) in a store or bank where employees carry out transactions with customers (deposit money in bank, withdraw money from bank, buy goods from store, etc)
counter-based cash transactions - when bank customers go into the bank and do their transactions with a "teller" rather than outside with an ATM

(Source: Bangkok Post: Economics, BANKING, Banks 'must discuss fees', 9/09/2010, link)


]]> Is it safe for foreigners to own land in Thailand? (08-09-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12280 2010-09-08T12:25:41Z 2010-09-09T03:52:52Z Is it safe for foreigners to own land in Thailand? By Jon Fernquest [Download: MP3 Audio for article starting below] You bought that condo in downtown Bangkok for millions of baht. You spent your whole life savings. But was... Jon Fernquest

Is it safe for foreigners to own land in Thailand?

By Jon Fernquest

[Download: MP3 Audio for article starting below]

condominiumYou bought that condo in downtown Bangkok for millions of baht.

You spent your whole life savings.

But was it legal?

Do you really own it?

Could it be taken away from you?

If, for example, the condo administrator didn't follow the proper procedures?

Perhaps, even as part of a fraudulent scheme that would only be detected many years later....after it was too late. 

These are the scary questions addressed in today's article extract below.

Does the set of Thai laws passed in 2008 to protect condominium buyers really offer enough protection? (Read about the 2008 laws).

Property
NET WORTH

Foreign property ownership in Thailand

6/09/2010
Andrew Wood

A growing number of expats now own properties in Thailand. Are you one of them and if so, can you confidently say that you own your property legally.

In recent years the market in Thailand has opened up somewhat to foreigners who wish to legitimately own properties. However, there are some grey areas and expats who continue with the structures they put in place some years ago might be in for a shock if they are challenged.

It is illegal for foreigners to own land in Thailand. As an expat you cannot own the land your house stands on. Strata title ownership is allowed. Most apartments and condominiums are strata title leasehold, allowing foreigners to own the units. However, the law caps ownership by non-Thais at 49% of the space in a given development. It thus does not follow that just because you find a leasehold condominium that you can automatically own a unit. The developer must obtain government approval to have a portion of the units foreign-owned and then there is a strict control over the allocation to ensure that majority Thai ownership is maintained. Developers have been known to be less than honest when it comes to this allocation. They have sometimes allocated space by means that the government disallows, and thus foreigners illegally own their units.

property - land and buildings
expats - people who are living for a long time outside of their own country (not just short-term "tourists")
confidentally - being sure about something (that it will happen or that it is true)
legitimately - legally
grey areas - issues the answer to which is not clear and certain
might be in for a ... - could experience something unpleasant...
title - official legal ownership of real estate (land, buildings)
strata title - ownership of rooms in a building that are not touching the ground (that are in a level or "strata" above the ground) (See Wikipedia)
leasehold - the right to use land and/or buildings (according to the arrangements made in a lease contract)
caps - upper limits (cannot go higher than this level)
a development - the gradual growth and formation of something
approval - official permission การอนุมัต
portion - a part of something ส่วน
strict - very careful and exact เข้มงวด
allocation - an amount or share of something that is given to someone การแบ่งส่วน
ensure - to make certain that something happens or is done รับรอง ให้ความมั่นใจ ให้การยืนยัน
majority - more than 50 percent ส่วนมาก เสียงส่วนมาก
maintained - kept at the same level (not allowed to increase or decrease)
means - methods; ways วิธี, วิธีการ

The maximum allowable lease term in Thailand is 30 years, which is considered short in the western world. Leases cannot be legally arranged to run consecutively, removing that option for you to secure a 60-year lease, even though in practice this is often exercised.

If you wish to own a house there is the question of land ownership. Some expats have their Thai spouses own the property. This does not give security to you as the effective owner. Joint ownership is not allowed.

Some systems have been developed for the ownership of land through a Thai company. This is allowable but does not actually give you full proof protection. You are only allowed to own the minority of shares in a local company. Thus you still only have up to 49% ownership of the property in practice. To get around this, arrangements are often made for shares to be held by nominees. Lawyers arrange for a company registration where the legal practice staff are the other Thai shareholders.

Until recently there were seven Thai shareholders required for a Thai company. This was recently reduced to three. So the fact is that 51% or more of your house is owned by a lawyer and his Thai staff; maybe a secretary, accountant and driver. If you cannot substantiate that the capital for their shares was actually paid from their individual bank accounts, then the company registrar may declare your company illegal...

maximum - the most possible ที่สูงสุด ที่มากที่สุด
lease - a legal agreement in which you pay money in order to use a building, piece of land, vehicle, etc. for a period of time สัญญาเช่า
term - a period of time ช่วงเวลา
option - a choice; something that you can choose in a particular situation ทางเลือก
secure - to get or achieve something การได้มาซึ่ง
practice - a way of doing something การปฏิบัติ
in practice - what actually happens in real life situations (not just ideas or theory)
exercise - use your power or rights การใช้สิทธิ
spouses - wife or husband
security - safety and protecetion from harm ความปลอดภัย
effective - not the real thing, but very close to being the real thing, in all the details
the effective owner - not the owner, but almost exactly the same as being the owner
proof - some fact or argument that shows the truth of something
foolproof - a method or system that is certain to succeed (cannot go wrong)
minority - a small percentage, less than 50% จำนวนน้อย
local - in this country
nominees - not a true owner, acting for another person who is the true owner
registration - recording in an official list
legal practice - a group of lawyers who provide legal services (practice law) as a business
staff - the workers, employees or a company พนักงาน
substantiate - find evidence to prove that some fact is true
capital - money invested in a business (See glossary)
individual - relating to or involving a single, separate person or thing แต่ละบุคคล
bank account - arrangement with a bank for you keep money at the bank
registrar - an official whose job is to keep official records นายทะเบียน
company registrar - a government agency that keeps records of companies and also gives permission for them to exist and operate

Questions to the author can be directed to PFS International on 02-653-1971 or e-mail to enquiriesthailand@fsplatinum.com

(Source: Property, NET WORTH, Foreign property ownership in Thailand, 6/09/2010, Andrew Wood, link)


]]> Map Ta Phut industrial estate shutdown nearing an end (07-09-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12276 2010-09-07T11:51:43Z 2010-09-08T07:11:44Z Map Ta Phut industrial estate shutdown nearing an end By Jon Fernquest [Download: MP3 Audio] It looks like the Map Ta Phut industrial estate closure saga is drawing to a close. The required environmental and health impact assessments (EIA... Jon Fernquest

Map Ta Phut industrial estate shutdown nearing an end

By Jon Fernquest

Map Tap Phut[Download: MP3 Audio]

It looks like the Map Ta Phut industrial estate closure saga is drawing to a close.

The required environmental and health impact assessments (EIA and HIA) will soon be completed.

Of course, only time will tell how much the administrative court ruling and closure has benefited local communities impacted by Map Ta Phut factories.

Today's article begins after the vocabulary.

Map Ta Phut - one of Thailand's largest industrial estates located in Rayong (See interactive map)
industrial estate, industrial park  - a special area especially for factories with special facilities (roads, transportation, water, electricity, waste disposal) (See Wikipedia)
saga - a long story that never seems to end, keeps going on and on 
drawing to a close - will end after a short period of time
only time will tell -  meaning: must wait for the future to see how the story will end
Administrative Court - the court which deals with disputes between the private sector and government agencies ศาลปกครอง 
ruling - a decision by a court of law คำตัดสิน คำชี้ขาด
impact - impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ

Economics
MAP TA PHUT

Suspended projects to stay

7/09/2010
Nareerat Wiriyapong & Nanchanok Wongsamuth

The operators of the two projects in the Map Ta Phut industrial estate that remain suspended after the Administrative Court ruling vowed not to move elsewhere now that long-awaited environmental regulations have become clear.

Speaking after a meeting with Industry Minister Chaiwuti Bannawat, representatives from PTT Plc said TOC Glycol's 2-billion-baht project to produce ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol will continue at Map Ta Phut.

operators - companies doing or "operating" some kind of business
vowed - promised
suspended - stopped for a period of time (temporarily)
ruling - a decision by a court of law คำตัดสิน คำชี้ขาด
long - to want something very much ต้องการ ปรารถนา
environment (noun) - everything in world of nature including plants and animals, air, water and the land
environmental (adjective)
regulations - official rules made by the government that control the way that things are done ระเบียบปฏิบัติ, ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ
clear - easy to understand
meeting - when a group of people come together to discuss issues and make decisions การประชุม
PTT Plc - " a Thailand-based company engaged in the in upstream petroleum, downstream petroleum, coal business and other related businesses. Its business activities include the exploration for, the development and production of, natural gas, condensate and crude oil through subsidiaries; the procurement, transmission, processing, marketing and distribution of natural gas and gas products; the marketing of refined products through various distribution channels including commercial, retail, reseller and international markets, and the import and export of crude oil, condensate, petroleum feedstock and petrochemical products" (See Google Finance)
TOC Glycol - owned by PTT, runs an ethylene/ethylene oxide (EO/EG) plant   (See website)
ethylene oxide -  also used to produce ethylene glycol below (See Wikipedia)
ethylene glycol - "used as antifreeze, in the production of polyester and polyethylene terephthalate (PET – raw material for plastic bottles), liquid coolants and solvents" (See Wikipedia)

The court's latest ruling allowed 74 out of 76 projects to operate after suspension for almost a year for violation of Section 67 of the 2007 Constitution that required industries deemed harmful to conduct environmental and health impact assessments (EIA and HIA).

The company's HIA is in the process of public review and the final report is expected to be submitted [to concerned agencies] very soon," said Surak Sujaritputangoon, public and government affairs manager at HMC Polymers, a subsidiary of PTT....

suspension - stopping for a period of time (temporarily)
violation - breaking the law, an action that is against a law, agreement, principle, etc. การฝ่าฝืนกฎหมาย, การกระทำผิดกฎหมาย
Section 67 of the 2007 Constitution - "bans industrial projects considered 'severely harmful' until four activities have been undertaken: environmental impact assessment (EIA), health impact assessment (HIA), public hearings within the community and an opinion by an independent agency" (See previous article)
2007 Thai Constitution - the constitution that replaced Thailand's 1997 People's Constitution after the 2006 coup (See Wikipedia)
1997 People's Constitution (or charter) -Thailand's innovative constitution written during a long process of public consultation during the 1990s, guarantees the Thai people many rights (See Wikipedia)
deemed - considered to be เห็นว่า ถือว่า
conduct - to do something in an organised way; to carry out
impact - an effect or influence ผลกระทบ
environmental impact assessment (EIA) - a report that details the likely positive and negative effects a project may have on the environment (See Wikipedia)
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) - procedures to judge the potential effects of a construction or industrial project on the health of a population (See Wikipedia)
process - a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ
process - a series of actions taken to achieve a result
expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
submitted - formally given to someone so that they can make a decision about it ยื่น
submitted - formally given to someone so they can make a decision about it ยื่นเอกสารเพื่อการพิจารณา
concerned - worried about something มีความกังวล
affairs - events and activities relating to the government, politics, economy etc of a country, region, or the world ความสัมพันธ์ระหว่างประเทศ
polymer - an important chemical used in the production of many different kinds of products (See Wikipedia)
subsidiary - a company owned or controlled by another company บริษัทในเครือ, บริษัทลูก

...The court noted that the two projects might be included in the list of 11 harmful activities recently approved by the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry. Thai Plastic and Chemicals Plc (TPC), a unit of Siam Cement Group, expects the HIA and EIA of its vinyl chloride monomer capacity expansion will be completed by the end of this year.

TPC wants to increase capacity by 40,000 tonnes a year and expects the project should be ready for operation in the third quarter of next year, it said in its statement.

As the majority of Map Ta Phut projects remain unsure whether they can proceed, Mr Chaiwuti said additional information should be sent to authorities on approved operating permits for each project within the next week to clarify which ones are on the list of harmful activities....

...The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, the Industrial Works Department and the Primary Industries and Mines Department are responsible for granting permits for projects. The three agencies have been assigned to examine within 30 days the projects that conducted EIAs to decide if they fall on the harmful list....
Thai Plastic and Chemicals Plc (TPC) - "engaged in the manufacture and distribution of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polymers" (See Google Finance)
unit - one part of a large company (doing a certain kind of business)
Siam Cement Group (SCG) - "a Thailand-based industrial holding company. SCG operates in six segments: Chemicals, which includes the manufacture and sale of olefins, polyolefin and other chemical products; Paper, which includes the manufacture and sale of printing and writing paper, gypsum linerboard, industrial paper, corrugated boxes and securities document; Cement, which include the manufacture and sale of grey cement, ready-mixed concrete, white cement and dry mortar; Building Materials, which include the manufacture and sale of roof tiles, concrete paving blocks, ceramic tiles, sanitary wares and sanitary fittings; Distribution, which include the distribution and export of cement, steel, building and decorative products and others, and Investment, which jointly invest with companies in other businesses, mainly agricultural machine, automotive parts and components, steel and property." (See Google Finance)
capacity - the amount of something that can be produced ความสามารถในการ (ผลิต)
expansion - when something increases in size, number or importance การขยายออก
capacity expansion - increased the maximum amount that can be produced by a factory
quarter - three months of the year, used by companies, organizations and government for budgeting money to projects and also for financial reporting on performance
third quarter -  the three months July, August, and September, period of time used by companies for budgeting and reporting
majority - more than 50 percent  ส่วนมาก เสียงส่วนมาก
proceed - to continue as planned ดำเนินการ
authorities - the police or people in official organisations who have the legal power to make people obey laws or rules เจ้าหน้าที่ (ตำรวจ หรือผู้มีอำนาจ)
operating permits - official permission to do some activity, given by the government
clarify - to make something clearer and easier to understand ชี้แจงเหตุผล
granting - officially giving (changing ownership, not lending for a time period)

(Source: Bangkok Post, Economics, MAP TA PHUT, Suspended projects to stay, 7/09/2010, Nareerat Wiriyapong & Nanchanok Wongsamuth, link)

]]> Mismatch between education and jobs in Thailand? (06-09-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12271 2010-09-06T12:44:31Z 2010-09-07T03:34:44Z Jon Fernquest education

Mismatch between education and jobs in Thailand? 

By Jon Fernquest

graduation hatThe school that comes after high school often fails to give students the skills they need to get jobs.

A recent op-ed piece in Post Today, the Thailand language sister paper of the Bangkok Post, discussed this issue.

Of course, this is a commonly heard complaint made by both recent graduates and parents. It is not unique to Thailand (Read recent article about the same problem in the US).

Today's article comes from the In Print column of Kamol Hengkietsak in the Bangkok Post. This column translates important articles in Thai language newspapers for the foreign audience. The article begins after the vocabulary below.

op-ed piece - an article that provides an opinion in a newspaper (See Wikipedia)
Post Today - the Thai language sister paper of the Bangkok Post with a focus on business news (See website)
sister - an organization with close connections to another organization
mismatch - not matching or going together very well

Too many degrees for few job openings

Parinya Chulekha, Post Today
Translated in In Print section by Kamol Hengkietisak
.
The problem of education in Thailand is not about access to education but about the quality, especially graduates who can respond to the needs of the economic, social and political environment, noted Parinya Chulekha, writing for Post Today. 

Every year, universities churn out hundreds of thousands of graduates but many of them cannot get work in the fields they specialise in. At the same time, certain industries experience a shortage of highly skilled workers.

access - the right or opportunity to have or use something ได้รับสิทธิ์หรือโอกาสในการใช้
access to education - the right and opportunity to get an education (up to a certain level and of a certain standard of quality)
respond - to say or do something as a reaction to something that has been said or done ตอบสนอง, ตอบรับ
environment - the situation in which a person or organization lives and operates, which presents conditions that they must deal with
churn out - produce large numbers or amounts of low quality things
specialise - to concentrate on and know a lot about one particular subject มีความชำนาญเป็นพิเศษ
shortage - when there is not enough of something การขาดแคลน

Pavich Thongroj, former secretary-general of the Tertiary Education Commission, accepted that thousands upon thousands of bachelor degree graduates are jobless every year. It is a common sight to see thousands of applicants for only a few job openings in the civil service. Even newly minted teachers from faculties of education find it hard to get a job as there are only 3,000 to 4,000 positions available each year while there are more than 10,000 graduates.

tertiary education - university and college education coming after high school 
bachelor degree - the first university degree after high school, usually lasting for four years (See Wikipedia)
commission - a group of people in charge of something (who investigate some issue or oversee some activity)
common - usual, ordinary, see or encounter all the time ธรรมดา
common sight - something you see all the time
applicant - a person who "applies" making a formal request for something such as a loan, a job or entrance to a university or school ผู้ยื่นคำร้อง 
civil service - government workers (who have to take special tests to get their jobs, wear special uniforms at work and have protection from being fired from their job)
newly minted - newly created (mint = creation of money in the form of coins and bills)

This problem is termed "structural" in that most universities, including Rajabhat universities and private universities, churn out huge numbers of graduates in easy fields without caring for the real demand in the job market.

Nowadays several universities, both government and private, try to make money by offering easy courses for master and doctoral degree levels. It can be said that they deceive students and only postpone their unemployment for a few more years," Mr Pavich said.

structure (noun) - the way that the parts of something are arranged to make a whole
structural (adjective) 
structural problem - an economic problem that needs to be solved by changing the structure of the economy (for example by creating more university graduates with skills needed by industry, "structural unemployment" is the most common kind of "structural problem" talked about)
structural unemployment - the loss of jobs due to changes in the "structure" of the economy (caused by, for example, changes in the demand for products or changes in technology)
Rajabhat universities - started out as a system of colleges to train teachers spread out over the whole of provincial Thailand, recently converted to a formal 4 year university system that  offers a wide variety of degrees (See Wikipedia)
demand - the need and desire to buy goods and services by households and businesses
masters degree - the degree that follows the "bachelor's degree" that lasts for about one to two years, often focusing on professional or job-related skills such as business (MBA) (See Wikipedia)
doctoral degree - doctorate, PhD, the final academic degree that lasts four years or more, geared towards preparing students to do original research and/or teach in universities as professors (See Wikipedia)
deceive - to persuade someone that something false is the truth หลอก
postpone - delay, reschedule, make a later date for an event เลื่อนออกไป
unemployment - the number of people without a job and who are looking for a job (See Wikipedia) การว่างงาน

Meanwhile, many universities fail to produce graduates in the fields of automotive engineering, science, petrochemicals and electronics in great enough numbers to satisfy the real demand in the job market, he said.

Since there are many bachelor degree graduates looking for jobs, some even lower themselves and compete for jobs against vocational and higher vocational certificate graduates, compelling those certificate owners to continue their education to a higher level, which is not necessary for the job requirement at all...

petrochemicals - chemicals made from oil or natural gas สินค้าหรือผลิตภัณฑ์ปิโตรเคมี
vocational - teaching the skills necessary for particular jobs การสอนวิชาชีพ
vocational education - education that provides the training and skills necessary for a job (for example, motorcycle repair or cooking in a restaurant) โรงเรียนอาชีวศึกษา (See Wikipedia)
certificate - an official document or record stating that particular facts are true ประกาศนียบัตร เกียรติบัตร

(Source: Bangkok Post, Too many degrees for few job openings, Parinya Chulekha, Post Today, Translated in In Print section by Kamol Hengkietisak, link) 


]]> The fight against antibiotic overuse and drug resistance in Thailand (06-09-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12269 2010-09-06T06:10:35Z 2010-09-06T06:41:37Z The fight against antibiotic overuse and drug resistance in Thailand By Jon Fernquest The first rule of antibiotics is try not to use them, and the second rule is try not to use too many of them - Paul... Jon Fernquest

The fight against antibiotic overuse and drug resistance in Thailand

By Jon Fernquest


antibioticThe first rule of antibiotics is try not to use them, and the second rule is try not to use too many of them - Paul L. Marino, The ICU Book (Source)

When people buy antibiotics at the neighborhood pharmacy to treat themselves or when doctors over-prescribe them, resistant bacteria emerge and the antibiotic eventually becomes ineffective in treating disease (See poster with warning below).
 
Today's article is about a program in Thailand to control the usage of antibiotics and thereby reduce these negative effects.

The article extract begins after the vocabulary (See full article here).

antibiotics - a drug that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria (See Wikipedia)
drug resistance - the reduction of the effectiveness of a drug in curing an illness over time (See Wikipedia on drug resistance and antibiotic resistance)
pharmacy - a store that sells medicine (See Wikipedia)
prescribe - when a doctor writes out medicine for you to take, on an official piece of paper, when presented a pharmacy supplies you with the medicine สั่งยา
bacteria - very small living things (microorganisms) that can cause infection and disease (See Wikipedia)
resistant bacteria emerge - bacteria that medicine cannot destroy begin to appear
medicine - 1. a drug, pills or liquid taken to treat and cure an illness or disease, 2. the study and practice by doctors of treating and curing illnesses and injuries
ineffective - does not do what it is required to do (or does a bad job of it)
negative effects - bad things that happen from an event or action (here: action is taking a drug)

Local News
MEDICINE

Abuse of antibiotics is rampant, say researchers

6/09/2010
Apiradee Treerutkuarkul

health posterThai people are overusing antibiotics, a trend that could lead to an increase in drug resistance and disease transmission, warn pharmaceutical researchers.

A study by clinics at Mahidol University's tropical medicine faculty, Khon Kaen University's department of medicine and Prince of Songkla University's pharmaceutical sciences faculty found that 42% of patients misuse prescription drugs, particularly antibiotics. Results of the study were included in an annual report on the national drug system.

rampant - existing, happening or spreading in an uncontrolled way รุกลาม อาละวาด กำเริบ รุนแรงจนควบคุมไว้ไม่ได้
trend - a gradual change or development that produces a particular result ทิศทาง แนวโน้ม
drug resistance - the reduction of the effectiveness of a drug in curing an illness over time (See Wikipedia on drug resistance and antibiotic resistance)
transmission - the spread of a disease from one person or animal to another การแพร่เชื้อ
pharmaceutical - connected with the production of medicines เกี่ยวกับเภสัชกรรม, เกี่ยวกับยา
clinics - places where people go to receive medical treatment
tropical - relating to the hottest area of the Earth, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn ในเขตร้อน
tropical medicine - the branch of medicine that deals with the health problems of tropical areas such as malaria or dengue and other common diseases (See Wikipedia)
faculty - a group of departments in a college which specialize in a particular subject or group of subjects คณะ
misuse - to use something in an unsuitable way or in a way that was not intended ใช้ในทางที่ผิด
prescription - medicine that a doctor gives permission for a person to buy and take in orde to cure an illness
annual - happening once a year ประจำปี

The report focused on seven factors: good governance, self-reliance on medical products, safety, equity, quality, accessibility and affordability, and rational use.

The main problem identified in the report was doctors over-prescribing medications.

factors - one of the things that effects a situation or event ปัจจัย
governance - the way that a country, political unit, or company is managed and run
self-reliance - doing things yourself (instead of people helping you all the time)
equity - being fair and reasonable, treating everyone equally
accessibility - when people are able get or use something
affordability - able to buy because not too expensive
rational - based on good reasons and not emotions (reasons that are sensible and practical)
identified - named ระบุชื่อ
medications - medicine

Nitima Soompradit, a pharmacist with the Food and Drug Administration, said a pilot campaign to promote the rational use of antibiotics was carried out at 10 community hospitals and 87 publicly run village clinics in Saraburi.

The project worked with a sample of 100 patients and helped reduce the number of antibiotic prescriptions given to patients with respiratory problems, diarrhoea and general wounds from 58 to 21. Their symptoms improved without the antibiotics.

pharmacist - specially trained worker whose job is to prepare medications in a shop (pharmacy) or in a hospital
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - the government agency responsible for "protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), veterinary products, and cosmetics" (See Wikipedia on the FDA in the US)
pilot - a small test of a new idea or product or idea before introducing it everywhere
campaign - a planned series of activities which are intended to achieve a particular aim or convince people to do something การรณรงค์
promote - to encourage people to do some activity, to offer support for doing an activity
community - the people living in one particular area ชุมชน
clinic - a place where people go to receive medical treatment from doctors, nurses and dentists (See Wikipedia)
sample - choose some items from a large group to provide information about the group as a whole
respiratory - involving breathing เกี่ยวกับการหายใจ

More than 1.2 million baht that would otherwise have been spent at these facilities on antibiotics was also saved, Ms Nitima said.

Thailand spends more on antibiotics than any other type of medicine. Most are prescribed unnecessarily or taken improperly, which has had negative side effects, including increasing drug resistance.

The report found that 54% of patients taking antibiotics experience side effects. Improper use of antibiotics could also lead to drug resistance, which in turn could increase the rate of disease particularly among vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and patients with diabetes

facilities - the buildings, equipment and services provided for a particular purpose สิ่งอำนวยความสะดวก
prescribed - when a doctor writes out medicine for you to take, on an official piece of paper, when presented a pharmacy supplies you with the medicine สั่งยา
improperly - not done in the right (correct, proper) way
negative - bad ที่เป็นด้านลบ
side effects - negative effects on a person's health that can happen when a drug is taken to cure an illness (See Wikipedia on adverse drug reactions)
adverse - negative or harmful
rate - the level or speed at which something happens or changes, or the amount or number of times it happens or changes in a particular period อัตรา
vulnerable - easily damaged or harmed ซึ่งถูกทำลายได้ง่าย
elderly - older people over 65  สูงวัย, อาวุโส, อายุมาก
diabetes - a deadly disease in which you have abnormally high blood sugar levels, body does not produce enough insulin to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood โรคเบาหวาน (See Wikipedia)

(Source: Bangkok Post, MEDICINE, Abuse of antibiotics is rampant, say researchers, 6/09/2010, Apiradee Treerutkuarkul, link) 


]]> Thailand research on algae biofuel (01-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12246 2010-09-01T06:03:33Z 2010-09-06T06:45:57Z Bridging the gap between Thai universities and business world by matching human resources By Jon Fernquest Ideally business networking would match business people with scientists and researchers in universities. Relationships between these two groups of people do not develop... Jon Fernquest

Bridging the gap between Thai universities and business world by matching human resources

By Jon Fernquest

robot competitionIdeally business networking would match business people with scientists and researchers in universities.

Relationships between these two groups of people do not develop automatically.

That's why the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) of Thailand's government is sponsoring a special event to help develop these relationships.

Business plan competitions are another useful event that bridges the gap between universities and the business world (Read previous articles on competitions in Thailand #1 and #2 also see archives).

Today's article begins after the vocabulary.

Photo on right of  King Mongkut University of Technology winners of 2010 World RoboCup competition in Singapore. Technology competitions such as this are another important kind of event bridging the divide between university and the business world.

Research collaboration between Thai and foreign universities also helps to bridge the divide (Read on science collaboration with Australian universities). 

Engineering joint ventures between Thai and foreign companies also bridge the gap (Read on Thai-Chinese high speed train project).

business networking - when business people meet and get to know each other (See Wikipedia)
relationship - when two or more people or organizations have a close involvement and interactions with each other (examples: business relationship, romantic relationship)
automatically - without people doing anything
National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) - the Thai government agency driving rapid science and technology development (See description)
business plan - "a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons why they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals" (See Wikipedia)
business plan competition - an event in which many students present their business ideas and plans, judges decide which are the ones most likely to succeed, most business schools have such a competition (See video on how to win)
bridges the gap - connects two things that are not connected (starts communication and relationship building)
2010 World RoboCup competition - a recent competition in Singapore in which students compete to build the best robot (See website)  
human resources - people with the knowledge and skills they possess, put to use by organizations and companies when they are hired as employees (See Wikipedia)
collaboration - working with other others to produce things and achieve goals
joint ventures - a company owned and operated by two or more other companies

BUSINESS NETWORKING

Matching fair due next month

31/08/2010
Yuthana Praiwan

Thailand's first event matching business operators, scientists and researchers will take place next month

The expo is being organised by the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), which has invited more than 300 business operators from the industrial and service sectors to exhibit their research projects.

expo - an event with large numbers of people coming to view things being shown (new products, technology, art, information about a country)
due - expected to happen or should happen มีกำหนด
operators - companies running a certain kind of business
exhibit - show something publicly, so people can learn about it

The NSTDA will have more than 25 projects on hand at NSTDA Investors' Day, to be held on Sept 16 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok.

The NSTDA has been providing services to business operators for the past four years, particularly small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

The policy is in line with government plans to enhance the country's economic competitiveness.

on hand - have, exist, are present at a place
Queen Sirikit National Convention Center - a large building used for events, conferences and fairs, located in dowentown Bangkok, connected to the rest of the city by subway, opened in 1991 (See Wikipedia)
entrepreneurs - business people เจ้าของกิจการ
policy - a set of plans or action agreed on by a government, political party, business, or other group to guide decisions and achieve outcomes นโยบาย (See Wikipedia)
in line with - agreeing with, following
enhance - to improve the quality, amount or strength of something ทำให้ดีเพิ่มขึ้น, ทำให้ดีขึ้น
competitiveness - how well a business can do compared to other firms (does it have lower price or higher quality?) การแข่งขัน

NSTDA president Thaweesak Koanantakool said five projects that will be highlighted at the fair are a silk-strengthening substance, a kit to test for drug allergies in dogs, high efficiency methods for marine life breeding, a new lightweight concrete made from artificial materials and a simulation programme for the analysis of orthodontic models.

This event will match business operators, researchers and scientists in a bid to find business solutions," said Dr Thaweesak.

highlighted - emphasized; stressed; made more noticeable ที่เน้นย้ำ
substance - some kind of solid, gas or liquid (example: wood is a solid substance and water is a liquid substance)
allergy - a medical condition when a person is oversensitive and reacts negatively to some substance in the food, in the air or from some other contact (See Wikipedia)
drug allergies - when a patient has a negative allergic reaction to some drug (See Wikipedia)
efficiency - waste little time, energy and resources in doing a task (minimize time, energy and resources in performing a task) (See glossary) การทำงานอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ คุ้มค่าเวลาและใช้พลังงานหรือต้นทุนในการผลิตน้อย เพื่อให้ได้ผลผลิตมาก
marine - relating to the sea and creatures that live in it เกี่ยวกับทะเล
breeding - the keeping of animals or plants in order to produce young animals from them การผสมพันธุ์สัตว์เพื่อขยายพันธุ์
concrete -
artificial - not natural, made by humans จำลอง ที่มนุษย์สร้างขึ้น ที่ประดิษฐ์ขึ้น
simulation - imitation of a real thing or situation, an artificial copy but with lifelike features (See Wikipedia)
orthodontistry (noun) - dental treatment to put teeth into correct position so that they look better (cosmetic) and there is no "improper bite" (malocclusion) (See Wikipedia)
orthodontic (adjective)
models - a system, a simple description of how a system works (to help you understand it) 
match - to look the same as or very similar to something else ซึ่งไม่คู่ควร
bid - an attempt to do something ความพยายาม

Discussions regarding investments or licencing patents or joint ventures with the NSTDA or a venture capital fund will be discussed under the mechanism of the Technology Licensing Office.

The agency has previously sought potential investors through business model contests organised by state universities but has found it difficult to find appropriate candidates.

licensed (adjective) - have official permission from government or a business to do some activity or use something that they control
license (noun) - official permission (See Wikipedia)
patent - legal rights to use an invention and to prevent the invention from being used by others, details of invention must be revealed to government patent office (See Wikipedia)
licencing patents - pay owner of patent to use the idea and technology in the patent 
technology licensing - when a company pays another company to use its technology
Technology Licensing Office - the office at a university or government in charge of selling technology developed within the university or country
joint - done with someone else ร่วมกัน
venture - a new business which involves risk or uncertainty ธุริกิจเสี่ยงแต่สามารถทำกำไรได้
joint ventures - a company owned and operated by two or more other companies
capital - money invested in a business (See glossary)
venture capital - private equity capital provided by professional outside investors to new, growth businesses. Cash is exchanged for shares in a usually high risk company with above-average returns (See Wikipedia)
fund - to provide money for something เงินทุน กองทุน, ให้เงินทุน
potential - possible ความเป็นไปได้
potential investors - possible investors
business model contests - see "business plan competition" above
state - government รัฐ
state universities - universities owned and operated by governments
appropriate - suitable, right for a certain situation or purpose
candidates - one of several people competing to be selected for some special position (job, elected government official, etc)

Last year, the NSTDA was able to establish only two joint venture projects, with Anglo Thai Ceramic Co and Micro Innovate Co, on which it spent 200 million baht for equity investment.

Next year, we plan to join with the Stock Exchange of Thailand to set up a venture capital fund and expand solutions for business operators, as Thailand is becoming more of a high-tech-based economy," said Dr Thaweesak.

establish - to start a company or organization that will likely continue for a long time สถาปนา, ก่อตั้ง, จัดตั้ง
equity - money for a business that comes from owners, not borrowed money (debt) เงินลงทุน ที่มาจากการระดมหุ้นของหุ้นส่วน และผู้มีกรรมสิทธิ
investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
expand - to become larger ขายตัวออกไป

(Source: BUSINESS NETWORKING, Matching fair due next month, 31/08/2010, Yuthana Praiwan, link) 

]]> Thai-China high speed train joint-venture: End to long Bangkok commutes? (31-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12241 2010-08-31T07:44:00Z 2010-08-31T07:48:32Z Thai-China high speed train joint-venture: End to long Bangkok commutes? By Jon Fernquest Can you imagine jumping on a train next to the office and zooming home in under 10 minutes? Some people I work with in downtown Bangkok... Jon Fernquest

Thai-China high speed train joint-venture: End to long Bangkok commutes?

By Jon Fernquest

highspeed trainCan you imagine jumping on a train next to the office and zooming home in under 10 minutes?

Some people I work with in downtown Bangkok have horrendous commutes from home to work and back everyday.

They take a combination of subway, vans and buses and sit, walk, stand and wait for as long as an hour and a half to get from home to work.

Today's article is about a possible joint-venture between the Thai and Chinese governments to build high speed trains in Thailand.

China's high-tech magnetic levitation Maglev train travels from Shanghai to the airport in a record breaking 7 to 8 minutes traveling as fast as 431 km/h (268 mph) (Read Wikipedia). 

Today's article starts after the vocabulary below.

zoom - moving with great speed and energy
horrendous - extremely shocking and bad
commute (noun) - the trip a person takes each day from their home to their work in the morning and then in the evening from their work back to their home 
joint - done with someone else ร่วมกัน
joint-venture - company owned and operated by two or more other companies
magnetic levitation - a technology "by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields. Magnetic pressure is used to counteract the effects of the gravitational and any other accelerations" (See Wikipedia)
Maglev train - Shanghai Magnetic Levitation Demonstration Operation Line, "a magnetic levitation train (maglev) line that operates in Shanghai, China. It is notable for being the first commercial high-speed maglev line in the world — during a test run on November 12, 2003, a Maglev vehicle achieved a Chinese record speed of 501 km/h (311 mph) (non-commercial top speed). The journey was designed to connect Shanghai Pudong International Airport quickly to the outskirts of central Shanghai where passengers could interchange for their final destinations in the city centre" (See Wikipedia)

Transport

Development on Fast track

So much to gain from new rail routes
31/08/2010
Somporn Thapanachai

While the cabinet will today consider approving the framework of joint investment between Thailand and China on the development of high-speed train routes in Thailand, both public and private sectors believe faster rail transit will benefit the country economically and socially.

China’s Maglev train, which travels 30 kilometres between Longyang Rd Station and Shanghai International Airport in just over seven minutes, is the fastest commercial train in the world.

development - the gradual growth and improvement of a country's economy
fast track - a way of achieving a goal or completing a project more quickly (like traveling along a faster railway track)
framework - a system of rules, ideas or beliefs that is used to plan or decide something ขอบข่ายงาน, โครงร่าง
investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
sector - a part of a country's economic or business activity, (public sector = government, private sector = all businesses, household sector = families and consumers, banking sector,...) (See Wikipedia)  ภาค (เศรษฐกิจ)
private sector - all the businesses and companies in an economy 
public sector - the government
transit - the act of moving from one place to another การเดินทางผ่าน
benefit - to get help or an advantage from something ผลประโยชน์
commercial - run by a company for profit (not owned by the government)

The investments would develop high-speed trains with speeds of around 250 kilometres per hour. Three routes with an investment value of approximately 480 billion baht are now under consideration: Bangkok-Nong Khai, Bangkok-Rayong and Bangkok-Padang Besar.

Supa Piyajitti, director-general of State Enterprise Policy Office, said state-run organisations with the potential to join the investment were the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), which owns land plots along possible routes, and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA), which has technical expertise.

consideration - giving careful thought to something before making a decision
state - government รัฐ
potential - might happen in the future ความเป็นไปได้
land plots - pieces of land
State Railway of Thailand (SRT) - the state-owned rail operator of Thailand, การรถไฟแห่งประเทศไทย (SeeWikipedia)
Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) - the government agency responsible for mass transportation in and around Bangkok, founded in 1992 under Prime Minister Anand (See websiteand Wikipedia on Bangkok Metro)
technical - involving materials, processes, and machines that do specialised work (example: computers, electronics, manufacturing)  เฉพาะทาง
expertise - special skills or knowledge from study or practical experience ความถนัด ทักษะความรู้, ความคิดเห็นของผู้เชี่ยวชาญ ความชำนาญเฉพาะทาง
technical expertise - having special knowledge or skills in some technical area like computers, electronics, engineering and manufacturing

She said a memorandum of understanding on the Thai-Chinese joint investment would identify only the main topics of co-operation. Once it receives cabinet approval, the MOU must be approved by parliament as the government needs to conduct a public hearing on the issue. "Details of possible co-operation have already been drafted but cannot be disclosed at the moment. The timeframe for development will depend on when the parliament approves the MOU," she said.

memorandum - an informal legal agreement ข้อตกลง
memorandum of understanding (MOU) - a informal agreement that provides a framework for cooperation on activities, establishes policies or procedures of mutual concern, and/or establishes expectations between two or more parties (See Wikipedia)
identify - to specify ระบุ
identify - find, locate
co-operation - working together to achieve goals
approval - official permission การอนุมัต
conduct - to do something in an organised way; to carry out
hearing - an official meeting which presents the facts of some issue before a decision is made 
public hearing - a hearing that is open to the public, the public can listen and learn about some new program or project and then respond by giving feedback, suggestions and/or criticism 
issue - an important subject that people are arguing about or discussing ประเด็น
draft - to write up an official document
moment - a very short period of time; a particular time or occasion ชั่วขณะ, โอกาสสำคัญ
timeframe - the length of time during which an event or a poject happens ในกรอบเวลาที่ระบุำไว้

A joint Thai-Chinese company with 50:50 ownership will be established, each side with authority to arrange investors. It is unlikely the SRT would invest alone in the joint venture as the law forbids a state enterprise to enter an investment in which a foreigner has more than 49% ownership.

Ms Supa said the joint venture would not require vast capital as the new firm could seek funding for development of a high-speed train system and repay the debt from income generated from its operation. Thai partners would be expected to provide land which, after the rail is constructed, will be given to the government.

established - started, set up or built for the first time 
authority - the power to make decisions or tell people what to do อำนาจ, อำนาจในการสั่งการ
venture - a new business, which usually involves some risk or uncertainty ธุริกิจเสี่ยงแต่สามารถทำกำไรได้
enterprise - an organization, especially a business กิจการ, บริษัท,อุตสาหกิจ,วิสาหกิจ
state enterprise - a government owned business
vast - very large, of great size ส่วนใหญ่
capital - money invested in a business (See glossary)
firm - a business or company บริษัม
funding - money given for a particular purpose การให้เงินสนับสนุน
debt - an amount of money that you owe หนี้
income - money coming into a company or a household
income generated - money received by a business from customers buying its products or services
partners - the companies owning part of the joint venture หุ้นส่วน
expected - believe will happen คาดว่า (จะเกิดขึ้น)
provide - to give someone something wanted or needed

Manop Sangiambut, CLSA head of China research, said China plans to export its high-speed train technology to other countries. China earlier applied high-speed train technology from France, Germany and Japan to develop its own technology.

He said the Chinese government usually provides low-interest funding, rail construction and vehicles when investing in other countries.

Ms Supa last week led a Thai delegation to study operations of Chinese high-speed trains in Shanghai.

She said China has both magnetic and electrical train systems, but Thailand requires electrical trains because magnetic trains, running at a maximum speed of 430 km/hour, are too expensive....

interest - payments made for the use of another's money for a period of time
construction - the work of building or making something, especially buildings, bridges, etc. การก่อสร้าง
vehicles - machines with an engine used to carry people or goods from place to place ยานพาหนะ
delegation - a group of people chosen by a group to represent them คณะผู้แทน, คณะบุคคลที่เป็นตัวแทนของคนกลุ่มใหญ่
magnetic - of an object that is able both to attract iron and steel objects and also push them away ซึ่งมีคุณสมบัติเป็นแม่เหล็ก
maximum - the most possible ที่สูงสุด ที่มากที่สุด

(Source: Development on Fast track, So much to gain from new rail routes, 31/08/2010, Somporn Thapanachai, link) 

]]> Supavud Saicheua on Thailand's long-term economic strategy (30-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12231 2010-08-30T07:27:06Z 2010-08-30T07:40:32Z Supavud Saicheua on Thailand's long-term economic strategy By Jon Fernquest Following in the footsteps of successful Asia countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China, Thailand has long followed a strategy of export-driven economic growth.... Jon Fernquest

Supavud Saicheua on Thailand's long-term economic strategy

By Jon Fernquest

Map Ta PhutFollowing in the footsteps of successful Asia countries such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and China, Thailand has long followed a strategy of export-driven economic growth.

As Thai economist Supavud Saicheua observes, Thailand "opened the Map Ta Phut industrial estate in 1980 - used the gas there as cheap power, used the port there to sell stuff and invited the Japanese multinationals to use Thailand as a production base."

Thailand has fully developed "downstream" industries such as automobile and automobile parts manufacturing, but problems associated with developing upstream industries such as petrochemicals, steel and power generation have yet to be adequately worked out. 

The court ordered closure of industrial projects Map Ta Phut industrial estate because of the pollution they created is the most visible example of this. 

Today's article below is an extract that describes Thailand's export-driven economic growth strategy. For the full article with Mr. Supavud's opinions on democracy please read here.

A proactive industrial policy with government intervention might be a good option for Thailand. Advocates of this approach include economists Dani Rodrik and Ha-Joon Chang.

Without better developed political institutions this approach might not succeed (Read a previous article by Danny Unger and Patcharee Siroros).

Today's article begins after the vocabulary.  
following in the footsteps - imitating or doing what others who were successful before you did in order to succeed
strategy - a plan to achieve long term goals ('strategy' gives the big picture, 'tactics' the details)
economic growth - (See Wikipedia) and Paul Romer of Stanford's description)
export-driven economic growth - economic growth caused by development of a country's export industry  
Map Ta Phut Industrial Estate - one of Thailand's largest industrial estates located in Rayong (See interactive map)
industrial park, industrial estate - a special area especially for factories with special facilities (roads, transportation, water, electricity, waste disposal) (See Wikipedia)
power - electricity produced in large quantities and used to operate lights, machines, and heating
port - an area of water where ships stop, including the buildings around it ท่าเรือ
base - a place from where an activity or project can be planned and carried ฐานที่มั่น
downstream - at an late stage in the process of producing a product for sale (late in the supply chain)
upstream - at an early stage in the process of producing a product for sale (early in the supply chain)
petrochemicals - chemicals made from oil or natural gas สินค้าหรือผลิตภัณฑ์ปิโตรเคมี
production base - a place used by a company to manufacture and produce goods for other places, regional manufacturing center 
work out a problem - solve a problem
proactive - starting to think about possible problems in some project and start solving them even before they happen
industrial policy - government policies to promote certain industries that can help the country develop (See Wikipedia)
intervention - getting involved in an activity that is not usually your responsibility
advocates - people who agree with and promote certain ideas

Investigative Report

Let the voters sort things out

29/08/2010
Nina Suebsukcharoen

...Mr Supavud said that although the latest data on tourism show improvement, the Thai economy is still mainly export-driven.

Is that sustainable? If you want to sustain it then you must know what you are getting yourself into. If you look at Thailand's economic growth strategy you would have to argue that it has mainly been manufacturing and export-driven, and to do that we basically opened the Map Ta Phut industrial estate in 1980 - used the gas there as cheap power, used the port there to sell stuff and invited the Japanese multinationals to use Thailand as a production base.
investigation (noun) - the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something in order to discover who or what caused it or how it happened การตรวจสอบหาข้อเท็จจริง
investigative (adjective)
sort things out - being order to a complicated situation, solve a complicated problem
data - facts or information used for making calculations or decisions ข้อมูล
improvement - when something gets better or when you make it better การปรับปรุง, การทำให้ดีขึ้น
sustainable - able to be successfully continued for a long time ยั่งยืน, ถาวร
sustain (verb) - keep something going for a long time
what you are getting yourself into - the difficult situation you face, when you agree to do something

That in a nutshell is Thailand's economic strategy. We have cemented that model with the signing of the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement.

Now we have come to the point where we have fully developed what are called downstream industries - we have automobile production, auto parts production. We need to back this up with upstream industries - petrochemicals, steel, power. But we are having problems developing upstream industries, as is seen with the Map Ta Phut issue.

in a nutshell - summarizing, describing a complicated thing in simple terms
cemented - made strong
Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEP) - name of the free trade agreement between Thailand and Japan  (See Wikipedia)
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) - an agreement between two or more countries to reduce tariffs and other "barriers to trade" over time
issue - a problem that needs to be considered, discussed, debated and solved ประเด็น

So if Thailand wants to continue pursuing this path of being a manufacturing production base for Japan, then we must accept that we have to develop the basic upstream industries as well. And we must resolve this concern about pollution and health in a way that does not become an obstacle to the development of basic industries.

Mr Supavud said that China has both upstream and downstream industries but Malaysia does not because it has not really pursued this strategy. Malaysia exports palm oil and electronic parts. It may have wanted to develop an auto industry and export cars the way Thailand does, but it has not been as successful in this area.

Mr Supavud noted that Singapore also has a different model than Thailand, as it is a trading port and a major financial service centre and is also focusing on high-end health care and scientific research. He said that both Indonesia and Vietnam are in a position to compete with Thailand.

resolve - to solve a problem, or to find a satisfactory way of dealing with it แก้ไขปัญหา, หาทางแก้ปัญหา
concern - a worry ความกังวล
obstacle - a difficulty or problem that prevents you from achieving something อุปสรรค ขวากหนาม สิ่งกีดขวาง
development - the gradual growth and formation of something
trading port - a place where ships ship large quantities of goods into and out of, as part of the buying and selling of goods 
financial service centre - a central place where many banks are located, from which many loans are issued
high-end - of high quality and expense

(Source: Bangkok Post, Investigative Report, Let the voters sort things out, 29/08/2010, Nina Suebsukcharoen, link) 

]]> Income generated by Thailand's tourism sector to be measured in greater detail (27-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12224 2010-08-27T08:51:09Z 2010-08-27T09:20:34Z Jon Fernquest

Income generated by Thailand's tourism sector to be measured in greater detail

By Jon Fernquest

beer at beachIn 2009 tourism made a 7.91% contribution to Thailand's economy as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

GDP growth in Thailand's tourism sector has some special benefits, spending in this sector: 1. spreads income over more workers, and 2. also allows the more impoverished regions of Thailand to derive benefits from economic growth (See article).

Tourism income generated in Thailand's southern region at 182.2 billion baht far surpassed the next best (the East with Pattaya at 72.78 billion) due to the presence of tourism centers Phuket and Koh Samui.

Today's article begins after the vocabulary.

Photo on right of tourist drinking beer and sunbathing on the beach.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) -  a measure of economic activity in a country, the value of the country's output of goods and services. GDP is defined roughly as: GDP = Household Consumption + Business Investment + Change in Inventories  + (Government Spending - Taxes)  + (Exports - Imports) (See Economist Glossary)
sector - a part of the economy (public sector = government, private sector = all businesses, household sector = families and consumers, banking sector,...) ภาคเศรษฐกิจของประเทศ (See Wikipedia)
contribution - something done to help achieve something or make it successful ผลงาน,การช่วยเหลือ
impoverished - very poor
derive benefits - get benefits
X surpassed Y - X went beyond or did better than Y 
sunbathing - letting the sun hit your skin for long periods of time in order to make your skin darker (See Wikipedia on sun tanning)

Economics
TOURISM

New gauge better reflects industry's contribution

27/08/2010
Chatrudee Theparat

A new tourism gross domestic product index has been prepared to better reflect the industry's large contribution from goods and services in the overall economy.

The tourism sector plays a vital role in the country's economy, but the industry for years has been without a compilation of national tourism income," said Thanittha Maneechote, deputy permanent secretary of the Tourism and Sports Ministry.

gauge of Y - something that can used to measure Y 
reflect - to show สะท้อน แสดงถึง
domestic - within the country ภายในประเทศ
vital - extremely important; necessary for the success or continued existence of something จำเป็นสำหรับชีวิต; สำคัญมาก
role - purpose or function in a particular situation บทบาท
compilation (noun) - information brought together from many different places into one book, list, article, etc
income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings
national tourism income - all the money that people in a country receive from running tourism businesses
deputy - a person who is given the power to do something instead of another person, or the person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง, ตัวแทน,ผู้รักษาการแทน
permanent - happening for all time in the future ถาวร

The National Economic and Social Development Board has compiled national income data for 16 sectors including agriculture, forestry, fisheries, industry and transport. It also includes hotels and restaurants as well as services. However, the tourism sector covers a broader scope of activities from hotels and restaurants to shopping, retail sales, transport and health services.

Tourism GDP generally measures the total market value of goods and services that are consumed by visitors, minus the cost of the inputs used in producing those goods and services.

The NESDB's tourism income study also covers food expenses for lodging, food and drink, guide services, entertainment, shopping, gifts and transport.

NESDB (National Economic and Social Development Board or "Sa-pa-pat") - Thai government planning agency for economic development, creates five year plans with an agenda of: 1. Alleviation of Poverty and Income Distribution problems, 2. Enhancing Thailand’s Competitiveness, 3. Promoting Social Capital Development, 4. Promoting Sustainable Development (See Wikipedia)
compile (verb) - to bring together information from many different places (for example: to create a book, list, article)
data - facts or information used for making calculations or decisions ข้อมูล
fisheries - fish farms, places to raise fishes
transport - moving people or things from one place to another ขนส่ง
scope of Y - the things dealt with by Y, how many things are dealt with by Y
scope of activities - what things (issues, tasks) a set of activities deals with 
broader scope of activities - when a set of activities deals with more things (issues, tasks)
retail - to sell directly to the public for their own use ขายปลีก

In 2009, tourism income both from foreign visitors and domestic travellers contributed 7.91%, equivalent to 715.98 billion baht of a gross domestic product worth a total of total 9.05 trillion.

When all factors are included, tourism income averaged 11,270.91 baht per head.

The southern region led the table with tourism income of 182.2 billion baht, reflecting large contributions from the islands of Phuket and Samui. The figure was 72.78 billion baht for the East, 58.83 billion for the North, 28.29 billion for the West, and 27.21 billion for the northeastern provinces.

The Central region excluding Bangkok generated the lowest income worth only 15.18 billion baht. Based on national income per head, the South again led with per capita income of 20,673.04 baht, followed by 15,969.63 baht in the East, 7,140 baht in the West, 4,998.83 in the North, 2,021.34 baht in the Central region and only 1,265.97 baht in the Northeast.

Based on provinces, Bangkok ranked first, generating 331.45 billion baht, followed by Phuket at 94 billion, Chon Buri at 47.82 billion, Chiang Mai at 32.6 billion and Krabi 20 billion baht.

foreign visitors - people from countries outside Thailand who come to Thailand (for tourism, business, to visit family, etc)
domestic travellers - Thai people who travel within their own country (for tourism, business, to visit family, etc)
equivalent - the same as เท่าเทียมกันกับ
factor - one of the things that effects a situation or event ปัจจัย
per head - per person, for each person
led the table - was first among all the items in the table (being measured)
contributions - something that you do or give to help make something successful การช่วยเหลือ
figure - an amount of money จำนวนเงิน
generated - created

(Source: TOURISM, New gauge better reflects industry's contribution, 27/08/2010, Chatrudee Theparat, link) 

]]> Fruit ice cream as potential export to the Middle East (25-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12215 2010-08-25T13:34:48Z 2010-08-26T06:03:29Z Fruit ice cream as potential export to the Middle East By Jon Fernquest Finding alternative products for highly perishable fruit has to rate as an urgent item on Thailand's agricultural agenda. Thailand's fruit produce has to be put to... Jon Fernquest

Fruit ice cream as potential export to the Middle East

By Jon Fernquest

fruit ice creamFinding alternative products for highly perishable fruit has to rate as an urgent item on Thailand's agricultural agenda.

Thailand's fruit produce has to be put to a good use and not let to rot in the fields or sold for a pittance before it goes bad as sometimes happens during years of over-supply.    

Today's article talks about how fruit ice cream exports to the Middle East might have potential in the future.

Fruit juice exports are another fruit-based product with potential (Read article).

alternative - one among many possible choices
potential - the possibility of success ที่มีศักยภาพ ที่เป็นไปได้
perishable goods - food that decays, rots and quickly goes bad so it cannot be sold and must be taken off the shelves 
X rates as Y - X must be considered as or treated as Y
urgent - must be done quickly 
agenda - a list of things to be done in the future, goals to be achieved, tasks to be accomplished
item on the agenda - one of many things to do, to accomplish
pittance - an amount of money for something so small that it seems unfair
sold for a pittance - sold for an amount of money so small that it seems unfair
goes bad - rots, when food decays and can no longer be eaten
fruit-based - made from or using fruit

Marketing
FOOD PROCESSING

Cremo ice-cream maker looks to cool Middle East

23/08/2010
Pitsinee Jitpleecheep

Chomthana Co, the manufacturer of Cremo ice-cream, will expand its ice-cream business overseas next year, starting with the Middle East, says president Soh Chee Yong.

Thai-made, fruit-based ice-cream is very popular among overseas customers as nobody can do fresh fruit-based ice-cream better than Thailand, which has various fresh fruits, particularly coconut and mango," he said.

The company has been exporting Cremo fruit-based ice-cream for several years and demand continues to increase year by year in more than 10 markets including as China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, France, the United States and Germany.

Next year, it will export its ice-cream to the United Arab Emirates.

cool - rather cold, not hot (has two meanings, see next meaning)
cool - clever; impressive ดีเลิศ (คำสแลง)
expand - to become larger ขายตัวออกไป
demand - the need and desire to buy goods and services by households and businesses
United Arab Emirates - a small country next to Saudi Arabia, the most modern and economically successful country next to the Persian Gulf in the Middle East (See Wikipedia)

The company expects overseas sales will rise to 250 million baht or 25% of total sales next year, up from 200 million baht or a 20% contribution this year.

Locally, he said the ice-cream market worth 10 billion baht was quite stable with modest growth estimated at 6-7% this year.

Chomthana plans to spend 150-200 million baht to install new machines, trucks, mobile bicycles and freezers over the rest of the year.

We're not strong in the Bangkok market but we can compete with all international ice-cream brands in the provinces. We are very proud that Cremo is the only Thai brand to fight with international ones in the country," he said.

contribution - something that you do that helps to achieve something or to make it successful ผลงาน,การช่วยเหลือ
stable - not changing frequently and not likely to suddenly become worse มั่นคง, ไม่เปลี่ยนแปลง
modest - not large in size or amount ไม่มากมาย
install - put a piece of equipment somewhere and make it ready to be used ติดตั้งอุปกรณ์
international - between countries ระหว่างประเทศ
brand - products with well-established name that people remember, that create a certain image and expectations about the product
brand - a type of product made by a particular company ตรา, ยี่ห้อ
province - one of the many areas that a country is divied into  จังหวัด

Apart from ice-cream, the company is also looking to add more food products.

It has started providing salapao under the Star brand at FamilyMart convenience stores and plans to introduce frozen bakery items next month at schools and convenience stores.

There is high demand for frozen bakery goods as the product is suitable for the lifestyle of urban people," he said.

The company is also studying a plan to provide cold-chain logistics and packaging services for others in the future.
salapao - steamed bun
convenience - the quality of being suitable for your purposes and needs and causing the least difficulty ความสะดวกสบาย
convenience stores - small neighborhood stores like 7-11 and Family Mart (See Wikipedia)
frozen - when water turns to ice, when something stops moving
suitable - acceptable or right for someone or something เหมาะสม
lifestyle - the living conditions and things people do everyday (fashion, home decoration, pets, cooking, music, tv, movies, garden, etc) รูปแบบการดำเนินชีวิต
urban - in a city (not rural area) ในเมือง
provide - to give someone something that they want or need
chain - supply chain
supply chain - the steps in different firms and locations needed to produce a final good from raw materials and intermediate goods, ending with final assembly and distribution of goods in consumer stores (See Wikipedia) 
logistics - the activity of transporting, storing, and tracking goods (from the factory to store) (See Wikipedia) การขนส่งและจัดจำหน่ายสินค้า
packaging - the container or covering for a product while it is waiting to be sold in stores

(Source: Bangkok Post, Marketing, FOOD PROCESSING, Cremo ice-cream maker looks to cool Middle East, 23/08/2010, Pitsinee Jitpleecheep, link) 



]]> New opportunities for rice milling in Thailand under AFTA (25-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12214 2010-08-25T07:04:28Z 2010-08-25T07:45:49Z New opportunities for rice milling in Thailand under AFTA By Jon Fernquest Since the beginning of this year, the new ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) has eliminated tariffs on rice shipped between ASEAN countries. Shipping rice to another country... Jon Fernquest

New opportunities for rice milling in Thailand under AFTA

By Jon Fernquest

rice warehouseSince the beginning of this year, the new ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) has eliminated tariffs on rice shipped between ASEAN countries.

Shipping rice to another country for milling only has now become a feasible alternative.

This means that, according to one expert cited in today's article, Thailand "could mill paddy" for other countries and then "export the output, or return the grain to them."

Thai rice mills have massive spare or excess capacity. They mill only 30 million tonnes of paddy per year but have an estimated capacity of 100 tonnes.

Today's article beings after the vocabulary.

Photo on right of workers moving rice in a rice warehouse.

rice milling - taking raw rice (paddy), processing it and producing a good that can be sold (dehusked, dried, cleaned, packaged)
tariff - taxes on imports (to make foreign goods less competitive in a country) พิกัดอัตราภาษีศุลกากร
eliminated tariffs - end taxes on imports (or at least reduce to almost zero)
feasible - possible to do or achieve
alternative - one choice among many choices
cite - to mention something as an example, explanation or proof
paddy - rice after it has been harvested from the field ข้าวเปลือก
mill paddy - same as "rice milling" above 
massive - large, in very large amounts
spare -  not used
capacity - the amount of something that can be produced ความสามารถในการ (ผลิต)
spare capacity - unused capacity (ability to produce in a factory that is not yet used)
excess capacity - more than enough capacity (to produce what needs to be produced now, maybe more will be necessary in the future)
estimated - what people think an amount might be, by guessing or calculating
warehouse - a large building that a business uses to store goods in (see photo of rice warehouse on the right, also see Wikipedia)
ASEAN - the grouping of countries in Southeast Asia for political and economic cooperation, includes Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam (See Wikipedia)
AFTA  (ASEAN Free Trade Area) - a trade agreement by the countries in ASEAN to reduce and end tariffs within ASEAN (SeeWikipedia)
free trade - when goods and services can pass between countries without being taxed 
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) -  an agreement between a  group of countries to eliminate many tariffs, quotas and preferences on goods passing between them (See Wikipedia)
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย

Marketing

Together we can

23/08/2010
Walailak Keeratipipatpong

Asean rice millers are joining hands rather than competing in their bid to dominate the global rice trade but some cast doubts on whether the move is in the best interest of farmers.

The co-operation would pool the capacites of rice millers among Asean members, which together produce 25% of the world's total output of 448 million tonnes and supplies up to 65% of the 29-million-tonne global rice trade. Two of the group's members, Thailand and Vietnam, also rank the biggest and second biggest rice exporters respectively.

joining hands - working together to achieve goals, cooperating
bid - an attempt to do something ความพยายาม
dominate - to be the most powerful or most important thing in an area or situation มีอำนาจเหนือ
global - throughout the world ทั่วโลก
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
doubt - feel uncertain and question whether something is really true
doubt - not know for sure if something is true or false, uncertain
cast doubts - makes you uncertain, makes you believe that something might not be true
the move - the action 
in the best interest of - benefits
co-operation - working together to achieve goals
capacity - the amount of something that can be produced ความสามารถในการ (ผลิต)
pool the capacities - combine the capacities of different producers 
rice millers - factories that take raw rice and produce a good that can be sold (dehusked, dried, cleaned, packaged)
rank - level or order compared to others (example: the company is ranked third among all producers)  

The move came after Asean has done away with the import tariffs on many farm products including rice. The six original Asean member countries - Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei - have applied the scheme since the start of this year.

The other four members - Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos - will only join the zero-tariff scheme in 2015.

Significantly, the rice milling industry of Asean members is a mixed bag of technologies - from the most advanced rice mills to small operations with a few tonnes of milling capacity.

import - goods and products coming into a country from other countries, to be sold in the country
tariff - taxes on imports (to make foreign goods less competitive in a country) พิกัดอัตราภาษีศุลกากร
scheme - a plan that is developed by a government or large organisation in order to provide a particular service for people แผนการ โครงการ
applied the scheme - carry out and do the plan
a mixed bag - many different kinds in a group
milling capacity - the amount of raw rice (paddy) that can be processed by a factory (mill) and turned into a product which can then be sold

With the closer co-operation, he expects a technology transfer and the benefits Thai rice mills will have from the combined milling capacity of more than 100 million tonnes a year, while having only 30-32 million tonnes of paddy input.

In Thailand, there are about 4,000 rice mills capable of milling 30 to 1,000 tonnes of paddy per day. It is also estimated that more than 10,000 small-scaled and community millers also operate throughout the country.

transfer - to move something from one place to another ย้าย
technology transfer - when a country or company that does not have a technology yet, gets the technology
benefits - goods things that can happen from anm activity ผลประโยชน์
paddy - rice after it has been harvested from the field ข้าวเปลือก
input - production input, some item used in the production of a product or good (examples: labour, land, capital and machines)
capable - able to do something  มีความสามารถ
community - local people, the people living in one particular area ชุมชน

Burma, the former world's top rice exporter, have about 9,900 rice mills, most of which are small with capacities ranging from three to 10 tonnes," said Mr Charnchai [President of the Thai Rice Millers Association], who has visited the country several times.

Vietnam's rice mills have strong capabilities and are run by the state while those in Cambodia and Laos are in the development stage.

We could mill paddy and help them export the output, or return the grain to them," Mr Charnchai added.

It is considering a zoning system to provide milling service to ensure consistent rice quality where broken rice, the result of poor polishing facilities, is kept at a minimum.

capabilities - tasks or activities that someone is able to do
state - government รัฐ
development - the process of creating something new
stage - a part of an activity or process or a period of development ระยะ, ช่วง, ตอน, จังหวะเวลา
in the development stage - still in the process of creation, not yet finished
grain - the seed from cereal crops such as rice, wheat, or corn เมล็ดพืช
zoning - diving an area into smaller areas, each with a specialised use (for example, this part of town is zoned as a commercial area with shops, that area of town as a residential area with homes) การแบ่งโซน
provide - to give someone something that they want or need
ensure - to make certain that something happens or is done รับรอง ให้ความมั่นใจ ให้การยืนยัน 
consistent - doing a task the same way (not changing all the time) อย่างสม่ำเสมอ อย่างเสมอต้นเสมอปลาย
polish - to rub the surface of something repeatedly to make it shine
rice polishing - rice buffed with glucose or talc powder in a special machine to make it shiny and better to eat (See Wikipedia, Google Images, and Youtube) 
facilities - the buildings, equipment and services provided for a particular purpose สิ่งอำนวยความสะดวก
minimum - lowest possible amount or level

But some rice experts cast doubt on whether the development misses one crucial step - the upstream development where the qualities of the grain and the production are improved, which could help eradicate poverty among farmers in the region.

Thai farmers received the lowest income of about 5,200 baht per rai with 1,700 baht in profit, compared with 11,600 baht in earnings and 4,000 baht in profit from sugarcane farming. Growers of several other cash crops such as rubber and oil palm also enjoy earnings three to four times higher than rice farmers do.

crucial - extremely important because it effects the result of something สำคัญยิ่ง
upstream - at an early stage in the process of producing a product for sale (early in the supply chain)
eradicate - to get rid of completely or destroy something bad กำจัดจนหมดสิ้น
poverty - being poor ความจน
income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings
profit - money that you make from selling goods and services after all your costs have been paid กำไร
cash - money เงินสด
cash crop - a crop grown to sell rather than as food for the farmer's family or as feed for animals being raised (opposite: subsistence crop) (See Wikipedia)
enjoy earnings - receive and gain money (not lose money)

(Source: Marketing, Together we can, 23/08/2010, Walailak Keeratipipatpong, link) 


]]> Thai fruit juice exports to Asean: The Asean Free Trade Area advantage (24-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12205 2010-08-24T06:45:57Z 2010-08-24T07:50:07Z Jon Fernquest

Thai fruit juice exports to Asean: The Asean Free Trade Area advantage 

By Jon Fernquest

mangosteensThe ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) began this year, but long-standing trade practices take time to adjust and catch up with all the new trade opportunities that come with the agreement (See article).

Thailand has developed a thriving fruit industry (Read article). 

Compared to neighbors like Burma and Laos, Thailand's efficient road network makes the transportation and sale of fruit anywhere in the country easy.  

For example, for years I used to buy my favourite fruit, Durian, in Maesai the northernmost point of Thailand. Every evening Durian vendors would line the main street of town selling Durian to ruby merchants from Chantaburi where Durian is grown.  

Fruit is a highly perishable good so when there is an over-supply it cannot be stored away until there are better market conditions like rice can.

Fruit juice has a longer shelf life than raw fruit and this makes for higher export potential, a potential that has yet to be exploited under AFTA.

Fruit juice  exports is the subject of today's article which begins after the vocabulary and graphic below.

ASEAN - the grouping of countries in Southeast Asia for political and economic cooperation, includes Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam (See Wikipedia)
AFTA  (ASEAN Free Trade Area) - a trade agreement by the countries in ASEAN to reduce and end tariffs within ASEAN (SeeWikipedia)
free trade - when goods and services can pass between countries without being taxed 
Free Trade Agreement (FTA) -  an agreement between a  group of countries to eliminate many tariffs, quotas and preferences on goods passing between them (See Wikipedia)
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
practices - a way of doing some common task in an organization
opportunites - situations where it is possible to do what you want to do โอกาส  
thriving - very successful ( making money and supplying goods to many consumers)
road network - a system of roads that are connected to each other
perishable goods - food that decays, rots and quickly goes bad so it cannot be sold and must be taken off the shelves
shelf life - the period of time that a product remains in good condition and can remain on a store's shelves to be sold 
potential - the possibility of success ที่มีศักยภาพ ที่เป็นไปได้
exploit potential - actually in the end achieve the success that was possible

fruit juice thailand


Marketing

Thai juice exporters urged to tap into Asean markets

23/08/2010

Thai exporters of fruit and vegetable juices are urged to tap more into Asean markets as tariffs have been eliminated under the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) since the beginning of this year, says Kasikorn Research Center.

Thai fruit and vegetable juice exports to Asean currently account for only 11.9% of the total value of total juice exports, but expanded by 57.7% year-on-year to $23.5 million in the first half of 2010, underscoring the high potential for additional sales to Asean.

urged - advised someone very strongly about what action should be taken วิงวอน
tap - start using some new resource (here: enter into a new market to sell products in it and make money for your company) 
tariffs - taxes on imports (to make foreign goods less competitive in a country) พิกัดอัตราภาษีศุลกากร
eliminated - ended, stopped, got rid of
Kasikorn Research Center - Thailand's top private economic research center (See website)
underscoring - saying that something is important and emphasizing it
potential - the possibility of success ที่มีศักยภาพ ที่เป็นไปได้

Thailand is the 13th largest fruit and vegetable juice exporter in the world with a 2.7% share of a global market with a total export value of US$290 million per year, growing at an impressive rate of 11.3% annually. The European Union, the US and Japan are the top three export destinations, together accounting for more than 70% of Thai shipments.

share - to have or use something at the same time as someone else ใช้ร่วมกัน
2.7% share - having a part that is 2.7% of the whole thing
market share - the percentage of customers in a market buying a company's products 
global - throughout the world ทั่วโลก
impressive - something that people admire because it is very good, very large or shows great skill ซึ่งน่าประทับใจ
impressive - makes you think very highly of it (because it is very large, lifelike, colourful, beautiful, etc) ประทับใจ
rate - the level or speed at which something happens or changes, or the amount or number of times it happens or changes in a particular period อัตรา
annually - happening every year ทุกๆปีด

In the first half of 2010, Thai juice export values rose 20.2% to $197.8 million, with the Netherlands, the US, Italy, Japan, and Laos the top five destinations.

In this six-month period, pineapple juice exports had the highest value at $116 million, growing by 19.6% and accounting for 58.9% of all Thai juice exports. K-Research recommends Thai businesses focus more on mixed fruit and vegetable juices, orange juice, and other citrus juices, which all saw much higher. growth than pineapple juice

Tariff cuts under Afta have been especially good for shipments to Laos, Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam, which were required to lower their tariffs to no more than 5%, resulting in lower costs for the Thai exports and explosive growth rates ranging from 67% to 130%.

In contrast to exports, Thailand's imports of juice imports from the global and Asean markets are low. In the first half of 2010, Thailand spent $28.9 million to import juices from around the world and $800,000 from Asean countries.

However, K-Research cautions that Asean-China trade liberalisation may lead to an influx of Chinese juices, which could upset the current trade balance.

focus - think about and work on one thing (rather than waste time on many), concentrate time and attention on one thing ให้ความสำคัญ
citrus - orange and lemon trees
contrast - a noticeable difference ความแตกต่าง
import - to buy or bring in products from another country นำเข้า
caution (verb) -  tell or warn someone to be careful about some possible danger
trade - the buying and selling of goods การค้าขาย
liberalisation - reducing rules and regulations in an industry (See glossary) เสรีภาพในการแสดงความคิดเห็นหรือแสดงออก
Asean-China trade liberalisation - free trade agreements between Asean and China that have reduced tariffs on goods and other barriers to trade  (Read article).
upset - to change the usual or expected state or order of something, especially in a way which stops it from happening or working ทำให้ไม่ปกติ
current - of the present time ปัจจุบัน
trade balance - balance of trade, the difference in value between exports and imports during a time period (See Wikipedia)

(Source: Bangkok Post, Marketing, Thai juice exporters urged to tap into Asean markets, 23/08/2010, link) 

]]> Making Thailand more attractive for regional corporate headquarters (23-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12200 2010-08-23T08:39:24Z 2010-08-23T08:46:08Z Jon Fernquest

Making Thailand more attractive for regional corporate headquarters 

By Jon Fernquest

corporate headquartersMultinational corporations must choose one city in each region around the world for their regional corporate headquarters (also known as Regional Operating Headquarters (ROH)).  

If more and more multinationals choose Thailand for their headquarters instead of Singapore, Thailand's standing and reputation in the international business world will rise. Further investments in Thailand will follow. 

Today's article takes a close look at efforts underway to make Thailand a more attractive central location for corporations operating in the Southeast Asian (ASEAN) region. The article begins after the vocabulary.

(Photo on right is of the corporate headquarters of Continental Airlines in downtown Houston in the US).

region (noun) - a large area of land with geography (politics, economics, culture) different from other areas
regional (adjective)
geography - the study of the earth, and its lands, features, inhabitants, and forces of nature such as weather and natural featues such as rivers, mountains and coastlines (See Wikipedia )
Multinational Corporation (MNC) - a corporation with factories or operations in many countries, very large multinationals spend more money than many countries, also have a powerful influence in international relations and local economies (See Wikipedia)
headquarters (HQ) - the central location where the important management activities of an organization are performed and coordinated (See Wikipedia)
corporate headquarters - central location (building, complex of buildings) where the most important management activities of a corporation are performed (See Wikipedia)
corporation - a company with shareholder owners, but has a legal existence separate from its shareholders (See Wikipedia)
complex of buildings - a group of buildings located together (integrated, function as one unit) 
Regional Operating Headquarters (ROH) - regional corporate headquarters or offices, this term seems to be a term used mostly in Thailand (See Google Search)
reputation - the opinion that people have about how good or bad something is
standing - reputation, status, a person's position compared to others based on people's opinions 
efforts - the activities of people working together to achieve certain goals 
underway - people are doing it now  
efforts underway - activities that are happening now to achieve certain goals

Economics

INVESTMENT

ROH perks draw keen interest

23/08/2010
Darana Chudasri

Interest in the regional operating headquarters programme has increased steadily in recent weeks thanks to Thailand's improving economy and the recently introduced privileges to draw investment.

Angkana Meeploy, a vice-president with the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, said the bank was consulting four companies based in Thailand and 10 in Singapore about establishing regional operating headquarters (ROH) in the country. 

perks - extra things a person receives in addition to their salary
keen - very interested, eager or wanting (to do) something very much สนใจอย่างยิ่ง, ใจจดใจจ่อ
interest - payments made for the use of another's money for a period of time
investment - taking your money and putting it into projects to make a profit or earn interest (buying stock shares, bonds, real estate)
draw - attract, make people come, make people do something  
draw keen interest - make people interested
draw investment - make people invest
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ - the largest bank in Japan, formed from a merger in 2006 (See Wikipedia)
consulting - discussing something with someone in order to get their advice or their permission to do something หารือ

The Finance Ministry this year agreed to expand the ROH programme to include a zero corporate tax rate for income received from overseas subsidiaries for up to 15 years. Income generated locally by an ROH will be subject to a 10% rate. 

Expatriates working in an ROH will pay only 15% personal income tax for eight years, instead of the progressive rates with a ceiling of 37%.

expand - to become larger ขายตัวออกไป
rate - the level or speed at which something happens or changes, or the amount or number of times it happens or changes in a particular period อัตรา
income - money that people receive from work or some other source, used for household consumption and savings
subsidiaries - companies which are owned by a larger company บริษัทสาขา
subsidiaries - a smaller company owned or controlled by a larger company
generated - created
X subject to Y - X must follow law Y or perform legal duty Y 
expatriates - expat, a person living in a foreign country (living in a country not their own country) (See Wikipedia)
personal income tax -
progressive rates - as income increases paying a higher percentage of that income in taxes (example: 20% for 30,000 baht but 37% for 100,000 baht per month)
ceiling - an upper limit เพดาน ขีดจำกัด

ROHs are commonly used by multinational companies as holding firms or vehicles to provide regional services, business planning, treasury services or R&D for a group within a certain area.

The Thai programme requires an ROH to service at least three foreign branches within five years, earn at least half its revenues from abroad and have paid-up capital of at least 10 million baht. 

holding firm - holding company, company formed to buy shares in and control other companies 
vehicle - something used to achieve some goals or do some job (example: an investment vehicle)
provide - to give someone something that they want or need
services - บริการต่างๆ things produced in service industries, not a physical good that can be bought, a waitress and a cook in a restaurant provide a service, technically: a sequence of activities that does not result in ownership of the outcome (See Wikipedia on services and the goods and services continuum)
treasury - the system or government department responsible for financial matters such as spending and taxation ระบบการคลัง
branch - the office in a local area or some country of a large organization (example: the Bangkok branch of the bank, regional branch, the nearest branch of Tesco Lotus) 
foreign branch - an office of a large company or organization that is located outside the company's home country
revenues - the money that a company makes from selling its product รายรับ
capital - money invested in a business (See glossary)
paid-up capital - money that has already been paid to a company for stock shares that it has issued (See Wikipedia)

Singapore is the top ROH destination in the region because of its strengths as an international financial centre, benign tax environment and lack of foreign-exchange controls. But high operating costs and staff turnover are problems, leading some firms to consider Thailand.

In addition, Thailand's benefits in terms of geography also are an advantage for firms looking to set up an offshore service centre," Ms Angkana said, adding this was particularly true for well-established sectors such as autos, electronics and electrical appliances.

destination - the place where passengers or goods are going ปลายทาง , จุดหมายปลายทาง
international - between countries ระหว่างประเทศ
environment - the natural world of land, sea, plants, and animals
lack - does not have ขาดแคลน
foreign-exchange (FX) - 1. foreign currencies, 2. process of changing one country's currency into another country's (See Wikipedia)
foreign-exchange controls - laws and regulations that control when and how you can change your
staff - workers, employees พนักงาน
staff turnover - employees leaving a company to go work for another company
benefits - goods things that can happen from an activity ผลประโยชน์
X in terms of Y - X described by or measured by Y 
advantage - condition giving greater chance of success ความได้เปรียบ
well-established - be in a successful position over a long period of time มีตำแหน่งที่มั่นคง, ก่อตั้่ง

Other ROH conditions include minimum local operating expenses of 15 million baht per year and employment of at least five professionals with expenses of at least 2.5 million a year each.

Thailand has the potential to be a financial treasury centre in the future, but many regulations would need to be revised," Ms Angkana said. "Right now, Singapore faces obstacles in terms of high operating costs, while Thailand has a barrier in terms of language skills.

According to the Revenue Department, as of May there were 89 foreign and Thai companies with ROHs in Thailand, including Amadeus Asia, Bumrungrad International, Cadbury Southeast Asia, DKSH Management (Thailand), Tesco Global Employment, ExxonMobil, Ford Service, General Motors Southeast Asia, Holcim Services, i-Mobile International and Nestle ROH (Thailand). 

local - in this country
operating expenses (OPEX) - money made by a company from business activities, gross profit - operating expenses (See Wikipedia)
employment - having a paid job
potential - the possibility that something might happen ความเป็นไปได้
regulations - official rules that control the way that things are done ระเบียบปฏิบัติ, ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ, กฎระเบียบ
revised - rewritten, changed (and improved) เปลี่ยนแปลง
obstacles - things that makes it difficult to go somewhere or do something อุปสรรค
barrier - anything that prevents people from being together or understanding each other อุปสรรค
skills - a type of work or task requiring special training and knowledge ทักษะ ความสามารถเฉพาะทาง


(Source: INVESTMENT, ROH perks draw keen interest, 23/08/2010, Darana Chudasri, link) 

]]> Jet biofuel development for a Southeast Asian aviation hub in Thailand (19-08-10) tag:www.readbangkokpost.com,2010:/easybusinessnews//77.12189 2010-08-19T10:01:50Z 2010-08-19T13:16:41Z Jet biofuel development for a Southeast Asian aviation hub in Thailand By Jon Fernquest Airlines in Europe are quickly moving towards using jet biofuel. As Thailand seeks to become the aviation hub for Southeast Asia, a supply of jet... Jon Fernquest

Jet biofuel development for a Southeast Asian aviation hub in Thailand

By Jon Fernquest

rice field and airplaneAirlines in Europe are quickly moving towards using jet biofuel.

As Thailand seeks to become the aviation hub for Southeast Asia, a supply of jet biofuel must be secured to meet this future demand.

Today's article begins after the vocabulary.

biofuel - gasoline mixed with a crop to reduce oil usage พืชที่ใช้สำหรับผลิตน้ำมันไบโอดีเซล
hub - the central or main part of something where there is most activity จุดศูนย์กลาง
aviation hub - a place where many airlines make stops at, where people can change to connecting flights   
secure - get

Economics

Jet biofuel to take flight from 2012

Output to serve 'green' European planes
18/08/2010
Yuthana Praiwan

Thailand will start developing biofuel for jets to meet demand from 2012, when European aviation regulations calling for green fuel in airplanes take effect, says the Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency Department

That means Thailand's international airports should have airplane-compatible biofuel available to serve European airlines," said Twarath Sutabutr, the deputy director-general.

We want to become the aviation hub for Southeast Asia, and that means we'll have to have all the essential supplies to serve their requirements. Jet biofuel will absolutely be needed, so we should start developing it now.

take flight - start flying, here means: project will start
demand - the need and desire to buy goods and services by households and businesses
aviation - the flying of aircraft การบิน
regulations - official rules that control the way that things are done ระเบียบปฏิบัติ, ระเบียบ ข้อบังคับ
take effect - when a law or regulation starts to be enforced, people punished if they do not follow it 
international - ระหว่างประเทศ between countries
compatible - can exist and operate together
deputy - the person whose rank is immediately below that of the leader of an organisation รอง, ตัวแทน,ผู้รักษาการแทน
essential - important because necessary and needed ที่จำเป็น ที่สำคัญ
essential supply - amounts of a good that are necessary for continued operation and existence
absolutely - completely
Y absolutely needed - if don't have Y cannot continue to operate or exist

Average annual jet fuel demand in Thailand is about 4 billion litres. To meet the demand for biofuel to mix in with jet fuel, the country should expand the area of palm oil plantations or turn to other fuel crops such as algae or sweet sorghum.

So far, the output of crude palm oil for biodiesel production is balanced and remains sufficient for the government's policy of replacing B3, a mix of 3% biofuel and high-speed diesel, with the higher biofuel content B5 next January.

annual - happening once a year ประจำปี
expand - to become larger ขายตัวออกไป
palm oil - an edible plant oil used in cooking and also to make biodiesel fuel for cars (SeeWikipedia)
plantations - a large farms in a tropical country with many workers working for usually low wages, plantations usually grow crops such as sugar, pineapples, coffee, or rubber
algae - (See Wikipedia)
sorghum - a grass-like plant grown to be used as a grain to eat, a fibre and fodder to feed animals, also used to make bread, syrup and alcoholic beverages, even used for wall board for house building, as well as biodegradable packaging, most Sorghum is grown by poor "subsistence" farmers (See Wikipedia) ข้าวฟ่าง
biodiesel - fuel for diesel engines made of renewable organic raw materials such as palm oil, cassava, or sugar as opposed to oil and natural gas (See Wikipedia)
sufficient - enough พอเพียง
policy - a plan of action to guide decisions and achieve outcomes นโยบาย  (See Wikipedia)
content - the parts of a good, what is inside

If we also need to serve the aviation industry, then the crude palm oil we have now won't be enough, so we're considering what we can prepare for the market change," said Dr Twarath.

He said that at present there were two organisations spearheading fuel crop development - the department itself and the energy conglomerate PTT Group.

The department has provided financial support to universities for research into making biofuel from algae and sweet sorghum. PTT has its own research and development department and a laboratory for aviation biofuel.

crude - direct from nature as it naturally is, before being processed and refined into a chemical  
spearhead - lead an organized effort to achieve goals
fuel crop - a crop grown for use as gasoline in cars, trucks and also airplanes (not the usual food use)
development - the gradual growth and formation of something
energy - a source of power that can be used to do work, coming from natural resources like gas, oil or coal (See Wikipedia)
conglomerate - a large company joining together a group of companies with different business activities
financial support - help by giving money สนับสนุน

Biofuel from algae may be the best choice since suitable areas for palm tree plantation are limited

Instead of trying to get more palm oil, the country should throw its efforts into research into new fuel crops," said Dr Twarath.

He said in the short term, the government would expand oil palm plantations and other biofuel sources in areas of low-yield crops like longans and lychees.

Since we see a surplus of those fruits each year along with very low prices, we may be better off turning them into something more valuable instead of making them suffer the same problems each year," added Dr Twarath.

choice - of very good quality หัวกะทิ, ชั้นหนึ่ง, ดีที่สุด
suitable - acceptable or right for a situation เหมาะสม
plantation - a large farm where crops such as tea, coffee, cotton, sugar or, in this case, trees, are grown ไร่ นาขนาดใหญ่
efforts - the work done towards achieving some goal ความพยายาม
yield - an amount of something produced ผลผลิต
surplus - an amount above the required or necessary amount
valuable - worth a lot of money มีค่า
suffer - to experience physical or mental pain

(Source: Bangkok Post, Jet biofuel to take flight from 2012, Output to serve 'green' European planes, 18/08/2010, Yuthana Praiwan, link) 


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