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[halfway inn]

The Mayonnaise  Jar 

When  things in your life seem almost too much to handle, 
When 24  hours in a day is not enough;
remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of  coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy  class
and  had some items in front of him. 

When the class began, wordlessly, 
he  picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and start to fill it with  golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was. 

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and  poured
it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. 
He then asked the students again 
if the jar was full. They agreed it was. 

The professor next picked up a box of sand 
and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else 
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
With an unanimous  'yes.' 

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the  table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed. 

'Now,' said the  professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. 

The golf balls are the important things - God,  family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions   
Things  that if everything else was lost 
and  only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. 

The sand is everything else -- 
The small stuff. 

'If you put the sand into the jar  first,' he continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf  balls.
The same goes for life. 

If you spend all your time and energy  on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that  are
important to you. 

So... 

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children. 
Take time to get medical checkups. 
Take your partner out to dinner. 

There will always be time 
to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first -- 
The things that really  matter. 
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand 
and inquired what the coffee represented. 

The  professor smiled. 

'I'm glad you asked'. 

It just goes to show you that  no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend..'

Please share this with other "Golf Balls"   

I  just did......
 

[ΠΑΡΗΣ]

GREEK SURNAMES

http://greeksurnames.blogspot.com/2012/01/do-you-speak-english.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FJhdK+%28GREEK+SURNAMES%29

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1.
Ο Γερμανός Υπουργός Οικονομικών στην Bangkok την επομενη εβδομάδα,σύμφωνα με το άρθρο εδώ: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/German-Finance-Minister-in-Bangkok-next-week-30192057.html

German Finance Minister in Bangkok next week

The Nation October 10, 2012 3:36 pm
   
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble will be in Bangkok next week, as the guest speaker of Bank of Thailand's second Policy Forum.

At the policy forum, kicked off as the central bank celebrated the 70th anniversary, he will give a speech on "Asia and Europe - What we can learn from each others: Towards an economic policy model for the future".

According to Bank of Thailand Governor Prasarn Trairatvorakul, Schauble would also share his experiences in dealing with the Euro Area crisis.

After Chancellor Angela Merkel, Schauble has played a key role particularly in resolving the debt crisis in Europe. During his visit to the BOT, H.E. Dr. Wolfgang Schäuble will share his experiences in addressing the European debt crisis with BOT's executives at the 2nd BOT Policy Forum.

Aiming to promote the exchange of experiences with key figures in fiscal and monetary areas, the policy forum was inaugurated with the speech by International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde in July.

In 2013, the central bank will invite two prominent central bank governors as keynote speakers of two more policy forums.

Prasarn aims to use the BOT Policy Forum as a venue for the BOT to utilise knowledge received from all speakers in improving monetary policy implementation to promote sustainable economic stability of Thailand.


2.
.....και ίσως αξίζει να διαβαστεί και αυτό εδώ: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Eurozone-situation-main-threat-to-Asia-Pacific-sov-30192058.html

[halfway inn]

Αξίζει να διαβαστεί αυτό? :   http://www.andrew-drummond.com/2012/10/murder-beatings-and-infinity-pools-in.html

[halfway inn]

Political rallies organized for this weekend in Bangkok

Posted on November 20, 2012

Pattaya reacts to Political rallies organized for this weekend in Bangkok

Reaction has been mixed in relation to the planned Pitak Siam Anti-government rally which is set to be held in Bangkok this coming Sunday. At the same time, the Pro-government Red Shirts are expected to hold a rally in the suburbs of Bangkok but have promised not to interfere with the other rally and cause trouble.

Despite these claims there will always be a potential for unrest in rallies held in the Thai capital and this weekends planned rallies has seen former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra accusing senior figures of being involved and counter accusations from some, accusing Khun Thaksin of organizing the red shirt rally to cause trouble.

Whatever the outcome of the rallies are, local business leaders in Pattaya do not appear to be too concerned and believe that street protests, as long as they remain civil, are part of the democratic process and should be embraced as part of the democratic evolution of Thailand.

We spoke with Khun Chaiwat, the Deputy Chairman of the Pattaya Business and Tourism Club on Tuesday and he believes that tourism in Pattaya should not be affected as long as the rallies remain peaceful. He is confident that the authorities will be able to control any problems which may occur.

Pattaya One would like to warn anyone wishing to travel to Bangkok on Sunday to exercise caution and avoid any large gatherings. For updated travel information we suggest you visit your Embassy’s website for updated travel advice.

http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/66336/pattaya-reacts-political-rallies-organized-weekend-bangkok/

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                                                        DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH DRUGS in THAILAND.

3 Iranians arrested at drug production facility in East Pattaya

Posted on November 29, 2012
 
Three Iranians were arrested by Police on Thursday Morning accused of running a drug production facility in East Pattaya.

In a combined Police operation involving Chonburi Immigration, the Narcotics Suppression Bureau and Banglamung Police, an initial raid was conducted on a house located inside the Green Park Village in Soi Chayapruek 2 in East Pattaya.

Inside the two-storey house, Police detained Mr. Behzad Charhooz aged 25, Mr. Mehdi Munaei aged 28 and Mr. Asdollahi Behnamali aged 36, all Iranian Nationals. The three men had been under investigation for some time and thanks to a number of intercepted packages and information from an undercover operative, it was known the three men were importing components used to produce Crystal Methamphetamine from around the world.

Initially they were producing and selling the drug in Pattaya but were about to expand their operation to Bangkok. The components would be brought into Thailand concealed in ceramic pots and other items which they assumed would pass easily through x-ray devices without being detected. The house was being used as a Laboratory where the ingredients were mixed to form the illegal narcotic.

Police were also aware of a second house which was reportedly being used as the distribution and packaging center for the finished drug. The second house, a bungalow at Chockchai Village 7 in Soi Kao Noi was also raided and many packs of the finished drug were found.

The three men are set to be charged with serious class 1 drug production and distribution offenses which carry a maximum sentence of death, if they are found guilty in Court.

http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/67105/3-iranians-arrested-drug-production-facility-east-pattaya/

                                                           DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH DRUGS in THAILAND.

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How to live like a Cheap Charlie in Pattaya – if you dare.

In these straightened times, I have been scouring Pattaya's web boards for money-saving tips, which led me to two topics, “Top Cheap Charlie Tips” and “The things people do in Thailand to save money” on Thai Visa.

Ignoring the irony that some people are tip-swapping to save money so they can better-afford to buy as much booze as possible, these threads turned out to be hilarious, sometimes deliberately, sometimes accidentally.

Some tips seem to literally scrape the bottom of the dustbin.

One bargain basement poster, G54, suggested saving plastic, glass and cardboard from your household rubbish, then selling them to the person who comes scavenging through your bins at night.

At least that was better than Loz’s suggestion that people should drink their own pee.

I preferred instead the suggestion by Hanno to use the free water dispensers found in banks. (presumably filling an 8 litre bottle each day).

Continuing the lavatorial theme, I will definitely give a miss to Loz’s cheap charlie suggestions of using both sides of the toilet paper, or collecting, drying out and reusing used toilet paper found in the bins next to many public toilets.

Curiously nobody mentioned using their hands, Thai style, which would save on bog paper completely, but increase soap usage – I hope.

I worry that Pattaya Parent’s suggestion to only take a dump when you're out at a bar could lead to a “run” on lavatories in Cheap Charlie bars around the town.

Another from Loz might work - or get you beaten or killed. Try it and let me know:

Sit down at a restaurant table where there is a party of 4 or more adult Thais eating, and help yourself to their food.  Smile and, as they talk, nod your head and frequently use the phrase, "uuhh" with varied tones to indicate agreement, amusement, seriousness or otherwise. Then leave before the bill comes. But be sure to say the food was arroy maak!

A similar bright idea from Naam, who suggested:

train your dog to steal food from your neighbours' dogs, and kill a cat once in a while.

One poster, Syd Barrett, said he saves 1,000 baht a month by buying wholesale and drinking 22 cases of large bottles of beer, or 266 bottles a month.

Later the same poster advocated the use of offal, as cheap and nutritious food:

Everything can be found here, tripe, intestines, pig’s feet, sweetbreads, pig's snouts, kidney, liver, brains, everything. I bought a delicious pigs cheek for 20 baht that was good for three hearty meals.

Soundman argued that the Thai labelling on this offal probably read: "Pet Food only - Not fit for human consumption”.

Another, Basjke, thought it might read: “Isaan food”.

Still, offal is probably easier to swallow than this next suggestion from Jingthing:

Condoms are expensive. Remove before climax. Then you can reuse!

Only made worse by Basil B’s suggestion to instead use Cling Film:

it's cheaper”.  But double-wrap it, presumably.

Sillyman99 was definitely not living up to his board name with his tactical suggestion, which I’m sure many have employed before:

If you're heading out to the bars, knock out 2 or 3 w*nks first. The girls won't look so good and you'll not bother to take one, hence you save money.

And finally, in a brilliant post to bring the discussion of offal and condoms to a sweaty climax, Pattaya parent offered the helpful observation that:

The first use of a condom was a sheep’s bladder and was invented by a Welshman.

But it was an Englishman who had the idea to take the bladder out of the sheep first.

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Housing prices to rise by 4-8% in new year, builders' group says

THE NATION

December 13, 2012 1:00 am
 
The Home Builder Association expects housing prices next year to rise by 4-8 per cent because of rising costs of raw materials and wages along with the shortage of labour.

Patchara Tantayanyong, president of the association, said the overall value of the home-building market would total around Bt10.2 billion this year, lower than targeted, partly because of the labour shortage.

The market in 2013 will have the same value as this year. Meanwhile, average housing prices will rise by 4-8 per cent. The average budget for building a house will be around Bt3 million to Bt5 million.

The association will proactively coordinate with government agencies, including the Labour Ministry's Department of Skill Development and the Construction Institute of Thailand (CIT), to solve the labour shortage with urgent measures. It will also join forces with educational institutions to set up construction professional programmes to solve the problem in the long run.

The medium-term plan will focus on development of potential and increased competency for the members of the association, particularly management.

The association also plans to encourage its members to adopt ISO 9001 standards as accepted by the CIT. The association and the institute are seeking support from the Commerce Ministry to promote competition and investment in Asean over the next three to five years.

The association is cooperating with Rajamangala University of Technology Tawan-ok , Uthenthawai Campus, in the establishment of a construction professional programme.

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Phuket Business: Island's inflation skyrockets

Phuket Gazette 

PAYING THE PRICE: Phuket’s renowned lifestyle offerings, along with its beautiful, natural surroundings comes at an increasingly higher cost with each passing year.   

PHUKET: Not only does Phuket continue its reign as the most expensive (consumer) province in Thailand, but the island province’s rate of inflation doubles that of the national average, recent economic data shows.

The Phuket Commerce Office, in collaboration with the Phuket provincial government and the Commerce Ministry’s Information Office and Bureau of Trade and Economic Indices, recently published the province’s Consumer Price Index (CPI-P) report for October 2012.

The CPI-P monthly report for Phuket surveys 256 consumer goods and services – covering everything from food, beverages, apparel, housing and personal healthcare to vehicles, transport, communications, entertainment, media, education, religion, tobacco and alcohol.

Comparing current prices with those of 2007 as a base year (100 points), Phuket’s CPI-P rose to 126.6 points last month.

In other words, the overall cost of living on the island has jumped by 26.6% over the last five years, which translates to an average inflation rate of 5.3% per annum.

This is compared to the national 5-year inflation rate average of 16.8% or 3.3% per annum.

Though Phuket prices continue to surge relentlessly, there was some minor relief in the short run, with last month’s CPI-P declining month-on-month (m-o-m) from September by 0.4 percentage points.

However, the CPI-P last month still jumped by 5.1 percentage points year-on-year (y-o-y) from October, 2011. Furthermore, when comparing the first ten months of 2012 with the same period in 2011, the CPI-P rise was even higher, peaking by 5.9 percentage points, y-o-y.

This equates to nearly double the national inflation rate over the same period, which stood at 2.9%.

Oct vs Sep – M-o-M
The 0.4% m-o-m drop in the CPI-P was a result of the overall price for food and beverage items falling by 0.9%, at the same time that non-food/beverage items rose by only 0.1% on average.

The report notes that the price drop for food and beverage items from September to October comes in light of prices remaining steady during the previous month comparison period (August to September).

The drop was calculated from price reductions measured in select categories as follows: rice (-0.6%); pork ribs (-1.2%); raw and grilled chicken (-2.5%) and chicken eggs (-0.3%).

Such price reductions were attributed to the fact that supply had outstripped demand for these items leading up to and during the vegetarian festival.

Meanwhile, the price of tangerines dropped by 11.6%, while food condiments such as fish sauce fell by 1.9%.

At the same time, the items that jumped in price included flour and tofu (0.3%); various types of seafood including silver pomfret fish, squid, cockles, sea crabs and salted mackerel and tuna, which rose by 2% on average, and likewise fresh vegetables and fruits, including kale, cucumbers, morning glory, coriander, onion, cabbage, chili, peanuts, pineapples, rambutan, mango and watermelon, jumping by an average 12.9%.

Such inflation was attributed not only to demand outstripping supply as a result of the Veg Fest, but also to the fact that nationwide crop supplies had been adversely affected by heavy rainfall this year.

Non-food/beverage items rose on average by 0.1% (compared to the previous m-o-m comparison period, when the category experienced a rise of 0.5%) with rises as follows: barber and salon services (0.4%); housing related costs such as utilities, construction materials, cement, bricks and painter fees (0.2%); transport, vehicles and communications (0.1%); and petrol (0.3%).

Oct 2012 vs 2011 – M-o-M
The 5.1% jump was calculated from the following: a 6.2% jump in food and beverage consumer items, which included out-of-home foods (9.6%); fruits and vegetables (8.8%); in-home foods (6.5%); meat, poultry and seafood (5%); non-alcoholic beverages (2.9%); flour and flour products (2.6%); eggs and dairy products (0.7%); while food confinements dropped over the same period by 1.2%.

Non-food/beverage items rose on average by 3.8%, which came from price rises in apparel and shoes (9%) tobacco and alcohol products (7.9%); vehicles, public transport and petrol (5.2%); housing (2.3%); personal health care and pharmaceuticals (1.3%).

Jan to Oct – Y-o-Y
Phuket’s inflation rate peaked at 5.9% when comparing the first 10 months of this year with the same period last year. This was calculated from an 8.5% rise in food and beverage consumer items, which included fruits and vegetables (16.5%); in-home foods (10.4%); meat, poultry and seafood (9.5%); condiments (7.5%); out-of-home foods (7%); rice, flour and flour products (5.3%); eggs and dairy products (02.6%) and non-alcoholic beverages (2.5%).

Non-food/beverage items rose on average by 3.1%, which came from price rises in apparel and shoes (5.8%); vehicles, public transport and petrol (4.6%); housing (2.4%); personal health care and pharmaceuticals (1.8%) and tobacco and alcohol products (1.1%).

Meanwhile, products and services classified as entertainment, reading, education and religion, dropped by 0.7%.
 

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High prices sap Thai rice exports

PRANEE MUENPHANGWAREE

THE NATION December 18, 2012 1:00 am

The high price of Thai rice has resulted in the Kingdom losing about 50 per cent of its export customers as countries switch to importing more rice from India and Vietnam, which offer more attractive prices.

The government's huge rice stockpile of an estimated of 12 million tonnes has also led to more difficulties for exporters.

The government should make its priority both the value and volume of rice exports in order to maintain the country's rice trading, rather than continuing its populist policy through high-subsidy prices, a seminar on "The Future of Thai Rice in the World Market" heard yesterday.

Panellists said exporters should not necessarily focus solely on selling rice, but should consider becoming broader trading companies if they were going to survive in business.

They agreed that the government's high-subsidy price policy was undermining the country's export competitiveness vis-a-vis its major rivals, India and Vietnam, as well as in relation to emerging rice exporters such as Myanmar and Cambodia.

They added that the upcoming regional single market under the Asean Economic Community would, however, create business opportunities for companies to focus more on rice trading by establishing businesses in neighbouring countries to facilitate exports.

Doing so would create new sources of supply at a lower cost and strengthen their exports in the long run, panellists said.

The Kingdom's rice export volume is now predicted to reach only 6.5 million tonnes this year, downgrading the country to the world's third-biggest exporter, behind India at 10 million tonnes and Vietnam at 7.2 million tonnes.

Normally, Thai export volume comes in at 8 million to 9 million tonnes per year, making it the world's biggest exporting nation for several decades.

Kiattisak Kanlayasirivat, president of Novel Agritrade (Thailand), told the seminar that the number of firms importing Thai rice had dropped by more than 50 per cent, with importers deciding to purchase more rice from India and Vietnam because of their lower prices.

"The government thought that high local prices would also encourage high exports, but prices should be in line with volume," he said.

Vallop Pitchpongsa, managing director of Top Organic Products and Supplies, said the government's huge rice stockpile would affect the country's exports next year.

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Construction stocks driving SET rise, survey

THE NATION December 19, 2012 1:00 am
 
Construction stocks, which are expected to show the fastest growth in earnings per share (EPS), will be a prime force behind the Stock Exchange of Thailand's dramatic march towards 1,471 points this year, according to a December 12 survey.

"This is based on the economic growth forecast of 4.6 per cent, continued rise in earnings growth thanks to the corporate-tax cut to 20 per cent, and further cuts in the policy rate," Sombat Narawutthichai, secretary-general of the Securities Analysts Association, said yesterday.

Analysts polled by the association predict another bright year for the SET this year after the latest year-end target of 1,471 came out higher than the June 5 survey, when the consensus was 1,378.

Analysts from 22 brokerages participated in the latest survey, which indicated 1,245 points for the lowest estimate for 2013 and 1,537 for the highest.

The construction sector's EPS growth is expected to hit 32.17 per cent, leaving the property sector behind with 18.44 per cent and banking with 18.37 per cent.
Communication stocks are expected to show the highest dividend yield of 5.50 per cent, followed by electronics parts with 5.08 per cent and energy with 4.34 per cent.

The SET target assumes that the United States will not go over the cliff represented by tax increases and spending cuts next month. Success in addressing the fiscal cliff would lead to more foreign capital flowing to the SET. Net stock investment by foreign and institutional investors next year is expected to reach Bt32 billion.

Most analysts look for 15.2-per-cent growth in listed companies' 2013 earnings.

While earnings growth is top of the positive factors besides the cut in corporate income tax, a lowering of the policy interest rate and successful avoidance of the fiscal cliff in the US, analysts highlight domestic political instability as the biggest risk. Other negative factors are the euro-zone crisis and the fragile US recovery.

Amid the challenges, 60 per cent of the respondents urged the Bank of Thailand to cut the policy rate by 25-50 basis points next year, while 30 per cent are satisfied with the current 2.75-per-cent rate. Only 5 per cent propose that the central bank raise the rate by 50 basis points.

About 87 per cent want the government to speed up mega-project investment to help boost the domestic economy, while 6.5 per cent hope the government scraps some policies such as the rice-pledging scheme or stops launching any new measures altogether.

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British ambassador joins fight against tourist scams

December 19, 2012 3:45 pm

PHUKET: The British Ambassador to Thailand, Mark Kent, has joined a campaign by Thailand's Ministry of Tourism to tackle tourist scams and will be in Phuket in the new year to discuss the issue with high-ranking Phuket officials.

Ambassador Kent is being featured in a nationwide television campaign that will run until the end of December.

In the video, Ambassador Kent and Deputy Prime Minister Chumpol Silpaarcha, who is also the Tourism and Sports minister, appeal to Thais to "be good hosts to foreign tourists".

The video shows tourists with foreign children walking along busy beaches, playing in the water next to speedboats and prominently features jetskis.

Phuket Gazette

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Ministry monitoring employment situation

WAGE INCREASE

Ministry monitoring employment situation
PETCHANET PRATRUANGKRAI,
KASEM CHANATHINART
THE NATION January 3, 2013 1:00 am
 
   The Labour Ministry is watching carefully for any increase in the number of employee layoffs in the wake of Tuesday's nationwide implementation of the Bt300 daily minimum wage. Pakorn Amornchewin, director-general of the Department of Welfare and Labour Protection, said signs had been detected of a rise in layoffs in two major provinces - Khon Kaen and Phayao - particularly at garment and ceramics factories.
The department has ordered officials to keep a close watch on the employment situation in 29 provinces that have seen relatively large salary adjustments, including Tak, Surin, Nan, Si Sa Ket and Phayao.
 
About 4,000 enterprises will be visited each month.
Staff will report to the department on any significant impacts caused by the wage increase.

The government raised the minimum daily wage in seven provinces last April. The measure has affected various industries including garments, finished apparel, and furniture made from rubberwood (wood from the Para rubber tree), and caused more than 1,700 workers to lose their jobs so far.

Pakorn said that according to the latest information submitted to the department, between April 1 and December 25, 57 companies went out of business because of a range of factors, costing a total of 7,063 jobs.
Twelve of these folded companies, accounting for 2,524 of the lost jobs, cited the impact of the economic problems in Europe; five cited the impact of the higher minimum wage, costing 1,762 jobs; and 40 firms accounting for 2,777 jobs cited other negative factors such as accumulated losses.

Boonchai Chokwatana, president of Sahapathanapibul, the manufacturing and trading arm of Saha Group, said the January 1 nationwide minimum-wage hike would particularly affect manufacturers that are labour-intensive and export-oriented, as they are sensitive to competition from other countries.

His firm, however, is relatively well positioned to deal with the change.

"At Sahapathanapibul, we face less impact from the minimum-wage increase as we have installed automated machinery as part of our manufacturing process. Additionally, the government has compensated the private sector in the form of reduced corporate income tax from 30 per cent to 23 per cent, and that will lessen the impact of the-minimum wage hike," he said.

Asdaluck Intarakamhaeng Na Ratchasima, director of the Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Office, said the province's 32 districts were home to about 8,452 businesses employing more than 200,000 people.
About 4,818 operators, including retail and wholesale businesses, hotels, restaurants and food shops, run smaller businesses employing fewer than 100 people.
These firms, which employ a total of 42,107 workers, are seen as being put at risk by the wage increase.

According to Tawisant Lonanurak, secretary of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Northeastern region, only 15 per cent of the businesses in the region are big factories with the capability to comply with the minimum-wage hike. Another 80 per cent, mostly small and medium-sized enterprises, may face problems and could be forced to lay off employees and delay new employment, Tawisant said.

Boontham Tipplasong, chairman of the Chiang Rai Chamber of Commerce, said the Bt300 daily wage would certainly have a big impact on businesses in that province, most of which are SMEs.

"The wage hike will definitely damage Thai enterprises' competitiveness, especially that of SMEs in the provinces. Production costs for Thai manufacturers will rise, while the Asean Economic Community [AEC, to be launched in 2015] will allow the free flow of goods, with goods from other Asean countries and China being much cheaper than Thai products," Boontham said. The chamber has consistently fought to hold down labourers' pay.

The impact of the nationwide wage increase is expected to be felt in the first or second quarter of this year.

Some SMEs in Chiang Rai will likely have to close down, Boontham said, adding that while the wage increase would boost people's incomes, it would not benefit consumers, as their cost of living would also increase.

Narong Kongprasert, chairman of the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce, said most enterprises would find it hard to meet their employment costs and would need to find ways to reduce operating costs this year.

Enterprises will consider layoffs as a final option if their adjustment plans don't work, Narong said.

He said some employers had changed their employment contracts to pay workers daily rather than monthly to reduce their labour costs. Some have increased their production efficiency; outsourced production to subcontractors to reduce staff levels; and increased retail prices to ensure they will be able to survive the impact of the wage hike.

Narong said tourism operators would be hit hardest by the wage increase as they are so dependent on human resources. Some businesses such as SMEs in the garment industry may also be forced to lay off labourers this year if they cannot shoulder the higher costs, he added.

Kriangkrai Danchaivichit, chairman of the Ayutthaya Chamber of Commerce, said local enterprises in all sectors, including agriculture, tourism and manufacturing, would be hit hard by the higher minimum, as they have only just recovered from 2011's disastrous flooding.

"We [business operators] believe that although the wage-increase policy will encourage more spending, most of this additional income would benefit the modern trade sector. The government needs to come up with effective measures to relieve the impact of this policy," he said.

On Sunday, Veena Garment, a factory that had produced lingerie in Wihan Daeng district of Saraburi province for more than 10 years, shut down citing the impact of having to pay its workers more. The closure affected more than 200 people working for the company. Many employees yesterday gathered in front of City Hall to protest against the move by the company, which closed down without informing employees in advance.

[halfway inn]

Drug-resistant malaria in Thailand threatens deadly global 'nightmare'

Scientists are battling to stop a drug-resistant malaria that could threaten the lives of millions.
"We worry that we are running out of time," one scientist says.
 
NBC News' Ian Williams reports from northwestern Thailand.
By Ian Williams, NBC News

MAE SOT, Thailand.  Dr Francois Nosten worked his way down a ward of malaria patients. He stopped in front of five-year-old Ayemyint Than, who sat to attention and smiled. The smile told Nosten as much as his lines of graphs and figures.


Ian Williams / NBC News

Ayemyint Than, 5, is being treated for malaria in northwestern Thailand.
"She's doing well," he said, moving to an older man, whose pale face and dull sunken eyes told a very different story. "Day five, and he's still positive?" he asked another of the doctors. "That's not very good. It means he was very slow to clear the parasite, no?"

To Nosten, it was further evidence of an alarming rise in resistance to artemisinin, currently the front-line drug in the treatment of malaria. He fears it could be the start of a global "nightmare" in which millions of people could lose their lives.

"We have to beat this resistance, win this race and eliminate the parasite before it’s too late. That's our challenge now," he said.

He said that artemisinin should take about 24 hours to deal with the parasite, but it was now taking three or four days in some cases. "We are going to see patients that don't respond to the treatment anymore,” he warned.

Nosten runs the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, which is part of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine at Thailand's Mahidol University.

The unit has a string of clinics on both sides of the Moi River, which marks the porous border between Thailand and Myanmar.


Ian Williams / NBC News

Migrants cross the Moi River, marking the border between Myanmar and Thailand.
 
Nosten set up the first one in 1986, since when there has been a steady fall in the total number of cases of malaria, but most recently a worrying emergence of drug resistance.

He first sounded the alarm in research published earlier this year, following the emergence of similar drug resistance along the Thai-Cambodia border.

Nosten’s not sure whether the resistance he's found has spread from the Cambodia border or is home-grown. Either way, he's worried.

"It means that all the progress of the last 10 to 15 years will be lost," he warned. "Now the resistance is here, we worry that we are running out of time."


Ian Williams / NBC News

Staff examine a baby who has been brought to the clinic with a fever, suspected to be malaria.
The malaria parasite -- carried by infected mosquitoes from person to person -- still kills an estimated 655,000 people a year.

That's almost 2,000 a day, mostly in Africa, with children being most at risk.

If the world loses its front-line drug, the impact could be devastating.

"The nightmare scenario is that the resistance will travel," Nosten said.

"We know what will happen in Africa when resistance is bad because we've been there before in the 1990s with chloroquine (another anti-malarial drug) … millions of deaths," he warned.

"We must prevent artemisinin resistance reaching Africa, but we also need to control it for the people in Asia - for their future."


Ian Williams / NBC News

Dr Francois Nosten consults staff as he meets malaria patients at a clinic near Mae Sot, Thailand.
Resistance to just about every major anti-malarial drug has started in the border regions that have been home to Nosten for more than 25 years.

Nobody knows exactly why, but poverty, conflict and large migrant and refugee populations constantly on the move all likely play a part. As do fake drugs or a failure to properly complete a course of treatment.

In the case of chloroquine, once the anti-malarial drug of choice, it took less than 20 years for resistance to spread from the borders of Thailand to Africa.

Study: Mosquitoes change habits to avoid anti-malaria nets

Nosten is worried that artemisinin resistance is growing much faster than he'd anticipated, with the drug failing initially to fully clear the parasite in more than half the cases he now sees.

"It initially goes after a few days, then it comes back. We see that more and more now," he said.

"In 2009, we still had 90 percent of patients cured. In 2010, it dropped to 60 to 70 percent. Now it's about 50 percent," he added.


Ian Williams / NBC News

Migrants from Myanmar wait to be examined at a clinic on the Thai side of the border.
Some scientists claim this is too alarmist, since the parasite does eventually die, with longer treatment and higher drug doses, but Nosten sees no room for complacency.

"We have to respond quickly, not next year or three years' time. It's now or probably it will be too late," he said.

Artemisinin comes from a Chinese plant and is quick, potent and with no side effects. Little wonder it has been hailed as a wonder drug, the golden bullet in the global fight against malaria.

What makes the resistance so worrying is that there is no new drug ready to replace it.

Nosten said that although several drugs are in development, they could be five to 10 years away from deployment "if they make it  … and we haven't got five to 10 years.”

The Shoklo Malaria Research Unit runs its own labs fashioned out of a sprawling old Thai house in the border town of Mae Sot, where teams of research scientists are working to better understand the parasite and the mosquitoes that carry it from person to person.

It is here that Chiara Andolina keeps mosquitoes that are literally hand-reared -- fed from her arm, which she extends through a mesh hole into a container of the hungry creatures every three days.

"Usually I feed around 600 of them in a cage like this," she said.

Of course these are not infected mosquitoes, though watching them settle on her arm for a good lunch is not a sight for the squeamish.

In another room, Nosten settled over photographs showing the rapid development of the parasite once it has invaded a blood cell.

"If you can kill them very, very young -- like these -- they don't have time to develop into big fatty ones," he said, his pen jabbing at the photo.
"These fatty ones are the ones that get stuck in your brain and kill you."

In other rooms, the DNA of parasites was being isolated and sequenced and drugs were being tested as part of Nosten and his team’s efforts to figure out what's behind the emerging resistance.

They are also looking for vulnerabilities and new ways to attack their enemy.

"It's hugely important to understand what's going on and contain it if we can," Nosten said. "We need to try things. We need to explore. It’s like exploring new territories in malaria."

Bazell: Malaria vaccine a half-effective, temporary protection

The French scientist has spent most of his working life in the tropics, initially with the medical humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontières.

He believes he is engaged in a vital battle -- "a race against malaria" -- as he puts it.

After so many years on the malarial front lines, the battle has become deeply personal.

He dreams of completely eliminating this familiar but wily enemy.

However, he also knows that with the emergence of artemisinin resistance the stakes have never been higher.

[halfway inn]

1.

UFO spotted in Sakon Nakhon on Christmas Day

By Coconuts Bangkok on 04.01.2013 at 6:30 pm
       
The Thai online community is buzzing about an alleged photo of a UFO that was taken by an eighth grade student on Christmas Day.

On Dec 25, Sawang Dindaeng School in Sakon Nakhon organized a variety of outdoor activities to celebrate its “Sports Day.” One of the participants, Thidarat Boonlee, enjoyed the proceedings so thoroughly that she felt like she had to take a photo to commemorate the occasion.

At 2PM, Thidarat pulled out her mobile phone and took a snapshot of her friends, who were seated on the grandstand opposite. In addition to her friends, the high schooler found that she had snapped a photo of a flying saucer.

Incredulous about her find, Thidarat attempted to take a second photo of the coconut tree behind which the UFO had appeared, but the saucer failed to make a second appearance.

Weerayos Yuttarin, an English teacher at the school, told Mthai that Thidarat was a well-behaved student who was unlikely to fabricate the story.

“I heard many teachers talking about their UFO experience on the same day but I did not believe since there was no concrete evidence,” said Weerayos.

Weerayos added that behind the row of coconut trees were townhouses that should not have a height of more than three stories.

No word yet from the Catholic Church regarding the theological implications of a UFO sighting on Christmas, but just to be on the safe side, we here at Coconuts HQ are going to start worshipping this new “Space Christ” with ritual sacrifices of iPhone 3s and goats’ blood. Y’know, just to be on the safe side.

http://www.coconutsbangkok.com/news/ufo-spotted-in-sakon-nakhon-on-christmas-day/

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2.

Foreign Couple caught being a little-too affectionate on Pattaya Beach

Posted on January 4, 2013 at 8:17 pm
 
As Pattaya attempts to change its image from a city dominated by its adult nightlife to a city welcoming families and young children, the last thing the city needs are young foreign couples showing their affections publicly on Pattaya Beach for all to see, which is what occurred in the early hours of Friday.

Thai Culture dictates that such acts are frowned upon, especially when the affection is to a level which should only take place within the confines of a hotel room.

Our journalist received a complaint that a couple were frolicking on Pattaya Beach between Soi’s 6 and 7. We saw young families walking by on the promenade as the couple continued their embraces and appeared oblivious to a small crowd which had gathered. The Police were nowhere to be seen but if they were the couple would have been taken away to the Police Station to pay a small fine.

We approached the couple and asked them if they were aware their actions could offend. They claimed they were doing nothing and ran away hand-in-hand presumably to their hotel to continue where they had left off.

http://www.pattayaone.net/pattaya-news/69611/foreign-couple-caught-little-too-affectionate-pattaya-beach/