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DUTY
FREE CITY?
A move to make Chiangmai and Phuket duty free shopping havens within
just 3 months was announced at the recent tourism conference opened by
the Prime Minister at the Chiangmai Plaza Hotel. Tourism is the nation's
second biggest earner after agriculture, a 290 billion baht a year business
which, many observers feel, has focussed too strongly on the southern islands
in recent years - to the detriment of Chiangmai and the north west. It
remains to be seen what action results from the hot air in the hotel last
month, but most of the 200 delegates agreed that Prime Minister Thaksin,
urging a 20 billion baht boost over Chiangmai's annual 30 billion tourism
income, seems to be doing his best for his home city. Strengthening Chiangmai's
appeal as an Asian aviation hub was another strategy discussed.
SONGKRAN SADNESS
Drink, drugs and water jets made Chiangmai the 4th most dangerous
place for motorcyclists in Thailand over Songkran. On average, over 4 people
were killed every hour of the long weekend, over twice the norm.
STORE
WARS
Auchan's opening. Happier
days back in 1997.
French retailing giant Auchan has sold it's Chiangmai hypermarket -
its only store in Thailand - to rival French-owned Big C for an estimated
5 billion baht. Last year's sales of 2.48 billion baht were not enough,
said executives who opened the huge facility on Superhighway in 1997. All
395 employees will keep their jobs, while French managers will move to
China or Taiwan where Auchan is quickly expanding.
Observers say that Auchan has faced very heavy competition in Chiangmai
from Makro, which opened first, then later Carrefour and Tesco-Lotus -
all 3 of which are expanding steadily. Thailand's "crash of '97"
acutely affected Auchan's plans, which had foreseen at least 10 new Thai
stores by now.
Big C's nearest store, just south of the centre of Chiangrai, is booming
and has very strong youth appeal.
And share-wise.....
Dutch-backed Siam Makro rose about 8% on Thailand's stock exchange since
the year end while Big C rose 9%. In Paris, Carrefour fell by 17% and in
London Tesco, owners of Lotus in Thailand, fell 13% so far this year amid
complaints of over-pricing.
WORKED
TO DEATH?
The lucky elephants of Lampang live at the Elephant Conservation Centre,
the less fortunate at the specialist hospital nearby. But the unluckiest
belong to uncaring owners who feed them amphetamines to get the maximum
possible work out of them until they drop.
Khun Sangduan Chailert of Elephant Nature Park, who is also chairwoman
of a forest protection group, says that some have even been killed off
because they were too ill to work. The public can help by supporting several
different animal welfare organisations. More from e-mail: info@thaifocus.com
TEMPLE
- OR GAS STATION?
One petrol station
in front of this old chedi is enough!
Of 912 deserted temples in Chiangmai province, 309 have been leased
out to companies for business purposes. But the proposal to turn No. 310
into a fuel filling station has raised unprecedented local protests.
On the 705th anniversary of Chiangmai city, 705 monks, lay people and
academics met last month at Wat Lokmolee, Siphum, to discuss applications
by 4 companies to put petrol pumps in front of the 500 year old chedi.
There is a well-established Jet station right next door!
It was decided to ask the Education Minister to advise the government
against leasing out the temple and instead to turn it into a public park.
New, temporary kotis are being built for more monks to move in and the
young acting Abbot is confident that the proposals will not come to pass.
The Abbot of Wat Phrasingh, Phra Thamsithajarn, who is also adviser
to the chief monk of Chiangmai, said that Wat Lokmolee was particularly
old, being built in the reign of the 6th King of the Mengrai dynasty.
The New York based Committee to Protect Journalists has again written
to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in support of a Chiangmai journalist
who was shot and left for dead a year ago.
The CPJ called on Thailand to "show it will not tolerate attacks
on the press" after the shooting of Khun Amnat Jongyotying, who had
published stories about local financial corruption. He survived the attack
and is involved in a legal action against the alleged gunmen but, says
the CPJ, continues to receive threats.
THE
ALIENS ARE HERE - WORKING!
Illegal foreign labourers
are often found in the construction and road building trades.
Over a million aliens may be working in Chiangmai, Mae Hong Son and
other border provinces - yet work permits were held by under 100,000, state
agencies were told at a conference here last month.
Khun Somsak Kosaisuk, president of the railway labour union, said business
operators took advantage of the aliens and brought a bad name to the country.
Asking for an amnesty for foreign workers, of whom Khun Somsak thought
there were 4 to 5 million in Thailand, he added "It is time to end
the slavery and sham" and treat the mainly Burmese labourers equally
with Thais.
The deputy director of the Employment department foresaw legal amendments
and said that the national Security Council would study the problem and
had set up 5 sub-committees to improve alien labour laws.
Dog end jobs?
Many new jobs will be created here if the Thailand Tobacco Monopoly
goes ahead with plans to set up a new cigarette factory. The TTM plans
to move out of Bangkok to a 350 rai site at Mae Jo, where construction
awaits cabinet approval. The new facility would cost 13 billion baht and
produce up to 30 billion cigarettes per year.
FEELING
FRUITY?
It might be the climate, the people, the moonlight or the music. It
might also be a sexual arousal drug sprayed at you from the air-con of
a Chiangmai disco!
Pol.Col. Prasert Chantrapipat has promised that police will work with
narcotics suppression authorities to stamp out the stimulants which have
already caused one local night spot to be closed down. Chiangrai police
are also worried about drug-laced stickers which teenagers place on their
skin until the drug is absorbed. Really!
COMPUTER
CAMP AT PREM CENTER
Young people aged 10 and over can enjoy a 2 week summer camp at the
Prem Tinsulanonda Center in June and July.
The huge, modern educational facility at Mae Rim, formerly known as
Tridhos, offers internet research and website creation along with camping,
trekking and visits to an elephant and water buffalo facilities. There
is a choice of 2 fortnightly camps at 25,000B each, including full board.
More from (tel) 301500 or e-mail to enquiry@premcenter.in.th
WORK
PERMIT SCARE
A proposal to increase the annual fee for foreign work permits in Thailand
from 1,000 to 10,000 baht is just that - a proposal. A spokeswoman for
the Chiangmai Labour Office said on April 23rd that officials here did
not know whether the fee would be increased or when. Small foreign businessmen
say the idea reminds them of the 200B fee for foreign tourists to enter
national parks, where Thais pay only 20B.
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OBITUARIES
Five enthusiasts of old aircraft were killed last month when the 20
year old Cessna they were test flying crashed near Lotus Superstore, Hang
Dong Road. The pilot, Flt.Lt. Worawuth Amnartrath, could not gain
enough altitude shortly after take off from Chiangmai International Airport,
turned to attempt a landing back on the runway, but was too low and struck
power cables. The plane was formerly used by the Ministry of Agriculture,
then stored for some years. Flt.Lt.Worawuth and fellow enthusiasts restored
it in their spare time at Chiangmai's Wing 41 Squadron. Sqdn.Ldr. Kulathep
Kongsaeng, who had been working hard to promote the museum housed at
Wing 41, also died in the accident, along with Mst.Sgt. Anant Worachinda,
Pratana Nilratcharoen of the Agriculture Extension Dept and local
businessman Chatri Rungruangthavornkit. There were no casualties
on the ground.
Flt.Lt. Worawuth
(centre) with the old plane he was due to fly to China. Sqdn.Ldr. Kulathep
(right) also died in last month's Cessna crash.
An English resident of Chiangmai for some 30 years, Michael McLoughlin
aged 56, died of head injuries in McCormick Hospital on April 5th. He had
been involved in a brawl in a Mae Taeng restaurant the previous night and
2 Thai men have been accused of manslaughter. A fluent Thai speaker, the
former proprietor of Little England guest house, Mae Rim, leaves a son
and daughter.
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ROUND
AND ABOUT
* Gong Dee Studio, Soi 1, Nimmanhemin Road, hosts a guitar and
piano recital on May 9th by noted Italian performers Alessio Monti and
Franco Parenti. Tickets at 250B are available at the door or in advance
from the YMCA (tel) 221820.
* The big building in the former car park of the Imperial Mae Ping
hotel represents their optimism about MICE. The 80 million baht annexe
for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions should be ready next
month. The high-optimism policy includes room upgrades, an expanded lobby
and more staff to be hired for the next high season.
* More optimism thanks to pollsters who went round and about Chiangmai,
Khon Kaen and Songkhla asking Thais about current efforts at political
reform. The majority expressed confidence in the Constitutional Court,
the graft agency and the Election Commission.
* Interested in detoxification? Khun Hera offers the Dr Max Gerson
method of getting toxins out of your body at soi 9 Moon Muang, next to
Supreme Guest House. There's also Niracha Thai and Burmese massage. Call
(tel) 224648 ext 100 or e-mail to Kanidta_m@hotmail.com
* Now you can support hilltribes with your morning coffee! Lanna
Cafe has Lanna coffee at 81 Huay Kaew Road. They are an NGO marketing
under the 'Fairtrade' standard and Khun Elly delivers fresh roasted or
whole bean coffee locally every Monday. Only 90B for 250gms. Call 219140
or e-mail: info@lannacafe.com
* The oil painting on last month's 'Good Morning Chiangmai News' cover
by French artist Alain, 'Tears for Intolerance', was bought by a
guest of the Amari Rincome Hotel for an undisclosed amount. Prints of the
weeping Buddha image, painted to commemmorate the destruction of Buddha
statues in Afghanistan, are still available at 3,500B from this office.
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