The main policy body on trade and investment for the regional arm of the United Nations in Asia and the Pacific opened its first session today, noting that the region was on the path to recovery from the economic and financial crises but also that the adverse social effects would be felt for a long time.
The Committee on Trade and Investment, which provides policy guidance to the work of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), is meeting through Friday in Bangkok under the theme, “Trade-Led Recovery and Beyond.”
In her remarks to the Committee, Noeleen Heyzer, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of ESCAP, emphasized the need to enhance connectivity in the region in support of intraregional trade.
Many developing countries in the region, particularly the least developed and landlocked ones, lack sufficient access to markets or are not competitive enough to fully use trade as a tool for wealth generation and poverty reduction. “For these countries effective integration with regional and global trading systems will potentially provide important additional sources of growth,” she said.
Trade measures should also be specifically designed to target the sectors of the economy linked with small businesses, women and the poor to ensure that future trade-led economic growth was pro-poor and benefited people who needed it most, Dr. Heyzer added.
Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya of Thailand said in his inaugural address that regional economic cooperation was essential to promoting sustainable growth and strengthening resilience against future economic crises. He referred to last month’s ASEAN Summit which had launched an initiative to establish an East Asian Free Trade Area comprising the 10 ASEAN members and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. He also emphasized the importance of public-private partnerships, particularly in infrastructure projects.
The Committee also discussed trade and investment as a means to achieve inclusive and sustainable development. Kiat Sittheeamorn, Thailand Trade Representative, said Asia stood to benefit greatly from trade and should therefore take a pro-active role in promoting trade liberalization. “Trade is a victim of the crisis but a hero of recovery,” he said, adding that Asia should speak with one voice to get the maximum benefit out of trade.
The Committee also noted that Asia was leading the recovery from the crisis and exports were poised for strong growth in 2010. Kishore Mahbubani, Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, called for Asia to be at the forefront of trade-led growth. “The global economy creates many opportunities; for instance, Asia is already taking a lead in developing green technologies,” he said. In a modern economy, there was a need for a proper balance between the invisible hand of the market and the visible hand of good government.
Damdin Tsogtbaatar, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Mongolia, noted that the crisis had revealed that the “old economy” was neglected in favour of the “new economy.” “Important traditional sectors such as agriculture and mining cannot easily be replaced by dot.com industries in many countries,” he said.
The first session of the Committee on Trade and Investment, which drew about 100 senior officials, academics and private sector representatives from some 25 countries, is part of a series of events which make up ESCAP’s first Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Week. Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is scheduled to deliver a keynote address Thursday to the Committee.
Other events during the Week have included the Asia-Pacific Economists’
Conference on “Trade-led Growth in Times of Crisis” to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT), the OECD/ESCAP Conference on Corporate Responsibility and other workshops.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The wonders of Panatda's rooftop garden
"Growing plants is like raising children, you get emotionally attached, when they grow up you feel good. It's even better than children because they never talk back at you.
Just about everyone finds the idea of having a private garden within the confines of their home very appealing. It's the perfect place to relax.Wouldn't it be great if this garden could provide shade and double as a vegetable garden as well?
Not only will you be increasing the green area, but you can eat fresh, delicious vegetables too.
If you don't know what vegetables you'd like to plant, then maybe Panatda Tokiartrungruang, aka Aunty Neng, can give you a few pointers.
This 54-year-old woman revamped the entire rooftop of her 5-storey shop-house into a most enviable vegetable garden, streaming with variety and vibrant colours.
Panatda's garden is an award-winning vegetable garden in the rooftop category.She competed in the recent "Vegetable Garden in My House" contest at the National Herbs Exhibition in September.
Her 30-square-wah shophouse is in the Sathon area of Bangkok. After recovering from heart surgery, her body gradually healed itself and became stronger. From then on she decided that she wanted to take good care of herself.
Once she was able to walk up the five flights of stairs, Panatda set out to transform her shophouse rooftop into a hydroponic vegetable garden, where the fruits of her labour could be used in the kitchen or sold.
Alas, the cost of hydroponics was just too high for her.
Recycled garden
Panatda previously earned a living in the recycling business, so she knows a thing or two about used materials and how to find them. It just so happened that next to her shophouse was a large recycling business.
She decided that recycled and discarded materials would be the building blocks of her vegetable garden.
It was her decision to use recycled materials that won the hearts of the judges at the competition.
Old electric cable sheaths became a web to support greens and veggies as they become heavy with produce.
The butterfly pea (anchan)is Panatda's baby: It blooms beautiful blue flowers throughout the floating garden as green beans slither in between.
"Most people will use a steel frame for the greens to cling on and grow but steel is heavy and a conductor of heat. I don't think vegetables would want to be around a hot frame for support. There are strong winds on the rooftop as well which makes it prone to falling down," Aunty Neng said.
"But using electric cable sheaths is the perfect solution because it's light-weight and not hot. Just connect them together, crisscross it like a net. If you don't like what you see, just change the pattern. And it's not expensive."
An old laundry basket, used lanterns and the innards of a washing machine are a few examples of what Panatda has adapted to use as pots for her vegetables. A conventional garden pot might cost about 200 baht but Panatda's used materials cost only a fraction, or about 20-30 baht each.
Old foam boxes are great garden pots because foam does not absorb heat. They are also perfectly suited for rooftops,because they are lightweight.
Panatda also uses old clothes hangers, cupboards, old noodle stalls and PVC pipes for greens and flowers to cling to and flourish.
"Washing pans or the old inner structure of drying machines are usually screened out by recycling shops because they don't have any monetary value, unlike the outer structure of washing machines which are made of steel. However they are ideal because there are holes which serve as a good water drainage system. I'd place a plastic cover inside first and then add soil in order to make watering the plants an easy job. Water drains out of the holes on the sides. It's only a few baht. It saves money and is rather durable," she explained.
Panatda buys and shares vegetable seeds from her friends. Some blooms are left to mature so she collects the seeds for future
cultivation. Her main gardening expense is soil:Bags of potting soil cost about 20 baht each.
Aunty Neng does not use pesticides or chemicals. She plucks out frail or bad-looking leaves.
If she finds insects that might be harmful then she cuts the branch and waits for new growth to replace it.
Not only does this save money but the fruits of her labor taste really good,and are in high demand by everyone in the neighbourhood.
"My house specialty is stir-fried green beans with minced pork, garlic and prik-khi-noo chilies. My green beans are very sweet. When they are ripe the harvest is bountiful which is why I sell some of my produce to nearby shops and somtam vendors. Oh! They love it and don't sell it but eat it themselves. They tell me my vegetables are very delicious and sweet when compared to what they usually buy in the market. My vegetables are really organic. They might not be big but their taste is. No matter how many veggies I have, they always sell out,"Panatda said .
Butterfly pea the star of the garden
Most of the space on Panatda's rooftop garden is dominated by butterfly pea flowers.There are butterfly pea blooms in a fresh blue variety, light blue and white colours.Some butterfly peas cling to the walls while others snuggle their way up into a makeshift archway that provides shade and shelter for an afternoon nap.
Panatda explained that her fondness of the butterfly pea plant comes from the fact that it is easy to cultivate, grows fast, and is an epicurean's dream in the kitchen. The flower can be boiled and served as a healthy drink, and is a tasty snack when eaten fresh.It can be used as a seasoning, such as a side dish for chili paste (namprik), dipped in egg and fried, or mixed into fried scrambled eggs, to name just a few delights.
Hence, Panatda selected the butterfly pea flower to be the star of her garden. She says drinking butterfly pea juice daily keeps her in good health: She feels strong and her joints and muscles do not feel weary.
Every morning from 6am till 11am Panatda is working under the shade of her rooftop garden, with her radio to keep her company.
Her chores include watering the plants,tilling the soil and taking care of her plants.But her core responsibility is to harvest the abundant butterfly pea flower. She has more than she can eat herself, so she sells the extra flowers.
"I never thought of selling butterfly pea flowers as a serious profit-making scheme.I shared with my friends at first but some ate the flowers daily and they felt it would be appropriate if they paid for it instead. Now I sell fresh flowers and bottled butterfly pea juice at 10-15 baht per bottle," she said.
"I collect the flowers and put them in the fridge for a week, then I sell them. At 20 baht per bag I sell about 10 bags a week for about 200 baht. Sometimes I boil butterfly pea juice and make merit. I have so many flowers I have to sell them at the market. At 20 baht per bloom I get a considerable amount."
Secret to growing many greens and flowers in one pot
The vegetable garden of Panatda is characterised by its rich variety. There are vegetables and then there are flowers and decorative plants, more than 50 species. She has planted basil, mint, green beans, garden pea, hot chilies, yellow chilies, water bamboo grass (ya-pai-nam), papaya, cassava, bananas,moringa, grenadine, pandanus, jasmine,sweet oleander, common lime and hibiscus:The list just goes on and on.
Panatda said that she has always had a fondness for planting flowers and recalls someone telling her that growing flowers and vegetables together will reduce insect problems because they will pay attention to the flowers instead of the greens.
"At first I didn't know much. I liked flowers so that's all I planted. But then an expert recommended I mix in vegetables. Each pot contains a mixture of flowers and vegetables,so they can help each other. Plants which are left to grow alone do not survive, but once I put them beside other pots they can benefit from the shade and reach maturity.
"For example I put the aloe vera with butterfly pea, or the green beans with papaya and when they mature I can single them out in separate pots."
Having a garden on a rooftop that is exposed to extremely hot temperatures calls for heavy morning watering.
Panatda recommends that you water your plants generously until the water seeps out onto the base of the pot. Watering once in the morning is sufficient.
Gardening and good health
It's been two years since Panatda underwent heart surgery. She's transformed herself into a full-time rooftop gardener with the love and support of her husband and children.
She used to rest in between the flights of stairs but now Aunty Neng casually makes it up and down the five-storey shophouse with no problem at all.
Sometimes she carries a bag of earth on her way up, or she'll come down with a basket full of vegetables.
"Each day is full of happiness for me when I come up here alone. My health has improved tremendously. I don't tire easily, unlike before.When I am in the garden, time flies and there is shade and small birds that fly in frequently,"Panatda said.
"Being with plants keeps me fresh. I am thinking of building a small room in the corner at the back with a built-in bathroom so I don't have walk down to use the toilet.Growing plants is like raising children, you get emotionally attached, when they grow up you feel good. It's even better than children because they never talk back at you," she said, laughing.
"But plants are emotionally fragile because if you forget to water them once, they droop and sag: So you need to take good care of them." she added.
Before bidding goodbye, Panatda made sure mylife took home hundreds of butterfly pea seeds and a number of plants."It's not hard to grow. Once the plants grow you can eat it and reduce global warming as well."
Just about everyone finds the idea of having a private garden within the confines of their home very appealing. It's the perfect place to relax.Wouldn't it be great if this garden could provide shade and double as a vegetable garden as well?
Not only will you be increasing the green area, but you can eat fresh, delicious vegetables too.
If you don't know what vegetables you'd like to plant, then maybe Panatda Tokiartrungruang, aka Aunty Neng, can give you a few pointers.
This 54-year-old woman revamped the entire rooftop of her 5-storey shop-house into a most enviable vegetable garden, streaming with variety and vibrant colours.
Panatda's garden is an award-winning vegetable garden in the rooftop category.She competed in the recent "Vegetable Garden in My House" contest at the National Herbs Exhibition in September.
Her 30-square-wah shophouse is in the Sathon area of Bangkok. After recovering from heart surgery, her body gradually healed itself and became stronger. From then on she decided that she wanted to take good care of herself.
Once she was able to walk up the five flights of stairs, Panatda set out to transform her shophouse rooftop into a hydroponic vegetable garden, where the fruits of her labour could be used in the kitchen or sold.
Alas, the cost of hydroponics was just too high for her.
Recycled garden
Panatda previously earned a living in the recycling business, so she knows a thing or two about used materials and how to find them. It just so happened that next to her shophouse was a large recycling business.
She decided that recycled and discarded materials would be the building blocks of her vegetable garden.
It was her decision to use recycled materials that won the hearts of the judges at the competition.
Old electric cable sheaths became a web to support greens and veggies as they become heavy with produce.
The butterfly pea (anchan)is Panatda's baby: It blooms beautiful blue flowers throughout the floating garden as green beans slither in between.
"Most people will use a steel frame for the greens to cling on and grow but steel is heavy and a conductor of heat. I don't think vegetables would want to be around a hot frame for support. There are strong winds on the rooftop as well which makes it prone to falling down," Aunty Neng said.
"But using electric cable sheaths is the perfect solution because it's light-weight and not hot. Just connect them together, crisscross it like a net. If you don't like what you see, just change the pattern. And it's not expensive."
An old laundry basket, used lanterns and the innards of a washing machine are a few examples of what Panatda has adapted to use as pots for her vegetables. A conventional garden pot might cost about 200 baht but Panatda's used materials cost only a fraction, or about 20-30 baht each.
Old foam boxes are great garden pots because foam does not absorb heat. They are also perfectly suited for rooftops,because they are lightweight.
Panatda also uses old clothes hangers, cupboards, old noodle stalls and PVC pipes for greens and flowers to cling to and flourish.
"Washing pans or the old inner structure of drying machines are usually screened out by recycling shops because they don't have any monetary value, unlike the outer structure of washing machines which are made of steel. However they are ideal because there are holes which serve as a good water drainage system. I'd place a plastic cover inside first and then add soil in order to make watering the plants an easy job. Water drains out of the holes on the sides. It's only a few baht. It saves money and is rather durable," she explained.
Panatda buys and shares vegetable seeds from her friends. Some blooms are left to mature so she collects the seeds for future
cultivation. Her main gardening expense is soil:Bags of potting soil cost about 20 baht each.
Aunty Neng does not use pesticides or chemicals. She plucks out frail or bad-looking leaves.
If she finds insects that might be harmful then she cuts the branch and waits for new growth to replace it.
Not only does this save money but the fruits of her labor taste really good,and are in high demand by everyone in the neighbourhood.
"My house specialty is stir-fried green beans with minced pork, garlic and prik-khi-noo chilies. My green beans are very sweet. When they are ripe the harvest is bountiful which is why I sell some of my produce to nearby shops and somtam vendors. Oh! They love it and don't sell it but eat it themselves. They tell me my vegetables are very delicious and sweet when compared to what they usually buy in the market. My vegetables are really organic. They might not be big but their taste is. No matter how many veggies I have, they always sell out,"Panatda said .
Butterfly pea the star of the garden
Most of the space on Panatda's rooftop garden is dominated by butterfly pea flowers.There are butterfly pea blooms in a fresh blue variety, light blue and white colours.Some butterfly peas cling to the walls while others snuggle their way up into a makeshift archway that provides shade and shelter for an afternoon nap.
Panatda explained that her fondness of the butterfly pea plant comes from the fact that it is easy to cultivate, grows fast, and is an epicurean's dream in the kitchen. The flower can be boiled and served as a healthy drink, and is a tasty snack when eaten fresh.It can be used as a seasoning, such as a side dish for chili paste (namprik), dipped in egg and fried, or mixed into fried scrambled eggs, to name just a few delights.
Hence, Panatda selected the butterfly pea flower to be the star of her garden. She says drinking butterfly pea juice daily keeps her in good health: She feels strong and her joints and muscles do not feel weary.
Every morning from 6am till 11am Panatda is working under the shade of her rooftop garden, with her radio to keep her company.
Her chores include watering the plants,tilling the soil and taking care of her plants.But her core responsibility is to harvest the abundant butterfly pea flower. She has more than she can eat herself, so she sells the extra flowers.
"I never thought of selling butterfly pea flowers as a serious profit-making scheme.I shared with my friends at first but some ate the flowers daily and they felt it would be appropriate if they paid for it instead. Now I sell fresh flowers and bottled butterfly pea juice at 10-15 baht per bottle," she said.
"I collect the flowers and put them in the fridge for a week, then I sell them. At 20 baht per bag I sell about 10 bags a week for about 200 baht. Sometimes I boil butterfly pea juice and make merit. I have so many flowers I have to sell them at the market. At 20 baht per bloom I get a considerable amount."
Secret to growing many greens and flowers in one pot
The vegetable garden of Panatda is characterised by its rich variety. There are vegetables and then there are flowers and decorative plants, more than 50 species. She has planted basil, mint, green beans, garden pea, hot chilies, yellow chilies, water bamboo grass (ya-pai-nam), papaya, cassava, bananas,moringa, grenadine, pandanus, jasmine,sweet oleander, common lime and hibiscus:The list just goes on and on.
Panatda said that she has always had a fondness for planting flowers and recalls someone telling her that growing flowers and vegetables together will reduce insect problems because they will pay attention to the flowers instead of the greens.
"At first I didn't know much. I liked flowers so that's all I planted. But then an expert recommended I mix in vegetables. Each pot contains a mixture of flowers and vegetables,so they can help each other. Plants which are left to grow alone do not survive, but once I put them beside other pots they can benefit from the shade and reach maturity.
"For example I put the aloe vera with butterfly pea, or the green beans with papaya and when they mature I can single them out in separate pots."
Having a garden on a rooftop that is exposed to extremely hot temperatures calls for heavy morning watering.
Panatda recommends that you water your plants generously until the water seeps out onto the base of the pot. Watering once in the morning is sufficient.
Gardening and good health
It's been two years since Panatda underwent heart surgery. She's transformed herself into a full-time rooftop gardener with the love and support of her husband and children.
She used to rest in between the flights of stairs but now Aunty Neng casually makes it up and down the five-storey shophouse with no problem at all.
Sometimes she carries a bag of earth on her way up, or she'll come down with a basket full of vegetables.
"Each day is full of happiness for me when I come up here alone. My health has improved tremendously. I don't tire easily, unlike before.When I am in the garden, time flies and there is shade and small birds that fly in frequently,"Panatda said.
"Being with plants keeps me fresh. I am thinking of building a small room in the corner at the back with a built-in bathroom so I don't have walk down to use the toilet.Growing plants is like raising children, you get emotionally attached, when they grow up you feel good. It's even better than children because they never talk back at you," she said, laughing.
"But plants are emotionally fragile because if you forget to water them once, they droop and sag: So you need to take good care of them." she added.
Before bidding goodbye, Panatda made sure mylife took home hundreds of butterfly pea seeds and a number of plants."It's not hard to grow. Once the plants grow you can eat it and reduce global warming as well."
OUR ECONOMIC BACKBONE NEEDS MORE SUPPORT
Thailand must revamp its agricultural sector to compete with improving productivity in neighbouring countries
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier this week vowed to push forward the Farmers Council Bill, which is intended to improve the wellbeing of farmers. During the session to consider the passage of the bill, Abhisit said the issue should be on the national agenda for it involves millions of Thais who form the economic backbone of the country.
Although Thailand is an agriculture-based country, most of our farmers are heavily indebted. Many don't own the land upon which they work. Past governments have systematically failed to support farmers, and Thailand does not have a comprehensive agricultural development plan to provide sustainable growth in this sector in the future.
These shortcomings should not be allowed to continue. Thai farmers should be better equipped to compete with their counterparts from neighbouring countries after Asean member countries open up agricultural markets including rice, tapioca and corn from 2010. Thai farmers should be able to effectively improve their yields per rai in order to increase overall productivity. In terms of production, Vietnamese farmers are now catching up with Thai farmers very quickly, due largely to Thailand's failure to improve in this regard.
Agriculture is a vital sector of the economy that many countries strive to improve in order to ensure their food security. Thailand has exploited its natural advantages, such as its rich soil and climate, for centuries. However, these advantages may not last forever, and we will not always be alone in benefiting from geographical providence.
The Farmers Council Bill should play a role in empowering farmers by ensuring their rights to receive proper assistance so they can continue with the incentive to work the land. One particular area of importance is that farmers should gain access to proper irrigation systems.
Investors from some countries are anxious to own farmland in Thailand because they realise the significance of the sector. Unfortunately, some Thais have failed to realise the value of our natural resources. Some have sold land plots to foreigners through proxy ownership.
The proposed new law should also help ensure legitimise ownership of land, and will give farmers a channel to voice their opinions at the national level.
The bill should also provide for the formation of institutions to assist farmers, such as a micro-financing system. Otherwise, many farmers will continue to borrow money from unscrupulous lenders who charge extremely high interest rates.
If there is no shake-up of the system as it is at present, Thai farmers will remain caught in a trap of relying on Mother Nature and crooked politicians who exploit farmers' needs for their own short-term political gain. And they will have no other choice than to come out to block the roads every time they cannot sell their produce at a good price.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva earlier this week vowed to push forward the Farmers Council Bill, which is intended to improve the wellbeing of farmers. During the session to consider the passage of the bill, Abhisit said the issue should be on the national agenda for it involves millions of Thais who form the economic backbone of the country.
Although Thailand is an agriculture-based country, most of our farmers are heavily indebted. Many don't own the land upon which they work. Past governments have systematically failed to support farmers, and Thailand does not have a comprehensive agricultural development plan to provide sustainable growth in this sector in the future.
These shortcomings should not be allowed to continue. Thai farmers should be better equipped to compete with their counterparts from neighbouring countries after Asean member countries open up agricultural markets including rice, tapioca and corn from 2010. Thai farmers should be able to effectively improve their yields per rai in order to increase overall productivity. In terms of production, Vietnamese farmers are now catching up with Thai farmers very quickly, due largely to Thailand's failure to improve in this regard.
Agriculture is a vital sector of the economy that many countries strive to improve in order to ensure their food security. Thailand has exploited its natural advantages, such as its rich soil and climate, for centuries. However, these advantages may not last forever, and we will not always be alone in benefiting from geographical providence.
The Farmers Council Bill should play a role in empowering farmers by ensuring their rights to receive proper assistance so they can continue with the incentive to work the land. One particular area of importance is that farmers should gain access to proper irrigation systems.
Investors from some countries are anxious to own farmland in Thailand because they realise the significance of the sector. Unfortunately, some Thais have failed to realise the value of our natural resources. Some have sold land plots to foreigners through proxy ownership.
The proposed new law should also help ensure legitimise ownership of land, and will give farmers a channel to voice their opinions at the national level.
The bill should also provide for the formation of institutions to assist farmers, such as a micro-financing system. Otherwise, many farmers will continue to borrow money from unscrupulous lenders who charge extremely high interest rates.
If there is no shake-up of the system as it is at present, Thai farmers will remain caught in a trap of relying on Mother Nature and crooked politicians who exploit farmers' needs for their own short-term political gain. And they will have no other choice than to come out to block the roads every time they cannot sell their produce at a good price.
Flower extravaganza set to return
The floral extravaganza Ratchaphruek Festival returns to Chiang Mai next month from Dec 1-10 to celebrate the 82nd birthday anniversary of His Majesty the King, the world's longest reigning monarch.
Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,the provincial administration and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the festival is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors.
According to Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor for marketing communications, on Dec 5,which is the King's birthday,there will be a grand ceremony involving the lighting of candles and offering of prayers wishing His Majesty sound health,followed by fireworks and light and sound presentation.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will preside over the festival opening on Dec 1 when he'd join local notaries to release 999 floating lanterns, followed by Thai classical dances from the four regions of the country,with 99 performers from each region.
Taking place at the same venue that played host to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accension to the throne in 2006, the festival is an exhibition of flowers, plants and fruits,sale of farm products, handicrafts and OTOP goods, and contests featuring farm commodities.
The event three years ago featured roughly 2.5 million plants and flowers,including some rare orchids, and drew about as many visitors.
"The festival should help boost tourism and raise hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai," said the deputy governor.
A first in Chanthaburi
Launched on Oct 26 in Chanthaburi,the first training centre for management of shipwrecks and underwater cultural heritage brings together 16 archaeologists from across the Southeast Asia region.
The training programme is a part-nership between Unesco, the Ministry of Culture and the Underwater Archaeology Division of the Department of Fine Arts.
"Thousands of historical items have already been stolen by treasure hunters and if preventative measures are not put into place to combat the illegal trade,even more priceless treasures will disappear from Asian waters," said Ricardo Favis of Unesco's Bangkok office, adding "Asian maritime archaeologists are still in their infancy, so we must improve their knowledge and skills."
The first batch comprises trainees from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.The course runs until Dec 5. It is conducted by experts from Australia, England and Holland, and covers subjects such as maritime law,in situ preservation of shipwrecks and underwater sites, museology, treasure hunters and monitoring techniques, shipbuilding technology and ethnographic boat recording.
The Chantaburi facility is one of the best-equipped in the region and located in proximity of shipwreck sites, allowing the trainees to field-test practical skills.
Major TAT push in Moscow
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) office in Moscow has embarked on a major offensive after the number of Russians visiting Thailand dropped 29.43 per cent in the first four months of this year.
In 2008, Russian visitors to Thailand totaled 319,587, up 14.23%over the previous year, and generated 16.24 billion baht in tourism revenue. During 2002-08, the number of Russian visitors to Thailand grew by an annual average of 28.79% while their spending grew by 32.76% annually. However, the global financial crisis saw their number drop by 29.43% during January to April this year.
Therefore TAT's Moscow office launched the "Welcome to Thailand Mega Fam" campaign last week, reining in 70 Russian travel agents and media representatives to its cause."Our research shows many opportunities for growth," said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor in charge of marketing communications."Russia is mainly a winter-season market as Russians love our warm weather, the beaches and the sea. Many also enjoy learning diving and exploring underwater treasures around the Andamans and the Gulf of Thailand."
TAT is targetting high-end tourists and meeting delegates through tour packages to Bangkok with a detour to neighbouring countries, and expects the campaign to generate 293,000 visitors from Russian alone, not to mention the Central Asian republics, for a turnover of roughly 14.03 billion baht this winter.
Park encroachment
The Department of National Park,Wildlife and Plant Conservation last week raided a marine park in Trang Province,the site of a private resort, and seized 20 workers before ordering a halt to further construction.
Almost 80 per cent complete the resort,valued at 20 million baht, belongs to a Songkhla businessman. Located in Hat Chao Mai Marine Park, it's built on a strip of land where construction is forbidden.
The raid followed complaints from locals. Somchai Masathien, director of the Forest Fire Control Division led a 50-strong force to the construction site and arrested the workers, after which he told the local media that the building will be demolished.
Tiger resumes flights
Anticipating a rise in passenger traffic during the upcoming tourist season, Tiger Airways has resumed flights between Singapore and Krabi.
"We are very excited about the resumption of Krabi flights. With four flights a week you now have an additional choice of a holiday destination," said Tiger Airways Managing Director Rosalynn Tay.
All of them are afternoon flights available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The start-up price is at 535 baht excluding surcharges.
Visit www.tigerairways.com for more information.
Concert by the river
"Jazz de Chang Kanchanaburi" is a charity concert scheduled Nov 7 in front of the bridge over the Kwai River in Kanchanaburi.
Proceeds from the event will go to the conservation of elephants in Salakpra,the country's first wildlife sanctuary located in the province.
The concert will feature the Biggles Big Band from the Netherlands and the Bangkok Connection.
The event is jointly organised by the provincial administration, the Dutch Embassy, the private sector in Kanchanaburi,the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the local chapter of Elephant Conservation Network.
Tickets for the concert are priced at 800 baht and include dinner.
For more information, call 034-514-771.
Organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives,the provincial administration and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), the festival is expected to draw more than 200,000 visitors.
According to Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor for marketing communications, on Dec 5,which is the King's birthday,there will be a grand ceremony involving the lighting of candles and offering of prayers wishing His Majesty sound health,followed by fireworks and light and sound presentation.
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will preside over the festival opening on Dec 1 when he'd join local notaries to release 999 floating lanterns, followed by Thai classical dances from the four regions of the country,with 99 performers from each region.
Taking place at the same venue that played host to the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of His Majesty's accension to the throne in 2006, the festival is an exhibition of flowers, plants and fruits,sale of farm products, handicrafts and OTOP goods, and contests featuring farm commodities.
The event three years ago featured roughly 2.5 million plants and flowers,including some rare orchids, and drew about as many visitors.
"The festival should help boost tourism and raise hotel occupancy in Chiang Mai," said the deputy governor.
A first in Chanthaburi
Launched on Oct 26 in Chanthaburi,the first training centre for management of shipwrecks and underwater cultural heritage brings together 16 archaeologists from across the Southeast Asia region.
The training programme is a part-nership between Unesco, the Ministry of Culture and the Underwater Archaeology Division of the Department of Fine Arts.
"Thousands of historical items have already been stolen by treasure hunters and if preventative measures are not put into place to combat the illegal trade,even more priceless treasures will disappear from Asian waters," said Ricardo Favis of Unesco's Bangkok office, adding "Asian maritime archaeologists are still in their infancy, so we must improve their knowledge and skills."
The first batch comprises trainees from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.The course runs until Dec 5. It is conducted by experts from Australia, England and Holland, and covers subjects such as maritime law,in situ preservation of shipwrecks and underwater sites, museology, treasure hunters and monitoring techniques, shipbuilding technology and ethnographic boat recording.
The Chantaburi facility is one of the best-equipped in the region and located in proximity of shipwreck sites, allowing the trainees to field-test practical skills.
Major TAT push in Moscow
The Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) office in Moscow has embarked on a major offensive after the number of Russians visiting Thailand dropped 29.43 per cent in the first four months of this year.
In 2008, Russian visitors to Thailand totaled 319,587, up 14.23%over the previous year, and generated 16.24 billion baht in tourism revenue. During 2002-08, the number of Russian visitors to Thailand grew by an annual average of 28.79% while their spending grew by 32.76% annually. However, the global financial crisis saw their number drop by 29.43% during January to April this year.
Therefore TAT's Moscow office launched the "Welcome to Thailand Mega Fam" campaign last week, reining in 70 Russian travel agents and media representatives to its cause."Our research shows many opportunities for growth," said Juthaporn Rerngronasa, TAT's deputy governor in charge of marketing communications."Russia is mainly a winter-season market as Russians love our warm weather, the beaches and the sea. Many also enjoy learning diving and exploring underwater treasures around the Andamans and the Gulf of Thailand."
TAT is targetting high-end tourists and meeting delegates through tour packages to Bangkok with a detour to neighbouring countries, and expects the campaign to generate 293,000 visitors from Russian alone, not to mention the Central Asian republics, for a turnover of roughly 14.03 billion baht this winter.
Park encroachment
The Department of National Park,Wildlife and Plant Conservation last week raided a marine park in Trang Province,the site of a private resort, and seized 20 workers before ordering a halt to further construction.
Almost 80 per cent complete the resort,valued at 20 million baht, belongs to a Songkhla businessman. Located in Hat Chao Mai Marine Park, it's built on a strip of land where construction is forbidden.
The raid followed complaints from locals. Somchai Masathien, director of the Forest Fire Control Division led a 50-strong force to the construction site and arrested the workers, after which he told the local media that the building will be demolished.
Tiger resumes flights
Anticipating a rise in passenger traffic during the upcoming tourist season, Tiger Airways has resumed flights between Singapore and Krabi.
"We are very excited about the resumption of Krabi flights. With four flights a week you now have an additional choice of a holiday destination," said Tiger Airways Managing Director Rosalynn Tay.
All of them are afternoon flights available Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The start-up price is at 535 baht excluding surcharges.
Visit www.tigerairways.com for more information.
Concert by the river
"Jazz de Chang Kanchanaburi" is a charity concert scheduled Nov 7 in front of the bridge over the Kwai River in Kanchanaburi.
Proceeds from the event will go to the conservation of elephants in Salakpra,the country's first wildlife sanctuary located in the province.
The concert will feature the Biggles Big Band from the Netherlands and the Bangkok Connection.
The event is jointly organised by the provincial administration, the Dutch Embassy, the private sector in Kanchanaburi,the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the local chapter of Elephant Conservation Network.
Tickets for the concert are priced at 800 baht and include dinner.
For more information, call 034-514-771.
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