Labor Chief Speeds up Work Permit Procedure
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Ad-Phuket dot com K. Anna AV Volume 13 Issue 18 News Desk - Tel: 076-236555May 6 - 12, 2006 Daily news at www.phuketgazette.net 25 Baht The Gazette is published in association with Labor Chief Crowne Plaza speeds up work permit IN THIS ISSUE procedure NEWS: THAI and Bangkok Air- sold for B3.7bn By Natcha Yuttaworawit ways sign deal; Beware of fakes cops, Police Chief By Gazette Staff PHUKET CITY: Work permits warns. Pages 2 & 3 are being renewed in just 15 min- INSIDE STORY: Rising oil KARON: The Crowne Plaza utes and new work permits ap- prices and the knock-on effect Karon Beach Phuket resort has proved faster than ever thanks for Phuket. Pages 4 & 5 been bought by Dubai-listed ho- to streamlining of procedures at AROUND THE ISLAND: If the cap tel and resort investment com- the Phuket Provincial Employ- fits… Page 8 pany Kingdom Hotel Invest- ment Office (PPEO). AROUND THE REGION: Revis- ments (KHI), which is headed by PPEO Chief Boonchok iting the Khao Lak blues. Saudi Arabia’s Prince Alwaleed Maneechot explained that before Page 9 Bin Talal Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. implementing the new proce- PEOPLE: Off The Wall. KHI paid US$98.5 million dures he had consulted with em- Pages 10 & 11 (3.7 billion baht) for the property, ployment officers for a month in including US$30.5 million (1.1 order to determine the most effi- LIFESTYLE: Summer fashion. billion baht) in debt. cient way to process work per- Pages 12 & 13 Prince Alwaleed was listed mits. The office has been using MOTORING: 100 years of the by Forbes magazine earlier this the new system since mid-April. Grand Prix. Page 14 year as the world’s eighth-rich- “Now people do not need CHEAP EATS: Isarn food in est man, with an approximate to come to our office two or three Rawai. Page 19 worth of US$20 billion (750 bil- times. We will have their work lion baht). permit renewed in just 15 min- FIRST PERSON: Phuket’s new Senator. Page 25 It is the second time the utes, and new work permits ap- resort has changed hands in just proved in just one week,” K. COMPUTERS: Why an e-book 2½ years. Originally the Karon Boonchok said. is worth a look. Page 28 Villa Resort, built in 1984 by the “Before, it took about three BUSINESS & MONEY: Online Vanich family, it was acquired in weeks for a new work permit to chandlery takes off; Money December 2003 by LaSalle In- be approved, and about two or Talks: the REIT time is now. vestment Management of the US three days for a renewal,” he Pages 30 & 31 and completely refurbished at a added. cost of US$20 million (750 mil- K. Boonchok explained SPORT: Senior Masters golf lion baht). roundup; Senior World Cup The Crowne Plaza is KHI’s first investment in Southeast Asia. that he has delegated officers to Crowne Plaza, a subsidiary roundup. Pages 32 & 33 sign on his behalf when he is un- of InterContinental, was brought York, but sold half his shares in “The hotel will benefit from available to do so himself. PROPERTY: Home of the in to manage the hotel, which that and reinvested the money in the recovery of tourist arrivals to He added that instead of Week: Patong; Construction: made an initial splash by hosting buying the Savoy Hotel in Lon- the region, and the early recon- details being handwritten into Patong’s sewage system; the Nation V event, a three-day don and the Monte Carlo Grand struction of the area.” work permits, they are now Decor: Masses of candles; party that attracted 2,000 gay in Monaco. Sarmad Zok, CEO of KHI, printed by computer to make Gardening. Pages 34-37 people from all over Asia. Apart from hotels, the said, “We are delighted by the them clearer. An industry source told the Prince also owns 10% of Euro addition of the Crowne Plaza “I have been working here PLUS Gazette that, with the sale to Disney SCA and large invest- Phuket to our hotel portfolio, for nearly a year, and the thing I KHI, the management contract ments in AOL, Apple Computer, which represents the first oppor- am most proud of is our improve- QUEER N EWS 6; AROUND THE NA- will go to Movenpick. Worldcom, Motorola, News Corp tunity for KHI in Asia. This fur- ments to the work permit pro- TION 7; HAPPENINGS 16; PHUKET KHI already owns six Mo- and other technology and media ther demonstrates our ability to cess. I’m not sure if our office is DIARY, THE TIME M ACHINE 17; venpick properties, with six more companies. consolidate our position in at- the first to renew permits within TSOWNDINGS 18; TRAVEL 20; in development. It also owns five Following the acquisition, tractive growth emerging mar- 15 minutes, but I think every of- TAKE A BREAK 21 & 22; OUT- Four Seasons Hotels, with three KHI’s first in Asia, Prince Alwa- kets.” fice has to do the best it can. SIDE IN, BOOKS 23; EDITORIAL, being developed, and five Fair- leed was quoted as saying, “This As for the sellers, Andrew “The feedback on the new LETTERS, ISSUES & ANSWERS 24 monts, with another two to come is a rare opportunity to purchase Heithersay, National Director of system has been very good be- & 25; HOROSCOPES, MAKING (KHI owns Fairmont). a fully refurbished hotel in a pris- LaSalle Investment Manage- cause nobody expected that we TRACKS, THE GRAY AREA 26 & Prince Alwaleed at one tine site on Phuket’s most popu- ment, said, “We have achieved could renew work permits in 15 27; CLASSIFIEDS 38-47. time owned The Plaza in New lar West Coast. Continued on page 2 minutes.” AV Footer 2 PHUKET GAZETTE NEWS May 6 - 12, 2006 TG, Bangkok Airways forge network alliance By Sangkhae Leelanapaporn with services to Koh Samui and “This has an impact on do- give it better access to destina- mestic markets such as Koh BANGKOK: Rivals Thai Air- tions in China. Samui – a destination that THAI ways International (THAI) and THAI Acting President does not currently serve – and Bangkok Airways signed a Me- Somchainuk Engtrakul said that aims to foster cooperation with morandum of Understanding the signing of the MOU signifies Bangkok Airways. (MOU) on April 27 aimed at help- development of network coordi- “Destinations in China in- ing THAI coordinate its flights nation between the two carriers. clude Sipsongpanna, Xian, Guilin, Zhengzhou, Hangzhou and Shen- zhen, all of which are served by Bangkok Airways but not by THAI,” a press release quited him as saying. “This is a good opportunity for THAI to expand its reach in China, using Bangkok Airways’ network, to better meet passen- Stamps mark anniversary ger needs and expectations and make travel more convenient.” of HM’s ascension to throne The Chinese market is seen as having high potential due to its SURE TO BE snapped up by collectors is this limited edi- consistent growth. Figures from tion set of three-baht stamps, issued to commemorate the the Tourism Authority of Thailand 60th anniversary of HM King Bhumibol’s accession to the show that 711,000 Chinese tour- throne. ists arrived in Thailand in 2005, One million sets have been printed and went on sale an increase of 12% compared on Coronation Day, May 5, at all Thailand Post offices, in- with 2004. cluding the 10 branches in Phuket. Bangkok Airways Presi- dent Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth THAI Acting President Somchainuk Engtrakul (left) and Bangkok said that Bangkok Airways and Airways President Prasert Prasarttong-Osoth both beam after signing THAI will continue to cooperate CAT cuts overseas call rates the Memorandum of Understanding that will see the two carriers in order to counter increasing link services. competition in the airline indus- THAILAND: With effect from while mobile phone calls cost 12 try. May 1, CAT Telecom cut inter- baht. “Cooperation between the national call rates to 10 countries CAT generated 800 million On yer bikes, Gov tells officials two carriers will help strengthen to five baht a minute, whether baht in income last year from ov- both THAI’s and Bangkok Air- calls are made from a fixed-line erseas calls. This year, K. Maroot PHUKET CITY: Phuket Gover- He said that Phuket City ways’ operations, increasing abil- phone or a mobile phone. said, it expects to make more. nor Udomsak Uswarangkura has Municipality should lead the way, ity to compete in airline business CAT Deputy Managing Di- “[Cutting the rates] could reduce urged government officers to ride by building bicycle lanes and in- worldwide and further solidifying rector Maroot Buranasettakul CAT’s income by 30 million baht bicycles instead of using vehicles stalling bike racks where bicycles Thailand’s position as the future said that rates for all 009-prefix a month, or 360 million baht a year, in order to save fuel, in light of may be parked. aviation hub for the region. calls to Brunei, Canada, China but we hope that the cheaper the recent rises in fuel prices. “I have started walking in- “The two airlines’ networks (including Hong Kong and Ma- rates will encourage people to call Speaking to provincial chief stead of driving around after will join together and open up to cau), Guam, Kuwait, Laos, Ma- overseas more,” he said. officers, he said, “We have to work. If the cost of fuel contin- all groups of travelers worldwide, laysia, Russia, Singapore and the This is the second time this save fuel and save money.