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Latest Headlines

• Bangkok’s architecture lagging other Asian cities

  Virtually every Asian metropolis has at least one or two buildings gracing its skyline recognizable worldwide. From Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, to the Municipal Government Offices in Tokyo, the modern Asian metropolis seems to pride itself on its cutting edge architecture to show its prosperity, all but Bangkok, it seems.

  Local Bangkok architects like Duangrit Bunnag attempts to answer the question of why Bangkok is so absent of striking architectural structures. He says, "The question I am always asked is which building do you like? And then I look around, and even though I live on the 28th floor, I look around and cannot find one building that I like. It is a very unfortunate thing.”

  Thai architects are channeling their creativity into other areas of development besides the capital, lke the new developments in Hua Hin, and even old pearls of the tourism industry like Ko Samui and Phuket.

  As Bangkok retains its architectural stuffiness, any cutting-edge construction will likely appear in the form of a beach resort on one of Thailand’s resort islands.

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• Aid workers stranded in Bangkok

  Following the intense disaster in Burma caused by Cyclone Nargis, thousands of aid workers have made it as far as the Thai capital of Bangkok, only to find that their entry visas for Myanmar aren’t coming as easily as they should be, especially in light of these extreme circumstances.

  One aid worker, Pierre Fouillant, a veteran of over 10 disaster aid missions, is calling the Myanmar government’s slow issue of a business visa a crime against humanity. Myanmar’s ruling military junta will issue no such thing as an emergency visa, so he like countless others, is waiting in Bangkok for a business visa. The shocking fact that the embassy remained closed this pat Friday due to a Thai holiday has left Fouillant shocked and disgusted. He says, "I've never seen delays like this, never. It’s a crime against humanity. It should be against the law. It's like they are taking a gun and shooting their own people."

  As of now, aid workers applying through the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok for visas are still waiting.

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• Phuket escapes global credit crunch

  After the 2004 tsunami, the Thai island of Phuket’s real estate boom was stopped dead in its tracks, but in the last year, while many other regions of the world have been adversely affected by the slowdown in the US markets, Phuket’s property prices remain stable, if not on the rise. Many consistently stable regions have followed suit as the US housing market plummeted, but Phuket is reporting rises in its housing market compared to last year.

  Director of Tropical Homes Real Estate David Wade says, "The huge difference between Phuket and the rest of the world is there's no finance. So the cash squeeze isn't felt here."

  Phuket has escaped the fate of many other high-end regions due to its policies of not giving loans to non-nationals, except of course if a foreigner is married to a Thai. "There are no on-shore loans available to people who want to buy over here. Thai banks will not loan to foreign homeowners. You will not get a loan unless you're married to a Thai," says managing director of Engle & Voelkers Thailand Martin Phillips. So while the Phuket market remains stable, it may yet suffer from the lack of overseas buyers from countries like the US and the UK who are feeling the bite and not as willing to shell out on a second home.

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• Samui’s beer market gets more competitive

  Visitors to Ko Samui are often fond of a tipple, and in the last year, a new brand has emerged in Thailand to compete with the traditional Thai offerings of Chang and Leo in the budget beer market. Cheers Beer is brewed by the same group that handles Southeast Asia’s Heineken supply, the Thai Asia Brewery Co.

  42.7 percent of the budget beer market is ruled by Leo, a cheaper beer brewed by the Singha company. On Ko Samui and other popular tourist spots in Thailand, Cheers has seen a 40 percent sales growth since it revamped its formula, giving the beer better taste and quality.

  Samui retailers are being given incentives to advertise Cheers beer instead of more typical flare from Leo, Chang, Singha or even Heineken. The company has also released a tall can version, in hopes of capitalizing on the budget conscious drinkers who would sooner drink at home than go out to a beach bar. For tourists though, cans still account for 90 percent of sales in bars.

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• Chiang Mai goes 3G

  The mobile communication platform of the third generation broadband service known as 3G has finally been launched in the Chiang Mai area. The prospect of Chaing mai going 3G has been speculated for a few years now, and it is with a 600 million baht plan the service will make itself available to the people of Northern Thailand. Strangely enough, the service will begin in Chiang Mai even before Bangkok, who will launch its 3G capability in mid-June.

  The 3G revolution is expected to perform the amazing feat of making mobile internet access a fast and reliable way to surf the web, as up to now web browsing on a mobile phone has proven a dismal experience. What 3G will mean to mobile users is not only fast internet browsing, but video streaming, video calling and music and video downloads comparable to what is possible on a full size computer. Users wanting to switch over will need to get a new sim card, but arrangements to keep their old numbers are in place.

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