Ikea shelves entry into uncertain Thailand

From The Telegraph

Ikea, the Swedish retailer known around the world for its flatpack furniture, has put plans to expand into Thailand firmly on the shelf amid an increasingly uncertain environment for multinational investors.

The lingering after-effects of last year's military coup and a series of tougher laws on foreign ownership have prompted Ikea to postpone a move into one of South-East Asia's most important economies.

The delay reflects growing nervousness among overseas investors following draconian revisions to Thailand's Foreign Business Act and the publication of draft legislation covering the retail sector, which may have a serious impact on Tesco and Carrefour, the French supermarkets group.

The Thai government has proposed changes to the definition of a "foreign" company to mean one which is not controlled or majority-owned by Thais.

It has also vowed to stamp out the use of nominee shareholders for the subsidiaries of multinationals operating there, a move which has alarmed many overseas firms which have largely relied on the use of such structures.

The foreign business ownership laws have always been complicated, but there has always been a measure of understanding, said Alastair Henderson, managing partner of Herbert Smith, the law firm, in Bangkok: The latest proposals have meant great uncertainty for companies about the regulatory climate they are going to face and whether they will be able to retain control of their investments.

The country's interim government, which has said it is likely to hold democratic elections in December, has held numerous rounds of talks with officials from the European Commission and overseas chambers of commerce stationed in Bangkok.

One senior official said the Thai government's actions were evidence of a clear protectionist backlash and warned that its stance could lead to Thailand being cut out of the global economy.

 
But not standing up for the royal anthem in a cinema

From the Nation

A cinema goer told The Nation yesterday that he and his companion had had to call the police in order to end the feud after someone in the audience shouted at them and a slight physical skirmish took place.

Chotisak and his friend Chitma Penphak filed charges of physical assault and defamation at Pathumwan Police Station against the alleged attacker. Chotisak said some 20 or so fellow movie-goers had also shouted abuse at them for not standing for the royal anthem and some thrown water bottles before the police arrived to calm things down. The incident took place at a city-centre cinema at 7pm, for the showing of  Hollywood film. Theatre staff at first tried to end the feud but apparently failed.

Chotisak insisted that he had rarely stood up for the Royal anthem in the past, but this was the first time he had got into a scuffle. I usually don't stand up. Some people have thrown things at me once or twice.

He said the attacker who threw popcorn at them had accused them of being "unpatriotic" and disloyal to the monarchy. The man also allegedly called them "pathetic" and questioned if they were real Thai citizens.

The alleged assailant Nawamin Wittayakul in turn yesterday threatened to counter-sue on a lese-majeste charge.

 
U-Turn on doubling of visa financial requirements

From Thai Visa

Everything is status quo as before Sept 1st 2007 at Bangkok Immigration ie a single 65,000 Baht monthly income or an 800,000 Baht bank deposit per couple. The higherups had a meeting yesterday and as no new Police Order has been issued in the Royal Gazette, they'll abide with the National Police Order 606 starting as of today.

Good news for the extension of stay dependents based on retirement as of today. Possibly bad news for parents under 50 years old, because everything is the same until a new police Order comes out( if it ever will ) As of today the window is back open for applicants of dependents and Bangkok Immigration is going to follow Police Order 606 even if it is in conflict with the Immigration Act and Ministerial Regulations.

Anybody who was denied or application was not accepted to process in the last 19 days, can now re-apply.

88 killed on One-Two-Go flight from Bangkok to Phuket

From the Bangkok Post

A One-Two-Go Airlines passenger jet with 130 people aboard crashed and burned while landing at Phuket Airport in foul weather Sunday afternoon. Phuket deputy governor Vorapot Rajsima said 88 people were confirmed dead.

There were at least 42 survivors, including 11 Thais, six Irish nationals, six Britons, three Australians, three Iranians, two Swedes, one German and a Dutch national. They were admitted to various Phuket hospitals. Five are in a critical condition.

The pilot and co-pilot were said to be among the survivors.

The MD82 plane of the budget airline skidded off the runway after landing on a flight from Don Muang airport in Bangkok, and crashed into trees, bursting into fire.

Chaisak said that there was heavy rain when flight OG269 of parent Orient Thai Airways traveling from Bangkok's Don Muang airport to Phuket attempted to make a landing. Planes in both Orient Thai and One-Two-Go livery use the OG flight identifier.

The visibility was poor as the pilot attempted to land. He decided to make a go-around but the plane lost balance and crashed. The plane then fell onto the runway and broke into two, said Chaisak.

Immigration do their bit to welcome visitors to Thailand

From Thai Visa

For the 3rd time in a row, I arrived at the new airport. I crossed the corner before the immigration officers just to find endless rows of people and had to queue at least ONE HOUR just to get my surveillance photo done and the stamp in my passport.

So much for adequate facilities at Suvarnabhumi Airport.

It may be something to bear in mind when arranging pick ups at the airport.

Customs do their bit to welcome visitors to Thailand

From Pattaya Addicts

It would appear that Thai Customs at Suvarnabhumi Airport are stopping a lot of people at customs these days. What they are doing is putting your case through the scanner and if they see something worth investigating they will have it opened.

In the past they normally left the tourist alone but now they are pulling everyone and anyone.

So be careful what you bring in, even excess duty free carries a hefty fine.

Thai/Farang company Full board meeting

Farang property ownership companies now under investigation

The whole country belongs to the Thai people, maintaining thus far for the Thai. [Thai National Anthem]

Based on an article from the Bangkok Post see full article

The Business Development Department is in the process of inspecting as many as 40,000 companies to see if they have used nominee structures to hold shares for foreign investors, a practice prohibited by the Foreign Business Act.

According to department director-general Kanissorn Navanugraha, the investigation would continue even though draft amendments to the law are unlikely to be passed by this government.

These 40,000 companies are foreign-Thai ventures, many of which are companies set up to enable farangs to 'own' property.

The department's initial inspection found that the majority shares of 3,000 firms were held by foreigners.

Kanissorn said 1,800 of these companies fell under the Board of Investment and foreigners legally held more than 50% of shares. This privilege is granted on the condition that the firms transfer technology to locals and bring in investment capital.

He said that officials were randomly examining the remaining 1,200 firms to see whether any were BoI-promoted companies.

Since May, his department has taken legal action against six companies for breaching the law.

 
Visa financial requirements doubled

To retire in Thailand (without the need for perpetual visa runs) a farang couple will now require either 2x65,000 Baht monthly income or 2x800,000 Baht in a Thai bank.

This applies even to those already here who may have reasonably assumed the old conditions would continue

From Thai Visa

If a foreigner has been granted a extension of stay based on retirement, until now as per 7.19 of the Royal Police Office Order 606/2006 his or her foreign dependent ( Wife or husband, child, father, mother) could get a extension of stay by being a dependent.

As of Sept 1st, no more dependent extension of stay permits will be issued if the foreigner has a extension of stay based on retirement. This includes any “grandfather” cases where the dependent applicant had the extension of stay before Sept 1st 2007.

Example. A foreigner husband is 53 years old and has a extension of stay based on retirement. His wife is Japanese and they live together in Thailand. She is 43 years old and now cannot get a extension of stay as a dependent. Even if she was 51 years old, she does not qualify. She must meet her own set of criteria and not piggyback off her husbands retirement extension of stay permit. If she is over 50 years old, she can get a extension of stay based on retirement but must have her own 800K sent from outside the country to her bank account or qualify by having a pension of 65K per month.

This National Police Order will be dated Sept 1st 2007 and will be published in the Gazette in the next 10 days. However this order is effective immediately.

 
Whiskey tax up 10 Baht a bottle

From the Bangkok Post

The Thai cabinet has approved higher excise taxes on spirits and tobacco applying from today.

Deputy government spokesman Chodchai Suwanaporn said the cabinet agreed with the Finance Ministry the increase was in order to make competition fairer among the producers of liquor, special liquor, wine and beer: Spirits with a higher alcohol content should face higher taxes.

At the same time, the higher taxes should lower consumption of spirits by 60-65 million litres a year and cigarettes by 20 million packs. Last year, 450 million litres of alcoholic drinks were consumed in Thailand and 1.7 billion packs of cigarettes.

The cabinet kept the excise tax on beer and wine unchanged yesterday but it was suggested that tax on beer and white spirit may rise later when a new excise bill is enacted

Local cigarettes will cost an extra Bt2 per pack, while imported brands will cost an extra Bt3.

The Excise Department now taxes alcoholic beverages based on either the ex-factory price or alcoholic content, whichever is higher:

• White spirit: 25% of ex-factory price (before 12.5%) or 110 Baht per litre (before 70). Typically adds 10 Baht to a 625cc bottle.
• Blended spirit (Mae Khong, SangSom): remains at 50% of ex-factory price or 280 Baht per litre (before 240) Typically adds 9-12 Baht to a 625cc bottle
• Special liquor such as brandy: 45% of ex-factory price (before 40%) or 400 Baht per litre.

 
Election day on the run up to Christmas

The official rule is that the evening before the election and the whole day of the election will be dry days in the bars.

There is hope based on a recent election in Phuket where bars inside designated entertainment zones were exempt from the alcohol ban.

Also there is hope that the ban will be unofficially relaxed on election day once the ballot has closed. This would allow bars to open on the evening of the 23rd

From the BBC

Thailand has set a date for the first general election following last year's coup.

The electoral commission said the election would be held on 23 December.

We consider 23 December 2007, is the appropriate date, election commission chief Apichart Sukhagganond said: This will give political parties enough time to run their campaigns.

Aspiring politicians now have around four months to prepare for the polls. Thai Rak Thai, Thaksin's former party, has been renamed the People Power Party and appointed a veteran right-wing politician, Samak Sundaravej, to lead it into the election.

Top executives in the party have been barred from holding political office for five years, and Thaksin remains in exile, but he retains strong popular support in the poor north and north-east of Thailand.

Even so, our correspondent adds, the party is unlikely to win enough votes for an outright majority. The main party which opposed Thaksin, the Democrats, has survived the last year intact, but its support has dwindled in recent years, and it is also unlikely to win a majority. That means the next government will almost certainly be a coalition - and in the past, coalition governments in Thailand have acquired a reputation for being short-lived, and very corrupt, our correspondent says. [and therefore maintaining the need for the military to keep a role in watching over the politicians?]

 
Thais support proposed constitution

From the Bangkok Post

Voting Thailand's first-ever referendum has endorsed the country's 18th constitution that promises to weaken the political party system and strengthen the hand of the bureaucracy and military, initial results showed Monday.

A count of 93% of the ballots cast in Sunday's plebiscite, found that 58.3 % voted yes, 41.7%t no and the remainder were invalid.

About 55% of eligible voters participated in the referendum. Official results will be announced by 4 pm Monday.

But the initial results also show Thailand's north-eastern region, the most populated and poorest, voting 63% against the charter, which many have seen as a popularity contest between the military and the former populist regime of Thaksin Shinawatra.

The military is satisfied with the people's acceptance of the constitution, said Army General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin, who heads the junta.

Political analysts, however, said the results indicate that Thailand remains deeply divided.

The north-east was Thaksin's stronghold during his six years in power between 2001 and 2006, and the region, home to nearly half of Thailand's population, still supports him and his Thai Rak Tahi Party, observers said.

This vote shows that the polarization of Thailand is entrenched, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, director of Thailand's Institute of Security and International Studies. It signifies a deeply divided country.

Thailand's other four regions - Bangkok, the south, the central plains and the north - supported the charter.

The endorsement of the constitution will pave the way for a general election scheduled in December.

 
Thais decide whether to accept proposed constitution

From the BBC

Voting has begun in Thailand's first ever referendum, in which people will choose whether to accept or reject a new constitution.

The vote, called by the military-backed government, is also seen as a plebiscite on its seizure of power.

The government has sent copies of the 149-page document to all 18 million homes in Thailand.

Thaksin's supporters want to see the constitution rejected. They say the charter is the creation of an illegitimate government.

Election officials said they expected to announce the results late on Sunday.

Coup leader Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin urged people to vote, in a live TV address earlier in the day: I would like to ask people to come out to vote in the referendum. Today is an important and historic day.

The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says that anything less than a 50% turnout would be interpreted by many people here as a show of disapproval for last year's coup.

Critics say the new constitution is less democratic, as it proposes that the Senate should be only partly elected. But the government says the new charter has many other clauses, like those recognising minority rights, which are more liberal than before. The draft document limits future prime ministers to two terms in office and makes it easier to impeach them.

The military has promised elections to restore democratic government by the end of the year, if the constitution is approved. But if the charter is rejected, the military has said it will pick any one of Thailand's 16 previous constitutions instead.

 
Prosecution to request extradition

From the Bangkok Post

The prosecution is preparing to pick up arrest warrants for Thaksin Shinawatra and his wife Khunying Potjaman from the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday the court decided to issue arrest warrants for the pair after they failed to appear for the first hearing in the 772-million-baht Ratchadaphisek land purchase case.

Public prosecutors plan to initiate a proposal to have ousted Prime Minsiter Thaksin and his wife extradited from UK after picking up the arrest warrants.

However, it is believed the British government have yet to assess whether an extradition request by Thailand complies with the British law.

 
Government agrees to new coins

From The Nation

The Cabinet have agreed that adjustments be made to all nine coins in circulation, expecting to cut minting costs by Bt1.9 billion a year.

Chodechai Suwanaporn, a deputy government spokesman, said new coins will bear an updated image of His Majesty the King, replacing the one that has been used since 1987.

New coins will be smaller, lighter and coated with cheaper metal, like copper for 25- and 50-satang coins and nickel for Bt1. The Bt2 coins will be made of a copper-coloured bronze-aluminium composite, while the Bt5 coins will be coated with a silvery metal such as nickel.

A source at the Cabinet meeting said the Finance minister had also said that the Bt1 as well as 25- and 50-satang coins would be gradually phased out, and the Bt2 coins used instead. The change will be slow to prevent public panic.

 
An end to campaigning for a state religion

Surely a wise move. Religion seems to cause nothing but trouble in countries where it is allowed to get a foothold in Government.

From the Bangkok Post

Buddhist activists have decided to discontinue their campaign for Buddhism to be acknowledged as the state religion in the new constitution.

The decision was made after Her Majesty the Queen said in her 75th birthday address on Saturday that Buddhism should be free of politics and kept out of the new charter.

Thongchai Kuea-sakul, leader of the Buddhism Network of Thailand, said it would be appropriate for members of Buddhist organisations to pay heed to the Queen's advice and end their activities.

He said he would bring up the matter in discussions with representatives of 800 to 900 Buddhist organisations, and he believed they would all agree to cease campaigning.

The Constitution Drafting Assembly earlier considered and then voted down their proposal to enshrine Buddhism as the national religion in the constitution.

New Premier League season in Thailand

From Thai Visa

Well English Premier League football has now kicked off and it is now clearer what the state of play on TV is.

The football is now being carried by the satellite Service TrueVisions (previously UBC). It is no longer being shown on ESPN/StarSports but these channels continue but with different sports.

On TrueVision matches are being shown in selectable English or Thai but pre/half time/post analysis is now only in Thai (and is criticised as uninteresting anyway by Thai speaking farangs).

A selection of matches is being shown live with others recorded for later transmission. The amount of matches depends on the level of subscription. The picture quality has also been criticised with digital artifacts (pixellation or blocking) due to excessive compression.

It seems that viewers who used to be able to watch the football on cable eg on ESPN are now stiffed.

Over pink Hello Kitty armbands

From The Register

A new punishment awaits rule-breaking Thai police officers: Hello Kitty armbands.

Unable to control his officers with other disciplinary measures, Colonel Pongpat Chayaphan has said that those caught breaking police rules will be forced to wear a pink armband tagged with Hello Kitty and a pair of hearts.

Simple warnings no longer work. This new twist is expected to make them feel guilt and shame and prevent them from repeating the offence, no matter how minor, said Pongpat, acting chief of the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok.

Pongat stopped short of ordering his officers to wear the pink armbands in public. He believes that a day spent in the division office with this "mark of shame" is punishment enough.

We want to make sure that we do not condone small offenses, Pongat said, including littering and arriving late, and he's confident that as he cracks down on such misdemeanors, he'll also curb more serious problems, such as police brutality and abuse of power.

Thai/Farang company Full board meeting

NLA attempt to define foreign business via management control backfires

The whole country belongs to the Thai people, maintaining thus far for the Thai. [Thai National Anthem]

From The Nation

The controversial proposed amendment to the Foreign Business Act was abruptly withdrawn from the interim Parliament yesterday, raising uncertainty over whether the bill - dreaded by Thailand's key investment partners - will pass within the term of the military junta.

Commerce Minister Krirk-krai Jirapaet asked the National Legislative Assembly to withdraw the bill in the last minutes of a heated NLA session, after his ministry lost in its attempt to push through its version, which was considered more lenient than that of an NLA committee.

Krirk-krai was surprised and disappointed as hardline NLA members aggressively pushed for a tougher law. He decided to ask the NLA to withdraw the bill for further revision after a slight majority voted in favour of a proposal made by a group of NLA members to extend the power to control management via shareholding and voting rights, as a means of imposing more stringent measures in relation to the crucial nominee issue.

Seventy-six members voted for this version, while 64 members agreed with the government draft - authored by the Commerce Ministry - to maintain the original definition to control only share and voting rights.

Krirk-krai admitted that the chance of passing the law, which oversees foreign investment and business, within the term of Prime Minister Surayud Chula-nont's administration was now uncertain.

Krirk-krai said the government's version of the draft amendment was sufficiently protective, compared to the proposal to expand management control, which is too stringent and too difficult to examine.

Somchai Sakulsurarat, an NLA member who advocated the stringent version of the bill, said: The draft of the law could not prevent foreigners from engaging in protected business sectors, because foreigners can use other means to control companies other than voting rights.

 
Thailand is the deadliest holiday destination

From The Times

It is better known for its ancient temples, beautiful beaches and mouth-watering cuisine, but Thailand is also the deadliest destination for British holidaymakers.

As millions prepare to flee a British summer that has been at best lukewarm, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office published figures yesterday showing the countries where Britons are most likely to seek help from their embassy.

Unsurprisingly, Spain, which attracts about 14 million Britons a year, tops almost every category for holidaymakers in peril. But when the figures are adjusted to show the proportion of travellers affected, Thailand is by far the most dangerous.

The Foreign Office said that the Thailand figures, for April 2005 to March last year and released in British Behaviour Abroad, showed that although Brits are getting more adventurous, they are not doing enough preparation before they go.

The 381,000 who travelled from Britain to the SouthEast Asian kingdom were nearly five times more likely to die than those visiting the second deadliest - India. They were also 50% more likely to be taken to hospital in Thailand than in second-placed Greece. About 24 out of 10,000 Britons needed serious assistance from a consulate in Thailand, double the rate of those visiting Australia.

Travel agents said that the problems arose from cheap flights and underprepared travellers. A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents said: The majority of people travelling to Thailand are back-packers. They often travel uninsured and stay in cheap accommodation. If you’re travelling like that for an extended period you are more likely to end up with a problem.

Meg Munn, Foreign & Commonwealth Office Minister, said: “One of the most important tasks for the Foreign Office is our work to help British nationals in distress overseas. As this report shows, although some of the incidents people face are unavoidable, many can be prevented with a little planning and careful preparation. Simple precautions – like researching your destination, getting comprehensive travel insurance, checking medical requirements and taking copies of important documents – could help in the long run to avoid common traumas, risks and dangers.”

 
Privy Council President blamed for coup

From the BBC

Several thousand protesters opposed to Thailand's military-backed government have clashed with police in the capital, Bangkok.

The crowd staged a rally outside the house of Prem Tinsulanonda, a senior adviser to Thailand's king.

The protesters say Prem was behind a bloodless coup which removed former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Rocks and bottles of water were thrown at police, in the most violent demonstration since the 2006 coup.

Protesters, mostly supporters of the ousted Thaksin, have been holding nightly rallies in Bangkok since early June.

Clashes broke out after they marched to demonstrate outside Prem's house on Sunday evening and anti-riot police tried to disperse them. Several people, including police officers, were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Bangkok police officials said they would issue arrest warrants for the protest leaders on Monday.

 
End of teaching career for adulterers?

The big question is whether this will affect farang English teachers, many of whom are only teaching so as to fund a less than morally correct lifestyle.

From The Nation

The Education Ministry would increase disciplinary punishments for state school teachers who have extra-marital affairs - from salary cuts to dismissal from the civil service, Education permanent secretary Jaruayporn Thoranin said.

The Committee for Teachers and Education Personnel agreed in principle yesterday to toughen penalties for teachers and education personnel who commit adultery or have an extra-marital affair, Jaruayporn said.

The current disciplinary punishment was a salary cut but the new ruling would set up a fact-finding panel to look into alleged wrongdoing and if an allegation had grounds, a disciplinary investigation would be carried out, Jaruayporn said.

If a disciplinary inquiry deemed a teacher guilty, punishment could vary from dismissal from the service - with or without pension - to the revoking of a teacher's vocational permit, she said.

However, the committee asked that the new measure be compared with other agencies' regulations before it was re-submitted for consideration, she said.

The spur for increased punishments stemmed from the fact that every time the committee met to discuss disciplinary measures, the issue of teachers' adulterous affairs was raised. Thus the committee felt tougher punishment was needed to stop such offences occurring.

 
Extreme authoritarian security law

From the Standard

Thailand's top human rights guardian denounced the army-appointed government for its push to beef up security laws.

National Human Rights Commission chief Saneh Chamarik said the revamping of the Internal Security Operations Command, a shadowy anti-communist army unit spawned during the Cold War, was a serious concern.

In spite of talking about democracy in Thailand, the whole place is basically still under a traditional authoritarian culture, said the head of the state-funded rights body. The government listens only to the bureaucrats, who tend to be authoritarian by nature.

According to the draft ISOC law approved by the interim Cabinet and now before the army-appointed parliament, the military will have the power to do pretty much whatever it wants in the name of national security.

It will be able to arrest anybody suspected of being a "threat" to internal security. It will also be able to set up road blocks, break up public meetings, impose censorship and curfews, search homes without a warrant and seize documents.

 
Man wanted in connection with British car bombs

From the Daily Mail

A Briton wanted in connection with failed car bomb plots in London has been found by police in Thailand and sent back to the UK according to a senior Thai police officer.

The man, a 30-year-old Arab businessman with a British passport, arrived in Bangkok on June 16 and was deported to Britain on Monday, the officer, who declined to be identified: We were asked by British authorities to look for this man suspected of being involved in the London attack. We found him, brought him to the airport and put him on the plane to England.

 
Court to hear corruption case against Thaksin

From the BBC

Thailand's Supreme Court has agreed to hear corruption charges against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The ex-leader and his wife Pojaman were named in a case involving allegations of wrongdoing in a land deal. Thaksin has denied any wrongdoing.

The first court hearing is due on 14 August. Several other cases of alleged corruption and abuse of power are pending against Thaksin.

The charges relate to the purchase of a prime plot of land in Bangkok in 2003 by Thaksin's wife Pojaman, for 772m baht ($24m; £12m). The land, owned by a government agency, had earlier been valued at 2.1bn baht ($66m, £32m).

Thaksin is accused of illegally influencing the deal. If convicted, the couple could be jailed for up to 13 years and face a fine.

Thaksin's solicitor, Noppadol Pattama, said that his client would not be returning for the opening arguments: Both of them will fight the case, but as of now the two defendants will not return to fight the case on the grounds that the judicial process is still being interfered with.

Thaksin's recent acquisition of the British football club, Manchester City, is still subject to the Football Association's "fit and proper person" test, which specifically bars people convicted of corruption, even in a foreign court.

 
Multiple entry Non-O visas available

From Pattaya Today

The Royal Thai Consulate in Penang is again issuing multi-entry non immigrant visas for Thailand.

In the last two years there has been a restriction by the Thai ministry of Foreign Affairs and single entry visas have been the order of the day.

But, effective late June, some applicants will be able to obtain multi entry “O” visas provided they have the right paperwork. Thus foreigners married to a Thai spouse are eligible for one year, multi entries provided the farang shows the original marriage certificate and the spouse’s ID. It may be advisable to take proof of income, but reports say this is not currently necessary.

Multi entry, non immigrant “B” visas are also now available for work permit holders who can show a current license issued by the Labour office. They also need to take company documentation and proof they have paid the permit registration fee.

Applicants who are applying for a business visa for the first time, or whose work permit has lapsed, will still receive only a single entry.

There has been no lifting of the curfew on multi entry visas for those seeking a tourist, 60 day, visa.

 
Thailand propose ban on sports and online tobacco adverts

From the Bangkok Post

Tougher measures are needed against international tobacco advertising via the internet and live sporting events, to protect the health of young people, Thai delegates told a World Health Organisation conference yesterday. They were addressing the second session of the Conference of the Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in Bangkok.

Hatai Chitanondh, president of the Health Promotion Institute under the National Health Foundation said Thailand said member countries were urged to strengthen a ban on cross-border commercials: New international regulations are needed to stop the flow of these ads.

Dr Hatai said Formula 1 racing alone earned up to US$400 million a year from tobacco advertisements. In a study he made of tobacco advertising from August 1998 to July 1999, cigarette logos appeared on the live broadcast about 40,000 times in at least 53 Asian countries.

Douglas Bettcher, acting director of the WHO Tobacco Free Initiative, agreed cross-border advertising was a big challenge. However, he believed it was necessary for each country to first strengthen national regulations on tobacco control. In the case of live sports events displaying tobacco commercials, tough legal measures to penalise home-based satellite operators beaming signals of the programme could be one way to deal with the problem, he said.