Amazing Thailand

The team from TAT Amazing Thailand (white shirt) fights for the ball with The Tickle & the Ivories team (blue shirt) during their elephant polo match at Golden Triangle in Thailand April 1, 2008. The tournament drew 12 international teams from 15 countries across five continents to take part in the game with 28 elephants. REUTERS/Chaiwat Subprasom (THAILAND)

Samson bids farewell to her prison life.

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13 June 2007, Convicted drug dealer and World Boxing Council (WBC) female light-flyweight champion, Siriporn "Samson Sor Siriporn" Thaveesuk, was released from prison after the Corrections Department decided to grant her early parole.

more news Woman leaves jail as reward for winning world title (ESPN) Thai boxer released after winning title (Fox Sport) Samson is freed from the lion's den (The Nation) World champion boxer Samson finally walks free from prison (Bangkok Post) Thailand rewards prison boxing champ with early release (Manager Online)

Thai economy on track despite export slowdown: Fin Min

By Manager Online

25 August 2007 15:05

http://www.pattayadailynews.com: Tarisa Watanagase, born 30 November 1949) is the governor of the Bank of Thailand. She succeeded Pridiyathorn Devakula, who was appointed finance minister in the interim government. Tarisa was an assistant governor of the BoT and is the first female governor in the bank's 64-year history

August 24, 2007
BANGKOK (AFP) - Thailand's economy is still on track to grow by 4.0 percent this year, despite a sudden slowdown in exports in July, Finance Minister Chalongphob Sussangkarn said.

The government still expects exports to grow by 12.5 percent this year, even though July exports registered at the lowest level in 29 months, he told reporters.

"Even exports tend to slow in the second half, we are confident that the whole-year target of 12.5 percent remains achievable," Chalongphob said.

July exports grew only 5.9 percent year-on-year, against growth of 18.6 percent in the first six months.

Chalongphob insisted slowing exports were unlikely to hurt the kingdom's overall economic growth this year.

"We are confident that the decline in exports will not impact the gross domestic product (GDP) growth, which is targeted at 4.0 percent this year," he told reporters.

The Bank of Thailand also expressed confidence that the July export data did not indicate problems ahead for the economy.

"Exports slowed not only because of the strong baht, but also because of other factors, including the US economic slowdown," said BoT governor Tarisa Watanagase.

"The central bank still believes that economic growth of around 4.0 to 5.0 percent remains possible," she told reporters.

The Thai currency traded at 10-year highs in July, but weakened following a slump in the stock market and the introduction of new measures aimed at weakening the currency.

The currency finished at 34.38 baht to the dollar on Friday.

A strong baht puts pressure on exports, the key driver of the Thai economy, as it makes Thai goods less competitive abroad and cuts the value of repatriated profits.

One dead, 12 injured in Thai bomb attack

By Manager Online

25 August 2007 16:58

August 25, 2007
BANGKOK (AFP) - A Buddhist woman was killed and 12 others wounded, including six soldiers, when a roadside bomb exploded Saturday in Thailand's restive Muslim-majority south, police said.

The seven-kilogram (15-pound) bomb went off in front of a grocery shop in Pattani, one of three insurgency-torn provinces bordering Malaysia, they said, adding the roadside bomb was detonated by remote control.

The bomb was aimed at patrolling soldiers who were providing security for Buddhist monks on their morning alms round, police said. Three monks were also wounded.

More than 2,500 people have been killed in the southern unrest since January 2004, with violence escalating despite a number of peace initiatives by the military-installed government.

Back to Hell

Having recently finished reading “Welcome to Hell – One man’s fight inside the Bangkok Hilton" by Colin Martin, I decided to write a short presentation on Thailand Blogs too. You can read it here!

Find out more about this topic here:

- The Real Bangkok Hilton - BBC article

- Bangkwang - Wikipedia article

- Save a Life - Foreign prisoner support service

- Thai Prison Life - Gor's story

- Department of Corrections, Thailand - official website

Thai auto exports increase

The Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) said that Thailand's automobile exports increased by 19 per cent in the first seven months of this year, in contrast with the total domestic sales, which dropped due to the economic slowdown.FTI spokesman Suraphong Paisitpattanaphong said that automobile production from January to July this year totaled 706,749 vehicles, an increase of 2.25 per cent, compared to the same period last year.Of the total auto production, 370,885 vehicles were made for export, an increase of 20.56 per cent and 335,864 for sale in local markets, a 12.43 per cent drop, compared to the same period last year.Auto sales in Thailand decreased in the last seven months because consumer confidence is low, resulted from the economic sluggishness, oil price hikes, and political turmoil.The manufacture of sedans for export increased to 12,349, up 37.10 per cent in July 2007 and 80,041 from January to July 2007, an increase of 16.66 per cent.The production of one-tonne pick-up trucks for export totaled 45,663 in July 2007 or an increase of 46.60 and 290,844 from January to July 2007, up 21.76 per cent.Thailand's auto exports totaled 56,042 in July 2007, a 38.17 per cent year-on-year rise, valued at Bt23.9 billion, surging 33.67 per cent from the corresponding period last year. (TNA)