All trains, including those on southern route, will resume normal operations today, as the government is ready to deploy police and military forces to end the five-day strike that has inconvenienced commuters and other travellers and disrupted goods shipments.
State Railway of Thailand (SRT) chairman Tawalyarat Onsira said workers at all main stations, apart from those in Hat Yai, had agreed to cooperate.
Patrol police will escort trains past Hat Yai, where most of the rebellious union members are stationed, to the southernmost station in Sungai Kolok, in Narathiwat province.
"The southern trains had been stopped at Surat Thani out of fear that when they reached Hat Yai, the locomotives would be seized by the workers there. To date, they have seized four locomotives. But tomorrow, the services will resume, as the government has to ease the troubles of commuters, particularly those riding on free trains," Tawalyarat said in a phone interview yesterday.
He said the SRT had the government's green light to resume services, as yielding to the union's demands would pose a long-term problem for nationwide train services.
He added that the authorities' filing of a charge on Monday had scared off the union, which did not in the event seize control of the country's main station at Hualamphong as it had threatened to do.
While stating that the trouble was partially caused by Sawit Kaewwan, the union leader who is also chairman of the SRT's savings cooperative, the state rairoad chief said the SRT was ready for damage claims from those inconvenienced by the strike.
Transport Minister Sophon Ssaram yesterday said on television that the ministry would use police and military force to seize the locomotives confiscated by the striking workers.
He also accused union leader Sawit of lying by stating that all the locomotives were in need of repair.
The Cabinet yesterday endorsed a revision of the SRT's recruitment rules, alloing the agency to hire retired drivers and 170 graduates from the train academy for a short period.
Sophon urged all drivers to return to work.
"Our policy is to seek compromise, but this depends on the rules. Service must be resumed, and then there can be negotiations. All drivers need to uphold their duty and cannot [in effect] take passengers hostage," he said.
He said since the accident in Prachuap Khiri Khan on October 4, the ministry had been ordered by the Cabinet to complete the SRT's restructuring plan within three weeks. He said a restructuring of the agency was essential.
PORTS REPORT DELAYS
Meanwhile, the Port Authority of Thailand reported the rail strike had led to delays in shipments destined for Klong Toei and Laem Chabang ports, as they were stuck at Surat Thani train station.
The Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning yesterday suggested the SRT be upgraded into a department of the Transport Ministry.
Deputy director Chula Sukmanop said the upgrade would lead to better management of the national railroad network, while its funding costs would be lower.
"[Due to its importance], the SRT should be like the Highways Department and the Airport Transport Department, as it is supposed to be the regulator and not just the operator of rail services," he said.
A study by the Thailand Development Research Institute showed the proposed railway department under the ministry should be responsible for development of rail infrastructure, as well as signalling, stations and other key components of the rail service.
It should also have subsidiaries for running the train service, property management and so on.
In the next stage, the government should invite private firms to form joint ventures to run the rail service, the study said.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Magnificent seven
In the most important, most revered event since the invention of the brontosaurus trap,Microsoft shipped the most incredibly fabulous operating system ever made; the release of Windows 7 also spurred a new generation of personal computers of all sizes at prices well below last month's offers.The top reason Windows 7 does not suck: There is no registered website called Windows7Sucks.com
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Kindle e-book reader maker Amazon.com and new Nook e-book reader vendor Barnes and Noble got it on; B&N got great reviews for the "Kindle killer"Nook, with dual screens and touch controls so you can "turn" pages, plays MP3s and allows many non-B&N book formats, although not the Kindle one;Amazon then killed the US version of its Kindle in favour of the international one, reduced its price to $260(8,700 baht), same as the Nook; it's not yet clear what you can get in Thailand with a Nook, but you sure can't (yet) get much, relatively speaking, with a Kindle;but here's the biggest difference so far,which Amazon.com has ignored: the Nook lets you lend e-books to any other Nook owner, just as if they were paper books; the borrowed books expire on the borrower's Nook in two weeks.
Phone maker Nokia of Finland announced it is suing iPhone maker Apple of America for being a copycat; lawyers said they figure Nokia can get at least one, probably two per cent (retail) for every iPhone sold by Steve "President for Life" Jobs and crew via the lawsuit,which sure beats working for it -$6 (200 baht) to $12(400 baht) on 30 million phones sold so far, works out to $400 million or 25 percent of the whole Apple empire profits during the last quarter;there were 10 patent thefts, the Finnish executives said, on everything from moving data to security and encryption.
Nokia of Finland announced that it is one month behind on shipping its new flagship N900 phone, the first to run on Linux software; delay of the $750(25,000 baht) phone had absolutely no part in making Nokia so short that it had to sue Apple, slap yourself for such a thought.
Tim Berners-Lee, who created the World Wide Web, said he had one regret:the double slash that follows the "http:"in standard web addresses; he estimated that 14.2 gazillion users have wasted 48.72 bazillion hours typing those two keystrokes, and he's sorry; of course there's no reason to ever type that, since your browser does it for you when you type "www.bangkokpost.com" but Tim needs to admit he made one error in his lifetime.
The International Telecommunication Union of the United Nations, which doesn't sell any phones or services, announced that there should be a mobile phone charger that will work with any phone; now who would ever have thought of that, without a UN body to wind up a major study on the subject?;the GSM Association estimates that 51,000 tonnes of chargers are made each year in order to keep companies able to have their own unique ones.
The Well, Doh Award of the Week was presented at arm's length to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development; the group's deputy secretary-general Petko Draganov said that developing countries will miss some of the stuff available on the Internet if they don't install more broadband infrastructure; a report that used your tax baht to compile said that quite a few people use mobile phones but companies are more likely to invest in countries with excellent broadband connections; no one ever had thought of this before, right?
Sun Microsystems , as a result of the Oracle takeover, said it will allow 3,000 current workers never to bother coming to work again; Sun referred to the losses as "jobs," not people; now the fourth largest server maker in the world, Sun said it lost $2.2 billion in its last fiscal year; European regulators are holding up approval of the Oracle purchase in the hope of getting some money in exchange for not involving Oracle in court cases.
The multi-gazillionaire and very annoying investor Carl Icahn resigned from the board at Yahoo ; he spun it as a vote of confidence, saying current directors are taking the formerly threatened company seriously; Yahoo reported increased profits but smaller revenues in the third quarter.
The US House of Representatives voted to censure Vietnam for jailing bloggers; the non-binding resolution sponsored by southern California congresswoman Loretta Sanchez said the Internet is "a crucial tool for the citizens of Vietnam to be able to exercise their freedom of expression and association;"Hanoi has recently jailed at least nine activists for up to six years apiece for holding pro-democracy banners. Iran jailed blogger Hossein "Hoder" Derakshan for 10 months - in solitary confinement.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
TRAIN DRIVER SACKED OVER ACCIDENT
The State Railway of Thailand has dismissed the train driver and cut the salary of the train mechanic and caretaker by 15 per cent for 10 months after concluding they were responsible for the accident in Prachuab Khiri Khan on October 5.
SRT Deputy Governor Pakorn Tangjetsakao said the investigating committee had interrogated eight witnesses and concluded that the accident had been caused by human error because the signalling, rail and locomotive systems were functioning properly.
The driver, Rerngsak Phanthep, admitted that he had fallen asleep when the train was passing the red light at Wang Phong Station. He also testified that he had taken an antihistamine pill for his flu before he went on duty that day and that he didn't hear the warning on the walkie-talkie due to low battery. It was discovered that Rerngsak suffers from high-blood pressure and was not under the influence of alcohol. It was also discovered that he had only had one day off, on September 14, from the beginning of September until the day of the accident.
The train's mechanic, Bowarnrat Suatim, and caretaker Uthai Raksaket said they did not hear the warning either.
Meanwhile, Pakorn said the committee proposed that Rerngsak be fired and Bowornrat and Uthai get their salaries docked for failing to monitor signals and train carriages. The punishment will go into effect as soon as the disciplinary committee, which will be formed in the next few days, approves it. All three employees have been suspended with immediate effect.
More than 80 members of the SRT labour union yesterday petitioned with Transport Minister Sophon Saram that he fire SRT Governor Yuthana Thapcharoen. Union leader Sawit Kaewwan said Yuthana had failed to do his job and that it was wrong of him to announce that the accident had been caused by human error before the investigation was launched. Sawit also noted that the condition of the equipment be studied and that authorities be fair to the employees.
SRT Deputy Governor Pakorn Tangjetsakao said the investigating committee had interrogated eight witnesses and concluded that the accident had been caused by human error because the signalling, rail and locomotive systems were functioning properly.
The driver, Rerngsak Phanthep, admitted that he had fallen asleep when the train was passing the red light at Wang Phong Station. He also testified that he had taken an antihistamine pill for his flu before he went on duty that day and that he didn't hear the warning on the walkie-talkie due to low battery. It was discovered that Rerngsak suffers from high-blood pressure and was not under the influence of alcohol. It was also discovered that he had only had one day off, on September 14, from the beginning of September until the day of the accident.
The train's mechanic, Bowarnrat Suatim, and caretaker Uthai Raksaket said they did not hear the warning either.
Meanwhile, Pakorn said the committee proposed that Rerngsak be fired and Bowornrat and Uthai get their salaries docked for failing to monitor signals and train carriages. The punishment will go into effect as soon as the disciplinary committee, which will be formed in the next few days, approves it. All three employees have been suspended with immediate effect.
More than 80 members of the SRT labour union yesterday petitioned with Transport Minister Sophon Saram that he fire SRT Governor Yuthana Thapcharoen. Union leader Sawit Kaewwan said Yuthana had failed to do his job and that it was wrong of him to announce that the accident had been caused by human error before the investigation was launched. Sawit also noted that the condition of the equipment be studied and that authorities be fair to the employees.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
WHO'S TO TAKE BLAME FOR TRAIN ACCIDENT?
The transport minister and SRT governor |share moral responsibility The recent derailment of the Trang-Bangkok train in Prachuap Khiri Khan's Khao Tao station (about 20km south of Hua Hin), which left eight people dead and more than 80 injured, is yet another case, among the many, of the poor service standards of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT).
At this stage, all fingers point to the driver Roengsak Panthep. He allegedly jumped the signal and dozed off minutes before the accident.
It is believed the driver had been unwell and taken some medicine before the train went off the rails. Transport Minister Sophon Saram has promised to reveal the result of the investigation by his committee tomorrow.
Eagerly awaiting the result of the probe, the public cannot help but wonder, why is it that we still haven't heard of any offer to resign by either the transport minister or SRT governor Yuthana Thapcharoen?
There was sufficient reason for both to have taken moral responsibility earlier for what was one of the most serious accidents in the history of the SRT.
Clearly both of them have not read recent news reports about some of the good examples set elsewhere by railway chiefs and transport ministers, who resigned to take responsibility for a major railway accident. They did it of their own will, too.
In July, Croatia's Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development Minister Bozidar Kalmeta resigned after a train accident killed six and injured at least 50. That same month, the managing director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) promptly resigned from his post to take moral responsibility after the collapse of an under-construction bridge that killed five people in the Indian capital.
So far the minister and the governor have only expressed their sorrow and regret for what happened. If the results of the investigation point to human error, the top-ranking officials should still resign from their posts as it is clear that they failed to ensure the safety of hundreds of lives who travelled on that doomed train.
The SRT's ageing fleet has been legendary.
Most of its 256 locomotives are very old, ranging in age from 13 to 45 years. Given the current demand for railway travel, the SRT would ideally need at least 155 locomotives per day in service. In reality, it is already struggling with 137.
Meanwhile, its first class air-con passenger carriages are on average 12 years old, the second-class AC cars, 23-34 years old, and the third-class cars, 27-94 years old. In fact, some of the trains will be a hundred years old very soon.
As for the railroads, only 24 per cent of the network is in a very good condition, 38.6 are deemed in good condition and 28.5 per cent are usable.
What's more, there are 2,449 railway crossings around the country, and 1,009 of which still do not have safety barriers.
Whether or not the SRT is understaffed or overloaded with incompetent staff is debatable. The SRT has 2,200 drivers who handle 200 trains and 2,000 engineers. As it turns out, the SRT's labour union has complained that the present workforce is not sufficient. It is estimated that the SRT needs 300 more drivers and 500 additional engineers.
As a result, most drivers have to subject themselves to double shifts. Worse, the SRT has been forced by a Cabinet resolution on July 28, 1998 to replace only 5 per cent of staff who retire or resign.
There is an endless stream of complaints from train travellers. Toilets on the second-class AC and third-class carriages are dirty and stinking.
Ageing locomotives can still be seen belching black plumes of smoke. Trains hardly run on time during rush hours.
All this adds up to some shocking statistics.
Last year, there were 143 cases of derailment, resulting in five people dead and 17 injured, compared to 111 cases, 71 injured and six dead a year earlier. There is every chance of a similar accident happening again.
All the SRT needs is a complete overhaul. Incompetent staff, no matter who they are, should not be kept on, and old fleet should be replaced with new ones. Above all, concerned parties should consider taking moral responsibility for things gone wrong in their organisation. As it turns out, it's the low-ranking officers who are fired. It's time for a top-down reform at the SRT.
At this stage, all fingers point to the driver Roengsak Panthep. He allegedly jumped the signal and dozed off minutes before the accident.
It is believed the driver had been unwell and taken some medicine before the train went off the rails. Transport Minister Sophon Saram has promised to reveal the result of the investigation by his committee tomorrow.
Eagerly awaiting the result of the probe, the public cannot help but wonder, why is it that we still haven't heard of any offer to resign by either the transport minister or SRT governor Yuthana Thapcharoen?
There was sufficient reason for both to have taken moral responsibility earlier for what was one of the most serious accidents in the history of the SRT.
Clearly both of them have not read recent news reports about some of the good examples set elsewhere by railway chiefs and transport ministers, who resigned to take responsibility for a major railway accident. They did it of their own will, too.
In July, Croatia's Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development Minister Bozidar Kalmeta resigned after a train accident killed six and injured at least 50. That same month, the managing director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) promptly resigned from his post to take moral responsibility after the collapse of an under-construction bridge that killed five people in the Indian capital.
So far the minister and the governor have only expressed their sorrow and regret for what happened. If the results of the investigation point to human error, the top-ranking officials should still resign from their posts as it is clear that they failed to ensure the safety of hundreds of lives who travelled on that doomed train.
The SRT's ageing fleet has been legendary.
Most of its 256 locomotives are very old, ranging in age from 13 to 45 years. Given the current demand for railway travel, the SRT would ideally need at least 155 locomotives per day in service. In reality, it is already struggling with 137.
Meanwhile, its first class air-con passenger carriages are on average 12 years old, the second-class AC cars, 23-34 years old, and the third-class cars, 27-94 years old. In fact, some of the trains will be a hundred years old very soon.
As for the railroads, only 24 per cent of the network is in a very good condition, 38.6 are deemed in good condition and 28.5 per cent are usable.
What's more, there are 2,449 railway crossings around the country, and 1,009 of which still do not have safety barriers.
Whether or not the SRT is understaffed or overloaded with incompetent staff is debatable. The SRT has 2,200 drivers who handle 200 trains and 2,000 engineers. As it turns out, the SRT's labour union has complained that the present workforce is not sufficient. It is estimated that the SRT needs 300 more drivers and 500 additional engineers.
As a result, most drivers have to subject themselves to double shifts. Worse, the SRT has been forced by a Cabinet resolution on July 28, 1998 to replace only 5 per cent of staff who retire or resign.
There is an endless stream of complaints from train travellers. Toilets on the second-class AC and third-class carriages are dirty and stinking.
Ageing locomotives can still be seen belching black plumes of smoke. Trains hardly run on time during rush hours.
All this adds up to some shocking statistics.
Last year, there were 143 cases of derailment, resulting in five people dead and 17 injured, compared to 111 cases, 71 injured and six dead a year earlier. There is every chance of a similar accident happening again.
All the SRT needs is a complete overhaul. Incompetent staff, no matter who they are, should not be kept on, and old fleet should be replaced with new ones. Above all, concerned parties should consider taking moral responsibility for things gone wrong in their organisation. As it turns out, it's the low-ranking officers who are fired. It's time for a top-down reform at the SRT.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Derailment probe to be conclude Monday
An investigation into the recent derailment in Prachuap Khiri Khan, which killed 10 people, will be concluded on Monday, the State Railway of Thailand said yesterday.
The extraction of information from the black box of train 84, which travels between Bangkok and Trang and derailed in Hua Hin district on October 5, is under way, said SRT governor Yutthana Thabjaroen.
An internal SRT investigation has initially established that Rerngsak Phanthep, the chief driver, became drowsy and incapable of operating the train because of medication he was taking.
Pluem Phetthongklaing, a superior of Rerngsak, said the driver had not fled the scene and had turned up for work regularly since the accident.
Provincial police chief Pol MajGeneral Rungroj Saengkhram said that besides Rerngsak, the engineer working with him at the time would be prosecuted for causing death and injury through recklessness, if the SRT investigation found he was at fault in carrying out his duties.
The extraction of information from the black box of train 84, which travels between Bangkok and Trang and derailed in Hua Hin district on October 5, is under way, said SRT governor Yutthana Thabjaroen.
An internal SRT investigation has initially established that Rerngsak Phanthep, the chief driver, became drowsy and incapable of operating the train because of medication he was taking.
Pluem Phetthongklaing, a superior of Rerngsak, said the driver had not fled the scene and had turned up for work regularly since the accident.
Provincial police chief Pol MajGeneral Rungroj Saengkhram said that besides Rerngsak, the engineer working with him at the time would be prosecuted for causing death and injury through recklessness, if the SRT investigation found he was at fault in carrying out his duties.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
SRT boss says driver passed out
The driver of the train which derailed in Prachuap Khiri Khan on Monday has admitted he passed out and caused the fatal accident, rail authorities say.
Yuthana Thapcharoen, governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), yesterday said Roengsak Panthep, the driver of the train, had been located after disappearing when the train derailed early on Monday.
The governor said Mr Roengsak insisted he did not run away.
He suffered from a chronic illness which might have caused him to pass out while driving the express train from Trang to Bangkok, the governor said.
Seven passengers died and 88 were injured when the speeding train jumped the rails at Khao Tao station in Hua Hin district in the early hours of Monday morning.
Mr Yuthana said he was ready to listen to the driver's explanation and would guarantee justice for all parties.
Uthai Raksakhet, a train attendant being treated at Hua Hin Hospital, yesterday said he was in the second carriage and felt the train approaching Khao Tao station too quickly.
Radio communication from Wang Phong station, which the train had passed earlier, ordered the driver to stop but he did not respond. Seconds later, the train derailed, Mr Uthai said.
It was reported staff at Khao Tao station tried to switch the express train on to another track to prevent a collision with an oncoming freight train.
Meanwhile, the families of two of the seven dead victims called for action to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
Chatchai Wongtadlong, whose mother Oraphin Chaichit,44, and one-year-old cousin Kanoklak Thawornboonruang,were killed in the derailment, called at the funeral of the two victims yesterday on authorities to pay close attention to the problems besetting the country's railway operations
Mr Chatchai said he could not be compensated for his loss with any amount of assistance money.
Yuthana Thapcharoen, governor of the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), yesterday said Roengsak Panthep, the driver of the train, had been located after disappearing when the train derailed early on Monday.
The governor said Mr Roengsak insisted he did not run away.
He suffered from a chronic illness which might have caused him to pass out while driving the express train from Trang to Bangkok, the governor said.
Seven passengers died and 88 were injured when the speeding train jumped the rails at Khao Tao station in Hua Hin district in the early hours of Monday morning.
Mr Yuthana said he was ready to listen to the driver's explanation and would guarantee justice for all parties.
Uthai Raksakhet, a train attendant being treated at Hua Hin Hospital, yesterday said he was in the second carriage and felt the train approaching Khao Tao station too quickly.
Radio communication from Wang Phong station, which the train had passed earlier, ordered the driver to stop but he did not respond. Seconds later, the train derailed, Mr Uthai said.
It was reported staff at Khao Tao station tried to switch the express train on to another track to prevent a collision with an oncoming freight train.
Meanwhile, the families of two of the seven dead victims called for action to prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
Chatchai Wongtadlong, whose mother Oraphin Chaichit,44, and one-year-old cousin Kanoklak Thawornboonruang,were killed in the derailment, called at the funeral of the two victims yesterday on authorities to pay close attention to the problems besetting the country's railway operations
Mr Chatchai said he could not be compensated for his loss with any amount of assistance money.
Friday, October 2, 2009
NGV bus fares likely to rise just a little
Bus users may be feeling a little more at ease as the fares for the new naturalgas fuelled buses, which are set to replace old green minibuses, are expected to go up only slightly.
Cheap natural gas prices will likely offset the high cost of obtaining the new buses, Chairat Sanguanchue,director-general of the Land Transport Department, said yesterday.
The fare is forecast to rise to slightly over seven baht from 6.5 baht currently.
"We have to discuss with related parties and consider many factors before coming up with a standard price which is not expected to increase much as natural gas prices are lower than petrol which will help balance out the cost of buying the new buses," Mr Chairat said.
Many minibus operators have yet to comply with the state policy that requires public bus operators to replace their buses with new natural gas for vehicles (NGV) buses by August this year due to a lack of financial support.
The policy took effect in 2007 with the purpose of lifting the standard of public buses and promoting the use of alternative fuels.
The deadline has been extended to June 2010 to allow more time for minibus operators to replace their buses.
Sombat Laksana-Apinyo, one of the owners of Patchara Bus which operates five minibuses, said although he agreed with the replacement policy as new airconditioned buses will be welcomed by passengers, the timing was not right.
The economy is still bad and banks tend to lend to big firms like bus manufacturers and distributors, not small operators like him, Mr Sombat said. It would have been better to have waited another two years until the economy had fully recovered.
He said the company spent about 3 million baht per natural gas bus, and his company has already ordered five of them to replace its old minibuses.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Bank of Thailand yesterday launched its third auto hire-purchase loan programme aimed at lending 1.5 billion baht to support minibus operators to switch to NGV buses.
Suthep Suebsantiwong, an executive of the Islamic Bank, said loan requests worth 500 million baht requested by 10 minibus operators are being considered.
Mr Suthep said operators will benefit from the replacement as it is a longterm investment. Existing buses consume 3-4 baht worth of petrol per kilometre, while natural gas buses will only cost one baht per kilometre.
The Finance Ministry has directed the Islamic Bank to increase its loan target for this year to 33.7 billion baht from 20.7 billion baht set earlier. The state-owned bank lent 18 billion baht in the first nine months of the year.
Regarding the government's approval for the lease of 4,000 natural gas-fuelled buses, Mr Chairat expects to see the terms of reference (TOR) completed in the next two months in order to arrange orders by the end of the year. Buses are expected to be on the road in 15 months.
With regard to e-tickets, Mr Chairat said e-tickets should not be used with existing public buses as suggested by the National Economic and Social Development Board since the system is not yet ready.
He suggested e-tickets should be used along with the new buses.
Thawatchai Phaolueangthong, a minibus operator under a concession of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), said even though the Land Transport Department's policy is to replace green minibuses with airconditioned natural gas-powered buses from Aug 16, most bus operators are reluctant to take out loans to replace their buses.
This is because they were still waiting for a clearer direction for the government's 4,000 natural gas bus leasing project.
Some were afraid they might not be able to run their new buses on certain routes once the BMTA launches its own natural gas bus lease project, said Mr Thawatchai.
Cheap natural gas prices will likely offset the high cost of obtaining the new buses, Chairat Sanguanchue,director-general of the Land Transport Department, said yesterday.
The fare is forecast to rise to slightly over seven baht from 6.5 baht currently.
"We have to discuss with related parties and consider many factors before coming up with a standard price which is not expected to increase much as natural gas prices are lower than petrol which will help balance out the cost of buying the new buses," Mr Chairat said.
Many minibus operators have yet to comply with the state policy that requires public bus operators to replace their buses with new natural gas for vehicles (NGV) buses by August this year due to a lack of financial support.
The policy took effect in 2007 with the purpose of lifting the standard of public buses and promoting the use of alternative fuels.
The deadline has been extended to June 2010 to allow more time for minibus operators to replace their buses.
Sombat Laksana-Apinyo, one of the owners of Patchara Bus which operates five minibuses, said although he agreed with the replacement policy as new airconditioned buses will be welcomed by passengers, the timing was not right.
The economy is still bad and banks tend to lend to big firms like bus manufacturers and distributors, not small operators like him, Mr Sombat said. It would have been better to have waited another two years until the economy had fully recovered.
He said the company spent about 3 million baht per natural gas bus, and his company has already ordered five of them to replace its old minibuses.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Bank of Thailand yesterday launched its third auto hire-purchase loan programme aimed at lending 1.5 billion baht to support minibus operators to switch to NGV buses.
Suthep Suebsantiwong, an executive of the Islamic Bank, said loan requests worth 500 million baht requested by 10 minibus operators are being considered.
Mr Suthep said operators will benefit from the replacement as it is a longterm investment. Existing buses consume 3-4 baht worth of petrol per kilometre, while natural gas buses will only cost one baht per kilometre.
The Finance Ministry has directed the Islamic Bank to increase its loan target for this year to 33.7 billion baht from 20.7 billion baht set earlier. The state-owned bank lent 18 billion baht in the first nine months of the year.
Regarding the government's approval for the lease of 4,000 natural gas-fuelled buses, Mr Chairat expects to see the terms of reference (TOR) completed in the next two months in order to arrange orders by the end of the year. Buses are expected to be on the road in 15 months.
With regard to e-tickets, Mr Chairat said e-tickets should not be used with existing public buses as suggested by the National Economic and Social Development Board since the system is not yet ready.
He suggested e-tickets should be used along with the new buses.
Thawatchai Phaolueangthong, a minibus operator under a concession of the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA), said even though the Land Transport Department's policy is to replace green minibuses with airconditioned natural gas-powered buses from Aug 16, most bus operators are reluctant to take out loans to replace their buses.
This is because they were still waiting for a clearer direction for the government's 4,000 natural gas bus leasing project.
Some were afraid they might not be able to run their new buses on certain routes once the BMTA launches its own natural gas bus lease project, said Mr Thawatchai.
Buffett hammered on Forbes rich list
The super-rich are getting poorer with the 400 wealthiest Americans losing $300 billion of net worth in the past year, hurt by sagging capital and real estate markets, according to the annual Forbes magazine ranking.The Forbes 400 list of wealthiest Americans, released on Wednesday, said Warren Buffett was the biggest loser, with the famed investor shedding $10 billion in net worth as shares in his firm Berkshire Hathaway tumbled.
The list of top 10 richest Americans remained virtually unchanged from the 2008 list, with Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates in the top spot with a fortune of $50 billion, down $7 billion from last year. Buffett was No.2 with $40 billion and Oracle Corp founder Lawrence Ellison was No. 3, with his fortune unchanged at $27 billion. Ellison was the only member of the top 10 who did not suffer significant losses.
The US stock market, as measured by the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, slid about 43% from September 2008, when the financial crisis erupted, through March - shedding $5 trillion in market value.
The wealth estimates were made according to asset values on Sept 10. Many at the top saw their net worth rise since March, when Forbes published its list of the world's richest people, coinciding with the bottom of the bear market.
The top 10 combined lost almost $40 billion, said Matthew Miller, editor of the Forbes list, in what he called a "bloodbath" of wealth destruction for America's rich and not-so-rich alike. The net worth of all 400 combined fell 19%,to $1.27 trillion from $1.57 trillion.
"No one is going to cry for any of these super-rich guys, because even the ones who dropped from $2 billion last year to $100 million still have a very nice lifestyle," Miller said.
But he warned about a trickle-down effect since many of these executives wield economic power, including control over thousands of jobs.
"It really doesn't spell anything good for any of us," he said."If they're getting poorer, we're likely getting poorer."
Four descendants of Wal-Mart Stores Inc founder Sam Walton returned this year at positions four through seven,with fortunes between $21.5 billion and $19 billion.
Completing the top 10 were New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with a fortune of $17.5 billion from the news and financial data empire that bears his name, and brothers Charles and David Koch, who run manufacturing and energy company Koch Industries and are valued at $16 billion each.
This marked the fifth time since 1982 - when the business magazine began chronicling the fortunes of America's richest people - that their collective wealth fell.
About 314 members of the Forbes 400 saw their fortunes shrink, lowering the price of admission to the list to $950 million, from $1.3 billion a year ago.
The list includes 19 new members such as Isaac Perlmutter, chief executive of Marvel Entertainment Inc, which recently agreed to be bought by Walt Disney Cos for $4 billion, and Jeffry Picower, a longtime investor with Bernard Madoff who is accused in a civil lawsuit to have profited by at least $5 billion from the Madoff fraud.
One newcomer, banker Andrew Beal,tripled his net worth to $4.5 billion by buying cheap loans and assets.
Thirty-two people fell off the list, including former Citigroup Inc chief executive Sanford Weill, accused swindler Allen Stanford, who has been in a Texas jail since June, and brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, whose Station Casinos Incfiled for bankruptcy during the past year.
The full Forbes 400 list can be seen at www.forbes.com/400richest.
The list of top 10 richest Americans remained virtually unchanged from the 2008 list, with Microsoft Corp founder Bill Gates in the top spot with a fortune of $50 billion, down $7 billion from last year. Buffett was No.2 with $40 billion and Oracle Corp founder Lawrence Ellison was No. 3, with his fortune unchanged at $27 billion. Ellison was the only member of the top 10 who did not suffer significant losses.
The US stock market, as measured by the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, slid about 43% from September 2008, when the financial crisis erupted, through March - shedding $5 trillion in market value.
The wealth estimates were made according to asset values on Sept 10. Many at the top saw their net worth rise since March, when Forbes published its list of the world's richest people, coinciding with the bottom of the bear market.
The top 10 combined lost almost $40 billion, said Matthew Miller, editor of the Forbes list, in what he called a "bloodbath" of wealth destruction for America's rich and not-so-rich alike. The net worth of all 400 combined fell 19%,to $1.27 trillion from $1.57 trillion.
"No one is going to cry for any of these super-rich guys, because even the ones who dropped from $2 billion last year to $100 million still have a very nice lifestyle," Miller said.
But he warned about a trickle-down effect since many of these executives wield economic power, including control over thousands of jobs.
"It really doesn't spell anything good for any of us," he said."If they're getting poorer, we're likely getting poorer."
Four descendants of Wal-Mart Stores Inc founder Sam Walton returned this year at positions four through seven,with fortunes between $21.5 billion and $19 billion.
Completing the top 10 were New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, with a fortune of $17.5 billion from the news and financial data empire that bears his name, and brothers Charles and David Koch, who run manufacturing and energy company Koch Industries and are valued at $16 billion each.
This marked the fifth time since 1982 - when the business magazine began chronicling the fortunes of America's richest people - that their collective wealth fell.
About 314 members of the Forbes 400 saw their fortunes shrink, lowering the price of admission to the list to $950 million, from $1.3 billion a year ago.
The list includes 19 new members such as Isaac Perlmutter, chief executive of Marvel Entertainment Inc, which recently agreed to be bought by Walt Disney Cos for $4 billion, and Jeffry Picower, a longtime investor with Bernard Madoff who is accused in a civil lawsuit to have profited by at least $5 billion from the Madoff fraud.
One newcomer, banker Andrew Beal,tripled his net worth to $4.5 billion by buying cheap loans and assets.
Thirty-two people fell off the list, including former Citigroup Inc chief executive Sanford Weill, accused swindler Allen Stanford, who has been in a Texas jail since June, and brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, whose Station Casinos Incfiled for bankruptcy during the past year.
The full Forbes 400 list can be seen at www.forbes.com/400richest.
Man killed, floods spread in Ketsana path
Storm Ketsana continued its destructive path across the country yesterday, killing a man in Pattani and causing floods in many parts.
Authorities are attempting to assess the damage from Ketsana which began as a typhoon before being downgraded to a depression on Wednesday and a low pressure system as it moved across the country yesterday.
In Pattani, a palm tree fell on an unidentified couple riding their motorcycle on the Kapho-Bacho Road in Kapho district. The husband was killed and the wife seriously injured.
Ketsana also destroyed 40 houses and uprooted rubber trees in the district.
Throughout the country, damage was less than expected.
The Meteorological Department said Ketsana entered the country in Ubon Ratchathani, bringing with it persistent downpours in the Northeast, the East and the Central Plains including Bangkok.
The storm left many northeastern provinces flooded. Hard hit were Muang,Prakhon Chai, Krasang, Nong Ki and Satuk districts of Buri Ram; Muang and Khukhan districts of Si Sa Ket; and Ban Khwao and Muang of Chaiyaphum.
Schools in downtown Chaiyaphum have been closed and will reopen on Monday.
In the North, floods submerged parts of Muang, Thoen, Wang Nua, Muang Pan, Mae Mo and Mae Phrik districts of Lampang, and Mae Sariang and Sop Moei districts of Mae Hong Son.
In the eastern province of Chon Buri,strong winds and high seas forced fishing boats in Si Racha district to remain at anchor.
Ferries between the district and Si Chang island, a popular tourist attraction,were suspended yesterday.
Many small fishing boats reportedly sank.
Royol Chitradon, director of the Science and Technology Ministry's Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute,warned of more wet weather ahead.Several storms were brewing in the Pacific Ocean and could head for the southern parts of China.
The storms may affect weather conditions over much of the country in the coming days.
Authorities are attempting to assess the damage from Ketsana which began as a typhoon before being downgraded to a depression on Wednesday and a low pressure system as it moved across the country yesterday.
In Pattani, a palm tree fell on an unidentified couple riding their motorcycle on the Kapho-Bacho Road in Kapho district. The husband was killed and the wife seriously injured.
Ketsana also destroyed 40 houses and uprooted rubber trees in the district.
Throughout the country, damage was less than expected.
The Meteorological Department said Ketsana entered the country in Ubon Ratchathani, bringing with it persistent downpours in the Northeast, the East and the Central Plains including Bangkok.
The storm left many northeastern provinces flooded. Hard hit were Muang,Prakhon Chai, Krasang, Nong Ki and Satuk districts of Buri Ram; Muang and Khukhan districts of Si Sa Ket; and Ban Khwao and Muang of Chaiyaphum.
Schools in downtown Chaiyaphum have been closed and will reopen on Monday.
In the North, floods submerged parts of Muang, Thoen, Wang Nua, Muang Pan, Mae Mo and Mae Phrik districts of Lampang, and Mae Sariang and Sop Moei districts of Mae Hong Son.
In the eastern province of Chon Buri,strong winds and high seas forced fishing boats in Si Racha district to remain at anchor.
Ferries between the district and Si Chang island, a popular tourist attraction,were suspended yesterday.
Many small fishing boats reportedly sank.
Royol Chitradon, director of the Science and Technology Ministry's Hydro and Agro Informatics Institute,warned of more wet weather ahead.Several storms were brewing in the Pacific Ocean and could head for the southern parts of China.
The storms may affect weather conditions over much of the country in the coming days.
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