|
Amari Hotels and Resorts announce the appointment of a new executive chef
Blessed with Irish artistry honed by extensive travel,
Dublin-born Adrian O’Herlihy has found fertile ground for his gourmet
talents as the new executive chef of the Amari Rincome Hotel.
 Adrian
O’Herlihy
Trained at Dublin College of Catering, he has served at
the Royal Lancaster Hotel and Cumberland Hotels in London, The Hof and
Parkhotel in Frankfurt, and three big names in the Big Apple - The New York
Hilton, the Four Seasons Hotel and the Drake Hotel-Swisssotel.
Before coming to Thailand, he worked as executive chef
for Saudi Arabian Airlines in Saudi Arabia, where he also had the honor of
creating dishes for the Saudi Royal Family.
A member of the “Panel of Chefs of Ireland”, he has
supported the Irish Nation Chefs Team on many occasions, and is the proud
recipient of eight separate awards for his culinary excellence. He also has
wide experience as a judge at international competitions, and his gift for
creating fine cuisine has frequently seen him cooking for international
dignitaries, presidents and diplomats.
Chef O’Herlihy’s expertise comes not only from natural talent and
long experience, but from something else as special as it is subtle - that
touch of magic born in the green mountains and fertile valleys of his native
Ireland.
Central bank chief pledges to help cope with NPLs
Bank of Thailand’s Governor M.R. Pridiyathorn Devakula
has pledged to step up efforts to reduce total non-performing loans (NPLs)
in Thailand’s banking system from 18% to 10% of the outstanding loans by
the end of next year.
Speaking after a meeting with executives of 13 commercial
banks held to discuss ways to cope with the NPLs, he said bad loans in the
financial sector totaled 840 billion baht as of the end of June and dropped
slightly to 788 billion in September.
To solve the bad loan problem, the executives and bank
regulators agreed during the meeting to classify total NPLs left into 4
categories to make the process easier to cope with.
The first category involves 154 billion baht which had
been restructured and is being repaid by borrowers. However, the amount
remained classified as non-performing for technical reasons.
The BOT chief said the central bank will review existing
obstacles to facilitate the reclassification for the restructured and
current loans. It wants to see the loans cleared within four months.
The second involves 253 billion baht which is now under
restructuring. The BOT chief wants to see these loans cleared within one
year.
The third involves 159 billion baht which is in the
courts now. The central bank agreed to play the role of coordinator to clear
the debts, which were incurred primarily by retail borrowers. It has agreed
that the borrowers will be invited to discuss their financial position and
servicing ability to help accommodate a resolution.
The fourth involves 220 billion baht which is now
undergoing foreclosure proceedings. (TNA)
PM seeks German cooperation in technological development
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is seeking cooperation
from Germany in boosting technological development in Thailand. Thaksin told
a delegation of senior German officials and private firms’ executives last
month that one of his administration’s strategic targets was to raise the
potential of the country’s technological development.
The premier said that he considered cooperation from
Germany in technological transfer and development would help the government
to meet their target. The Thai leader made the remarks during a working
breakfast he had with visiting German delegates.
Thaksin said after the meeting that he also assured the
German delegation of the government’s policy on freedom of investment.
“I also briefed the German delegation of the government’s economic
policy, and the German delegates expressed their confidence in it, saying
they believe it will address economic problems in Thailand efficiently and
effectively,” he said.
Premier Thaksin said he thanked the Thai-German Chamber
of Commerce for organizing a seminar / exhibition on German technologies at
the Sirikit National Convention Center last month.
Technologies on waste management, energy development and
on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were demonstrated at the
two-day event.
BOI promotes call centers
The Board of Investment (BOI), chaired by Deputy Prime
Minister Prommin Lertsuridej, met last week and approved the creation of a
new activity eligible for promotion: Call Centers/Contact Centers.
In order to improve economic conditions through
generation of new tax revenues, increased employment for Thai workers, and
to increase usage of the Thai telecommunications industry, the Board
announced the promotion of call centers or contact centers.
Approved projects in this category will be eligible for a
wide range of non-tax incentives, including permission to bring in foreign
staff appropriate for the activity and permission to own land. Projects in
this category, however, will not receive any tax privileges.
Projects in this activity may be 100 percent foreign
owned, except in cases where the call center or contact center conducts
business in Thai, in which case, the business must be at least 51 percent
Thai owned, in order to minimize the effect on existing business operators.
The BOI sees great potential for the development of
international call centers that service customers around the world from a
base in Thailand.
|
|
Chiangmai Mail Publishing Co. Ltd.
209/5 Moo 6, T.Faham,
A.Muang, Chiang Mai 50000
Tel. 053 852 557, 081-302 0126 Fax. 053 260 738
e-mail: cnxmail@chiangmai-mail.com
www.chiangmai-mail.com
Administration: md@chiangmai-mail.com
Advertising: advertising@chiangmai-mail.com
sales@chiangmai-mail.com
Subscription: subscription@chiangmai-mail.com
Copyright © 2004 Chiangmai Mail. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
|