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Something fishy from Bangladesh for Chiang Mai
This time it’s the fish hub
Phitsanu Thepthong
Thai Airways International (THAI) and Imperial Mae Ping
Hotel held a Bangladesh Seafood Festival from September 23-25 to introduce
inexpensive and fresh seafood to the northern Thailand market.
(L to
R) Prachak Chaemrassamichot, executive vice-president of THAI, Prinya
Panthong, deputy Chiang Mai governor, Prakaidao Hovattanakul of THAI, Nivat
Chantarachoti, general manager of THAI in Bangladesh, Vorapong Muchaotai, GM
of Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, and a member of the THAI staff during their
inspection tour of the Bangladesh seafood at the festival. (Photo by
Nopniwat Krailerg)
This was the first time seafood has been brought in to
Thailand from Bangladesh’s Chittagong City. The Thai national carrier
ferried 3,000 kilograms of fresh seafood supplied by the Bangladesh Seafood
Entrepreneur Association to Chiang Mai, in two hours.
The festival was to promote the government’s policy of
turning Chiang Mai city into an aviation and transportation hub in the
northern region and to encourage bilateral tourism and trade between
Thailand and Bangladesh.
Apart from the festival, there was a seminar on imports
and exports for the over 100 business people and entrepreneurs, domestic and
foreign exporters and hotel industry personnel.
Deputy Governor Prinya Panthong, who presided over the
opening of the festival, said, “This is a great sign of cooperation in air
cargo and transportation. This is the age of globalization which helps
promote bilateral trade and tourism.”
Prachak Chaemrassamichot, THAI executive vice-president,
said the carrier still supported Chiang Mai as the aviation hub in this
northern region. “The Chiang Mai-Chittagong air route is as a good example
that is appropriate for promoting this northern capital as the aviation
hub,” he said.
However, he did say, “Chiang Mai airport is still
lacking in infrastructure, experiencing traffic jams in a not well-planned
city. These are big obstacles for development, despite Chiang Mai being rich
in medical, trade, tourism, education and agriculture sectors.”
Vorapong Muchaotai, general manager of Imperial Mae Ping
Hotel, said he was grateful to be able to support the seafood promotion.
Demien Gonsalves, managing director of United Service
Agency, spoke on import and export formalities between the two countries.
“The food festival here is a sign of good relationships between Thailand
and Bangladesh, and will benefit the people of both nations.”
Veeradej Metheetharnpongwanitch, managing director of
Northern International Cargo Co., Ltd., spoke on the custom formalities and
import tax. Documentation would take about two days to complete, but could
be speeded up into one day. There were many cargo service representatives to
help facilitate importers of seafood.
Nivat Chantarachoti, general manager of THAI in Bangladesh, said that
THAI could airfreight about three tons of seafood per flight on the
Chittagong-Chiang Mai route.
Star-struck experts celebrate
a trio of happy occasions
Autsadaporn Kamthai
This year sky-gazers celebrate the 400th anniversary of
the observation of the Supernova in the Milky Way on October 9, 1604.
Thailand celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birthday on October 18,
1804 of HM King Mongkut (Rama IV), who is called the “Father of Thai
sciences” and Chiang Mai University turns 40 this year.
Participants
at the international meeting at the Chiang Mai Hills Hotel, Chiang Mai on
October 4.
To mark these three special occasions, the 5th
International Conference on Oriental Astronomy (ICOA-5) was held at Chiang
Mai Hills Hotel from October 4-8. The Astronomy Conference is held every
three years and member countries take turns in hosting the event. The first
conference was hosted by South Korea in 1989.
About 50 participants from various countries, including
the United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Netherlands and
India, attended.
The Faculty of Sciences at Chiang Mai University hosted
the event, with support from the Ministry of Science and Technology,
National Research Committee and Astronomy Association of Thailand, Northern
region.
The conference aimed at presenting various topics on
oriental astronomy and to encourage cooperative research among countries. It
was hoped the conference would arouse people’s interest in astronomy, said
Assoc Prof Boonraksa.
A new development in astronomy in Chiang Mai is the
construction of the national astronomy research center on the Doi Inthanon
Mountain which is expected to be finished in the next two years.
Asst Prof Amnat Yousukh, CMU vice-president, and Assoc Prof Boonraksa
Soonthorntham, faculty dean, opened the conference.
Bikers from Bangkok rally
to save petrol, reduce pollution
At least they use less fuel than cars!
Nopniwat Krailerg
The roar of more than a hundred bicycles filled the air
last week as bikers arrived in Chiang Mai after a 700km ride from Bangkok,
to promote a campaign to save energy. The event was organized by the Thai
Environment Institute and the Bicycles Club for Health of Thailand.
Bikes
pass a temple along Thapae Road.
The six-day “songlor soo Lanna” (or bikes to Lanna
northern region) project left the capital on September 27, passing through
Suphanburi, Nakhon Sawan, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit, Lampang, to arrive in
Chiang Mai on October 2.
 The
sign says Don’t Use Petrol.
Chiang Mai Mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn welcomed the
bikers at the Thapae Gate grounds, where they were joined by the Chiang Mai
Sunday Bicycle Club to explore the streets of the city.
The bikes were decorated with stickers saying “Let the
oil prices increase and be expensive, but not for bikes.”
Veeraphan Tomeeboon, public relations officer of the
Bicycle Club for Health of Thailand, said the bike-athon had been organized
to express concern at oil prices increases in Thailand and the global oil
crisis.
Traffic congestion in the major cities resulted in more
emissions and worsening air pollution. Many agencies were therefore trying
to address the situation by supporting public mass transportation, and
replacing fossil fuels with other fuels such as biodiesel or gasohol.
“There is an easy way to help solve this problem, by
using ‘non-motorized transport’ are such as walking or riding
bicycles,” he added.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is also keen to promote
the use of bicycles, and approve bicycle paths in the city, especially on
Charoen Prathet, Changmoi, and Loy Kroh roads, he said.
The bicycles event also aimed at increasing public awareness on saving
energy and reducing air pollution by changing to bicycles.
Talented Chiang Rai girl receives financial support from PM
Staff reporters
A Mathayom 3 student of Samakkee Wittayakom, Chiang Rai
has received a 300,000 baht bursary from PM Thaksin Shinawatra after she
wrote to him asking for assistance to become a professional tennis player.
Yongyuth Tiyapairach, the PM’s secretary-general,
handed over the funds to Warachaya Wongtianchai at Samakkee Wittayakom
School in Chiang Rai on his behalf.
Warachaya is a talented tennis player and has won many
tournaments. She won the Tennis for Youth trophy at the age of 15, and won
the Thailand Tennis Championship for Youth titles at the age of 14 and 16.
Recently, she came second at the International Youth Tournament in the
United States. Despite her tennis playing skills, her family could not
afford to support her to attend many national and international tournaments
because of the high costs involved.
She decided to write a letter to PM Thaksin, describing
her dream to be a professional player like her role models Paradorn
Srichaphan and Maria Sharapova, but mentioned her inability to afford to
participate in tournaments.
Yongyuth gave her a further grant of 50,000 baht and Thai
Airways International (THAI) committed itself to supply free air tickets to
attend international tournaments for one year.
Yongyuth also pledged to ask for support from other
organizations such as PTT Public Company to encourage her to become a
professional tennis player for Thailand.
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