Business
Phuket Island Investor: Always look on the brighter side of life

PHUKET: Now that the Christmas trees have been taken down and the New Year has been well and truly rung in, we can start looking forward to all that 2012 has to offer.
It is fair to say that 2011 was a turbulent year in the world of the financial markets, but will 2012 be any better? We certainly have a lot of things to look forward to: the Olympics in London, the European football championships. These should bring a much-needed economic boost to the UK, Poland and Ukraine, and such events give everyone something to look forward to.
But on a global scale, analysts expect growth to remain low and upcoming policy decisions in the US and Europe are expected to hold the key to global growth outlook. Many economy watchers have also downgraded their predictions for 2012, which basically means that we could be in for quite the bumpy ride.
However, it is not all doom and gloom. The Dow Jones Industrial average for the US ended the year up by 5.5 per cent. This trend should continue into 2012.
There will still be a large degree of market volatility and returns are not likely to be anything sensational, but as we all know Rome was not built in a day, so any progress is positive news.
Although the ability of the European Union to keep debt levels under control will be closely monitored, there does seem to be some cautious optimism surrounding the year ahead.
At this stage, all signs point to a slow and painful recovery, but at least a recovery. With 2011 now behind us, we can all have a little more confidence that the worst may now be well and truly behind us.
This means that we can sit on the beach in Phuket, drink in hand watching Usain Bolt break the speed of light barrier and become the first man to run the 100 meters in less than five seconds and know that things this year are a little better than they were at the same point last year.
Maybe this is a over-optimistic, but what better way to start the New Year with a little positivity. The European debt problems have not fizzled away like so many New Year firework displays, and there are some major decisions that will need to be made in economies the world over.
Nevertheless, I remain positive. Who knows, my New Year’s resolution of losing a few pounds, the same resolution I have made every year for the past decade, may even come true.
Wishing everyone all of the best for 2012.
For more information please contact alyman@montpeliergroup.com.
— Anthony Lyman
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Business
The social media giants in battle with ‘old’ media and world governments | VIDEO

“The rules signal greater willingness by countries around the world to rein in big tech firms such as Google, Facebook and Twitter that the governments fear have become too powerful with little accountability.”
India has issued strict new rules for Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms just weeks after the Indian government attempted to pressure Twitter to take down social media accounts it deemed, well, anti social.
The rules require any social media company to create three roles within India… a “compliance officer” who ensures they follow local laws; a “grievance officer” who addresses complaints from Indian social media users; and a “contact person” who can actually be contacted by lawyers and other aggrieved Indian parties… 24/7.
The companies are also being made to publish a compliance report each month with details about how many complaints they’ve received and the action they took.
They’ll also be required to remove ‘some’ types of content including “full or partial nudity,” any “sexual act” or “impersonations including morphed images”
The democratisation of the news model, with social media as its catalyst, will continue to baffle traditional media and governments who used to enjoy a level of control over what stories get told.
The battles of Google and Facebook, with the governments of India and Australia will be followed in plenty of other countries as well.
At the root of all discussions will be the difference between what governments THINK social media is all about and the reality about how quickly the media landscape has changed. You’ll get to read about it first, on a social media platform… probably on the screen you’re watching this news story right now.
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Business
Turbulence ahead for Thailand’s aviation industry | VIDEO

When the airlines, in particular, were asking the government to put their hands in their pockets for some relief funding in August last year, it was genuinely thought that international tourists would be coming back for the high season in December and January. At the very least local tourists and expats would head back to the skies over the traditional holiday break. And surely the Chinese would be back for Chinese New Year?
As we know now, none of that happened. A resurge in cases started just south of Bangkok on December 20 last year, just before Christmas, kicking off another round of restrictions, pretty much killing off any possibility of a high season ‘bump’ for the tourist industry. Airlines slashed flights from their schedule, and hotels, which had dusted off their reception desks for the surge of tourists, shut their doors again.
Domestically, the hotel business saw 6 million room nights in the government’s latest stimulus campaign fully redeemed. But the air ticket quota of 2 million seats still has over 1.3 million seats unused. Local tourists mostly skipped flights and opted for destinations within driving distance of their homes.
As for international tourism… well that still seems months or years away, even now.
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
Business
Domestic air passenger numbers double those of January

Passenger numbers on domestic flights within Thailand have doubled within a month, rising from 4,000 in January to over 10,000 this month. Having nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels, domestic travel plummeted once more when Covid-19 resurfaced late last year.
Apirat Chaiwongnoi from the Department of Airports says 15 of Thailand’s 29 airports are now operating domestic flights, with more expected to follow. He believes the aviation sector will continue to recover further in the coming 6 months, bolstered by the national vaccine rollout.
Around 120 domestic flights a day are now operating, which is twice the number that were operating at the lowest point in the crisis. Prior to the resurgence of the virus in December, domestic passenger numbers had recovered to 30,000 – 40,000 a day, around 80% of pre-pandemic numbers.
The DoA says airports must continue to adhere to the Covid-19 hygiene measures put in place by the Health Ministry and the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand.
SOURCE: Bangkok Post
Keep in contact with The Thaiger by following our Facebook page.
Never miss out on future posts by following The Thaiger.
- Thailand4 days ago
Tourism officials aim for vaccinated travellers to enter Thailand by the third quarter of 2021
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)3 days ago
PM says Thailand will consider lifting quarantine for vaccinated tourists
- Crime4 days ago
Drunk police officer shoots and beats vendor on Bangla Road in Phuket
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)2 days ago
Foreign tourists must use Covid-19 tracking app when travelling to Thailand
- Bangkok3 days ago
Bangkok bars are back open, restaurants serving booze again
- Chiang Mai3 days ago
4 top tourist destinations to be prioritised for Covid-19 vaccine distribution
- Politics3 days ago
Former Thai PM Thaksin makes appearance on popular Clubhouse app
- Coronavirus (Covid-19)2 days ago
Did the Covid-19 virus actually originate in Thailand? | VIDEO