Mixed Views On First Year

Business leaders more positive than political analysts over govt performance after Abhisit’s first 12 months in office ; The Abhisit administration can boast all it wants of its supposed achievements on Wednesday, but in the eyes of business leaders and academics, it nearly failed in its first year in office.

A Nation survey conducted ahead of the government’s report on its first-year performance found that, on a scale of 1-10, its highest score was 9 while the lowest was zero. On average, it received a mark of 4.5.

The zero grade came from Pitch Pongsawat, a political science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University. He said the government was a disappointment in turning words into action and controlling its parties.

In governing the country, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva simply delegated the domestic mission to Bhum Jai Thai Party’s Newin Chidchob and international mission to Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, he claimed. And the government simply copied some old policies.

A banker, who asked not to be named, also felt the government struggled to act on its promises. But he gave a score of “6″.

“The economic stimulus measures lack momentum. Without unity among coalition parties, any policy cannot be implemented in a smooth manner,” the banker said.

Associate professor Sukhum Nuansakul said the Abhisit administration barely passed the test on dealing with political turmoil. But as the PM often confronts dissent from his own party, coalition parties and civil groups, the future looked bleak.

“The government does not have its own strategies and it relies too much on state officials,” said Teerana Bhongmakapat, dean of Chulalong-korn’s Economics Faculty. He gave “6-7″ points for easing economic woes, notably with the first stimulus package worth Bt100 billion, but had no confidence in the second Bt1.43 trillion Thai Khemkhaeng package.

Instead of focusing more on railroad development, many projects were initiated and proposed by state officials and some could not secure central budget financing, he said. He expects politicians to pick only projects that serve their self-interest or benefit their constituencies.

The transparency issue is also in focus. Despite www.tkk2555.com, academics could not find sufficient information like the bid winners of particular projects and their backgrounds, which could indicate political connections.

Vorapol Socatiyanurak, vice chair of the National Economic and Social Advisory Council, gave a 5.5, but voiced concern over the ability to finance its state investment debts.

“(Finance Minister) Korn (Chatikavanij) could have done much better, as he is in charge of funding,” he said.

Sompop Manarungsan, an economist lecturer at Chulalongkorn, who gave “5.3-5.5″ points, said investment projects were implemented too slowly. With stimulus packages, other countries recovered more quickly, while Thailand’s economy contracted for four straight quarters. He attributed the leisurely pace to lack of unity among coalition parties. Korn was advised to go more on the offensive next year.

While Vorapol worried about weak investor confidence after the pollution fiasco in Map Ta Phut, Sompop lamented poor handling of environmental issues, which hurt both investors and villagers.

Vallop Vitanakorn, chairman of Hi-Tech Group, was happy to give a “5″, saying the private sector had to stand on its own last year without much government help.

But among the attackers were admirers. Most business leaders gave scores above “6″, but complained about slow action.

Bangkok Bank executive chair Kosit Panpiemras did not give a rating, but noted that the government came to power in a tough situation. In economic terms, it just got a passing grade.

Santi Vilassakdanont, chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries, was the biggest admirer, giving a “9″ due to government determination to tackle political and economic woes.

“The government launched many programmes to improve the overall economic situation and reduce political conflicts,” he said. But he gave an “8″ when it came to action, saying the government could go faster. And it could have drawn up a policy to mitigate the damage over Map Ta Phut.

Pornsilp Patcharintanakul, deputy head of the Board of Trade, gave a “9″ for Abhisit dealing with problems calmly, and a “7″ for bids to bolster the economy amid tough times. But the government needed to speed up implementation of the Thai Khemkhaeng scheme, he said.

Sombat Chalermwutinan, president of Asia Golden Rice, assigned a “7-8″, just for the government’s decision to replace the farm product pledging programme with the price insurance scheme.

Suraporn Simakulthorn, president of Kulthorn Kirby group, gave a “7″ for doing well in the first year despite the turbulence.

Several developers gave a “7″, because of the Bt300,000 tax allowance for homebuyers. Prasert Taedullayasatit, director and chief operating officer of Preuksa Real Estate, said that without the incentive, the industry could have shown a contraction this year.

Atip Bichanond, president of the Thai Condominium Association, said that without the political conflicts and unclear success of other policies, he could have given a “10″ instead of “7″.

Dayana Bunnag, president of Ocean Life Insurance, assigned a “8″ and said the government deserved more time to prove itself.

“The first year’s performance was not bad and it should be given more time to do more. What we want next is transparency,” she said.

with thanks to : NATION

Koh Tao Island Guide Thailand

Koh Tao, or Turtle Island, is much smaller than Koh Samui and sits on a large rocky outcropping, which means the waters around its shores are often crystal clear. The island is ideal for both diving and snorkeling and its many protected bays attract large numbers of tourists who come to explore the underwater world.

The island was uninhabited until the 1930s, when it was used for a short period as a penal colony. Later, families from nearby islands moved to Koh Tao to farm and fish, then, in the 1980s the tourists began to arrive. The diving boom began in the nineties with the island quickly becoming one of the most popular places for cheap dive courses in Thailand. Unfortunately, this also caused a lot of damage to the inshore reef, and both the local government and the island’s residents are becoming more environmentally aware.

A full range of courses is available from introduction dives to professional level qualifications. The most popular course is the three to four day ‘Open water certificate’, which costs from around 10 000 baht and is the first level of dive training that qualifies people to dive to depths eighteen metres. After the open water course divers progress to more advanced certificates and rescue training. Those who are interested in pursuing a career in diving then continue to Dive Master level, which involves several months of practice and theory. Some schools on the island also offer a number of specialty options such as underwater photography and nitrox diving.

Koh Tao has no less than 25 dive sites. The average depth is 14 to 18 metres, with deeper offshore sites reaching around 30 metres. Beginners are generally taken to shallow inshore reefs like Mango bay and Japanese Gardens. These sites average 10 metres in depth and offer the chance to see a good variety of small reef fish. Open water divers drop into places like Twins and Green Rock where divers can spot angelfish, clownfish and different types of rays at a depth of 12–20 metres. More advanced divers head for sites like South West Pinnacle, which has a maximum depth of 33 metres and provides opportunities to see giant grouper, schools of barracuda and even whale sharks.

Koh Tao also has plenty of accommodation, food and nightlife options, particularly around the port town of Mae Had and the long sandy beach known as Sairee. Prices range from 400 baht for basic bungalows up to 4000 baht for luxury accommodation in a private bay. Many of the dive operators such as Coral Grand divers also offer packages that include accommodation in their own dive resort. These can be booked in advance on the web, on Koh Samui before departure or on arrival in Koh Tao. Some people prefer to dive Koh Tao with the Samui based Dive schools. Operators like Captain Caveman for example offer fast, comfortable day trips in speedboats with small numbers of divers per instructor.

with thanks to : 1STOP SAMUI

Beaches On Koh Tao – Beach Guide

Ko Tao is best known for its underwater attractions, but there also some very nice beaches to enjoy around the island. Here’s a selection of the best spots to spread your towel.

Sai Ree Beach

Sai Ree is the longest, most popular beach on the island and is located on the west coast, north of the capital Mae Haad. It is a lively place by Koh Tao standards and can get very busy during high season. This is the place to head for if you are looking for fun and entertainment. The beach itself is a lovely swathe of soft white sand backed by a choice of chilled out bars and restaurants. Along with Mae Haad town, this is also where most of the dive schools and resorts are based. The north end of the beach is good for snorkelling but it can get busy with dive boats and tours so choose your time carefully.

Ao Chalok Baan Kao

This is the third largest beach on the island, situated on the south coast. The beach is mainly coral, so the sand isn’t as fine as it is on Sairee, but is still very pretty. There are a few nice resorts behind the beach and it is easily accessible from the main road. The sea can be shallow for swimming at certain times of the year when the tides are low.

Ao Leuk

Aou Leuk is a beautiful little secluded bay situated on the south east coast. The horseshoe stretch of beach is very sheltered, and the water is clear and great for swimming. A perfect spot for lazing in the sun in amongst the boulders and there are also some great snorkelling spots around the rocks. The snorkelling is safe and easy, so it can get quite busy mid-morning with tours and dive boas arriving, but they don’t usually stay too long. Ao leuk is accessible by road, but the last couple of kilometres are on a dirt track so only 4-wheel drive taxis will take you. It is actually walkable from Mae Haad in about 40 minutes but take some water taxis.

Ao Thian Og

Ao Thian Og is situated on the southern most tip of Koh Tao around 2.5 kilometres from Mae Haad. It is accessible from the main road and therefore an easy beach to visit for the day. This area is commonly known as Shark Bay because it includes the famous dive site — Shark Island. The land behind the beach is government property and to date nothing has been built so it is a particularly unspoilt and peaceful bay to hang out on. The sand is soft and white, and there are bushes and trees lining the beach for shade. The snorkelling is wonderful straight out from the beach, and there are even signs of coral regenerating as well as lots of great tropical fish to see. The best part of the reef is quite a long swim from the beach, but you don’t need to go that far to see things. The small cafe’/bar on the beach rents out snorkels and fins by the hour and for 10/20 baht you can use the toilets and showers.

with thanks to : 1STOP SAMUI

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