PETALING JAYA: AirAsias Free Seats promotion is back with some 250,000 to give away.

The free seats are available to all destinations in the airlines route network, including for all flights operated by its affiliates Thai AirAsia, AirAsia Indonesia, AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia X.

Customers only need to pay for fuel surcharge and airport tax to destinations such as Penang, Langkawi, Singapore, Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya and Ho Chi Minh City.

Flights within Malaysia start from RM21 one-way (only fuel surcharge and airport tax) while international flights are from RM47.

The promotion, which ends on May 20, is for the travel period between Jan 4 and May 22 next year.

AirAsia X will be offering one way all-in fares, including from RM200 to Japan and South Korea, and from as low as RM250 to Australia. The promotional fares will be available for online booking from Wednesday to Sunday.

Regional commercial head Kathleen Tan said AirAsia was offering the promotion again to celebrate its new corporate identity, which was announced recently.

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250,000 free seats up for grabs on AirAsia

Experts warn that foreign investors rising stake in the local stock market may lead to surprise takeovers at Vietnamese firms.

Last March, Nawaplastic Industries (Saraburi) a subsidiary of Thailands leading plastic product manufacturer Nawaplastic announced that it had become a major shareholder at both of Vietnams largest pipe producers.

According to data published by Vietnams stock exchanges, Nawaplastic Industries held 22.66 percent of outstanding shares in Hanoi-based Tien Phong Plastic JSC (NTP) as of March 15.

One week earlier, the Thai company also announced that it owned a 16.7 percent share of Binh Minh Plastic Joint Stock Co (BMP). The company ultimately plans to increase its holdings in both companies to 49 percent, the largest allowable foreign stake in a domestic firm.

Nawaplastic Industries has not always been forthcoming about its investment strategy. The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange said the company bought 3,200 BMP shares between March 19 and March 22 but did not make any announcements prior to trading even though as a major shareholder, it was required to do so.

Vietnams plastic pipe market is dominated by Tien Phong and Binh Minh.

Analysts said the increased stock holdings showed that Nawaplastic Industries, a supplier of materials for the two Vietnamese companies, wants to gain a foothold in the domestic market. Controlling the market through these two firms will be easier and cheaper than setting up its own business in Vietnam, they said.

Analysts said both NTP and BMP stocks were quite cheap at the beginning of the year, hovering around VND30,000. They have surged to around VND47,000.

Phan Dung Khanh, head of analysis at Kim Eng Securities, said many foreign companies began buying Vietnamese stocks silently in 2010, when prices fell to a low level. They only made these moves public after they had secured enough shares to join the management of the local company, he said.

Because the practice is legal, Khanh said local companies should take steps to protect themselves, noting that one way to do so is to seek a reliable partner as a major shareholder to avoid being infiltrated by unwanted investors or rivals.

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Experts warn of ambush by foreign investors

Job title: Project Administration Officer Type: Full Time Duty Station: Hanoi with national travel as required Duration of assignment: 1 year with possible extension Direct supervisor: Project Manager

PROJECT BACKGROUND: The Intergenerational Deaf Education Outreach Project (IDEO) is implemented by World Concern Development Organization (WCDO) in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) through four years (2011 2015) in four provinces of Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City. The Project is funded by the Japanese Social Development Fund, entrusted to the management of the World Bank.

Project Goal:

To assist young deaf children to integrate into mainstream society, by piloting an innovative joint family and institution-based delivery system comprising screening, family support, and preschool services.

Project Components:

1.Demonstrating joint family-institution pre-school education for deaf children and developing essential knowledge base 2.Developing professional human resources for pre-school deaf education 3.Building capacity and partnerships for the deaf communities and raising awareness for general public 4.Monitoring and evaluation 5.Project management

JOB SUMMARY: The Administration Officer provides administrative support to the operations of the IDEO project, carry out all administrative works and ensuring the smooth functioning of administrative systems under the project consistent with WBs national execution mode and World Concern policies.

REPORTING RESPONSIBILITY

Report to Project Manager

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES - Manage communication duties as telephone, faxes, emails, mails; - Ensure the project filling system (soft and hard copies) is in order and updated; - Assist in visa procedures for project international consultants/ staff/ visitors as needed. - Provide logistical arrangements for project-related travel (transportation, accommodation etc.) - Maintain an updated inventory of all supplies and equipment and prepares guidelines for the proper use and maintenance of office equipment and properties; - Undertake necessary translation/interpretation tasks; - Assist IDEO project activities and its team to facilitate the implementation of the project, including providing secretariat support to meetings, workshops and trainings, drafting correspondents etc.; - Maintain the website activities, include writing and updating the news on to the website; - Prepare annual and quarterly work plan of administration activities; - Assist in other duties as required by the Project Manager.

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Project Administration Officer

Vietnams No.1 tennis player Do Minh Quan lost 6-3, 6-7, 6-7 to Thai player Wachiramanowong in the second round of the Vietnam Futures F2 tournament in Ho Chi Minh City Wednesday.

Quan missed several chances to beat the young Thai player.

After winning the first set 6-3, Quan continued to play very well in the second and had a chance of a match point when he was leading 5-4 and 40/15. However, the only Vietnamese hopeful at the event let the Thai player level the score and eventually win the set 7-6.

In the decider, Quan had a great start again and led 4-1 for a time, but then lost the set 7-6 and bowed out of the competition.

Vietnams former No.1 player Tran Duc Quynh said Quans efforts were a good example for other young Vietnamese players to follow, but he was not determined enough at important moments. It was partly because Minh has not had many chances to compete at international contests, said Quynh.

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Tennis ace suffers home defeat

BAMRUNG AMNATCHAROENRIT The Nation

THE Taipei April 2, 2012 1:00 am

James Jeng, chairman of Taiwan's second-largest airline, said last week that Taipei enjoys a good geographical location for transpacific flights. The transit time at Taoyuan Inter-national Airport is only two to three hours. EVA operates 45 flights per week to those markets.

Passengers come from Singapore, Malaysia, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. Especially from Vietnam, half of them arrive for flight connections to North America. From Bangkok alone, EVA has 10 flights scheduled per week. It has a code-sharing agreement with Bangkok Airways so its passengers can conveniently continue on to destinations across the Kingdom.

Asean, especially Thailand, is an important market for EVA. Since the Asean Economic Community will materialise in less than three years, the firm would look at this market "carefully".

EVA's ambition is to play a bigger role in the global aviation industry. Its membership application to Star Alliance, the world's largest airline grouping with 26 members, was unanimously accepted after a year-long discussion. Now, EVA will have to spend a year working on the integration process, with strong support from Air China, based in Beijing, as the mentor airline.

Pandit Chanapai, executive vice president for commercial affairs of Thai Airways International, the national carrier, said the entry of EVA into the group would help strengthen THAI's network by adding destinations that it cannot reach. Vancouver is an example. THAI's passengers can fly from Bangkok to Taipei then transfer to an EVA aircraft bound for Vancouver. THAI's passengers will enjoy benefits on both segments, especially mileage points for redemption.

THAI has turned its focus to the Asian market and is looking for major cities to add to its regional network. It flies from Bangkok to Taipei 14 times a week and is planning to increase the frequency to 15 in the future. Its load factor this month is 73 per cent on the morning flight from Bangkok and 82 per cent on the evening flight from Taipei. In October, THAI will add Taipei to its Phuket-Hong Kong route, with seven stopovers per week, as part of its plan to increase load capacity.

Becoming a member of Star Alliance will be a crucial step for EVA. The airline will be able to expand its global network where it has not gone yet, especially South America and Africa. It will be able to reach the European market with cost-saving cooperation, especially with members like Lufthansa and Austrian, amid the controversy over the collection of carbon emission fees by the European Union from airlines flying to the continent. EVA's major market is still China. EVA will enter the world's fastest-moving market via Air China. EVA serves 25 destinations in China from various cities in Taiwan with 105 flights per week, with some operated by its sister airline UNI Air. The airline plans to cash in on mainland China following the relaxation of political tensions between the two economies.

UNI flies mainly domestic routes, especially to remote islands. However, it is studying the feasibility of transforming itself into one of the low-cost airlines in Asia in the future, said Chang Kuo-wei, president of EVA Airways Corp. EVA Air was established in March 1989 and took off on its inaugural flight in July 1991. Last year, it carried 6.7 million passengers to domestic and 62 international destinations. Its fleet consists of 42 passenger aircraft and 17 freighters.

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EVA woos Asean to make Taipei a hub

Do Temple marks a turning point in Vietnams history

The gate of Do Temple in the northern province of Bac Ninh. Photo: Nguyen Van My

The Do Temple in Bac Ninh Province is a uniquely Vietnamese temple.

Situated around 20 kilometers from Hanoi, it is the best known and most visited temple in the country by far, which is not really surprising, as even a cursory study of its history shows.

The temple preserves most the traditions of Vietnam and also keeps almost everything people need to know about the Ly Dynasty (1009 1225), the first Vietnamese ruling family able to hold onto power for more than several decades, allowing them to secure and expand the territory.

Do means the capital city. It has as its deities eight kings of the Ly dynasty. The temples other names are Thai Mieu, Co Phap Dien and Ly Bat De.

It is still not explained why or how the ninth and last ruler of the dynasty, Ly Chieu Hoang, the only female one, has been left out.

Ly Chieu Hoang was enthroned when she was just eight and handed over the reins to her husband Tran Canh after two years, effectively ending the Ly Dynasty.

It has also been said that feudalism valued men more than women and that they were not to be worshiped equally.

The temple was built in 1010 by Ly Thai To, the founder of the dynasty, and restored by his son Ly Thai Tong in 1030.

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Uniquely Vietnamese

Laota Saenli, a close associate to Chang Chi-fu or Khun Sa, a late Burmese drug lord, has taunted the Thai government and Police Chief Police General Priewpan Damapong that there is no way the Thai authority will ever rid the country of narcotics. His words should be heeded with some reservation because he himself is a former drug suspect. Saenli, who has turned himself into a coffee plantation owner, has also disclosed that currently, there are three major drug cartels operating out of the Indochina region, which is known to be one of the largest narcotics production regions in the world.

Prior to this, there was a unsettling report that some drug cartels have joined hands with insurgent groups from southern Thailand, arm dealers along the border areas and other criminal organizations. On the other hand, Saenli's remark gives the authority a valuable insight on how to beat the drug trade. This actually gives us hopes that perhaps the drug cartels and the insurgents who rely on their financial support could all be wiped out at the same time.

Even if Saenli's comment holds any truth, it would be useless if the officials responsible just stand idly or neglected to act on it. In the past, the government has failed to take action on many issues despite having sufficient intelligence information and funding. The officials have often performed without any clear set of direction or objectives. More importantly, many of the country's problems nowadays have been tied to politics. Without political incentives to address them, some issues would simply continued to be swept under the proverbial rug.

Recently, the police drug raids are becoming a common sight. A massive quantity of narcotics has been seized. To some, this may seem like just a showy anti-narcotics stunt by the government aimed to win the public's approval. As long as the authority is still basking itself in the limelight for trivial drug busts instead of introducing more integrated anti-drug policy, the government will never truly triumph over the narcotics epidemic.

Failing to act on Saenli's words, the officials will not only lose an opportunity to utilize a valuable piece of information and waste resources needlessly, the drug dealers will also be amused by the government's futile anti-drug efforts.

Taken from Editorial Section, Kom Chad Leuk Newspaper, Page 4, March 29, 2012 Translated and Rewritten by Kongkrai Maksrivorawan

Please note that the views expressed in our "Analysis" segment are translated from local newspaper articles and do not reflect the views of the Thai-ASEAN News Network.

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Thai-ASEAN News Network - Drug Cartels' Taunt

* Dividend yielding lifts Thai stocks * Indonesia eases on stricter central bank rule * Philippine hovers below all-time high By Viparat Jantraprap BANGKOK, March 20 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Tuesday as investors sought counters with attractive dividend yields, but profit taking capped gains, pulling Thailand's benchmark index back from the 1,200-point level for a second day. Thailand's benchmark SET index ended the day up 0.6 percent, while Singapore and Malaysia gained 0.4 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively. Indonesia ended marginally lower, and the Philippines fell 0.5 percent afer hitting an all-time high last week. Vietnam stocks rose 0.5 percent. The Thai market was buoyed by solid foreign inflows, but like other Asian markets it succumbed to selling late in the day as U.S. stock futures pointed to a weaker start on Wall Street. The Thai central bank is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged at 3.00 percent at a meeting on Wednesday, prompting investors to look to higher dividend plays for better returns. "Thailand is actually holding up quite well ... But the market here is a bit stretched, it's difficult to break the 1,200 level," said Andrew Yates, head of international equity sales at broker Asia Plus Securities in Bangkok. Among bright spots, Thailand's top telecoms firm Advanced Info Service Pcl gained 2.3 percent. The stock is yielding close to 5 percent, and the company has said it would pay an interim dividend of 4.26 baht per share. Indonesian auto distributor PT Astra International Tbk fell 0.92 percent, adding to a combined 3.5 percent loss over the past two sessions after Bank Indonesia announced new credit curbs, including restrictions on auto loans. As global growth worries ease, some fund managers are increasingly favouring North Asian markets over Southeast Asia on expectations that companies which are more exposed to international markets will outperform. Many Southeast Asian markets, viewed as being more defensive against a global slowdown due to their domestic-oriented economies, did better than the rest of Asia last year. "This year, it looks more of a North Asian story. If the world looks a better place then all of a sudden the markets that are open to the global growth environment become very attractive," said Hong Kong-based Markus Rosgen, head of Asia Pacific Equity Strategy at Citigroup. Evaluations in some Southeast Asian markets are also looking frothy. Philippine and Malaysian markets are trading at 19.8 and 17.1 times current price-to-earnings respectively, compared with 14.9 for China and 10.3 for Hong Kong. (Additional reporting by Charmian Kok in SINGAPORE; Editing by Kim Coghill) For Asian Companies click; For Asia-Pacific News click; For South East Asia Hot Stock reports, click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on day Market Current Prev Close Pct Move Singapore 3002.73 2990.09 +0.42 Kuala Lumpur 1577.62 1579.88 +0.26 Bangkok 1196.60 1189.50 +0.60 Jakarta 4022.16 4024.73 -0.06 Manila 5102.24 5127.00 -0.48 Ho Chi Minh 440.29 438.07 +0.51 Change on year Market Current End prev yr Pct Move Singapore 3002.73 2646.35 +13.47 Kuala Lumpur 1577.62 1530.73 +3.06 Bangkok 1196.60 1025.32 +16.71 Jakarta 4022.16 3821.99 +5.24 Manila 5102.24 4371.96 +16.70 Ho Chi Minh 440.29 351.55 +25.24

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SE Asia Stocks-Mostly higher, Thailand fails again to hold 1,200

The Nation March 20, 2012 1:00 am

Thai Plastic and Chemicals has taken a 16.73-per-cent stake in Binh Minh Plastics Joint Stock Co, a Vietnamese producer of plastic pipes and fittings.

In its filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday, TPC did not reveal the value of the transaction carried out by its wholly owned subsidiary Nawaplastic Industry (Saraburi) Co.

Binh Minh, which is listed on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange, is 29.6 per cent owned by State Capital Investment Corporation.

Citi appointment

Citi has appointed Darren Buckley as country officer and head of institutional business at its Thai operation.

Buckley joined Citi in London in 1992. He initially served in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

After a four-year stint in New York, he moved to Asia in 1999, first in regional leadership roles based in Singapore, then as the chief operating officer in Thailand before moving to Japan in 2004.

Motorbike sales up

Sales of new motorcycles rose by 7 per cent year on year to 178,619 units last month.

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briefs

* Profit taking, high oil drag region * Tesco's fund makes strong Bangkok debut * New central bank rule weighs Indonesia By Viparat Jantraprap BANGKOK, March 19 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stocks ended mostly lower on Monday as worries about the impact of high oil prices on profit margins prompted investors to cash in on recent gains. Singapore's Straits Times Index ended down 0.7 percent, after Friday's climb to a seven-month high amid upbeat corporate earnings, while the Philippine index fell 0.4 percent after hitting a record high of 5145.89 points in the previous session. Jakarta's Composite Index inched down 0.09 percent, with banks and property stocks under pressure after the central bank said on Friday it would limit the size of housing loans to prevent price bubbles and excessive lending in Southeast Asia's largest economy. Thai shares erased early gains to end flat, after climbing at one point to 1,201.61, the highest since July 15, 1996. Malaysia inched up 0.14 percent in a choppy session, while the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange's VN Index edged down 0.1 percent. "We see a little bit of concern about rising oil prices. It's also profit taking across region after recent gains," said Bangkok-based strategist Teerada Charnyingyong of broker Phillip Securities. Brent crude was steady near $126 a barrel on Monday, with prices suported by continued concerns over potential supply disruptions from Iran and the prospect of a stronger U.S. economy lifting oil demand. Among losing stocks in the region, Indonesian auto distributor PT Astra International Tbk fell 0.7 percent after Bank Indonesia announced the new credit curbs, which included restriction on auto loans. "The new regulation on loan-to-value ratios will lower automotive sales by 10-25 percent in forecast 2012, in our view. Motorcycle sales will be the most impacted and are likely to see structurally lower growth," said Wilianto le of Nomura Asia Pacific Research. Malaysia's biggest lender, Maybank, fell nearly 1 percent after a combined 1.8 percent gain in past four sessions. Manila's top listed firm Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co fell 1.7 percent, reversing its 1.5 percent rise on Friday. In Bangkok, the biggest bank Bangkok Bank Pcl climbed 2.4 percent, extending its 3.3 percent gain of past two sessions, after CLSA said the stock was one of its top 13 regional plays. The property fund of Tesco's Thai unit jumped almost 11 percent in its trading debut as investors who were shut out of Thailand's largest IPO in six years scrambled to get a piece of the high-yielding security. Tesco Lotus Retail Growth Freehold and Leasehold Property Fund's units closed at 11.40 baht, off the day's high of 11.50 baht. The IPO price was 10.40 baht. (Editing by Kim Coghill) For Asian Companies click; For Asia-Pacific News click; For South East Asia Hot Stock reports, click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on day Market Current Prev Close Pct Move Singapore 2990.09 3010.68 -0.68 Kuala Lumpur 1573.60 1571.40 +0.14 Bangkok 1189.50 1189.56 -0.01 Jakarta 4024.73 4028.54 -0.09 Manila 5127.00 5145.89 -0.37 Ho Chi Minh 438.07 438.52 -0.10 Change on year Market Current End prev yr Pct Move Singapore 2990.09 2646.35 +12.99 Kuala Lumpur 1573.60 1530.73 +2.80 Bangkok 1189.50 1025.32 +16.01 Jakarta 4024.73 3821.99 +5.30 Manila 5127.00 4371.96 +17.27 Ho Chi Minh 438.07 351.55 +24.61

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SE Asia Stocks-Mostly lower; Thai index off key 1,200 level