A Secured Transactions Act headed for cabinet

Krisada said the FPO had already presented the draft for consideration by Finance Minister Sommai Phasee. The Secured Transactions Act, he said, would help improve access to capital for the business sector, since business operators would be able to use their assets as loan collateral without having to transfer the ownership of the assets to the lenders.

labour imports urged
The Federation of Thai Industries will ask the government to relax rules on imported labour, said Suchart Chantaranakarach, the FTI’s vice chairman for labour issues.
He said the federation was worried that the labour shortage would become even more severe, since the Board of Investment’s project applications exceeded its target by Bt700 billion to total Bt2.2 trillion last year and would require more than 100,000 workers.
“Combined with the current shortage, government will need to find 500,000 workers for the manufacturing sector,” he said.
The FTI will ask the government to relax its rules on importing foreign labourers, including from more distant countries such as Bangladesh, Vietnam and Indonesia.

madrid cut queried
Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said she would discuss with Thai Airways International the state carrier’s plan to abolish its Bangkok-Madrid route.
She said she had made an appointment with THAI president Charumporn Jotikasthira to talk about the matter, since the Spanish and Thai tourism sectors had agreed that their respective travel markets would continue to register high growth.
Furthermore, at present THAI is the only airline that operates a direct flight, and enjoys a 35-per-cent share of passengers travelling from Spain to Thailand.

film destination fest
The Thailand Film Office of the Tourism Department is organising the “Thailand International Film Destination Festival” (TIFDF), which is set to promote the 12 provinces that the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recommends visitors not miss when they are in the Kingdom.
The festival will be held from tomorrow through February 12 at Siam Paragon Cineplex in Bangkok.
“This year, the Thailand International Film Destination Festival marks its third anniversary and will be showcasing the Kingdom’s 12 hidden gems as the new shooting locations for international films,” Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said.
“This is in line with the government’s policy to promote the preservation of Thai traditions and cultures under the ‘2015 Discover Thainess’ campaign that emphasises the country’s unique cultural assets and the Thai way of happiness to be passed on to international visitors.”
Thailand has become a popular location to shoot international films, and in recent years, it has seen such films as “Hangover 2”, “The Impossible”, “The Lady” and “The Railway Man” bring recognition to the skills and facilities on offer in this country.