Siem Reap tourism hit by Thai protests

Cambodia has allowed Thailand to get profits from carrying tourists to Cambodia for long enough. And now when Thailand has a situation, Cambodian government can do nothing but watch the country being hit. Cambodia could have totally avoided that. It is about time Cambodia National Airline reopens!!!!
What are those ppl doing? It is hardly known and checked how all the ministors and officials are working everyday. They are doing nothing basically beside finding a way to get moneys under their tables?. No wonder, unproductive government leads to the country's very low productivity.

Phnom Penh Post:

Written by Kay Kimsong

Friday, 28 November 2008

TOURISM officials said Thursday that flight cancellations caused by the recent political unrest in Thailand have cost the Kingdom nearly 500 international tourist arrivals per day. Mobs with the pro-monarchy People's Alliance for Democracy on Tuesday stormed Suvarnabhumi International Airport and on Thursday closed Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, prompting airport officials to cancel all departing flights. Ho Vandy, president of the Cambodia Association of Travel Agents, said as many as 500 tourist arrivals would be lost by the disruptions in Bangkok, which would affect travel agencies, hotels and other related services.

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Bravo Thai democracy!

Bravo! Thai democracy. Despite the impact on Thai economy temporarily, the protest is very reasonable and deserves compliments!
Would this be the case for Cambodia in the future? Cambodian government (18937289213times more corrupted than Thai's) should beware of this. "Patience always has its limit".

Recent news on the protests in Thailand:

1-

Anarchy reigns in Thailand

Written by AFP

Thursday, 27 November 2008

BANGKOK - Thailand's powerful army chief stepped in to end the siege of Bangkok's main airport Wednesday, telling the prime minister to call new elections and mobs of anti-government protesters to disperse.

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Thai and Lao borrowed from Khmer! Publication by UCLA

Most Thai and Laotian ppl would not admit that their culture and language were actually developed from Khmer's ...

Here are some quotes from K-I media and a publication by UCLA:

What a shame!

Taken this into account, Thai King Mongkut (reigned 1851-1868) have ordered our Angkor Wat to be disassembled stone by stone and moved to Bangkok. When the task was so massive and impossible to do it. He ordered the smaller temple Prasat Ta Prohm to be disasembled instead.


http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=80&menu=004
[Thai] HISTORY
The Thai, who originated in China, migrated into the Indochina peninsula before the current era. Initially dominated by the Mon and then later, beginning in the tenth century, by the Khmer,

the Thai gained their own independence in the mid-thirteenth century. Shortly thereafter, the first script--known as the Sukhotai and distinct from that used by the Khmer--was developed for Thai.

The script now in use is a more or less modified variant of this and other intervening scripts used during the reign of other monarchs.

ORTHOGRAPHY
Thai uses a script that is basically alphabetic in nature with some elements of a syllabic system. In origin it derives from an Indic script which was adapted first by the Khmer and then the Thai.

There is a fairly good approximation between the scriptand pronunciation.

LINGUISTIC SKETCH
Thai has borrowed heavily from Mon and Khmer.


http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?LangID=75&menu=004
[Khmer]HISTORY
The history of the language is distinguished into several periods: Old Khmer (the seventh to eighth century), Angkor period (the ninth to fifteenth century), Middle Khmer (the sixteenth to eighteenth century), and Modern Khmer. The language is attested from the earliest periods by numerous inscriptions, and then during the Middle Khmer period by extensive writings on palm leaf manuscripts, including the Khmer version of the Ramayana, a well-known Hindu epic about Rama.

During the Angkor period, Khmer influenced the surrounding languages, especially the unrelated languages of Lao and Thai, and they borrowed heavily from Khmer.

Petrol drops on PM's appeal

NOW IT IS OBVIOUS!

Written by Cheang Sokha and May Kunmakara

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

Cambodia's leading fuel companies lower their prices, heeding Hun Sen's call for a ‘gift to the people' amid further falls in global petroleum costs Photo by: AFP A petrol station in Phnom Penh. Prices at the pump have dropped significantly following government pressure. TWO local petroleum giants dropped their prices Monday after repeated appeals from Prime Minister Hun Sen to reduce the cost of fuel. "I beg two companies, Sokimex and Tela, to try their best to drop the price," Hun Sen said during the launch of a Korean ethanol plant in Kandal province. While oil prices have plummeted on international markets, pump prices have remained stubbornly high in Cambodia, leading to criticism from the government and consumers. "Please drop the price and I guarantee the quality," Hun Sen said.

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Lao dams muddying the waters:

DANG IT!!!!

Source: The Phnom Penh Post

Environmentalists say regional forums have proven themselves inadequate to address the cross-border impacts of a slew of hydropower dam projects planned for southern Laos

Photo by: SEBASTIAN STRANGIO

Construction of the Kamchay hydropower dam in Kampot province continues in this file photo. NGOs say dam projects in southern Laos will impact on Cambodians while delivering few of benefits.

ASPATE of new hydropower projects slated for construction in southern Laos could wreak havoc downstream in Cambodia, according to environmental groups, but international agreements governing the sustainable development of the Mekong River basin lack the capacity to address the trans-boundary impacts of the dams.

Six large dams are already under construction in Laos, with a further 12 at an advanced stage of planning, part of a long-term Lao government strategy to turn the country into the "battery of Asia" by exporting hydroelectricity to power-starved Thailand and Vietnam.
But some NGOs are concerned that Cambodia may be shouldering the social and environmental burdens of the projects while sharing few - if any - of the economic benefits.

Power Surge: The Impacts of Rapid Dam Development in Laos, a report released by International Rivers in September, argues that projects earmarked for the deep valleys of southern Laos are unsustainable and will have far-reaching effects across the border in Cambodia.

According to the report, the projects planned "will cause irreparable social, environmental and economic losses" that will "likely far outweigh any revenue or electricity benefits they would provide".

The report argues that the 600mw Sekong 4 dam, planned for the Sekong River, a key Mekong tributary (see map), could lead to "declines in aquatic resources in Laos and downstream areas of Cambodia, and even as far away as the mainstream Mekong River in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam".

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Ratanakkiri Airport renovation draws slowly closer: officials

Source: The Phnom Penh Post Written by SAM RITH

Tuesday, 18 November 2008

AIRPORT UPGRADE The renovated Ratanakkiri Airport is to include a runway that has been extended 200 metres to 1,500 metres, improved safety equipment and a new terminal, transforming the facility from a dilapidated provincial airstrip to something more appealing. Officials claim the airport is key to the province's future as a tourism hotspot, but soon-to-be evicted households need to be compensated RATANAKKIRI provincial officials expect more tourists to take domestic flights to the isolated province once renovations to the provincial airport are completed, but determining compensation for those evicted as a result of the airport's expansion poses one last hurdle before construction can begin. With Cambodia's recent promotion of Ratanakkiri as an ecotourism hotspot, the airport's reopening can't come soon enough. "Ratanakkiri is different from other provinces because it is the ecotourism province. But right now, it takes a long time to travel to Ratanakkiri province by roads," said Sinn Chan Sereyvutha, who is managing the Ratanakkiri Airport upgrade on behalf of the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation. We have met with two issues: A LACK OF MONEY AND THE ... AFFECTED FAMILIES.

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Interesting quotes from the Ikkyo Shimbun

就活日記：

　　　面接での経験：

　　　…とにかく慣れること。回数をこなしたほうがいい。面接の受け答えは結論から言わなきゃいけないけど、それがいつもできなくて、就活記録用ノートにいつもその反省を書いてた。４月の２週目くらいでやっと『結論から言えるようになった』って書いてあった。下手すると最終のごろだよね。(笑）…　

社会学部・女・メーカ

　
　　　…まじめ風にしていましたねー。これは企業によって大事ですよ。後は一緒に働きたいと思ってもらうこと。一橋ってだけで頭は良いと思ってくれるので、むしろ明るさやコミュニケーション能力、分かりやすい話をする能力、感じの良さなんかが大事だったのではないかと思います。最初の方は緊張していて、上手くはせなかったらり、話が分かりにくかったりしたので、その部分で落とされたのかも。その時期が終わってから、落とされた企業は、相性が悪かったとしか思っていません。　…

商学部・女・メーカ

　　　…幅の広さをアピールしていました。海外旅行で３５カ国行ったとか、国会議員のインターンをしてたとか。ただ反応はまちまちで、やっぱり一つのことを頑張ってたっていう人を好む人事もいるみたい。

社会学部・男・コンサル

　　　…就活のための話じゃなくて、自分なりの人生観とか哲学みたいなところを考えて話すようにしていた。大学生の考えることなんてたかが知られてるけど、学生なりに考えるんだってことは分かってもら得たと思う。僕は、本当に就職でいいのかってところから考えた。資格も、院もそもそも別に働かなくてもいいかもしれない。一橋だら皆就活してるからとかじゃなくて、一度自分なりに考えた方がきっと説得力が出るよ。…

社会学部・男・商社

　　　…僕は一気に喋る悪い壁があって。一つ開かれると知らぬ間に１０答えちゃってて、喋りきった後『話せたー』って自己満足にひたってた。ある面接では緊張して喋りすぎて『落ち着け』って面接官のおじさんに言われる始末（笑）。学内の説明会の後に質問したり、OBとの懇親会で志望に関わらずいろんな企業の人をつかまえて話したりして、練習した。そうやって場数を踏むと、相手が今話ししたがっているのか、聞きたがってるのか、分かるようになる。今になって振り返ってみると、結局、テンパって落ちた企業の面接も受かった企業の面接も、話した内容はそれほど変わらない。話の組み立て方とか、会話の対応とかが違ってただけのような気もする。…

社会学部・男・インフラ

　　　…　部活のイベントのリーダーシした経験を使って、リーダーシップや責任感があるところをアピールした。人と話すのが好きなところも。面接は特に第一志望(内定先）のときは緊張したなぁ。それまで受けた面接の中で一番カミカミで、身振り手振りとかしてたら机にぶつけて、『痛ぇ！』とかなった。第一志望だと思うと緊張しちゃうから、『第一志望じゃない、どの会社も行きたいよ！』って思い込むようにしてたなぁ。

社会学部・男・不動産

　　　… 部活を諦めた話はぜんぜんしなかったけど、公務員志望を諦めた話は結構ネタになたな。説得力があるというか、聞いて相手がうなずける話として。『インターンしていたときに、働き方や仕事の仕法に疑問を持って……』　『じゃあどんな働き方がいいと思う。民間でそれを実現してみたい』っていう流れで。やっぱり、一見遠回りに見えても無駄なことはなくて、いろいろやればやるだけネタって増えると思う。あと、熱意をもって喋ると伝わるよね。僕は線が細いからひょろそうに見られがちで、ギャップを見せるために特に意識して熱く喋ってた。…

社会学部・男・インフラ

　　　…　たぶん面接で言うことってみんな大して変わらないだよね。それよりも落ち着きとか話し方とか、そういうのが平価されるんじゃないかな。上手いことを言おうと思わないで人との話し方、身なりとか表情とかを気にするべき。どんな印象を与えるかが、面接の半分以上を占めると思うから。…

経済学部・男・商社

U.S. Trade deficit shrank just a bit!

The obvious sign of the decreasing demand in the U.S.

Excerpt from the holly Wall Street Journal:

" The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in Sept. but the improvement was driven rather by a combination of decline in imports and exports underscoring the fragile state of the global economy. The U.S. labor market, meanwhile, is worsening at the rapid clip, which could further undermine growth."

The srink might be due to the low demand of petroleum and since the oil is getting cheaper?

Analysts predict the narrowing will likely continue!

Cambodia's inflation rate declines in October

Way to go! 2008-11-18 09:17:58

Special Report: Global Financial Crisis

PHNOM PENH, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia's consumer price index grew by 18.12 percent from October 2007 to October 2008, marking a decrease of inflation rate this year, national media said on Tuesday.

The inflation rate stood at 22 percent in August and 20 percent in September, according to official figures.

While prices remain high compared with last year, some price changes that occurred month to month recently have slowed or reversed compared with previous trends, English-Khmer language newspaper the Cambodia Daily quoted official report as saying.

The financial crisis and the falling value of U.S. dollars have take a toll on the Cambodian economy, it quoted experts saying.

The high inflation seems to be decreasing in Cambodia, it quoted a bank source as saying.

From 2005 to 2007, Cambodia experienced double-digit economic growth and inflation became apparent at the beginning of this year.

Japan, China Pledge help

but China is not ready to go!

According to the wall street journal on November 17, 20008, Japan has promised $100billion in loans to boost the resources of the IMF, while China has offered Pakistan a $500 million package of aid.

Despite being the only country with larger reserve of foreign currency than Japan with nearly $2 trillion, China is said to have no intention in rescuing the emerging economies hardly hit by the worst financial crisis since 1929. That really played down expectation from worldwide saying focusing more on prectecting their domestic economy is increasingly important to the world economy! ? Is China playing game again?

Japan hold about $1 trillion of foreign currency, 1/2 the amount China possesses, but this island country promise to provide fund to the Washington based instution when needed. So Japan is no longer in question about how it should use its massive amount of foreign currency. Both Chinese and Japanese government was blamed for not using its currency to invest aggressively.

1st ethanol factory to produce bio-fuel in Cambodia: Another polluter?

A welcome move but some called it as another polluter entered Cambodia where the enforcement of law is not properly conducted.
Ethanol factory is well-known for its polluting effects by massive disposal of waste... while the Cambodia law might require the company to manage theire waste disposal but will the law be practiced? . And the company is Korean...bleh!

(Xinhua): PONGNEA LEU, Cambodia, Nov. 17 -- Cambodia opened its first ethanol factory to generate bio-fuel from cassava flour here on Monday.

"This is the first ethanol factory in Cambodia and it will become the market place of cassava product for local farmers," Prime Minister Hun Sen said at the opening ceremony of the pioneer venture invested by the MH Bio-energy Group of South Korea.

It will directly provide 192 job opportunities for local workers and encourage farmers to plant more cassava, he said, adding that the factory itself has made investment to grow cassava on 8,000 hectares of land in Kampong Speu province.

The project, with 40 million U.S. dollars of investment, has already opened two branches in Kampong Cham and Battambang provinces to purchase cassava from local farmers, he added.

Industry, Mines and Energy Minister Suy Sem said at the ceremony that the factory now has a designed capacity of 36,000 tons of ethanol fuel for export per year, especially to the European market.

"The factory has a plan to double its export volume during the next few years. It now needs about 100,000 tons of dry cassava flour each year," he said, adding that its ethanol fuel can replace gasoline for vehicles.

Sar Peov, head of the administration unit of the factory, told Xinhua that a ton of ethanol fuel currently sells at about 700 U.S. dollars on the international market.

"We focus on foreign market because Cambodia has a small market for ethanol products and the vehicles here use gasoline and diesel," he said.

We will focus on the Cambodian market later, he added.

Cassava is one of the most important economic crops in rural Cambodia.

According to the official figures, around 30,000 hectares of land were planted with cassava in 2005 in the kingdom, with a turnout of around 536,000 tons of flour.