Thai Airways International plans to push Don Muang Airport to be the regional maintenance hub.
Pilot Officer Apinan Sumanaseni, Thai Airways Plc’s president, revealed the government had a policy to use Don Muang Airport to be the regional maintenance hub after the launch of the Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Mr. Apinan said increasing the number of flights to Don Muang Airport would be against the government’s policy to promote the Suvarnabhumi Airport as the regional hub.
Thai Airways will further propose this issue to Transport Minister Santi Prompat.
Don Muang was an important hub of Asia and the hub of Thai Airways International prior to its closure.
Handling over 38 million passengers and 700,000 tons of cargo in 2005, it was the 18th busiest airport in the world and 2nd in Asia by passenger volume.
The airport was replaced by Suvarnabhumi Airport on September 28, 2006.
Bangkok accepted Sydney mayor’s invitation to join the Earth Hour activity which twenty four cities worldwide will turn off lights for one hour to raise awareness about global warming.
The “Earth Hour” initiative started in Sydney last year when 2.2 million people flicked the switch.
Bangkok is one of the eight latest cities to join “Earth Hour” campaign apart from Atlanta, San Francisco and Phoenix in the US; Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal in Canada and Dublin in Ireland.
Mrs. Bansopit Mekwichai, Deputy Bangkok Governor, met with 43 delegates from the WWF, Metropolitan Electricity Authority, Electricity Generation Authority of Thailand, Education Ministry, department stores and the owners of high-rise buildings last month to discuss the issue.
Street lights will be turned off on March 29, from 8-9 pm at the Central World Plaza.
Normally, Bangkok will consume five million kilowatts per hour of electricity on Saturday.
About one million kilowatts per hour or 25% of electricity consumption will be reduced during the Earth Hour, which means up to two million baht per hour of power cost will be cut.
New Phetchburi, Rajadamri, Silom, Yaowaraj, Ratchada and Kao Sarn Road are included in the Earth Hour campaign.
Bangkok Experimental Film Festival (BEFF5)
A co-production between the Thai Film Foundation, independent arts organization Project 304, and Kick the Machine, this year’s festival (BEFF 5) will focus on new work by Thai artists, although some international work will also be featured.
The theme of the festival, ‘The More Things Change’, will explore the cycles – economic, natural, political, and spiritual – that are shaping life in the 21st century.
26 Mar 08 - 28 Mar 08, Esplanade Cineplex (Core program base)
4th Floor
Ratchadapisek Road
MRT: Thailand Cultural Centre
Tel: +66 (0)86 311 6062 (Organizer, Thai and English)
Source: thaiasiatoday.com
‘The more things change …’
Announcing the 5th Bangkok Experimental Film Festival (BEFF 5)
The Bangkok Experimental Film Festival has announced it will stage its fifth program (BEFF 5) in March, 2008. BEFF is a co-production by Kick the Machine, the Thai Film Foundation, and independent arts organization Project 304.
BEFF was first held in 1997 to address the lack of local platforms for filmmakers working beyond mainstream conventions and the limitations of market concerns. Since then, it has played a pivotal role in the invigoration of Bangkok’s independent film community, exposing innovative work by video artists, animators and experimental filmmakers.
BEFF 5 will focus on new work by Thai artists, though some international work will also be featured. The program, entitled ‘The more things change …’, will explore the cycles – natural, spiritual, political and economic – that shape life in the 21st Century. Curator David Teh says, “Experimental film can highlight the connections between the ordinary and the extraordinary, between public and private, between everyday life and the big picture of society.”
The BEFF 5 announcement comes amid debate about the relevance and regulation of local screen culture. A government official recently called Thai audiences ‘uneducated’, suggesting that they were only interested in lightweight comedy. This view does not fit with the breadth and depth of Thai screen culture, which wins awards and acclaim worldwide – not just in advertising and mainstream film, but also in independent and non-commercial fields. BEFF 5 will tap the wealth of experimental screen culture produced in Thailand, and present it to a wider audience in Bangkok and other Thai cities, and overseas. Past BEFF programs have toured to the US, Europe, Singapore and Australia.
BEFF 5 aims to stimulate all levels of the industry, from filmmakers and cinephiles to students and the general public. According to BEFF’s directors, “BEFF 5 is about the promotion and creative development of Thai art and culture. It will be a hot-spot linking filmmakers, the arts community, and the public.”
Source: kickthemachine.com
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