ASEAN NOW News

On a windy day at Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course, American Lilia Vu emerged victorious at the Honda LPGA Thailand, winning by one shot over 54-hole Thai leader Natthakritta Vongtaveelap.

 

 

Thai 20-year-old rookie Vongtaveelap struggled to stay steady under pressure on day four in Chonburi, Thailand, while her close friend two-time LPGA Tour winner Atthaya Thitikul came in 3^rd.

 

 

Although Natthakritta as a sponsors invite did not gain any CME LPGA points, she still came away with a handy US$157,780.

 

Perhaps the real winner however was Thai golf as thousands of budding young female Thai golfers packed the course to cheer on their idols.

 

The Siam Country Club’s Old Course broke all attendance records, with nearly 50,000 attending over the four days.

 

Naturally many came to see Natthkritta and her close friend Atthaya try to win for Thailand.

In fact, there were ten Thais in the field of 72 with another LPGA rookie Jaravee Boonchant finishing T17 and popular Thai veteran Pornanong Phatlum finishing T27.

 

Pattaya was packed as many Japanese and Koreans also flew in to support their countrywomen.

 

This was also a great advert for Thailand’s golf industry with the Tourism Authority of Thailand sponsoring the tournament.

 

International golf vaccinations provide a vital income for the country’s tourist industry, and now they are encouraging golfers from India and SE Asian countries to come to play golf on the 260 courses across Thailand.

 

Amateur golf tournaments are also now becoming very popular. Leading Asian Golf tour operator Golfasian https://www.golfasian.com/events/ will be organising several major events in 2023 in Hua Hin and Pattaya.

 

Thais know how to put on a major Golf Event in style and Siam Country Club Old Course didn’t disappoint the thousands of fans at the course or the millions watching on TV around the world.

 

With so many young Thais now playing on the LPGA and Ladies’ European Tour in 2023, expect to see an explosion of young female golfers taking up the sport in the country known as The Land of Smiles.

 

 

BANGKOK, Thailand (November 15, 2022)— Golfasian reaffirmed its post-pandemic resurgence by notching four awards at this year’s World Golf Awards, including the prized title of Asia’s Best Golf Tour Operator.

 

Asia’s largest golf tour operator marks its 25th anniversary this year, and there was plenty for it to celebrate at the World Golf Awards ceremony, which was held yesterday in Abu Dhabi.

 

All the winners at the World Golf Awards

As well as being named Asia’s Best Golf Tour Operator 2022, Golfasian was voted Best Inbound Golf Tour Operator 2022 for three destinations: Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

 

The quartet of awards once again confirmed its status as one of the region’s most respected names in golf tourism.

 

The World Golf Awards is one of the industry’s most prestigious events. Leading golf tourism figures worldwide and consumers in more than 100 countries vote on the awards, making them a potent endorsement of winners.

 

Pascal Orczech, Director of Business Development

 

“It’s always an honour to be recognized by the World Golf Awards,” says Pascal Orczech, Director of Business Development at Golfasian, who was in the Middle East to attend the ceremony.

 

“We are going from strength to strength as a company—high season bookings are at all-time highs, and customers are raving about the golf trips we are organizing. These awards offer confirmation that we are moving forward in the right direction.”

 

Indeed, the operator is eyeing the future with confidence following a difficult couple of years for tourism.

 

Established in Bangkok in 1997, it is Asia’s leading dedicated golf tour operator and the first choice for golfers visiting rising destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, and Indonesia.

 

Golfasian’s success is also down to its versatility. The operator is as adept at tailoring packages for individual clients as it is at dealing with groups.

 

The company also organizes fully-fledged golf tournaments in Thailand, such as the Centara World Masters Golf Championship, an established highlight on Thailand’s golf calendar. It is gearing up to launch a new event in Japan for 2023.

 

“We’ve honed our formula to a fine art over the past 25 years,” says Mark Siegel, founder and managing director of Golfasian.

 

 “We know the golf scene in Southeast Asia inside out. We have a strong passion for the region and what we are selling. And we offer highly customized golf holidays at competitive rates with exceptional customer service. It’s like a well-oiled machine. These awards give us strength and support to continue delivering the best golf holidays in Asia.”

 

For more information visit www.golfasian.com

 

 

Hello,

 

We are planning a golf vacation soon and hear the Balanese massage is hard to beat.

 

So what is the best golf club in Indonesia that has a top spa too?

Hello,

 

We are planning a golf vacation soon and hear the Balananse massage is hard to beat.

 

So what is the best golf club in Indonesia that has a top spa too?

Who doesn’t like to play a new golf course for the first time?

 

Well, word on the ground is that there is a golf club in Bangkok that will shortly be adding an extra nine holes, making it a very interesting 27-hole challenge.

 

According to our sources, these new nine holes are some of the best they have ever played.

 

Expats and tourists keen to be among the first to experience these superb and exciting holes should contact Golfasian, Asia’s leading golf tour operator to find out where these mystery nine holes are actually located.

 

 

After a noticeably quiet time for Thailand golf travel, the cool sunshine days and the excellent value for money sparked a renaissance from last month.

 

 

A visible sign that international golf travelers are taking advantage was the queues of travelers with golf bags at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport and many visitors at Bangkok's top golf courses.

 

Arriving golf travelers commented about the excellent value for money for the preferred choice of Thailand over other golfing destinations.

 

Golfasian, is experiencing surging forward golf bookings, which doesn't let up until March 2023, and Thailand is proving again to be the Land of Golf Smiles!

 

 

 

The Epson Tour Championship has a new champion and new 72-hole record, while the Epson Tour has a new all-time scoring record. Jaravee Boonchant accomplished all three after finishing the week 23-under par.

 

Boonchant

 

“I'm very happy,” said Boonchant. “It's really unbelievable. I still can't believe that I actually won the tournament just now. I don't know, I’m just very happy and words just can't describe how I feel right now.”

 

The win at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida marked the rookie’s first victory on the Epson Tour. Boonchant carded 21 birdies and a lone eagle on the week, with clean, bogey-free scorecards throughout all four rounds.

 

“I actually did not realize that I did all bogey-free until two of the last holes,” said Boonchant. “I was like, ‘Oh, I actually haven't had a bogey yet.’ That kind of distracted me a little bit, but I was just going to do what I had been doing and just focused on this shot that I was about to hit.”

 

Unfortunately, the win wasn’t enough to secure Boonchant a spot in the top-10. The Thai finished at No. 12 on the Epson Tour official money list, getting exempt from Stage II of the LPGA Tour Qualifying School. Her next chance at 2023 LPGA membership will happen at Q-Series in December.

 

“I'm just very grateful that I was able to pull out a win this week,” said Boonchant. “Coming into this tournament, I was flying from Korea and my ranking was 36. It was just at the cut line, so I was just hoping that I made a good result and maybe get exempt from Stage II. To be able to win on the last event of Epson Tour, that just makes me very happy and proud that all the hard work has paid off. I’m proud of myself that I trusted the process and didn’t stress myself out too much.”

 

One stroke behind Boonchant, in solo second place, was Riley Rennell. The Tennessee native went bogey-free on the day, signing for a 7-under final round.

 

 

 

 

Mark Siegel CEO at Golfasian, Asia’s number one golf tour operator, thought he was just going to enjoy a normal round of golf at the LIV Golf Bangkok pro-am at Thailand’s latest course Stonehill.

 

(left-right ) Punjan Prama, Anirban Lahiri, Sadom Kaewkanjana and Mark Siegel

 

However much to his surprise, it turned out that he ended up playing with not one but three number ones!

 

Anirban Lahiri the Indian No 1 professional golfer was in his group, along with Thailand’s No 1 Sadom Kaewkanjana, which in itself was quite a coup.

 

Lahiri has won on the PGA Tour and came second in his first appearance at LIV Golf Boston.

 

And Kaewkanjana known as “Pet” has won the Singapore Open, came 11th in this year’s Open at St Andrew’s, and has done very well so far on the LIV Golf tour.

 

However, the autograph hunters were not after these two young golf superstars who have together won many big tournaments around the world.

 

All the fans and especially the Stonehill Thai caddies were however actually chasing Thailand’s No.1 Movie and TV star Punjan Prama who was also in their group.

 

Punjan is also a scratch golfer himself and sometimes plays on the All-Thailand Golf Tour.

 

All enjoyed the new course and had a great round as a group, and even ended up winning the pro-am tournament as well.

 

Mark Siegel Golfasian’s CEO said, ‘Not many amateur golfers can say they played with two number one golfers and a major movie star on the newest golf course in the world, all on the same day.”

 

However, in the end, it was Seigel’s Thai wife who was perhaps the happiest.

 

Golf tour operator and movie star

 

She was ecstatic when her husband sent her a photo of Punjan Prama and him on the tee box, and they are now apparently friends on Facebook, even swopping messages.

 

In fact it was Punjan who told Mark's wife that they had actually won Thursday's LIV Golf pro-am.

 

Big brownie points for Siegel!!!

 

 

A minute’s silence was observed for Thursday’s massacre at a Thai school before the shot gun start at the LIV Golf tour at Stonehill Bangkok.

 

Players on the 1st tee observe a minutes silence

 

Marquee groupings attracting the big crowds were Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, and Thai number one Sadom Kaewkanjana, who teed off at hole No.1 in front of Greg Norman.

 

Phachara  Khongwatmai was teamed up with Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau.

 

Driving range

 

The fans started arriving as the gates opened at 8.30 today Friday October 7th and the driving range was packed as the players went through their warmup routines.

 

Several groups had traveled from Hong Kong and Singapore as Asian fans were eager to see up close these superstars, many who were playing in Thailand for the first time.

 

Everyone was talking about this new golf course Stonehill 50 minutes north of Bangkok.

 

Phil Mickelson said, “I am very impressed with the golf course. This is my first exposure, first time in Thailand, and the golf course is remarkable.

Obviously, it's in incredible shape. I don't know if I've seen a golf course in this good a condition. But it's also a wonderful design, very fun to play, great risk-reward, and I'm very glad to see such world-class architecture, design and golf in other parts of the world and right here in Thailand.”

 

Johnson and his Aces team in Bangkok

 

Dustin Johnson added, “It is really nice. It's one of the nicest conditioned courses I've played on. It's a really good golf course. It's long. I think the greens are challenging.

I think it's a good test of golf, and obviously depending on the wind, especially if we get a bit of wind, it'll play difficult.

But yeah, the conditions are unbelievable.”

 

England’s Richard Bland is at the top of the leader board after day 1, but expect some of the long hitters to move up the leader board over the weekend as the course is very long with wide fairways.

 

Many of the players have discount codes on their Twitter accounts so apparently, it may be possible to visit LIV Golf BKK this weekend. If you go to the LIV Golf ticket page, try Westwood 25 and you may get a discount.

 

In Asia, we are amid the green season, with heavy afternoon showers being the norm. However, far from going elsewhere, they're more golfers here now than in all prior months in 2022 combined!

 

Pattaya amateur events

 

Maybe it's because September is tournament month, or there is so much pent-up travel demand from limited opportunities in prior years.

 

Club golfers from 30+ countries now enjoy our growing tournament schedule. Inspired by golfers, in 2023, we’re adding new destinations, including a Masters (over 35’s) tournament in Japan.

Full event details are to be released next month. Check out the Asian golf tournament calendar.

 

As usual, Golfasian has been busy updating our tours for the high season and re-inspecting the area golf courses and resorts.

 

Mark Siegel Golfasian’s busy CEO will be in Pattaya, Danang, and Japan playing some new courses and meeting our partnered hotels. You can expect continuous improvement and new tours and tournament launches.

 

Golf in the region is starting to pick up and the courses have never been in better condition.

 

Even the mighty LIV Golf tour and all their star players will be enjoying some Asian hospitality in Bangkok in early October when they come to play the city’s newest 18 holes at Stonehill Golf Club.

 

In Asia, we are amid the green season, with heavy afternoon showers being the norm. However, far from going elsewhere, they're more golfers here now than in all prior months in 2022 combined!

 

Major amateur events

 

Maybe it's because September is tournament month, or there is so much pent-up travel demand from limited opportunities in prior years.

 

caddies welcome international golf vacationers

 

Club golfers from 30+ countries now enjoy our growing tournament schedule. Inspired by golfers, in 2023, we’re adding new destinations, including a Masters (over 35’s) tournament in Japan.

 

Full event details are to be released next month. Check out the Asian golf tournament calendar. 

 

As usual, Golfasian has been busy updating our tours for the high season and re-inspecting the area golf courses and resorts.

 

Mark Siegel, Golfasian’s busy CEO will be in Pattaya, Danang, and Japan playing some new courses and meeting our partnered hotels.

 

You can expect continuous improvement and new tours and tournament launches.

 

Golf in the region is starting to pick up and the courses have never been in better condition.

 

Even the mighty LIV Golf tour and all their star players will be enjoying some Asian hospitality in Bangkok in early October when they come to play the city’s newest 18 holes at Stonehill Golf Club.

 

Atthaya Thitikul beat Daniel Kang after two playoff holes to win US$345,000 and her second tournament in her first year on the LPGA Tour.

 

Final round for Thitikul Getty images

 

 

It was also good news for fellow Thai Pornanong Phatlum who finished 4th and is now 69 on the money list securing her card for next season.

 

Attayaya's biog.

 

Hometown/Resides: Ratchaburi, Thailand

Birthdate: February 20, 2003; currently 19 years, 7 months, and 5 days

Qualified for LPGA Tour: Finished third at LPGA Q-Series to first earn LPGA Tour Membership

Turned Professional/Rookie Year: 2020/2022

Caddie: Banpot Bunpisansaree

 

VICTORIES

LPGA TOUR: 2nd career victory

PREVIOUS WINS: 2022 JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol

PREVIOUS LET WINS: Two official career victories; also won two LET events as an amateur

 

RACE TO THE CME GLOBE 

With her win, Thitikul earns 500 points and is projected to move from seventh to fourth in the Race to the CME Globe

 

MONEY

With her win, Thitikul earns $345,000; she has earned $1,881,392 for the season and for her LPGA Tour career

 

PREVIOUS WALMART NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY P&G RESULTS

N/A

 

2022 LPGA TOUR PERFORMANCE

Twenty events played, 19 cuts made; $1,881,392 earned with two wins and nine additional top 10s, including a solo fourth at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship

 

OF NOTE 

Thitikul becomes the fourth player with multiple victories during the 2022 season, joining Jennifer Kupcho (3), Minjee Lee (2) and Brooke Henderson (2)

Thitikul is the fourth player from Thailand to earn multiple wins on the LPGA Tour, alongside Ariya Jutanugarn (12), Moriya Jutanugarn (2) and Jasmine Suwannapura (2)

She is the first player since Sung Hyun Park (2017) to card multiple wins during her rookie year

Thitikul’s second-round 61 marked her career-low 18-hole score on the LPGA Tour; her previous low score was a 63, which she shot during the final round at the 2022 Cognizant Founders Cup

Thitikul became the third Rolex First-Time Winner of 2022 with her win at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol; at 19 years and 25 days, Thitikul was the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour since Brooke Henderson won the 2016 AmazingCre Portland Classic at 18 years, 9 months and 23 days

The last 19-year-old before Thitikul to win on Tour was Yuka Saso at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open presented by ProMedica (19 years, 11 months, 21 days)

In 2021, Thitkul won the Race to Costa del Sol, Rookie of the Year, and Player of the Year honors; joined Dame Laura Davies, Carlota Ciganda and Esther Henseleit as the only players to win the Race to Costa del Sol and Rookie of the Year in the same year

She was the youngest-ever winner of the Race to Costa del Sol at 18 years, 9 months and 8 days

Thitikul won the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Championship at 14 years, 4 months, and 19 days making her the youngest person ever to win a professional tournament

She also won the 2019 Ladies European Thailand Championship as an amateur

Also known by her nickname “Jeeno”

 

Atthaya Thitikul Photo LPGA Getty Images

 

Rolex First-Time Winner Atthaya Thitikul took the biggest advantage of Moving Day at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G in Rogers, Ark.

 

The 19-year-old fired a bogey-free, 10-under 61 to tie the 18-hole tournament scoring record first set by major champion So Yeon Ryu in 2017 and now has a one-shot lead heading into Sunday.

 

The 61 is the lowest round of Thitikul’s LPGA Tour career, besting her previous record of 63 by two shots, and her 36-hole total of 128 is also a new career-low, three shots better than the 131 she recorded at the 2021 Honda LPGA Thailand.

 

After going out in 32 on the back nine, Thitikul absolutely torched the front nine, finishing eagle-birdie-birdie to cap off the record-tying round – 18 holes that saw her mind just go “blank” as she was playing.

 

“I had a really good game even yesterday, but I just didn't make the putt that much,” said the rookie, who needed just 26 putts to get the job done on Saturday.

 

“I hit a fairly good shot and then just keep rolling the ball, patient, and make the putt more than yesterday. I think my mind went blank and just nothing there. Just hit a shot, just tap it in, putt it in. Like totally blank. I think when I play really good golf or shoot like really low score my mindset is like blank. It's really good to keep that blank mind for tomorrow.”

 

It’s the first time in Thitikul’s young career that she’ll sleep on the 36-hole lead or co-lead, but she isn’t any stranger to being in contention on Sunday.

 

She became a Rolex First-Time Winner earlier this season at the JTBC Classic presented by Barbasol after defeating Nanna Koerstz Madsen in a playoff at Aviara Golf Club.

 

When asked what it would mean to capture her second win in such a short amount of time, the 2022 rookie gave a Tour veteran’s answer.

 

“I think everyone that plays out here wants to win; I want to win as well,” said Thitikul. "Every week that we play we want to win, and just like if it's your day, it's your day, like I said every single time. If it's not, then it's not. But if I can win tomorrow, which would be my number two on the Tour, it's going to be pretty special.”

 

Pornanong Phatlum the Thai veteran is tied in 13 position, having shot a very respectable round of 65.

 

Khun Waen as she is known has been having a better second half to her season and hopefully will get into that all-important top 80 players for the 2023 season. 

 

 

 

Bangkok, Thailand (September 23, 2022): LIV Golf Invitational Chicago champion Cameron Smith is eager to bring LIV Golf’s supercharged tournament series to new international audiences as it prepares to make high-profile debuts in Thailand and Saudi Arabia next month.

 

The Australian emerged victorious at Rich Harvest Farms this past weekend, carding a three-under final round of 69 for a 13-under total score and a $4 million prize as individual champion in only his second start since joining the circuit.

 

Cameron Smith in Chicago

 

The 2022 Open Champion finished three shots ahead of Peter Uihlein and Dustin Johnson, the latter of whom took home the individual title September 2-4 at the LIV Golf Invitational Boston.

 

Johnson is the current leader in LIV Golf’s individual point standings and his team, 4 Aces GC, has also won four consecutive team trophies in LIV Golf’s innovative new team format for this year’s eight-event Invitational Series.

 

LIV Golf’s June debut in London was followed by four consecutive events in the United States.

 

Stonehill

 

The series will break new ground at the all-new Stonehill venue in the northern suburbs of Bangkok October 7-9, before traveling to Jeddah a week later.

 

General admission price for a single-day grounds pass at the LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok is 800THB, with three-day passes on sale for 1600THB at LIVGolf.com or Single day and three-day hospitality packages for the popular Club 54 and Gallery Club experiences are also available.

 

Reflecting on the opportunity ahead to play in back-to-back international tournaments, the 29-year-old Smith said: “I think it is fantastic. That's one of the reasons why I came over here is to play golf around the world."

 

“I think my time when I was a young professional over in Asia are some of the best times of my life. Traveling with good friends and playing really good tournaments was something I will never forget, and I'm really looking forward and really excited for what this Tour is going to bring to the golf world.”

 

Smith, who finished just off the podium in his first LIV Golf event earlier this month, has been impressed with the ‘supercharged golf’ and electric atmosphere delivered at LIV Golf tournaments.

 

LIV Golf features a unique and fan-friendly format in which events are played over three days and feature shotgun starts, a 48-man field battling for both team and individual titles, and on-course music adding to a lively environment for players and fans, alike.

 

Fun spectator activations within the events, such as the opportunity to receive a Smith-style mullet haircut to raise money for charity, are also bringing something different to the world of golf.

 

Added Smith: “It’s really cool. It’s something that I've gotten used to over the last couple of weeks, and I can't wait to keep this going. It’s unreal out here. I love the energy. Everyone is really engaged and everyone is really watching what you are doing. It’s awesome."

 

“I think the music out on the golf course and on the range is something that I really enjoy. I think everyone out there really enjoys it, as well. I feel like the fans are closer to you and they are probably a little bit louder on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, but I love it. The atmosphere is perfect.”

 

Smith is not the only player embracing the new on-course vibe this season.

 

The victorious 4 Aces team of Johnson, Patrick Reed, Pat Perez and Talor Gooch has thrived in the upbeat atmosphere. In Chicago, the team earned its fourth consecutive team trophy thanks to Reed’s final-round 68 – including two chip-ins for eagle and birdie – a 69 from Perez, and a birdie putt for 70 from captain Johnson on the last hole.

 

Their final score of -24 overall placed them one ahead of the Smash GC team of Uihlein, four-time major winner Brooks Koepka, his brother Chase and Jason Kokrak.

 

The victorious 4 Aces praised the fans for the atmosphere they have brought to the tournaments throughout the season, with Johnson labelling the supporters ‘unbelievable’.

 

“The fans have been amazing at every event,” added Perez. They are behind us, they're for it. They get to see top players every day, and you can see the battle of Cam (Smith) and DJ (Johnson) and Peter (Uihlein) today. You're getting top players to compete every day. It is incredible, and the fan support has been amazing out there every week.”

 

 

After a fairly torrid time for the golf tourism industry, at last, there seems tangible light at the end of the Tunnel.

 

The 2022 Vietnam World Master Golf Championship has just taken place at Ba Na Hills in Danang.

 

Vietnam World Masters

 

Vacationers who are from all over the world have flown into Vietnam to enjoy a week of first-class golf in the region. Round one took place at BRG Danang Golf Resort.

 

This is the third major tournament arranged by Asia’s leading tour operator Golfasian  in 2022.

 

In May over 350 international golfers took part in the Centara World Masters in Thailand’s Hua Hin playing Black Mountain and Banyan Golf Club.

 

Then in September, they ran the Pattaya Men’s Open hosted at Siam Country Club and Laem Chabang.

 

Mark Siegel CEO at Golfasian said,” We have been reading about the return of tourists for some time, however these three tournaments we organised are living proof that golf vacationers have really started to return in numbers.”

 

“ Not only is this promising news for the 1st class golf clubs who hosted our events but is also a boost for the travel industry and of course our company and dedicated staff.”

 

Seems the format is starting to pay off as Golfasian has plans to organise another six tournaments all supported by major hotel brands including Pullman, Accor, Amari, Centara, and Avani.

 

It is not only great business for the golf clubs but also helps fill hotel bed nights as well.

 

 

Now as the dust has settled after the Pelosi-Tsai debacle and the US-China test-of-wills calms, according to political commentators and experts, we can now see clearly who the winners and losers are from the one-week geopolitical drama.

 

 

According to broadcaster Herman Tiu Laurel, the standout winner is without any doubt the People’s Republic of China (PROC) scoring a knockdown of all its opponents in just Round 1.

 

And the biggest loser is clearly Tsai Ing-wen, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwanese independence movement as well as the Taiwanese people.

 

The United States of American played the emperor, that lost its clothes in the fiasco.

 

Chinese muscle

 

Suddenly stripped of all its hubris and braggadocio as its warships and aircraft carriers scampered off to safe distances to observe and wait for what else the People's Liberation Army Navy, air force and rocket force would do.

 

Unlike its bravado actions in 1995-1996 3rd Taiwan Strait Crisis where two US carrier groups sailed through and around the Taiwan Strait taunting the PROC 27-years ago.

 

Now the US are unable to confront the PROC head-on with the demonstration of its massive force to subdue any challenge to its control of the Taiwan Strait and its ability to overcome any defense of the Taiwan Island to thwart the eventual and peaceful re-unification of the momentarily alienated island of the coast of Fujian province.

 

This message reverberates too among the Taiwanese people, and this will give the Taiwanese voters some added degree of wisdom.

 

There is a forthcoming November Taiwan local election

 

The topic where PROC's message in the 4th Taiwan Strait Crisis, the current one with its demonstration of total control of the security situation of the Taiwan Strait and island, and its sampling of 2,000 Taiwan exports to China with a punitive ban, may provide a pedagogical moment to the young Taiwanese voters who have been giving the DPP its margins of victory in the national elections of 2016 and 2020.

 

The DPP had been, however, weak in the November 2018 local elections and lost 15 out of 22 local chiefs' election to the China-friendly Kuomintang.

 

2022 may be the same, for apart from the apparently successful KMT local government chiefs,  is this additional campaign platform of “a friendly China is better than an angry China” which is a message that would likely echo until the 2024 National Elections going to work.

 

China’s economic sanctions may improve their voting IQ

 

China and Hong Kong combined is still Taiwan's largest export market.

 

Shipments totaled more than USD16 billion in July 2022, compared with nearly USD7 billion in total exports to the US.

 

How can USA help at all in that respect, as there seems no practical alternative for Taiwan but the Chinese mainland market?

 

Even exporting to the rest of the world won’t work for that would be such a segmented market that cannot equal the economic viability of the China market.

 

The China Customs Administration has suspended imports of more than 2,000 of about 3,200 food products from Taiwan.

 

Meanwhile, the imports Beijing has suspended include now 35 categories including fish and seafood, edible oils, citrus fruits, and biscuits and cakes, severely damaging publicly listed companies in such sectors as instant noodle and soy sauce producers and frozen foods. Beijing has also blocked wax apples, and custard apples, and now added grouper (Lapu-lapu) to the blacklist.

 

The Philippines can supply

 

Whatever fruits and other agricultural products and commodities Taiwan produce for the China market the Philippines can produce, and that makes the Philippines a potential winner as Taiwan loses its share of the China market.

 

The Philippines can and should quickly move to produce and take over those products and import orders from China.

 

In early 2021 China banned Taiwanese pineapples and transferred those purchase orders to the Philippines pushing its pineapple exports up by 40 percent.

 

Taiwan’s adversities now are the Philippines' opportunity.

 

The Philippine government and its Cabinet secretaries should be alert to this and quick to take advantage by maintaining and cultivating even better relations with the People's Republic of China that President Bongbong Marcos has clearly directed to be treated as the “strongest partner” of the Philippines, instead what do some Cabinet members do?

 

They alienate the PROC by poorly conceived public posturing.

 

Sec. Manalo whom our think tank group admires for his professionalism seems to have been mindless in allowing the Amboy (American boys) elements in media focus on this sensitiveness issue of US-PH joint sea patrols issue both to our ASEAN partners and to our major trading partner and now ODA provider China.

 

Did he allow himself to be click-baited by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken into this irrelevant and anathema topic today?

 

The new president  Marcos has not given any new direction yet.

 

These super-talkative but out-of-line officials are the bane of our national sovereignty, dismissing it every time they face an American and causing the Philippines to lose ground and face with our Asian partners.

 

The tit-for-tat scenarios will continue for some time into the future. Who will come out the winner, that is the hundred-dollar question.

 

Editor’s note: Herman "Ka Mentong" Tiu Laurel is a broadcast journalist. ... He was also the former Administrator of the Philippine Refugee Processing Center The opinions expressed in the foregoing article are solely the author’s and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) or AseanNow.com or any other office.

 

Sample form of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (Source: CSC)

 

MANILA – Senator Francis Tolentino on Tuesday said it may be time to require a full disclosure of relatives of government employees who, in one way or another, relate to terrorist groups or criminal syndicates.

 

In his privilege speech on Tuesday, Tolentino said amendments must be introduced to the filing of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) to expand queries on relatives and family relations.

 

“I think it is right that when one enters the government to perhaps declare that you have a relative who is a member of a terrorist organization or criminal syndicate up to the fourth degree of consanguinity,” he said.

 

The senator's speech was in reaction to the involvement with communists of an elder sister of Prospero de Vera III, chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).

 

Adora Faye de Vera was arrested by the police in Teacher’s Village East, Quezon City on August 24.

 

She is wanted for multiple murder (with the use of explosives) and multiple frustrated murder charges filed at the Iloilo City Regional Trial Court Branch 22. She also has a separate criminal case for rebellion.

 

“I have not seen her, and I have not spoken to her for more than 25 years since she decided to rejoin the underground movement. I do not share her views nor support her actions,” the CHED chief said, but added she wished her sister is safe and in good condition while in detention.

 

The sister, according to Tolentino, is accused of masterminding the killing of military and police personnel in the Visayas and is a ranking officer of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA).

 

“In the other branches of the government, appointed or elected, there are still some in power who have siblings connected with the CPP-NPA or a kidnap-for-ransom gang, Abu Sayyaf Group or any terrorist organization,” Tolentino said.

 

Useful info

 

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa supported Tolentino's proposal not to pressure government officials but for the law enforcement groups to know how to manage information.

 

"Like for example, a Cabinet member is given the highest level of security clearance. But then again, ‘if the security community finds out that the Cabinet member has a sibling on the other side, then they know how to treat [the person]," Dela Rosa said in his manifestation of support.

 

Dela Rosa, who headed the Philippine National Police during the Duterte administration, said a government official may also "unknowingly" share top secret information to a relative belonging to a terror group and which can be used against the government.

 

He said he knows of a high-ranking officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines whose sibling is an NPA member.

 

"It's beyond his control. Pero (But) at least,  the security community knows that he has a brother  on the other side," he said.

 

Dela Rosa was referring to Brig. Gen. Jim Zumel, who was a superintendent of the Philippine Military Academy during the Marcos Sr. administration, while his journalist brother, Tony, was the first chair of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and later became its senior adviser.

 

Tony died in Utrecht, the Netherlands in 2001 and Jim in 2019 shortly after coming home from the United States.

 

SALN contents

 

A public officer or employee is required by law to submit the SALN upon assumption of office.

 

In the case of the President, Vice President, Cabinet, Congress, Supreme Court, Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the armed forces with general or flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the public, according to the law.

 

“Public officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath, and the public has the right to know their assets, liabilities, net worth, and financial and business interests, including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under 18 years of age living in their households,”

states Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

 

The current SALN requires disclosure of children under 18 years living in the declarant’s household and relatives who are also in government service. (PNA)

 

PARTNERSHIP. Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma (2nd from left) and Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco (2nd from right) show the memorandum of understanding they signed at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City on Tuesday (Aug. 30, 2022). The MOU is for the staging of a multi-month tourism job fair during the Hotels Supplier Show to be held at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia from September 22 to 24. (PNA photo by Avito Dalan)

 

MANILA – The government-led tourism job fairs, starting in September, will help address tourism labor shortages in the Philippines, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said Tuesday.

 

The department, together with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), formally signed on August 30 the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the staging of the "Trabaho, Turismo, Asenso! National Tourism Jobs Fair".

 

"Displaced workers are definitely a priority of the Department of Tourism in partnership with the Department of Labor and Employment. So, what we intend to do is to give tourism job opportunities both to displaced workers, fresh graduates, and those wanting to shift into a career in the tourism industry,"

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco told reporters in an interview.

 

Based on the latest data from the DOLE, more than 12,000 tourism workers were displaced in more than 700 establishments due to the pandemic in the first half of this year alone.

 

As the sector slowly recovers, several businesses are now rushing to fill gaps in job vacancies – an issue Frasco said was a "matter of linking the demand with the supply."

 

"This Trabaho, Turismo, Asenso is specifically designed to link the demand with the supply and so we anticipate that a number of employers would join this, and a lot of applicants would participate," she said.

 

As of August 27, about 279 establishments surveyed by the DOT, have reported at least 1,186 regular vacancies and 240 part-time jobs.

 

The multi-month campaign will be launched during the Hotels Supplier Show at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City from September 22 to 24.

 

It will conclude in May 2023, with the two other venues to be held in SM City Cebu and SM Lanang in Davao City.

 

The MOU was signed by Frasco and Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma and witnessed by Tourism Undersecretary Ferdinand Jumapao and Labor Undersecretary Paul Vincent Añover at the Conrad Hotel. (PNA)

 

FOR CLEAN OCEANS. A marine-litter collecting vessel. Through KOICA, the South Korean government will extend a USD7.7 million official development assistance to the Philippines for the establishment of a marine litter monitoring system and training for officials of the DENR and the Philippine Coast Guard. (Photo courtesy of the Korean Embassy in Manila)

 

MANILA – The South Korean government is providing a marine litter-collecting vessel to the Philippines to support the country's ocean protection efforts, a ranking diplomat said Tuesday.

 

In a statement, Korean Embassy Consul General Lee Kyoo Ho said Korea is committed to strengthening its bilateral partnership with the Philippines in achieving clean and sustainable oceans by combatting marine plastic pollution.

 

Through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), Seoul will extend a USD7.7 million official development assistance that would also include the establishment of a marine litter monitoring system and training for officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Coast Guard.

 

"This year, KOICA targets (to complete) designing the vessel," Lee said.

 

"This project is scheduled to be implemented from 2021 to 2025. But due to the pandemic, it has been delayed a bit."

 

The vessel would be stationed in Manila Bay once completed, the diplomat shared.

 

The Korea Export-Import Bank (KEXIM) also pledged to finance a USD105 million maritime safety project in the provinces of Romblon and Cebu in partnership with the Department of Transportation.

 

Through this project, two buoy bases will be constructed and capacity-building programs for AtoN (Aids to Navigation) services would be provided.

 

"Ultimately, this project aims at reducing risks of marine accidents and by doing so, contributing to protecting marine environment," the embassy said in a separate statement.

 

"Korea will remain committed to supporting the Philippines’ initiative to promote and advance regional cooperation to keep our seas and oceans clean, healthy, and sustainable.” (PNA)

 

 

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng (third from right) with (from left) Jurong Engineering CEO Koichi Watanabe, Keppel Infrastructure CEO Cindy Lim, Keppel Corp CEO Loh Chin Hua, EMA chief executive Ngiam Shih Chun and Mitsubishi Power Asia Pacific CEO Osamu Ono at the signing ceremony on Aug 30, 2022. PHOTO: KEPPEL CORPORATION LIMITED

 

SINGAPORE - Singapore is expected to get its first hydrogen-ready power plant by the first half of 2026 as the Republic transitions its power sector into one using less carbon-emitting fuels reported The Straits Times.

 

The Keppel Sakra Cogen Plant, which can be run entirely on clean-burning hydrogen in the future, will be built on Jurong Island and is slated to produce up to 600MW of electricity, said Keppel Infrastructure, Mitsubishi Power and Jurong Engineering in a statement on Tuesday (Aug 30).

 

This amounts to about 9 per cent of Singapore's peak electricity demand in 2020 and could power around 864,000 four-room Housing Board flats for a year.

 

The combined cycle gas turbine power plant developed by Keppel Infrastructure will use natural gas as its primary fuel for now.

 

However, the plant is also designed to operate on fuels with 30 per cent hydrogen content, which produce less carbon than fossil fuels, and has the capability of shifting to run entirely on hydrogen, the companies said.

 

Hydrogen can be obtained in several ways, and when used as a fuel, produces water as a by-product.

 

Currently, about 95 per cent of Singapore's energy is generated from natural gas, the least-polluting form of fossil fuel.

 

Compared with Keppel's other power plants, more energy-efficient technology, and the use of hydrogen at the Keppel Sakra Cogen power plant will lead to a reduction of 220,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, the equivalent of taking about 47,000 cars off the road each year, the companies said.

 

In addition, the power plant will be able to produce steam that can be used by energy and chemicals customers on Jurong Island for industrial processes, they added.

 

The plant is estimated to cost around $750 million and will be constructed by a consortium comprising Mitsubishi Power Asia-Pacific and Jurong Engineering.

 

The latest move to develop infrastructure suitable for hydrogen comes as Singapore aims to bring carbon emissions by the power sector, which now account for 40 per cent of the nation's emissions, to net zero by 2050.

 

The Energy 2050 Committee report commissioned by the Energy Market Authority (EMA) earmarked the use of low-carbon hydrogen to meet energy demands as one of the strategies to hit this target.

 

680 new projects

 

Nations across the globe are ramping up production of hydrogen to cut polluting greenhouse gas emissions, with the global Hydrogen Council reporting a total of 680 projects valued at US$240 billion (S$335 billion), a sharp spike from projects worth about US$160 billion six months ago.

 

In addition to signing contracts to build Singapore's first hydrogen power plant, Keppel New Energy, a subsidiary of Keppel Infrastructure, signed an agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to study the feasibility of developing a 100 per cent ammonia-fueled power plant on "a selected site in Singapore".

 

Like hydrogen, ammonia does not produce carbon when it is used to produce energy.

 

Together, the future power plants will contribute to building a more resilient and sustainable energy sector in Singapore and South-east Asia, the companies said.

 

On the Keppel Sakra Cogen plant, Ms Cindy Lim, chief executive of Keppel Infrastructure, said: "When completed, this asset will grow Keppel's power generation portfolio from the current 1,300MW to 1,900MW, allowing us to capture a larger market share as the demand for reliable energy continues to rise with Singapore's economic development."

 

Said Mr Ngiam Shih Chun, chief executive of EMA: "Singapore's electricity demand is projected to grow with increasing electrification and economic growth.

 

"The Energy Market Authority welcomes investments by the private sector to bring in best-in-class technologies in power generation."

 

Foreign tourists drink beer on Bui Vien pedestrian street in downtown HCMC, August 2022. Photo by Tung Tin

 

The number of foreign visitors in August increased by 38% from the previous month to 486,400 as the tourism industry continued to recover reported VN Express.

 

South Koreans topped the list at 173,000 followed by Americans (139,000) and Cambodians (82,000), according to the General Statistics Office.

 

So far this year the country has received 1.44 million foreign tourists, only 28 percent of the full-year target.

 

Tourism revenues during the January-August period reached VND356.6 trillion ($15.2 billion), 80 percent of revenues gained from the same period in 2019, the year before Covid-19 hit, according to Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

 

With the numbers still not meeting expectations, the administration has urged the government to consider expanding the list of eligible countries for a visa waiver and doubling visa-free stays for tourists from western European countries to 30 days.

 

The government is considering issuing e-visas to nationals of more countries.

 

It now issues 30-day single-entry visas online to people from 80 countries and territories, including Australia, India, the U.K., and the U.S.

 

A gas station in An Giang Province announces to run out of gasoline on August 29, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Khanh

 

Gas stations in several southern localities have run out of supplies of petrol, diesel and other fuels and have stopped doing business reported VN Express.

 

In Tinh Bien District, An Giang Province, six gas stations that get their supplies from Ho Chi Minh City-based Dai Dong Duong Petroleum JSC have stopped selling since Monday.

 

A Dai Dong Duong representative said that they have not been able to buy fuel from distributors for the last five days.

 

He attributed the supply shortage to seven fuel distributors who had their import license revoked for 1-2 months mid-August for violating safety and stockpiling regulations.

 

Also, distributors are giving supply priority to companies in their own system on learning that market prices are going up.

 

Huynh Van Thanh, owner of the Thanh Loi station in An Giang’s Cho Moi District, said his station had been out of diesel for two days as of Tuesday, but the distributor would not supply the fuel until Sep. 6.

 

As for gasoline, his station has not bought enough to meet demand for fear of making losses.

 

Thanh said that the station is given a discount of VND210 for each liter of gasoline and is allowed to buy a maximum of 3,000 liters at a time, which means a total profit of VND630,000 ($27).

 

Meanwhile, the cost of renting a tank truck is VND900,000, which means the station has lost VND270,000 even before it has started selling.

 

Then there is the cost of electricity and staff salaries.

 

Every day the gas station loses VND1.5-2 million, he said.

 

19 petrol stations close

 

According to the An Giang Market Management Department, as of Monday, 19 petrol stations across the province had closed while 36 had announced they were running out of fuel, accounting for nearly 10% of gas stations in the province.

 

The department said the stations were running out of fuel because it was difficult to get them from distributors.

 

A gas station in Dong Thap Province announces to shut down for one day but has been closed for one week by August 30, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Tai

 

A similar situation has been reported in the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap.

 

Nguyen Huu Dung, director of the province’s Industry-Trade Department, said Tuesday that in the past week, 10 petrol stations have asked to temporarily close for "personal reasons."

 

He said it is possible that they want to stop selling to avoid losses.

 

"The department received an application from a station to suspend operation for three months because they were losing VND350 dong for every liter of gasoline," he added.

 

Also in the Mekong Delta, the Market Management Department of An Giang Province said two of 132 stations have halted operations while two others announced they’ve run out of gasoline.

 

A representative of the Chau Thanh Petroleum Trading Service Co., Ltd in Tien Giang, which supplies fuel to 114 stations in the province, said it only has enough in stock to distribute in three days.

 

The reserves of this firm were running out and supply from its distributor, the Military Petroleum Company Region 4 based in HCMC was deficient, the rep said.

 

In HCMC and neighboring Dong Nai Province, many dealers said that the amount of imported gasoline has dropped as increasing prices of oil and gas are making importers and distributors worry about suffering losses.

 

The Vietnam Petroleum Association had proposed Monday that the Ministry of Industry and Trade regulate the price of gasoline on Sep. 1, instead of waiting until Sep. 5, given the strong fluctuations in global fuel prices.

 

Nguyen Minh Duc with the legal department of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said the current regulation of waiting for ten days to make changes in gasoline prices does not still cannot allow local businesses to keep pace with price fluctuations in the international market.

 

That leads to the situation wherein gas stations run out of stock before each price adjustment, he said.

 

If you were considering where to live, here is a comparison between Hanoi in Northern Vietnam and Hua Hin in Thailand.  

 

Hanoi's old quarter

 

Here are figures as supplied by the data website Numbeo. 

                                                                 

 

                                                                                    HANOI                      HUA HIN

Purchasing Power Index                            Very Low 32.39             Very Low 34.26

 

Safety Index                                                      High  62.26                    High  62.64

 

Health Care Index                                     Moderate 57.59                     High 76.63

 

Climate Index                                                     High 79.04                    High 64.06

 

Cost of Living Index                                  Very Low  35.21             Very Low 34.23

 

Property Price to Income Ratio               Very High 19.12                     High 15.70

 

Traffic Commute Time Index                            Low 28.68           Very Low 19.25

 

Pollution Index                                          Very High 89.28                   High 74.10

 

Quality of Life Index                                 Very Low 96.96                    Low 118.89

 

Naturally, Hanoi is a capital city so is larger than Hua Hin which is a seaside town and home to the King of Thailand.

 

Hua Hin 

 

Here are some real estate comparisons.

Index                                                              Hanoi               Hua Hin

Price to Income Ratio:                                  19.12                 15.70

 

Mortgage as Percentage of Income:          220.87%          125.67%

 

Loan Affordability Index:                             0.45                 0.80

 

Price to Rent Ratio - City Centre:               26.36                21.30

 

Price to Rent Ratio - Outside of Centre:   23.96                 19.96

 

Gross Rental Yield (City Centre):               3.79%                4.69%

 

Gross Rental Yield (Outside of Centre):    4.17%                  5.01%

 

According to Numbeo the rents are 3.30% cheaper in Hua Hin and you can earn around 5.43% more there too.

 

If you are a golfer then both places have a great variety of top-class courses.

 

Hanoi though has the edge on travel as its airport handles many international flights, where as Hua Hin’s airport is much smaller.

 

Nghi Son 2 Thermal Power Plant in Thanh Hoa Province. Photo by VnExpress/Le Hoang

 

The 1,330-megawatt Nghi Son 2 Thermal Power Plant in the central province of Thanh Hoa, which can supply electricity to over six million households, has gone on stream reported VN Express.

 

With a total investment of nearly US$2.8 billion, it is the second biggest foreign project in the central province behind the $9 billion Nghi Son Oil Refinery.

 

It is owned by the Korea Electric Power Corporation and Japan’s Marubeni Corporation and Tohuku Electric Power Corporation.

 

It will be operated by these companies for 25 years before being taken over by national utility Vietnam Electricity.

 

Its first turbine began operation in January and the second in July.

 

Hirohide Sagara, chairperson and CEO of Nghi Son 2, said it is one of the few power plants in Vietnam to use advanced ultra-supercritical technology, which requires less coal and produces lower emissions than traditional plants.

 

Coal-fired plants account for around 44% of Vietnam’s power production followed by hydropower (28%) and solar (14.8%).

 

The country wants to reduce the use of coal and increase renewable energy to achieve its net-zero emission target by 2050.