2015年12月31日星期四

Happy new year 2559


2015年12月23日星期三

巴东勿刹往返合艾‧泰南短程火车开动

巴东勿刹往返合艾‧泰南短程火车开动



随着明年全面开放东盟自由贸易区措施,马来亚铁道公司与泰国国家铁路局配合,抢先推出往来巴东勿刹及泰南合艾的柴油联车(DRC)短程火车服务。

沙比尼:加强两国推销旅业

马来亚铁道公司主席沙比尼认为,这是东盟十国推动各别旅游业,所跨出的第一步,为游客提供多一项往来两国的公共交通服务,有助于加强马泰两国推销当地旅游。

他笑言,从巴东勿刹开车到合艾去,路经14个交通灯,无形中将会拉长路程时间,再加上​​无法预料的交通繁忙情况,游客若选择乘搭柴油联车,反而比开车来得方便,也能在安排的时间抵步。

一趟行程只需55分钟

“一趟(火车)行程只需要55分钟,开车预计需要1小时至1小时30分,而且还费神,那么倒不如办理好入境手续后,坐上火车就能好好享受旅程了。”

他今天与泰国国家铁路局局长兀提察,一起在合艾推展通行大马巴东勿刹至泰国合艾的柴油联车(DRC)短程火车后,再乘坐柴油联车到新启用的泰南巴东勿刹火车站,载当地人到大马巴东勿刹火车站,让泰国媒体及居民感受马来亚铁道公司推出的电动火车服务。

沙比尼说,这项服务也有助于促进马泰两国人民的联系,尤其对那些有亲戚在邻国的人,柴油联车将会是他们的另一个选择。

兀提察:每趟可载168人

询及柴油联车的乘客人数目标,兀提察说,当局希望能每趟载送至少100人,而目前这趟列车有2节车厢,可载168人。

首搭这趟柴油联车的泰国乘客指收费比坐客车贵,他解释,车费从50泰铢至100泰铢不等,得视路程远近而定。

跨别逾40年……
暹卜间再设火车站

跨别四十余年之后,泰国巴东勿刹(俗称暹卜间)再设立火车站,挑起当地居民搭火车出门的喜悦。

来自泰国巴东勿刹的泰国华侨吴翊瑛(58岁)说,在她孩童时期,暹卜间有火车站,与大马巴东勿刹火车站毗邻,自从当地火车站拆除之后,就不再有机会在那里搭火车出门。

当她获悉泰国铁道局提供机会,给居民首搭柴油联车到大马,再尝试电动火车,就立刻广邀亲友一同来乘搭。

(星洲日报‧大北马)

2015年11月3日星期二

Johor should create joint tourism package with Southern Thailand

Johor should create joint tourism package with Southern Thailand, says consul

Johor should create a joint tourism package with Southern Thailand according to Malaysia's consul-general here.

Consul-general II, Mohammad Shaharul Md Osman proposed for the package which could be initiated in the spirit of Asean, to start from Phuket and Hat Yai, Thailand to Johor.

"The tourism industry in Southern Thailand is very robust and has helped to stabilise the national economy; at certain times it is overwhelmed by visitors particularly to Songkhla and Hat Yai.

"In this regard, Johor should capitalise and initiate a cooperation with southern Thailand to persuade its tourists to proceed to Johor," he told a Johor media group that visited the Malaysian consulate here recently.

The group was in southern Thailand in conjunction with a Johor Media-Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) exploration mission.

Mohammad Shaharul opined that Southern Thailand's tourism players deserved credit for successfully promoting their tourism packages and local products.

"They smartly diversify and come up with other products besides the island destinations, food, shopping and entertainment to attract visitors, for example the Khlong Hae floating market in Hat Yai," he said.

~News courtesy of Bernama~

2015年10月22日星期四

M'sia and Thai to expedite bridge works

M'sia and Thai to expedite bridge works

Malaysia and Thailand will work to expedite the completion of the Second Bridge Link at Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok and the New Bridge Link at Pengkalan Kubor-Tak Bai, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman.

During the Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Joint Development Strategy for Border Areas (JDS) today, both countries agreed to adhere to the stipulated timeline to ensure that groundbreaking ceremonies for the projects can be held next year.

"In order for the JDS to remain relevant, we must also address the areas where improvements can be made and those areas which have been lagging," Anifah said in his opening remarks during the 13th Joint Commission (JCM) for Bilateral Cooperation and Fourth JDS between Malaysia and Thailand at the Grand Hyatt Hotel here today.

"Unless we can complete these two key projects, it would be difficult for us to transition from the current JDS Action Plan to the Second JDS Action Plan," Anifah said.

Anifah and his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai also exchanged views on cooperation in rubber including the establishment of the rubber cities and urged the officials to deliberate on a plan to link the two rubber cities to ensure that they could complement each other.

"As we move into the Asean Economic Community, it is increasingly important to see our common border areas in the context of how best we can take advantage of the increasing connectivity and trade investment flows in our border zones.

"In this regard, I propose that the JDS develop a vision for the next ten years on how we would like to see the common border areas developed," Anifah said.

The designated location for the rubber city in Thailand is Chalung Industrial Estate in Songkhla province while the proposed site in Malaysia is Ladang Bukit Ketapang in Kedah.

Both countries also reiterated their commitment to further expand trade and investment with a view to achieve the target of US$30 billion (RM128.6 billion) of bilateral trade by 2018.

The JCM and JDS are held alternately by both countries. The last ministerial meetings were held in Phuket, Thailand, on Dec 14 and 15, 2013.

~News courtesy of The Sun~

2015年9月7日星期一

自由出入境取消近40%商贩关门‧旺吉辇不旺了

自由出入境取消近40%商贩关门‧旺吉辇不旺了

自从内政部于4月1日发出指示,取消自由出入境(Free-flow)措施,马泰边境旺吉辇(Wang Kelian)商贩的生意严重萧条,昔日热闹的人头钻动情景不复返。



大马关税局于4月1日发出文告,取消旺吉辇关卡自由出入境措施。 (图:星洲日报)

旺吉辇商业市集商贩吁请中央政府能再作进一步商讨,即便不恢复原本全天候自由出入境措施,也能网开一面,允许周六日2天采取自由出入境措施,否则当地的商贸将无法恢复昔日的兴旺。

周末市集游客寥寥无几

《大北马》社区报记者前天(6日)到旺吉辇商业市集实地采访时,看到原本每逢周末、周日满是游客熙攘的旺吉辇,却是人烟稀少,只有三三两两的游客在大马旺吉辇市集闲逛。

开门做生意的商贩面对门可罗雀的小店,只能苦等顾客上门,其他有约40%商铺则大门深锁,当中有者已决定关门大吉,暂时结束营业,避免继续面对亏损。

商贩:营业额扣除成本……
“生意可能白做了”

有些商贩还苦哈哈地对记者说:“每个月的营业额,扣除成本后,要缴付110令吉租金,就可能等于生意白做了。”

就连往常靠近旺吉辇关卡的路旁,在周六日会停满车子,如今​​却空无一车,情况冷清。

李达妹:生意严重受挫
只好忍痛结束生意

马泰边境旺吉辇商业市集有个特殊情况,大马人喜欢过境到泰国那边的市集购物,泰国人则会选择到本地旺吉辇来扫货。

来自巴东勿刹的李达妹(62岁)在旺吉辇商业市集营业7年,从早期在通往马泰边境关卡的路边摆摊,直至搬迁到旺吉辇一天市集中心后面摆摊,每天招待来自泰国的顾客,应接不暇。

本地游客多只看不买

她语带哽咽地说,在自由出入境措施取消后,加上实行消费税,生意严重受挫,只好在5个月前忍痛结束在旺吉辇的生意,转战每个周​​六日的巴东勿刹商业市集。

“自由出入境措施取消初期,还有一些无法自由通关的本地游客进来闲逛,可是这些商品毕竟不是本地游客的目标,一般都只看不买,我附近有一家卖饼干的商贩,早前还因饼干过期,被迫全部丢掉,然后就关门大吉了。”

朱秀丽:盈利少得可怜

Metro Jaya贸易业者朱秀丽(45岁)说,现在平均一个月才做约500至1千令吉的生意额,扣除杂费、租金和成本,所赚的钱少得可怜。

询及假期是否会有所改善,她摇头说,她的顾客以泰国人占大多数,除非有带上过境证件,要不然根本不可能过来像她购物。

新闻背景

自由出入境4月1起取消

大马关税局于4月1日发出文告,取消旺吉辇关卡自由出入境措施,所有大马公民及外国游客都需以合法证件,即边境准证(Border Pass)及护照出入旺吉辇移民关卡。

须持准证或护照出入这项自由出入境措施是于1993年,马泰政府签署协议,允许马泰公民每逢周六、日,无须合法证件,可自由出入马泰边境旺吉辇关卡,惟只可在距离关卡1公里的限制范围以内活动。

不过,此措施曾于2008年2月取消,却引起当地居民及商家不满,最终在同年12月5日重新恢复自由出入境措施,并扩大至一周7天都可采取此措施通关。

(星洲日报‧大北马)

2015年9月6日星期日

柬埔寨卜省接泰国沙缴府‧铁路带动跨境贸易

卜省接泰国沙缴府‧铁路带动跨境贸易

从卜迭棉芷省(Banteay Meanchey)是士分市(Sisophon)连接波比市(Poi Pet)的铁路工程已竣工,而波比市至泰国沙缴府(Sa Kaew)也將兴建,將进一步带动柬泰跨境贸易。

公共工程和运输部铁路局局长李波文指出,由卜省是士分市至波比市全长42公里的铁路已竣工,而该局也將於今年杪举行招標会,以兴建剩余从波比市至泰国沙缴府阿蓝巴贴Aranyaprathet路段(6公里)。

“我们將动用国家资金,以完成卜迭棉芷省铁路路段。”李波文说,柬泰铁路將为货品运输提供便利,使货品可以直接从泰国进入柬埔寨,或是从柬运入泰国。

他说,因卡车超载问题,导致公路损坏不堪,令政府必须花费大量资金以修建。泰国首相巴育上週向泰国媒体透露,一旦柬泰铁路重新接通,將对两地边境经济特区的建立带来好处,同时也將惠及泰国的土瓦深水码头(Dawei)。

从是士分连接泰国阿蓝巴贴的铁路是於1970年因柬埔寨內战而中断。据商业部报告指出,去年,柬泰双方贸易金额约51亿美元,相比2013年46亿美元,增加11%。其中,今年首三个月,柬埔寨对泰国出口“翻倍”,达到2亿6100万美元,相比2013年同期,增加1亿3400万美元。

(柬埔寨星洲日报)