ustralia & Thailand expand work and holiday visa programme

There were talks in Bangkok on last Saturday following which Australia’s Immigration Minister Senator Chris Evans said the work and holiday programme in Australia and Thailand will be expanded. This means that now 500 work and holiday visas are available to each country.

Currently, the work and holiday visa allows young students aged 18 to 30 years from Australia and Thailand to visit and work in the others’ country for up to 12 months. Again, the visa holder cannot work for an employer for more than six months and should not have any dependent children.

“This is an investment in future relations with Thailand to help develop links between people in both countries,” said Senator Evans.  “Each year almost 50,000 Thai people visit Australia and Thailand is a popular destination for Australians with over 300,000 departures to Thailand every year,” he added.

The path of recovery for Tsunami survivors

Nature took no time in savagely hitting the inhabitants of Thailand with the Tsunami, but the path of recovery has been slow, both physically and emotionally, for the survivors. So much so that even after four long years after 2004, the signs of destruction can still be seen.

Thanks to the emotional rehabilitation and economic support from the Buddhist Maya Kotamee Foundation, led by founder Mitsuo Kawestco, the affected families now have a creative outlet and a daily purpose with Saori Weavers collective project.

Through this project, more than 150 women practice their craft in a single tent, recycling string and fabric in to brightly colored bags. Each bag is unique, reflecting the available materials and the weaver. The finished bags are distributed through Thai-based fair trade organizations, so the women actually have a shot at making a living from their efforts.

Honda introduces CZ Motard in Thailand

Honda has been building small-bore single cylinder four stroke engines and installing them in simple two-wheelers for over fifty years. In fact, Honda has reportedly been able to eke enough power from just a single 110cc cylinder to get a motorcycle up over one-hundred miles per hour and that has been made possible by advances in fuel injection technology among other things.

The prototype, known as the CZ Motard, is built atop the CZ-i 110 platform, a bike which is super popular in Thailand. With that model, Honda utilized its PGM-FI fuel injection technology and announced that it would be “the number one most admired company that is at the forefront of the environmental issue.” That CZ-i 110 is capable of returning some 193 miles per gallon and is 25-percent more powerful than the previous 100cc engine, all the while meeting the next-generation Euro VI emissions standards. So, Honda here plans to take Thailand with a ‘Vvrrooom’!