Each plane can seat 292 passengers, 30 of them in the Royal Silk Class.

THAI expects travellers to Johannesburg from China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and the Philippines.

Vasing Kittikul, THAI's executive vice-president of its commercial section, said the new service was part of THAI's long-haul business strategy, which also includes the recent addition of direct flights to New York, Moscow and Los Angeles.

It will be the first direct air service from Thailand to South Africa, spanning 11 flying hours.

Retail :  Big C birthday

Big C is spending Bt100 million on marketing activities around the country to celebrate its 13th anniversary.

The activities are in part being staged to return profits to consumers to boost their purchasing power and highlight the retailer's continued good performance despite the poor political and economic situation. Some of the events offer shoppers the chance to earn free call credits for their mobile phones and last month Big C gave away a four-day trip to Hong Kong Disneyland to 200 customers.

Jariya Chirathivat, the company's vice president of marketing and communications, said the consumers from around the country would be invited to participate in upcoming events.

Big C and its subsidiaries recorded sales of Bt13.5 billion and a net profit of Bt659 million in the year's first quarter, an increase of 11.2 per cent and 24.7 per cent respectively in comparison with the corresponding period in the previous year.

Telecoms : New Nokia

Nokia announced yesterday that it had started shipments of the Nokia N72, a sleek and stylish multimedia mobile phone, to major markets worldwide, including the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Eastern Europe, China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Nokia N72 includes a camera, entertainment and personal productivity packages.

Freight : Safety prize

Thai Airways International Plc's Cargo and Mail Commercial Department has received the National Safety Award 2006 from the Labour Welfare and Protection Department at the Ministry of Labour, in recognition of its excellence in maintaining high quality standards in safety, hygiene, and work environment.