Two other Japanese cities, Tokyo and Osaka, are in joint third position, followed by Hong Kong (5th), Macau (6th), Taipei (7th) and Bangkok (8th), according to the Location Ranking Survey conducted by ECA International, a leading knowledge and solutions-provider for international human-resource professionals.

Karachi, Pyongyang, Islamabad, Dhaka and Dili are the locations in Asia which afford foreigners the least favourable quality of life, ECA International said.

Undertaken annually, the survey compares living standards in 254 locations globally according to categories including climate, air quality, health services, housing and utilities, isolation, social network and leisure facilities, infrastructure, personal safety and political situation.

Overall scores are used by ECA member companies to establish allowances which compensate expatriate staff for difficulties of living in their assignment location.

Plan contest :BBL puts up money

Bangkok Bank has awarded a Bt1-million sponsorship to the Thammasat Asia Moot Corp 2007, a business-plan contest for business-administration graduate students at Asian universities.

Hosting this year's contest on March 20-22 is Thammasat University. Winning teams will represent Asia in the Global Moot Corp 2007 contest. The last time a Thai team won the international competition was in 2005.

Computing : Smart marches on

Smart ID Group, an authorised agent to import and distribute digital accessories, introduced the King Naresuan Limited Edition of laser mouse and keyboard last week.

With Acrox laser mouse introduced to the market, laser technology will start replacing optical and soon it will be the era of nano-shield technology and waterproof designs for keyboards, which are being launched this year, said Pitchyen Hongpakdee, Smart ID's managing director.

The limited edition's logo is 2127 BE, the year King Naresuan proclaimed Siam independent. It will be launched at Commart Thailand 2007 on Thursday at the National Convention Centre.

Chess: Old, young sign on

A total of 145 players from 32 countries have registered for the 7th Bangkok Chess Club Open to be hosted at the Graceland Resort & Spa in Phuket on March 27th to April 1st.

The youngest player to register is only six and the oldest 65. More players are expected to join the tournament.

With an estimated total of 160 players, the chess tournament is expected to be the biggest and best ever held in Thailand.

Earlier this year the Thailand Chess Association elected former foreign minister Kantathi Suphamongkol its president.