It was such big news on March 22 when the Airports of Thailand's (AOT) board decided to nullify the contracts with King Power International granting it the exclusive right to operate the duty-free shops and manage the commercial area. Given that these facilities are a major part of the passenger terminal, the news made front-page headlines.

However, nearly two months have passed and King Power insists that it has not yet received official notification that the contracts have been cancelled. Only when it receives the notification can it proceed to fight or give in.

Following this announcement, a number of AOT board meetings have been organised, including one yesterday. However, there has been no action. The meeting yesterday was focused on the demolition of structures that barred signs and other areas reserved for passengers. Obviously, this is so trivial compared to the two big contracts which involve so many vendors, local and foreign.

AOT said the nullification must be filed by the Office of the Attorney-General. It's a great wonder why the OAG has spent nearly two months drafting the letter. Moreover, though hugely affected, King Power has been surprisingly silent as if it sees a way to reinstate the contracts. And this happens amid rumours that there must be negotiations behind the scenes.

AOT chairman Gen Saprang Kalayanamitr is in the best position to quash these rumours, if he is certain that there is nothing going on in those dark corners.

We are all ears for what you have to say, general. For now, we're happy for travellers that nothing is ruining their appetite for spending.

No calls, please

Ever been annoyed by pesky phone calls made to offer you special loans, new insurance packages and other kinds of financial come-ons?

This is what consumers are experiencing in a hectic world where new companies are springing up on a daily basis and trying harder and harder to reach out to potential clients. The scramble is so frantic that there are specialists to handle the phone calls, so-called telemarketing companies.

But these pests have been stopped in Australia, after the government responded to public demand and opened a free "Do Not Call" register.

So many people rushed to the Internet site on Thursday to register their home and mobile-phone numbers that the system crashed several times.

Telemarketers who call numbers on the list face fines of up to one million Australian dollars (Bt28.6 million). Foreign-based telemarketers are also affected by the legislation.

Hmm, it would be nice if we had a similar barrier here in Thailand, especially when our purchasing power is diminishing and no offers are enticing - except those special loans, of course.

achara_d@nationgroup.com