Briefs

The Board of Investment expects to welcome 5 million visitors to the BOI Fair 2011, which kicks off tomorrow. The event is meant to showcase the potential of local firms and foreign companies operating in Thailand and their strengths even after the great floods.

The fair, running from January 5-20, will house 84 pavilions and 3,200 booths. On the 300,000-square-metre area in Impact Muang Thong Thani, it will also feature seminars and activities. The event was postponed from November.

Under the “Going Green for the Future” concept, the fair will feature a number of highlights, some never shown in Thailand before. For example, Aeroklas will present the world’s first vertical wind turbines, Toyota will showcase its “Partner Robot” and Sony will show a 19-metre-long LED (light-emitting diode) display screen, among other innovative products.

PTT will fuel arguments (perhaps inadvertently) for developing alternative forms of energy by demonstrating how hard it is to find petroleum.

Siam Cement Group similarly looks for balance in its leaf-shaped 2,000sqm Eco Pavilion, made of recyclable materials.

 

Regular flights south

Despite the current heavy rain in the South, AirAsia is still offering normal services to and from the Southern provinces of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Surat Thani, Songkhla, Krabi, Phuket and Narathiwat.

Passengers are highly advised to arrive at the airport two hours before departure. For more information, they can visit www.airasia.com or call 02 515 9999.

 

AIA Singapore rated 

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has assigned its “AA-” local-currency long-term counterparty credit and insurer financial strength ratings to AIA Singapore, the rating agency said yesterday. The outlook is stable.