Briefs

Four Thai executives have been listed among the region’s "Top 25 Most Influential People" in the November issue of Alpha Southeast Asia magazine.

Pailin Chuchottaworn, president and CEO of PTT, was named as one of the most influential board-level executives, as were Tevin Vongvanich, president and CEO of PTT Exploration and Production, and Kannikar Chalitaporn, president of Siam Commercial Bank. Kannikar was also on the list of most powerful women in the region, while Songpol Chevapanyaroj, executive vice president of Kasikornbank and head of its corporate and SME products division, was named among the leading and corporate commercial bankers in Southeast Asia.

Alpha Southeast Asia is an institutional investment magazine focused on this region’s financial markets.

TFEX sets up protection fund

The Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX) has set up a Derivatives Investor Protection Fund (DIPF), with an initial value of Bt100 million, aimed at building the confidence of investors who trade derivatives on the exchange. They will be protected against bankruptcy of member brokers or inability of a broker to return assets or compensate for investors’ losses in the prices of assets.

The fund, approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, became effective yesterday.

TFEX has 33 member brokers. Those who join the fund will pay a monthly fee starting in January, while TFEX contributes the initial capital of Bt50 million. The DIPF is targeted to reach Bt100 million in the next four years. – The Nation

MCOT budgets Bt5.8 bn for switch to digital

MCOT, the operator of Modernine TV, is earmarking Bt5.8 billion for the shift from analog to digital radio and terrestrial television broadcasting, which is expected to begin next year.

Of the investment budget, Bt2.5 billion will be for bidding on four licences to operate commercial digital TV channels – three standard-definition channels for 24-hour news, travel and leisure, and sports, and a high-definition channel.

The company also needs to obtain a licence to run a digital terrestrial TV channel for public service, which will air children’s and family programmes, Executive vice president Sura Gaintanasilp said yesterday. – Watchiranont Thongtep, The Nation

PTT sees big jump in Q3 net profit

PTT’s third-quarter net profit jumped 67.9 per cent to Bt36 billion, though the average Dubai crude-oil price decreased from US$107.10 per barrel to $106.30 in the corresponding period last year.

In the same period last year, net profit stood at Bt21.47 billion.

The national energy company attributed the spike to higher earnings contributed by associated companies, particularly those in the refinery and petrochemical industries, which jumped by 195.8 per cent year on year to Bt13.2 billion.

"Despite the global economic slowdown and EU debt crisis in the quarter, supply shortage of petroleum due to planned and unplanned shutdown of some refineries like those in the US and Venezuela boosted the gross refinery margin in the quarter," PTT said in a filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand. –The Nation

Toshiba resumes production at

Toshiba Corp yesterday announced that it had resumed manufacturing at the Toshiba Semiconductor Thailand facility in Pathum Thani, to meet healthy demand for discrete products for smart phones and tablet computers.

Production resumed this month and shipments will commence today. Production will continue until TST opens its new facility in Prachin Buri.

TST’s facility at Bangkadi Industrial Park was completely inundated in last year’s floods, forcing suspension of operations. Assembly and packaging of the small signal devices and photo-couplers the facility handled was transferred to other Toshiba facilities in Japan and Malaysia, and also outsourced in response to changes in demand.

Bangkok Bank issues unsecured

Bangkok Bank is issuing an unsecured subordinated debenture with a 10-year maturity and carrying an annual coupon rate of 4.375 per cent, payable every six months.

The debenture will be offered to institutional investors and the public between November 26 and December 7 at all Bangkok Bank branches, except micro-branches.

Fitch Ratings (Thailand) has assigned the issue a national long-term rating of "AA-(tha)". The offering will help the bank raise long-term capital at an appropriate interest rate and presents a good option for long-term savings and investment, Bangkok Bank president Chartsiri Sophonpanich said. – The Nation