Briefs

Twenty-seven companies received exemptions under the Foreign Business Act this month to set up operations in Thailand worth at least Bt1.97 billion of initial investment capital.

The Business Development Department reported that November approvals were up by 17 per cent year on year. The new operations are expected to create up to 1,245 jobs for Thais.

The first 11 months saw 301 approvals, up 24 per cent year on year, with initial capital of Bt14.71 billion.

Last month, the most popular businesses were services, financial and wholesaling. Most foreign investors are from Japan, Bermuda, Singapore, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Austria, France and the United States.

Sugar millers support entry to TPP

Three Sugar Millers Association has come out in support of the government’s plan to become part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free-trade agreement involving 11 Asia-Pacific nations, expecting that the pact would boost Thailand’s sugar exports.

Valyari Paisooksantivatana, secretary of the TSMC’s public relations working group, said the TPP would entail tariff cuts and elimination of non-tariff barriers to services and trade. Among the 11 countries involved in the TPP negotiations are New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, Brunei, Australia, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia and the United States.

Tractor financing deal

CNH International and Asia Pacific Agricultural Machinery Co (APAM), its authorised distributor of New Holland agricultural equipment in Thailand, together with CFG Services Co have reached an agreement to offer retail financing programmes designed for customers in the agricultural sector.

The financing programme, which will be fully operational next month, will be staffed by CFG Services, which will work closely with New Holland Agriculture, APAM and its dealers to provide a full range of financing packages.Customers acquiring any model from the New Holland Agriculture tractor range will be given the opportunity to finance the acquisition with flexible payment options including monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and yearly payments, down payments starting from 20 per cent and attractive interest rates. To mark this new development, New Holland Agriculture’s best-selling compact tractors in Thailand will be available with interest rates starting at 5 per cent.

TOT serves Ramkhamhaeng

TOT and Ramkhamhaeng University yesterday signed a four-year memorandum of understanding that will see TOT providing information and communications technology services ranging from voice to Internet and wireless data, plus TOT Internet data centre, and multimedia content to the university.

Pruksa ‘Grand Promotion’

Pruksa Real Estate has launched "Grand Promotion 2012", under which people who register to buy its residential projects at Pruksa.com from now through December 16 will enjoy a discount of Bt10,000 per unit and will be entered in a lucky draw for an iPhone 5.

Able Asset condo project

Able Asset Developer Group plans to launch a condominium project worth Bt1 billion on 5 rai near CentralFestival Phuket. The project has 504 units at a starting price of Bt1.49 million. It expects to close all sales by the end of the year and aims to continue investing in two or three projects every year in Bangkok and major tourism provinces, managing director Kasidit Manopinives said. – The Nation