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Tata veteran appointed next CEO for Thai operation
Sanjay Mishra has been appointed the new chief executive officer of Tata Motors (Thailand) Co, replacing Ajit Venkataraman, who is returning to India as vice president for organisational strategy of the parent company, Tata Motors.
A Fulbright Fellow from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mishra has more than 21 years of experience with Tata Motors.
This includes the development of dealership networks and distribution and marketing strategies. He until recently headed the sales and marketing of Tata Motors’ commercial vehicles in the southern region of India.
Mishra said Thailand was an important part of Tata Motors’ international growth strategy in Asean. Mishra said Thailand is an important part of Tata Motors’ international growth strategy. Its emphasis will be to have a customer-oriented operation that is flexible and efficient.
TFEX posts impressive first-quarter performance with 76% jump in volume
The Thailand Futures Exchange (TFEX), under the Stock Exchange of Thailand group, revealed that the average daily trading volume in the first quarter of the year jumped 75.98 per cent year on year to 77,118 contracts.
“TFEX’s first-quarter performance was very impressive, with a total trading volume of 4,781,341 contracts, or 77,118 contracts per day,” managing director Kesara Manchusree said.
“The most popular product was single stock futures [currently has 50 underlying stocks], where the average daily trading volume was at 41,626 contracts; trading volume was up threefold from last year at 8,849 contracts per day.
“TFEX attributes these consistent gains to the high volatility in the stock market, as stock futures give investors more ability to manage risk and improve their overall gains.
Moreover, recent adjustment of stock futures’ position limits that changed from a single-level to a multi-level increases the popularity of this product.
“We are continuing to see a dramatic increase in trading volume, indicating further adoption of single stock futures in Thailand. The trading volume of SET50 Futures averaged 20,189 contracts per day, up 22.60 per cent from last year, while gold futures’ average daily trading volume was at 13,692 contracts, down 7.91 per cent from 2012.”
TFEX will continue to provide workshops (TFEX Challenge Academy) and intensive training programmes (TFEX Open House).
Bumrungrad in World’s top 10, lauded as leader in medical tourism
The publication Healthcare Global recently featured Bumrungrad International Hospital in a cover article titled “Top 10 hospitals in the world”.
Bumrungrad was mentioned as “a leader in medical tourism”, treating more foreign patients than any other hospital in the world.
Bumrungrad treats more than 400,000 medical-tourism patients every year.
It claims that patients can receive internationally acclaimed medical procedures in a luxurious setting that rivals a five-star hotel.
Bumrungrad even has an in-house travel agency to organise visa extensions and interpreters to serve the needs of international patients.
Among Healthcare Global’s other top 10 hospitals were Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, named as “best in the world”; Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, one of the world’s largest; and Stanford Hospitals and Clinics in California, lauded for their medical advances.
Antique balloon installed at adventure park in Hua Hin
Planete Balloon, the worldwide leader in the promotion of ballooning for recreation, has installed an antique balloon in an adventure park in Hua Hin for its first client in Thailand. Established last month, the tethered balloon will let visitors soar 100 metres to enjoy a panoramic view of the town and its surroundings.
Boasting outstanding international experience and its knowledge of global markets, Planete Balloon touts the new facility as a tourist attraction including a tethered helium balloon that can carry up to 30 people, an adventure park, a bar and restaurant, and a balloon shop.
Jet to Hua Hin luxury
InterContinental Hua Hin Resort has initiated a new marketing strategy: to fly in affluent guests with a private jet for a luxury stay.
Under the prestigious La Residence Hua Hin package, travellers will be transferred by private jet (Cessna 550 Citation Bravo) from Bangkok in the 35-minute trip for a decadent stay in a lavish beachfront villa. The two-day, one-night package offers an exclusive stay in the secluded privacy of La Residence, an illustrious standalone restored 1920s beach house.
“We are proud to be able to offer our guests an even more luxurious holiday experience with the La Residence package,” said InterContinental Hua Hin Resort general manager Britta Kutz. “Just imagine leaving the hustle and bustle of Bangkok behind and jet-setting to Hua Hin in under an hour to be greeted with a bottle of finest champagne to help you unwind into a weekend of lavish luxury.”
Grand Modus Pattaya
Centara Hotels & Resorts has signed a management contract with Sweetwater Point to manage the Centara Grand Modus Resort and Spa in Pattaya. The sixth hotel to be managed by the company will be officially opened in the third quarter of this year.
Centara Grand Modus Resort and Spa will have 215 guest rooms, of which 80 will be standard rooms, 10 superior rooms, 20 family rooms, and 72 suite rooms. In addition, the project will include a 300-unit condominium also managed by Centara Hotels & Resorts.
IRPC set to return to black this year
IRPC is expected to return to profit this year after posting a net loss of Bt959 million last year, due to an expected increase in refinery fees to US$9 (about Bt270) per barrel from $5.8 per barrel, coupled with a new focus on cost reduction.
According to president Atikom Terbsiri, the company is also expected to make a profit of Bt2.8 billion from the Phoenix project this year, versus Bt2.6 billion last year. The Phoenix Project is IRPC’s $1.2-billion investment plan for 2007-2011 aimed at making the integrated oil and petrochemical manufacturer the petrochemical leader in Asia by 2014. The company has adjusted its financial strategy to cut operating and production costs, which is expected to help it save Bt1.7 billion this year. It has also expanded the production capacity of many projects on the expectation of boosting revenue by Bt1.1 billion.
The company’s shareholders’ meeting yesterday also approved the issuance of debentures in the local and foreign markets between this year and 2017 worth not over $1 billion.
Medical-robot push
The Science and Technology Ministry, through the Thai Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences (TCELS), is mobilising participation among public and private agencies and universities in the production of advanced medical robots.
Science Minister Woravat Auapinyakul said the project would support the national agenda to turn Thailand into a medical hub, while helping the country care for its ageing society.
Under the project, which will entail a budget of Bt2 billion over five years, TCELS will also establish linkages with Asean agencies for technology transfers. Within five years, commercialisation of some prototypes is envisaged, pending funding from local and foreign companies, in a bid to make Thailand the regional production base of medical robots.
Demand for robots is rising, as the number of caretakers for the elderly dwindles. A Mahidol University survey showed that Thais aged over 65 accounted for 12.59 per cent of the population, the highest in Asean.
Orchids confiscated
Orchid sellers and buyers have been warned not to carry orchids into European countries in their luggage without a phytosanitary certificate. Uncertified orchids cannot be taken into the countries and will be destroyed, according to the Agriculture Department.
European countries, chiefly Austria and Germany, sent 65 confiscation notifications to the Thai authorities in the first three months of this year. As the number is rising, said Damrong Chirasuthat, chief of the department, Thailand’s image and the overall exports of orchids and other floral products could suffer.
