Surge in bids for privileges

The number of applications rose by 18 per cent to 919 over the same period last year, Udom Wongwiwatchai, secretary-general of the BOI, said yesterday.

Applications for service and public utilities soared 224 per cent to Bt260.10 billion. They comprised 15 air-transport projects worth Bt160 billion, two natural-gas-fired electricity-generating plants worth Bt34 billion, a liquefied-natural-gas receiving terminal worth Bt21 billion, five industrial estates costing Bt9.1 billion, six merchandise/goods-distribution centres worth Bt6.5 billion, and two hotels costing Bt2.8 billion. 

Second were the metal-product, machinery, automobile and auto-parts industries with investment value up 108 per cent to Bt136.1 billion.

These were for automobile-assembly and engine-components projects worth Bt33 billion, diesel engines worth Bt18 billion, six auto-parts-manufacturing projects worth Bt18 billion, and a pickup-truck-assembly operation worth Bt15 billion. 

Agriculture was next with Bt91.9 billion, up 230 per cent. Projects consisted of four fruit/vegetable-juice plants costing Bt8.1 billion, six canned/frozen-food plants worth Bt7 billion, and four animal-feed factories worth Bt4.1 billion. 

Of total applications, 526 were for foreign-direct-investment projects worth Bt255.84 billion, up 24.4 per cent. 

Japan was still the biggest foreign investor with 282 projects worth Bt167.76 billion, up 28 per cent, followed by Malaysia with 156 projects worth Bt16.85 billion, Hong Kong (14 projects, Bt15.24 billion), Singapore (33 projects, Bt10.48 billion) and the Netherlands (10 projects, Bt9.11 billion).