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Japanese colleges set up shop in Thailand to attract Southeast Asia students
Japanese universities are setting up recruiting bases here to encourage more students from Southeast Asia to study in Japan, in response to rising demand from industry for talent with Japanese credentials.
Meiji University opened a recruitment office in May on the campus of Srinakharinwirot University, a well-known university in central Bangkok. One staffer from Japan is stationed full time to recruitstudents from Thailand as well as neighboring countries such as Vietnam.
Starting next year, this office will offer Japanese-language classes via video conference for students interested in studying in Japan. The goal is to increase the number of Southeast Asian students at Meiji to 100 each year, roughly double 2012 levels.
Tokai University in August set up its second recruiting base in Thailand, seeking to boost the number of participants in a year-long program by 40% to 70-80 a year.
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University – known for years of experience in accepting students from abroad – will also set up an outpost in Bangkok. In addition, it plans to hold more recruiting events at high schools in rural areas.
Fukui University of Technology opened an office here in May, seeking to recruit candidates for four-year, undergraduate degree programs. The university will collaborate with local high schools to teach students Japanese. It is also considering forming partnerships with local businesses to help graduates with job searches.
As many Japanese companies step up Southeast Asian operations, demand for local college graduates who studied in Japan is on the rise. "We are expanding the roles of local operations, and want to hire capable local talent," says an official at a leading Japanese trading house. – Nikkei
Chanthaburi, the ‘Kingdom of Gems,’ to hold global jewellery show
The eastern province of Chanthaburi plans to capitalise on its reputation as the “Kingdom of Gems” by holding a World Gems Show from December 6-15 at the Chanthaburi Gems and Jewellery Centre.
The show is intended to promote and encourage local gems and jewellery dealers and entrepreneurs to expand into global markets, as well as to boost the local economy by positioning the new Chanthaburi Gems and Jewellery Centre as one of the province’s top tourist attractions.
According to Chanthaburi Governor Kriengdech Khemthong, the World Gems Show is in line with the government’s national development policy to make Chanthaburi a gems and jewellery trading hub. A special economic zone will be established to help Thailand prepare for the launch of the Asean Economic Community in 2015 by improving transportation and the interconnectedness of the region.
At the show, there will be a wide range of activities, such as an exhibition of precious and rare jewellery, especially famous rubies, sapphires and topaz, more than 100 jewellery and gem stores, gem-cutting competitions and demonstrations.
According to available figures, visitor arrivals to Chanthaburi totalled 1,559,370, in 2012, an increase of 2.67 per cent over 2011. Visitors had an average length of stay of 2.31 days and an average daily expenditure of Bt1,420.62 per person, generating tourism revenues of approximately Bt4.213 billion. – The Nation
Orix planning Thai bond offering
Japanese financial-services company Orix plans to issue Bt1 billion in straight bonds as early as this month.
The bonds, targeted at Thai institutional investors, will be issued in two- and four-year tranches with expected coupon rates of around 3.7 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively.
The funds will be used to purchase assets for lease. Automakers in particular are stepping up production in Thailand, and demand is rising for renting manufacturing facilities and transport equipment such as trucks. Orix’s leased asset balance in Thailand as of the end of March was 40 per cent higher year on year, and solid growth is expected this fiscal year as well.
The growth of the Thai corporate bond market has made it easier for leasing companies to raise funds through debt offerings. This will be Orix’s third offer of baht-denominated bonds after two issues last year. Competitors such as Century Tokyo Leasing and Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance issued debt in the Thai currency this year as well. – Nikkei
Business as usual for Saha
Boonchai Chokwatana, chairman of Saha Pathanapibul, the country’s leading consumer conglomerate, said it had not been informed of any impact of the transport and distribution of its products from the on-going anti-government protests. However, it plans to distribute its products to retailers through modern trade and convenience stores’ distribution centres, while trucks will go to wholesalers and general shops in other provinces once a week.
If the protests are not prolonged, there should be no difficulties for product distribution in the protest areas, where there are only a small number of wholesalers, he said. However, if the protests escalate, it may have to cease product distribution.
The company has a network of 65,000 shops including modern retailers, superstores and supermarkets with 6,920 convenience stores. Normally, it distributes products within 24 hours in Bangkok, 48 hours in the Northeast and North and longer in the South.
“The company has not made a reassessment for its product distribution in Bangkok and vicinity yet, as no problems have been reported,” Boonchai said.
However, if the protests last a month and, the company may have to cease its distribution to some wholesalers in Bangkok, he said. If the situation returns to normal, it will quickly resume delivering products to shops with its fleet of 200-300 trucks, he said.
Cabinet nods to SRT’s loan bid
The Cabinet yesterday approved the State Railway of Thailand’s request to borrow Bt24.7 billion from the fiscal 2014 budget mainly to finance its mass transit rail projects for Greater Bangkok.
The Bang Sue-Rangsit Red Line route needs Bt710.51 million, the Chachoengsao-Kaeng Khoi dual-track rail system for the eastern train route needs Bt3.32 billion and the upgrade of unsafe rail tracks of eight routes costs Bt2.89 billion.
Bt2.82 billion was needed for domestic investment of about Bt2 billion to pay for 308 passenger/freight carriages worth Bt106 million and 50 diesel-electric locomotives valued at Bt885 million, to repair and renovate 56 diesel-electric locomotives for Bt342.73 million and 115 new passenger carriages for commercial purposes, costing Bt672.44 million.
The borrowing is also for the SRT’s debt-restructuring plan for Bt14.99 billion, comprising five loans coming due next year and eight tranches of SRT bonds.
LIne surges on features
Since its debut on June 23, 2011, Line has seen astonishing growth in its user base around the world by offering a rich variety of features from voice and video calls to sticker messages.
Akira Morikawa, CEO of Line Corporation, said yesterday that Line has achieved its target of 300 million users for the year in such a short time after clearing the 100 million user mark only last January.
“We will continue to explore all possibilities of communication in order to develop even more new features and constantly enhance our service quality. We aim to achieve 500 million users by next year and to develop Line into the world’s top communication service,” he said.
Besides East Asia, where Line has already established a strong foothold, user numbers are also growing steadily in Hispanic regions such as Spain and Mexico. The company is now focusing on the acquisition of new users in India, Turkey and West European countries including France, Germany and Italy.
Namyong in sucessful debut
Namyong Terminal bucked the trend, making a successful debut on the Stock Exchange of Thailand despite the bearish market sentiment.
The cargo terminal operator in Laem Chabang Port saw its stock price end the first trading day at Bt13.40, which was 12.61 per cent above its initial public offering price of Bt11.90.
The success was despite the decline in the SET Index. Thailand was the only market in Asia that failed to rise yesterday, while the others rode the coattails of Wall Street’s seventh straight week of gains and benefitted from a nuclear deal between world powers and Iran.
The benchmark SET Index closed down 0.46 per cent at 1,352.86 points as investors were spooked by the fanning protests in Bangkok. Foreign investors have remained net-sellers of Thai shares. Year to date, their net-sales have exceeded Bt136 billion.
