BizBuzz

The Ratchaprasong Square Trade Association last week closed the first-class theatre to movie-goers of SF Cinema’s CentralWorld branch to announce its “Ratchaprasong Bangkok Downtown” vision.
The vision will be fuelled by projects worth Bt60 billion that will be developed by its major retailers, hoteliers, and property developer members in the area during the next decade.
At the event, the association also unveiled a 400-metre extension to the walkway that will soon link the Platinum Fashion Mall in Pratunam and the group’s under-construction Market by Platinum to the Ratchaprasong intersection and a BTS station. Thus, it is understandable why Platinum Group president Somboon Wongrassamee was so joyful.
Stepping on the stage, Somboon began his speech by joking that he wanted to apologise for not showing up wearing a turtleneck top like Apple’s late founder Steve Jobs. “Because when I look at myself, I feel I look more like Jack Ma”, he said to laughter.
Nevertheless, Somboon said if he felt more confident, the next time he would try matching Jobs’s style.

SCG CHIEF EXEC CEMENTS DEMAND FOR GROWTH
Many small and large-sized businesses have complained about the continued lacklustre spending by consumers, especially lower-income earners burdened with debts created by populist policies of recent governments and rural residents affected by falling farm-product prices such as rice and rubber.
Hence, it was nice to hear SCG chief executive Kan Trakulhoon saying cement demand in the North and northeastern regions had shot up 20 per cent year on year in the first two weeks of December.
But due to the long New Year holiday, he said consumption dropped in the final two weeks of the year.
Kan is confident that cement demand will expand by 6 per cent this year, with volume beating the peak record in 2013.
It took Thailand 16 years to return its previous cement-consumption peak achieved before the Tom Yum Kung crisis in 1997.

MINISTER LAUDS POWER OF ‘HYBRID POLITICS’
Energy Minister Narongchai Akrasanee told a seminar that Thailand has “set a new trend” in the world of politics with what he dubbed as “hybrid politics” by having two administrative powers – the National Council for Peace and Order and the Cabinet – running the country in parallel.
“But I have no time to explain to you about the differences, and how we can live together,” joked the minister.

Contributed by Pichaya Changsorn