Prajin to iron out ICT issues with NBTC chief on Monday
Deputy Prime Minister ACM Prajin Juntong will meet the chairman of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) on Monday to discuss how the watchdog can collaborate with the Information and Communication Technology Ministry to drive
Prajin, who oversees the government’s ICT policy, will touch on several issues with NBTC chairman Thares Punsri, including the NBTC’s plan to auction both 1800MHz and 900MHz licences this November and its plan to reclaim 2.3GHz and 2.6GHz, said Takorn Tantasith, secretary general of the NBTC.
The NBTC board recently concluded that MCOT, which holds the 2.6GHz, still has a right to operate some parts of the frequency but for broadcasting services only. The NBTC has a plan to reclaim the spectrum for auction next year.
Thai factory developer Ticon plans $91 million REIT in Q4
Thai factory and warehouse developer Ticon Industrial Connection plans to list a real-estate investment trust (REIT) worth up to Bt3.3 billion ($91 million) in the fourth quarter. Ticon expects to transfer its assets to the REIT, which should help the company book revenue from the sale of assets in the fourth quarter, said Samart Rusmeerojwong, head of investor relations.
“We are seeking approval from related agencies and expect the process to be completed in the fourth quarter,” he said.
The company reported a net loss of Bt30 million in the second quarter when its factory occupancy rate dropped to 49 per cent as some clients cancelled rental contracts due to weak demand and sluggish economic growth.
Some of its clients in the auto sector also delayed start-up of factories after declines in domestic auto sales, managing director Virapan Pulges said.
This year, Ticon aimed for new rental space of 50,000 square metres of factories and 250,000 sq m of warehouses. In the first seven months of 2015, the company rented 17,400 sq m of factories and 140,162 sq m warehouses, Samart said.
Ticon was in talks with clients to rent factories of about 120,000 sq m, of which 38 per cent are in the auto sector, 12 per cent in electronics and 8 per cent in food sector, he said, adding that a majority of its clients were Japanese investors.
The company planned to sell land worth Bt260 million in the fourth quarter and sell some assets to its property fund to help boost revenue and repay debt, Samart said. – Reuters
Fabrinet to build second
facility in Thailand on 120 rai
Fabrinet, a global engineering and manufacturing services provider of complex optical and electro-mechanical components, has bought a 120-rai land plot to build its second facility in Thailand.
The new facility will be located at Hemaraj Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate 2 (Hemaraj ESIE 2) in Chon Buri. Serving customers all over the world, Fabrinet currently has manufacturing facilities in China, the United States and Pathum Thani in Thailand.
“This land purchase at Hemaraj ESIE 2 is a significant step in our group’s development,” said Toh Seng Ng, Fabrinet chief financial officer.
“Thailand represents a great industrial base, especially in terms of logistics and transportation, so that we can continue to deliver our range of high-complexity products to our customers all over the world.”
Fabrinet offers a broad range of advanced optical and electro-mechanical capabilities across the entire manufacturing process, including process design and engineering, supply chain management, manufacturing, advanced packaging, integration, final assembly and testing.
Overwhelming interest for ‘Sustainable Home’ project
The National Housing Authority has received bookings for 17,707 housing units under the newly launched “Sustainable Home” project.
A total of 13,393 units were on offer during August 28-September 6. Of the total applicants, only 7,012 had all document ready for mortgage loan applications. Regarding the remaining applicants, the NHA announced that those who could not seek mortgage loans would be excluded.
NHA Governor Krisda Raksakul said that housing units in the price range of Bt400,001-Bt500,000 received the highest booking. A number of 3,377 units from a total of 9,008 available units were booked. The booking period is extended to December 31, 2015. On offer are 6,381 units from 44 projects.
Thai listed companies lead Asean in CG development
Thai listed companies are raising the standards of the Asean region by promoting good corporate governance at the international level, according to the Asean CG Scorecard.
The Scorecard’s 2014 assessment ranked Thailand at the top for the third consecutive year.
Of the 550 Asean companies participating in the assessment, two Thai companies are among the top five, while 24 Thai companies, up by six from 2013, are among the top 50, according to Dr Bandid Nijathaworn, president and CEO of the Thai Institute of Directors Association.
The average score of Thailand’s 100 largest companies in terms of market capitalisation as of April 30, 2014, that released English-language annual reports on their websites was 84.53, up sharply from 75.39 in 2013. Scores in every area showed improvement, particularly in “role of stakeholders”, which surged by 315 per cent and “board responsibilities”, which rose by 25 per cent.
Anti-ageing fair to blaze a trail for medical tourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is scheduled to hold a health and wellness fair next week, aimed at boosting medical tourism.
Vilaiwan Twichasri, TAT deputy governor for tourism products and business, said the “Thailand Health and Wellness Tourism Showcase” under the concept of “Anti-Ageing Tourism: The Next Big Thing in Health Tourism” would take place from September 14-17.
The event will kick off with a one-day trade conference and business-matching day on Monday at the Plaza Athenee Bangkok. On Tuesday and Wednesday, TAT will hold an educational trip for medical-tourism facilitators and travel agencies as well as VIPs and members of the press to visit top anti-ageing and aesthetic centres in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. The event has so far attracted 30 international media and about 50 medical-tourism facilitators and travel agencies.
Participants will come from 18 countries and the fair itself is expected to generate more than Bt500 million.
DEADLINE SET FOR TAX REBATE SCHEME
More than 111,465 people must take delivery of their vehicles by the end of this month or lose tax rebates under the first-car buyer scheme. The Cabinet yesterday set the deadline by which the programme must end because the Yingluck Shinawatra government in July, 2012, extended the application period for some buyers without giving an exact deadline.
EXPORTS BRAINSTORM
The International Trade Promotion Department will meet more than 60 Thai trade representatives and exporters on Monday to brainstorm ways to build up the export sector, which has been in freefall over the past year, and a new strategy to promote Thai shipments next year. The meeting, which will be chaired by Commerce Minister Apiradi Tantraporn and her deputy, Suvit Maesincee, will be attended by representatives from various export industries, the Board of Trade, Thai National Shippers Council and the Federation of Thai Industries.
Nuntawan Sakuntanaga, director-general of the department, said yesterday that the meeting would seek measures to bolster foreign trade and set the export target for next year. The promotion plans will target North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asean, East Asia, China and South Asia.
