SET INDEX SLUMPS TO 22-MONTH LOW
The Stock Exchange of Thailand Index yesterday hit a 22-month low and analysts foresaw limited upside gains, as weak China data and potential US rate hike are pressuring market sentiment.
The index ended at 1,297.82 points, the level last seen in February 2014. It lost 9.16 points or 0.70 per cent on thin turnover of Bt34 billion. The market is closed today on a public holiday.
In a research note, DBS Vickers Securities (Thailand) said the index could fall further to 1,280 points.
Asian markets continued losing yesterday, despite a slight recovery in oil prices.
PTT OPENS STATION IN LUANG PRABANG
PTT Plc has opened its first PTT Life Station in Luang Prabang, the World Heritage city of Laos.
The ceremony yesterday was inaugurated by Khampheng Saysompheng, Laos’ minister of labour and social welfare, and Piyasvasti Amranand, PTT’s chairman.
Located on some 7,000 square metres, this platinum-class service station caters to the travelling people of Laos, foreigners and Thais that do business in that city.
Unesco has granted Luang Prabang the status of a World Heritage city, which will now boast more standard-quality goods and services to help Thai brands become better known in the region, while fostering pride among Thais.
Asean represents a huge-potential expansion area for PTT Group, notably Laos, with its strategic land link serving as the gateway to Asean, with a combined population of some 640 million, and China, with a population of some 1.4 billion, Piyasvasti said.
The launch not only represents an excellent opportunity for development cooperation for energy security and economic growth to boost sustained international competitiveness, but also eases travel for Laotians, Thais and tourists from all over the world.
INTERACTIVE GUIDE FOR MUSLIM VISITORS
Indonesia launched an interactive visitor guide as part of a major campaign to position itself as the world’s leading destination for Muslim tourists.
The Muslim visitor guide has been created as a dedicated resource to showcase the island destination, popularly known as the world’s largest archipelago, to tourists across the globe.
The guide, titled “Many lands. Timeless culture. One journey”. aims to highlight Indonesia’s rich and diverse culture by referencing the best experiences, shopping, dining and renowned prayer facilities to discover and explore across the country.
As part of its aim to appeal to a wider Muslim audience, the 70-page guide will be available in English and Arabic.
The guide is part of a long-term campaign by tourism officials to diversify their visitor arrivals to the Southeast Asian country, which represents over 17,000 islands.
The publication has been compiled by the Indonesian Tourism Ministry and leading online travel platform HalalTrip.
The Muslim travel market is now widely recognised as a key growth tourism sector projected to be worth US$200 billion (Bt7.2 trillion) by 2020.
CAT, True in 3G talks
CAT Telecom is in talks with True Corp to review their 3G-850MHz service, offering partnership deals to bargain for more benefits from True.
CAT acting chief executive officer Colonel Sanphachai Huvanandana said yesterday that the state telecom agency aimed to finish the talks before the end of the month.
In parallel to the talks, the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) found that CAT should have gained Bt42.338 billion from the partnership in the period from July 28, 2011, to December 2014 but the state agency gained only Bt39.681 billion during the period. The OAG sent a notification on the matter to CAT.
True subsidiary BFKT (Thailand) signed a deal with CAT in January 2011 to install a 3G-850MHz network to lease to CAT to wholesale 3G bandwidth.
CAT has wholesaled 80 per cent of the bandwidth to Real Move, another True subsidiary.
GPSC, PTTGC eye deal
Global Power Synergy (GPSC) is ready to sign a 15-year head of agreement worth Bt15 billion with PTT Global Chemical, which aims to construct a new plant as part of its plan to increase its LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) production.
The plant will be near the current LLDPE plant in Padaeng Industrial Estate, Rayong, which has been using industrial utilities from GPSC since 2011. The new plant, named LLDPE2, will require 18 megawatts more electricity from GPSC, starting in April 2017.
PTTGC has also agreed to extend the 46MW electricity purchase agreement for its LLDPE plant signed with GPSC for seven more years so that both will expire at the same time as the newly signed agreement, which will expire in 2032.
GPSC is ready to build a new power plant, called Central Utility Plant 4 (CUP-4), at Asia Industrial Estate, Rayong, to increase its capacity to meet the growth of its client base and the increased demand for industrial utilities from industrial clients.
PTT holds a 22.6-per-cent stakes in GPSC, while PTTGC owns 22.7 per cent, Thai Oil 8.9 per cent, Thai Oil Power 20.8 per cent and public investors 25 per cent.
NTT Com opens data hub here
NTT Communications Corporation, the ICT solutions and international communications business within NTT, announced on Tuesday the immediate launch of the Thailand Bangkok 2 Data Centre, which boasts some 3,800 square metres of server room, equivalent to 1,400 racks, putting it in the top scale of data centres in Thailand.
The four-storey dedicated facility, which cost nearly US$32 million (Bt1.15 billion), is in the Amata Nakorn Industrial Estate.
This is the first data centre to have been certified by the Board of Investment of Thailand.
NTT Com’s new facility will leverage highly reliable, state-of-the-art equipment and NTT Com’s global network node to provide Nexcenter next-generation data centre services, which are noted for their high quality, cost efficiency and flexibility.
New Meizu smartphones
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu Technology yesterday announced the launch of two new smartphones to the Thai market.
The M2 is aimed at the youth market and the MX5 at young professionals. Each of the new Meizu smartphone models will be available exclusively on Lazada, with the white or grey M2 priced at Bt3,990 and the grey, silver-white, or silver-black MX5 priced at Bt10,990.
