Briefs

Twenty companies have bought bidding documents for the Orange Line (East) project, according to Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRT).
Friday was the deadline for securing bidding documents after they became available on July 15.
The Orange Line, which will connect 17 stations from the Culture Centre to Min Buri over 23 kilometres, is expected to cost about Bt80 billion.
Several Chinese construction firms like China Communications Construction Co Ltd, China Railway Construction Corporation, CITIC Corporation, and China State Construction Engineering Corporation have showed interest in the project.
The project is divided into six contracts and construction is slated to begin in May next year.
 
DACON EYES AEC DOMINATION
Dacon Inspection Services recently announced its plan to take a leading role in the industrial inspection market in the Asian Economic Community by using cutting-edge technologies.
They include ultrasonic intelligent pigging and long-range ultrasonic testing (LRUT), according to chief executive officer Mallika Kaekla.
These techniques, used in a wide range of pipeline inspection projects, are in high demand in the industry, she said.
The company specialises in pipeline solutions and has been working on developing ultrasonic intelligent pigging in Thailand since 1999.
It launched LRUT services at the beginning of this year and is already one of the leading companies offering this specific service, Kaekla said.

PLAN TO BOOST SKILLED LABOUR
The Commerce Ministry will meet with related agencies and private enterprises to draw up a plan to boost the number of skilled labourers in the country to serve new targeted industries.
The move is in response to concerns that the Thailand 4.0 Model could cause rising unemployment, especially for unskilled labourers.
Deputy Commerce Minister Suvit Maesincee said the ministry would this week meet with many agencies, starting with the Federation of Thai Industries, to discuss the plan to improve the education system so Thailand produced more skilled labourers.