BIDS TO BE CALLED FOR MOTORWAY

The project will be offered to the private sector through a public-private-partnership (PPP) concession.

This is subject to approval by the State Enterprise Policy Office (SEPO) of the results of a feasibility study on the project, according to the department's director of planning, Surachai Srilenawat. He said the feasibility study was expected to be complete by the end of the year. 

The PPP Net Cost model is likely to be used, which would allow private companies to invest in the entire project from construction through operation and maintenance under a 30-year concession, he added. 

The SEPO also approved putting the Bt30.5-billion 70km Hat Yai-Malaysia motorway project into the department’s 2015-19 investment plan under a PPP concession. 

 

WHA TO LAUNCH REIT

 

Thailand’s biggest warehouse developer WHA Corp said yesterday that it planned to launch a real estate investment trust (REIT) worth Bt8.02 billion next month with underlying assets in industrial estates of its Hemaraj unit.

Hemaraj Leasehold Real Estate Investment Trust (HREIT) will offer 569.4 million trust units to unit holders of WHA Premium Growth Real Estate Investment Trust. 

While WHA will use part proceeds to repay Bt4 billion to Bt5 billion of debt to bring down its debt-to-equity ratio to 1.7 times from above 2 times by the end of this year, Hemaraj aims to hold at least 15 per cent in HREIT, said Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, group CEO of WHA. – Reuters

 

LOANS FOR FLOOD VICTIMS

 

Government Savings Bank has launched a five-year emergency credit line of Bt50,000 per household with a grace period for the first year to help flood victims, while planning a debt moratorium for some customers.

Under the Pracha Rath programme, the loans will bear a 1-per-cent lending rate from the second to the fifth year. 

GSB president Chatchai Payuhanaveechai said the loans to flood-affected customers could be used to repair their homes, mend or purchase equipment for their occupations, and to make investments after the flooding recedes.

He said the debt moratorium would be provided to some flood-hit customers, allowing them to delay repayment of principal for two or three years or repay some part of the principal for no more than two years. 

 

THANULUX ACQUISITION

 

Thanulux will spend Bt9.5 million to obtain a 19-per-cent interest in World Saha Fashion, distributor of apparel under the Takeo Kikuchi trademark in Thailand, the Saha Group subsidiary reported to the Stock Exchange of Thailand yesterday. Other shareholders of World Saha Fashion are Saha Pathana Inter-Holding (15 per cent), Ramasorn Thaveekarn (9 per cent), IDF (6 per cent), SBCS (2 per cent), and World, a Japanese entity (49 per cent).