Briefs

The Office of SME Promotion(OSMEP) is expediting its Bt2-billion rehabilitation fund for small and medium-sized enterprises after its principles and targeted groups recently gained approval from a committee chaired by the permanent secretary of the Finance Ministry.
Salinee Wangtal, director-general of OSMEP, said the rehabilitation fund would support financially troubled SMEs, possibly by direct investment or entering joint-venture arrangements, in response to requests made through the SME Rescue Centre.
This measure could provide broader assistance than simple borrowings, she said.
On another front, the office’s Bt1-billion recovery fund extended loans worth Bt13.22 million to 17 troubled SMEs. The loans will have a grace period of seven years. 

Telecom industry
 ‘faces tough year’

Fitch Ratings says in a new report that the Thai telecommunications industry will remain under pressure in 2017 from slow revenue growth, margin pressure, and high investment requirements.
The rate of growth in mobile data revenue is likely to slow, and the pace of new data subscriptions started to decelerate in the first half of 2016 as smartphone penetration rose.
Margins are likely to suffer as Fitch expects marketing costs to remain high with the ongoing promotion of fourth-generation services. In addition, spectrum fees and the continued expansion of 4G networks will drive capital expenditur. 
As a result, the industry’s free cash flow is likely to be negative, and financial leverage will rise for some operators.

New ‘Thailand 
Connect’ campaign

The Thailand Convention and Exhibitions Bureau (TCEB) has launched a global communication campaign called “Thailand Connect … Your Vibrant Journey to Business Success” aiming to attract more MICE industry events (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) from North America to Thailand. 
The campaign is being launched at “IMEX America” to international MICE delegates and media representatives from all over the world.
The bureau says the 2017 brand-communication campaign builds on the success of last year’s campaign, “Thailand Connect ... Our Heart Your World”. It aims to strengthen recognition among the international business community of Thailand’s status as a premier MICE destination at the Heart of Asean with unsurpassed standards of service, venues, facilities and leisure opportunities. 

Residential launches
 drop in September 

The number of new residential units in projects launched last month totalled 7,966, down by 6 per cent from August, according to a survey by the Agency for Real Estate Affairs.
In terms of value, however, the September project launches jumped 19 per cent from the previous month to Bt36.38 billion.
Pruksa Real Estate launched the most projects in the first nine months of this year, followed by Sansiri and AP (Thailand).