Briefs
Somkid wants PPP scheme for U-tapao development The deputy prime minister for economic affairs, Somkid Jatusripitak, will propose to the Cabinet further development of U-tapao Airport under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, as it is a vital
He made the remark after a meeting of the PPP Committee yesterday.
The committee earlier shortened the period for drawing up PPP projects to nine months, from the previous 24 months.
The PPP projects designated for the next two years, worth a combined Bt350 billion, are: the Mass Rapid Transit Authority’s Blue Line extension (Bang Sue-Tha Phra), worth Bt82.5 billion; the Pink Line, worth Bt56.7 billion; the Yellow Line, worth Bt54.8 billion; the Bt84.6-billion motorway from Ayutthaya’s Bang Pa-in district to Saraburi and Nakhon Ratchasima; and the Bt55.6-billion motorway from Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai district to Ratchaburi’s Ban Pong district, onward to Kanchanaburi.
Somkid added that the Transport Ministry was expected to finish considering the final details of these projects this month and take them to a PPP Committee meeting in February before forwarding them for Cabinet consideration in March. If all goes as planned, these projects will be able to call tenders in late May.
He bidding for the Bang Pa-in-Nakhon Ratchasima motorway job might take place in either the third or fourth quarter of next year.
Tourism show on TLC, Discovery
A television programme on Indonesian culture and tourism is to air on the TLC and Discovery channels across the Asia-Pacific region starting from tomorrow.
Titled “Wondernesia”, the programme is part of the Indonesian Tourism Ministry’s efforts to promote the archipelago’s tourist destinations and achieve its target of 20 million foreign-tourist arrivals by 2019.
“Wondernesia” is produced by Discovery Networks Asia Pacific and will feature 12 episodes, each with a duration of about 23 minutes.
Thai-Japan business matching
The Board of Investment will team up with the Japanese Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok, and the Japan Financial Corporation to arrange business matching between Thai and Japanese industrial-parts manufacturers today at Bitec in Bang Na.
True board member quits KTB
Athueck Asvanund, vice chairman of the board of True Corp, resigned from his post of director of Krungthai Bank, effective from December 4, according to the bank’s filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand.
Big C swings open mall in HCM City
French-owned supermarket chain Big C opened a hypermarket and mall in HCM City on Sunday, bringing the total number of its stores in Vietnam to 32.
Situated on Nguyen Thi Thap Street, Big C City Land covers an area of nearly 17,000 square metres, with the supermarket accounting for more than 3,500sqm.
The supermarket sells more than 26,000 items, 95 per cent of them local.
The lobby has nearly 80 boutiques and shops selling fashion goods, cosmetics, jewellery, beauty products, electronic equipment, entertainment services and others. – Viet Nam News
Asset Bright aims to become holding firm
Asset Bright (ABC) has restructured its organisational structure to comply with its vision to become a holding company, with a focus on real estate and e-commerce, deputy managing director Jiraphat Veerachayathongkam said.
The firm has also set up two new subsidiaries – ABC Development to run property business and ABC Innovation to run the e-commerce side of things. The next step will be transferring assets to the new companies, and ABC will propose this matter at the shareholders’ meeting on December 24. ABC reckons the process of becoming a holding company will be completed in the first quarter of next year.
Meanwhile, on Christmas Day, ABC will introduce e-payment by transforming reward points from credit cards into ABC cards for paying bills. The company is also applying for a licence from the Bank of Thailand to operate e-wallet.
Jiraphat said the company aims for total sales revenue of Bt30 billion next year, with the biggest contributor being real-estate online bidding. It has more than Bt300-billion worth of property projects, and bidding for them will be held every three months. Thailand’s positive economic outlook and recent government subsidies will help support the sector, he added.
