The National Housing Authority (NHA) will seek an additional 2.6 billion baht from the government to help cover rising development costs for the Baan Ua-arthorn low-cost housing programme.
TRADE
Thailand's trade account recovered in May with a surplus of US$1.294 billion, as export performance improved and import growth eased after a deficit of $1.81 billion April.
The CIMB Group, Malaysia's second-largest financial services provider, will pay 5.9 billion baht to purchase a 42.13% stake in BankThai from the Financial Institutions Development Fund. CIMB beat out 10 other foreign institutions and three Thai institutions for the acquisition, including proposals by Standard Chartered and HSBC.
BY Invitation
The high price of oil is changing everything - for airlines and for their passengers. In 2002, a barrel of oil was US$25. And the total industry fuel bill was $40 billion. In that same year, the world's airlines lost $11.3 billion.
Fresh from its acquisition of SET-listed Phatra Insurance (PHA), Muang Thai Insurance (MTI), has set its sights on becoming one of the country's top five insurers within three years.
SEAFOOD
Thai Ocean Venture Co, a leading seafood processor and exporter in Phuket, plans to promote consumption of raw fish among Thais to help enlarge its tuna sashimi market. ''Thailand is the world's largest exporter of canned tuna and loins, but not many Thais have tasted tuna sashimi,'' said Sathaporn Bhuyarthorn, general manager of the company.
ECONOMY
Economic growth could reach 6% this year if the government and state enterprises meet their spending targets, according to Atchana Waiquamdee, a deputy governor of the Bank of Thailand.
DIRECT SALES
KOH SAMUI : Amway (Thailand) Co, the country's largest direct sales company, is carrying out new strategies to sustain long-term business growth and achieve its ambitious sales target of 20 billion baht within five years.
ASIA FOCUS : BY INVITATION
After the Olympics, China will be bracing itself for another historic milestone, as this autumn marks the 30th anniversary of Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms. And there will be much to celebrate. Three decades ago China was isolated and struggling, with poverty rates on a par with Malawi. Today, China has joined the premier league: China's economy has grown nine-fold to become the fourth largest economy in the world (a reasonable appreciation of the yuan would propel China in to second place, ahead of Japan).
ASIA FOCUS
As global real-estate firms including those from Thailand put their investment plans for Vietnam on hold, the pain of a market crash is growing more evident in the once-booming economy as buyers scramble for cover and prices dive.
ASIA FOCUS : SMALL BUSINESS
As part of the move to tap the lucrative Indonesian market, 79 Thai small and medium enterprise entrepreneurs are showcasing their products at the Thailand Exhibition in Jakarta this weekend.
ASIA FOCUS
There is a big churn in the Singapore job market. Even as record numbers of jobs are being created, more people are being retrenched and more are seeking jobs. At the same time, the number of vacancies is shooting up. But while most layoffs are in manufacturing, most vacancies are in the services sector. The market appears to be searching for equilibrium.
