BOI sees doubling in projects’ value to Bt450 bn

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/BOI-sees-doubling-in-projects-value-to-Bt450-bn-30276725.html

INVESTMENT

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation
January 13, 2016 1:00 am

The BOARD of Investment expects a huge jump in the value of projects applying for tax privileges to Bt450 billion this year from about Bt218 billion in 2015.

Hiranya Suchinai. secretary-general of the BOI, said yesterday that the board was confident of achieving this target given its recent offers of new tax measures and other measures in the pipeline.

It will also kick off the planned roadshows in the middle of this month to local and overseas markets to woo investment.

The BOI has also drawn up a plan to provide tax incentives to encourage local investment in the tourism and agricultural industries, in line with the government’s policy to strengthen the local economy. The planned incentives will also contribute to the forecast surge in the number of project applications this year.

The promotion agency will also encourage some approved projects to accelerate their investment this year to be eligible for additional tax privileges under the newly launched BOI special measures designed to hasten project investments.

According to its preliminary survey, about 1,600 projects worth Bt600 billion are eligible to gain additional tax privileges under the special measures approved by the Cabinet last November to urge projects to move faster rather than wait to see a sign of improvement in the economy.

The measures are for projects that applied for BOI tax privileges from January 2014 to June this year and can start production or provide services and generate revenue next year.

The BOI will also urge targeted investors to apply for tax privileges before the deadlines. For example, the tax privileges for an investment in a cluster will be available until the end of this year.

The projects approved by the BOI last year were worth more than Bt800 billion. If fully implemented, they would create raw-material demand of Bt781 billion per year.

Among the highlighted projects approved last year are 183 e-projects worth Bt18.9 billion related to the digital economy, software and cloud services and 127 projects worth Bt3.03 billion related to the international headquarters and international trading centre schemes.

There were also 126 projects worth Bt30.24 billion related to research and development, medical equipment manufacturing, biotechnology and engineering design.

Haier goes for slot in top 5

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Haier-goes-for-slot-in-top-5-30276367.html

INVESTMENT

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation January 8, 2016 1:00 am

Yang Xiaolin

Haier Thailand aims to be ranked among the top five in the Kingdom’s Bt70-billion electrical appliances market, in the next three to five years and to reach US$100 million (Bt3.6 billion) in annual revenue.

President Yang Xiaolin said the company currently has only a 3-4 per cent market share of the total electrical appliances market in Thailand. Its major products are washing machines,

air-conditioners and refrigerators. The company plans to launch more innovative products to strengthen consumer confidence in its brand while launching a new communication

channel on Facebook with 16 million views a month.

“By achieving annual sales of US$100 million, expected in the next three to five years, we will be one of the top five players in this competitive Thai market,” he said.

Haier Thailand posted Bt2.2 billion in annual revenue last year with satisfactory growth of 16 per cent. About 2 per cent of its business came from online sales.

“We have set the same growth target of 16 per cent for this year. The overall market for electrical appliances, however, is expected to be flat this year, impacted by economic uncerฌ

tainty. We, however, believe in the capability of our sales and marketing team to drive such growth amid slow economic circumstances,” said Xiaolin.

He said Haier’s headquarters in China had also lent strong support to its subsidiaries, including its Thailand operations, in terms of product and technology development and manufacturing know-how.

Haier operates manufacturing facilities in Kabinburi district, Prachinburi, for refrigerators, air-conditioners, washing machines, and freezers. About 60 per cent of the products have been exported to many markets in Asean, as well as Japan, Australia and New Zealand, the

Middle East, and Latin America.

“Our headquarters has a policy to penetrate Asean markets before the full implementation of theAEC [Asean Economic Community], which came into effect at the end of last

year. Trade liberalisation in Asean will benefit the Thai operations, as they will handle exporting processes more conveniently,” said Xiaolin.

In addition to Thailand, Haier also has home appliance facilities in Vietnam for refrigerators and washing machines, and in Indonesia for refrigerators.

“We will invest more than Bt300 million at our factory in Kabinburi to increase manufacturing capacity of commercial air-conditioners by 30 per cent this year,” said Xiaolin. The factory’s current capacity is 200,000 units of home air-conditioners and 50,000 units of commercial air-conditioners per annum.

He said Haier Thailand has also been providing sales and merchandising support to its individual distributors in Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar.

“In Thailand, the brand recognition of Haier products is not as strong as it is in the home Chinese market. However, our marketing team is working very hard to develop awareness of the Haier brand in the market,” said Xiaolin.

“Thai consumers have better perception and trust in Chinese products due to the good relations between the two countries. We also expect the Thai government to implement its policy continuously to stimulate the country’s overall economy,” he said.

IVL to acquire BP Chemical’s Alabama business

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/IVL-to-acquire-BP-Chemicals-Alabama-business-30276353.html

INVESTMENT

The Nation January 8, 2016 1:00 am

Indorama Ventures Plc (IVL) has agreed to acquire BP Chemical’s Decatur, Alabama business (with a total capacity of 1.8 million tonnes/year) consisting of integrated paraxylene and PTA manufacturing as well as the world’s only commercial plant to manufacture NDC, a specialty chemical used in performance polymers and films for applications such as smart-phone screens.

The transaction is expected to be completed in the first half of 2016 and is subject to the usual regulatory approvals.

Aloke Lohia, group CEO of Indorama Ventures, said the year 2015 was a truly transformative year for IVL and the transactions signed up are a game changer for the industry. The industry faces continually new challenges and IVL has taken these times as an opportunity to remain focused and surge ahead to deliver a distinct and compelling investment platform with scale advantages, technology ownership and innovative products, Lohia said.

He said IVL is firmly on track to fulfil its 2015 capital day announcement, which was re-affirmed in its mid-year strategy review in July 2015, to achieve double-digit EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) margins and two times core EBITDA growth by the end of 2018. In comparison, 2014 saw a core EBITDA of US$600 million. At the same time, IVL aspires to achieve 4 times core earnings per share growth by end-2018 over 2014.

IVL expects a slew of transactions to be major accelerators in its ongoing transformation. The company aims to create significant growth and portfolio enhancement to each of its three powerful verticals: PET, Feedstock and High Value Add (HVA) businesses. As they are interlinked and synergistic, they can deliver enhanced value for all its shareholders and its customers, Lohia said. He pointed to the following transactions:

•BP Alabama, US: Feedstock independence and HVA growth

•MicroPet, India: Core business entry in the fastest-growth market with the largest population.

•CEPSA Spain: Feedstock independence, EU-wide coverage of PET and maiden entry into IPA, an HVA business enhancement.

•Ethylene Cracker, Louisiana, USA: Feedstock independence and leverage on shale gas economics.

•CEPSA, Canada: Feedstock independence in North America.

•Bangkok Polyester, Thailand: Consolidation of core PET business and supply chain integration with captive PTA.

•Performance Fiber, China: Decades of superior polyester tire cord brand in the largest-growth market for automobiles, with supply chain economics through captive PET polymer.

•Polyplex PET, Turkey: Consolidation of core PET business in an emerging market and Europe, Middle East and Africa wide coverage.

“The year 2015 has been an extraordinary year of opportunity to deliver long-term, sustainable shareholder value through the combination with eight highly complementary transactions creating global leadership and cost advantages in each of our verticals and the enhancement of the three strong, focused, industry-leading businesses,” he said.

“For IVL, these bolt-on acquisitions are a definitive leap forward on its path to higher growth and higher margins. Over the next 12 months, we will create significant near-term value through substantial cost synergies and over the mid-term the company can expect additional upside from margin growth from internal rather than external forces.

“Longer term we intend to pursue and expect to unlock even greater value for shareholders and customers and more opportunity for employees as each business will be a cost leader in attractive segments and geographies where local demographics and global mega-trends are driving demand for these businesses,” he added.

CPF eyes East African market

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/CPF-eyes-East-African-market-30275855.html

INVESTMENT

Patcharee Luenguthai

The Nation December 30, 2015 1:00 am

After four decades of expansion in Asean, Charoen Pokphand Foods is eyeballing East Africa as its new market for investment for the next 10-20 years.

“We will not enter South Africa because the big players from Europe are strongly established there, while East Africa has plenty of business opportunities with a total population of 1.2 billion,” said Adirek Sripratak, president and chief executive officer of CPF.

This month, he visited Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia to study market prospects. The company sees the countries in East Africa as attractive for farming.

However, the company must be cautious about investing in these emerging markets. There are opportunities but also investment risks. The company will start with small projects, each with investment budgets in the millions of baht.

CPF’s wholly owned subsidiary in Tanzania is now building broiler and animal feed-mill plants. With a population of 53 million, Tanzania has high demand for broilers.

Adirek also visited Poland three months ago to survey the market. Poland has enjoyed high growth in its farm sector.

For the Australian market, CPF mainly focuses on lamb and beef to develop ready-to-eat meals. The company is now seeking a local partner there, as the design of the plant is finished.

CPF’s strategy for future growth still revolves around the creation of a value chain of products, which is still its core business model, the widening of opportunities in markets including Africa, the Americas, Europe and Australia, and the takeover of companies to expand its overseas operations.

More than 60 per cent of CPF’s annual revenue of more than Bt400 billion comes from the overseas operations of over 130 subsidiaries worldwide.

CPF targets 10-per-cent growth annually through the next five years to reach revenue of Bt700 billion.

Central cautious over 2016 expansion

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Central-cautious-over-2016-expansion-30275004.html

INVESTMENT

Watchiranont Thongtep

The Nation
December 16, 2015 1:00 am

Central Group sees 2016 as another year to be more conservative with expansion, as the country’s largest retail operator is still concerned about weak domestic consumption.

Prin Chirathivat, deputy chief executive officer, said yesterday that both the global and domestic economies are expected to improve in the coming year. The only worry was moribund consumer spending, as the group is heavily involved in the retail business.

Unlike the retail business, the group’s hotel business was still performing well this year.

The group will continue to develop department stores as planned but with a cautious approach.

“We have to be well prepared with a more flexible plan and put more focus on our core business,” he said.

The company appears to be hedging its risk by focusing less on non-core businesses like warehousing.

To support future growth of its hard-line business, which heavily relies on inventory management, Central Group’s CRC Power Retail is forming a 50:50 joint venture with WHA Corporation Plc.

WHA Central Alliance was established with Bt850 million in registered capital to manage its Bt4-billion warehouse project in Ayutthaya’s Wang Noi district.

Located on 320 rai (51.2 hectares) of land owned by Central Group, the new warehouse will offer a total of 250,000 square metres of space. As the first phase, Central Group has already built a 56,000sqm facility on 100 rai.

The JV would take over both the land and warehouse under a sale-and-leaseback deal and carry out the next two phases to expand its capacity to 250,000sqm in three years. The Bt4-billion investment includes land.

Jareeporn Jarukornsakul, vice chairman and chief executive officer of WHA, said that through the sale and leaseback of the first phase, the new JV will realise revenue of about Bt100 million from the beginning.

The first phase was aimed at serving Central’s hard-line retail business consisting of Thai Watsadu, HomeWorks, Baan&Beyond and Power Buy.

In preparation for continuing expansion, particularly of the new imported product line-up, the second phase is scheduled to be completed next year, adding 28,000sqm of rental space.

The hard-line business has played an important role in the group accounting for 10 per cent of total revenue, with an average annual growth of at least 10 per cent in revenue.

Somyos Anantaprayoon, chairman of WHA, said that after the completion of all phases, Central Group would lease 60 per cent of the total warehouse space for 10 years. The remaining areas would be available for new customers.

With experience in the build-to-suit warehouse business, WHA could help clients to save about 30 per cent in costs incurred by constructing their own warehouse.

WHA projects Bt400 million a year in income from the completed project, which would boost its rental, service and utilities income by 10 per cent.

Jareeporn said the JV was the third collaboration with Central Group. The company already provides the group a 23,000sqm warehouse and distribution complex on Bang Na-Trad Road and a 20,000sqm cold storage facility on Rama II Road.

ITrueMart has big online shopping plan for AEC

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/ITrueMart-has-big-online-shopping-plan-for-AEC-30274995.html

INVESTMENT

The Nation December 16, 2015 1:00 am

After the launch of an e-commerce website in the Philippines, iTrueMart has set its sights on expanding its business into other countries in Southeast Asia to cash in on the huge demand for online purchases in view of the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

“We are debuting our operations in the Philippines and that will be followed by Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore later in 2016. We are committed to long-term success in the Philippines and everywhere else we go to,” said Punnamas Vichitkulwongsa, CEO of Ascend Group, which operates the e-commerce business.

The company plans an investment of US$150 million in the market next year. The investment will be used to improve marketing, inventory and logistics. “E-commerce will have huge potential when theAEC fully materialises,” she said. “According to a study by Ystats SE Asia eCommerce, the volume of Asean’s mobile Internet users rose 56 per cent in 2015. Up to 56 per cent of the Thai and Vietnamese populations are now accessing the Internet via their smartphones, a figure close to the Philippines’ 50 per cent rate. Recognising the growing number of mobile Internet users, we are confident that online shopping in the region will also grow. The AEC is an emerging and interesting market for e-commerce through which entrepreneurs can expand their businesses.”

Thailand’s leading e-commerce retailer iTrueMart, has launched iTrueMart.ph e-commerce website in the Philippines, aiming to become a dominant player in the country by 2017.

Currently, iTrueMart operates only in Thailand.

iTrueMart.ph is designed to offer shopping access to a variety of products, various payment channels, and competitive pricing currently only available for metropolitan shoppers, to customers in all provinces in the Philippines.

Seubsakol Sakolsatayadorn, general manager of the iTrueMart division at Ascend Commerce, says iTrueMart.ph is not a newcomer to the market, as the team is backed by the strong success of iTrueMart in Thailand.

During the past year, the number of visits to iTrueMart.com has increased by as much as 424 per cent. Since October 2014, the average number of visits recorded was 4.6 million per month. iTrueMart.com receives 7,000 orders per day on average, with the highest volume of daily orders at 10,000. This marks a record in Thailand’s online retail industry, which puts iTrueMart. com at the forefront of Thailand’s e-commerce sector. Moreover, iTrueMart.com’s delivery averages at two days throughout Thailand and it enjoys the lowest e-commerce return rate in the country.

GE unit to provide 24 wind turbine units to KWP

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/GE-unit-to-provide-24-wind-turbine-units-to-KWP-30274282.html

INVESTMENT

Sirivish Toomgum

The Nation December 4, 2015 1:00 am

GE Renewable Energy, a business unit of General Electric, will supply 24 wind-turbine units to Khao Kor Wind Power Co’s wind-farm project in Phetchabun.

“GE is committed to supporting local developers in Thailand, and we hope to continue collaborating with regional customers to build additional wind-power capacity in the future,” Peter Cowling, general manager of GE Asia-Pacific’s renewable sales business, said yesterday.

Operations start in May

The contract also covers logistics, installation and maintenance. Each wind turbine uses a 120-metre rotor to generate 2.5 megawatts.

The companies declined to disclose the deal’s value.

This 60MW project worth Bt5 billion is scheduled to start commercial operations next May.

Surachet Tamronglak, managing director of KWP, said the project was expected to contribute Bt700 million in revenue a year and break even in 12 years.

Cowling said the region had huge potential for wind power, and GE technology was competitive, reliable and innovative.

GE recently secured another wind-turbine deal in Thailand but it declined to elaborate.

Wind-energy development has been making progress in Thailand.

The Alternative Energy Develop-ment and Efficiency De-partment’s Alternative Energy Development Plan aims to increase the share of renewable sources in Thailand’s total electricity-generation mix from 9.9 per cent last year to 20 per cent by 2036. GE has sold its wind-turbine products with combined installed capacity of 40 gigawatts to 31 countries.

Show DC adding outdoor area to its mega complex

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Show-DC-adding-outdoor-area-to-its-mega-complex-30274280.html

INVESTMENT

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation December 4, 2015 1:00 am

Show DC Corporation yesterday announced it was adding a 14-rai (2.25-hectare) outdoor component to its retail and entertainment mega-complex at the cost of Bt1.1 billion.

Called the Oasis Outdoor Arena and Creative Market, the new outdoor area will open this month with a New Year’s Eve countdown concert featuring Korean mega-star Rain and K-Pop sensation Beast.

Show DC says the Oasis Outdoor Arena is a new hip outdoor hangout place in the prime Jaturathit-Rama IX area of Bangkok for outdoor stage performances and an outdoor eco-social-enterprise container market.

The outdoor arena will open ahead of the official opening of the main retail and entertainment complex, which is scheduled for around June next year. The retail and entertainment complex itself will cost about Bt9.5 billion and will have 150,000 square metres of gross floor area, which will include the world’s largest “K-town” outside South Korea.

The outdoor arena expects around 20,000 visitors a day by the end of January. This will be on top of the 100,000 visitors per day the company expects at the Show DC complex when it is fully up and running after the middle of next year. The mall is expected to achieve a return on investment within five years.

Chayaditt Hutanuwatra, chairman of Show DC Corp, said the main development objective of Oasis Outdoor Arena and Creative Market was to strengthen Show DC’s proposition to offer a rich mix of retailing and food and beverages with spectacular entertainment facilities.

He said the outdoor arena would occupy 10,000sqm for massiven performances with capacity to pack in as many as 30,000 spectators and to host international performances.

The creative market will occupy 20,000sqm. Made from shipping containers, it will accommodate more than 500 outlets in multiple zones, including shops for fashion, food and beverages, and organic fruits and vegetables brought in direct from growers.

“Show DC and Oasis Outdoor Arena and Creative Market will work together, and they aim to attract both foreign and local visitors. Both are essential for success, which is why we have elements that will appeal to both target groups,” Chayaditt said.

“At the Oasis Outdoor Arena, the performance zone will probably attract mostly local visitors. However, the creative market is likely to appeal to both local and foreign visitors as a relaxed chill-out place with lots of art and fun.”

Metal Tiger accelerates Thai expansion plans

ศาสตร์เกษตรดินปุ๋ย : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Metal-Tiger-accelerates-Thai-expansion-plans-30273892.html

INVESTMENT

The Nation November 28, 2015 1:00 am

Metal Tiger, a UK-based natural-resources investing company, plans to materially expand and accelerate its exploration and development interests in Thailand.

As announced on October 7, Metal Tiger had an option to acquire outright its joint venture with Southeast Asia Mining (SEAM), as announced on October 28 last year.

Metal Tiger has now exercised that option and will undertake the acquisition, which will see the company hold a net 90 per cent of the original joint-venture interests. In addition, following a review of SEAM’s wider Thai operations, including the work undertaken during the board’s country visit last month, Metal Tiger has negotiated an additional option to acquire the Thailand interests of SEAM’s Canadian parent, Southeast Asia Mining Corp (SEA).

This includes SEAM and two other SEA subsidiaries, eight prospecting-licence applications surrounding historical lead-silver-zinc mines in Western Thailand, |two mining-lease applications |that overlay historical mining-|lease applications in the area, |plus the exploration and mining database compiled by SEAM |during its operations in Thailand since its incorporation in 2006.

Cameron Parry, chief executive officer of Metal Tiger, said the company was delighted to announce the exercise of Metal Tiger’s option to acquire the original Thailand joint venture entered into with SEAM last year.

Further option

“Building on this initial transaction, we are delighted to announce the further option to significantly expand our Thai interests through the potential acquisition of SEAM and the remaining Thai interests of its Canadian parent entity, SEA,” he said.

“Metal Tiger was founded with one of its key objectives to build substantial precious and strategic metals interests in Southeast Asia. This new option comes after five years of extensive work in Thailand and developing a working relationship with SEAM over the past three-and-a-half years.

“The Metal Tiger board are of the view that Thailand offers unique and substantial exploration and development opportunities |for companies with a good understanding of the operating environment in the natural-resources sector and how to conduct operations on the ground.

“Metal Tiger has established a team in-country that is already highly active in the enhancement of our existing interests and in the proactive search for new opportunities,” the CEO added.

“Should the additional option to acquire SEA’s Thai interests be exercised and proceed, it will mark a major strategic increase in Metal Tiger’s commitment to secure, and capacity to realise, commercial opportunities in Thailand.

Udon Thani to gain from border trade

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http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/Udon-Thani-to-gain-from-border-trade-30273791.html

INVESTMENT

SUCHAT SRITAMA

THE NATION

Udon Thani November 27, 2015 1:00 am

A new Chinatown, Prime Square, is being developed in Udon Thani province to cash in on the growing border trade between Thailand and Laos as well as Vietnam.

The implementation of the Asean Economic Community at the end of this year is expected to attract more visitors and workers into Udon Thani to the benefit of the local economy.

Somprasong Panjalak, chairman of Prime Road Group, the developer of Prime Square Udon Thani, says the company has set aside an investment budget of Bt1 billion for the construction of commercial properties with a Chinese theme. The buildings will have a total of 230 units.

Udon Thani is one of three provinces selected as major gateways for border trading with neighbouring countries.

“Udon Thani has had one of the fastest-growing provincial economies in the Northeast region over last three to five years. The province is expected to grow further in the long term thanks to the high-speed-rail system, industrial estates, and residences,” he said.

Somprasong is jointly investing with a partner in their first property development. They both have been running solar power plants in Thailand, Japan, and other countries before entering commercial property development.

The investors are renting a plot of land from theState Railway of Thailand for the project.

The developers put the value of border trade between Thailand and Laos at more than Bt100 billion. Udon Thani enjoys nearly half of this total.

Half of the buildings in the project are planned for sale to investors in Udon Thani, 30 per cent to investors from other provinces, and 20 per cent to investors from neighbouring countries, particularly Laos.

Somprasong said the company also planned to develop commercial projects in Bangkok, Chon Buri and Phuket.