Somchainuk promises a quick turnaround. Thai Airways International (THAI) will cut back on loss-making routes, restructure foreign operations, focus on corporate sales and improve services in an effort to turn its books around over the next three months.

Pageant turns into a reality-TV show

Following the popular trend of reality-TV shows in Thailand, BEC Tero, organiser of Miss Thailand World 2005 will present this year’s beauty pageant in a reality-TV format to attract more viewers. The first episode of “Miss Thailand World 2005: The Reality” will be shown today on Channel 3 between 9.50pm and 10.20pm.

‘Thainess’ fair

The government will host the Living with Thainess Fair 2005 to promote Otop products, food services, and the Thai tourism industry from tomorrow till August 28 at the Exhibition Hall of the Department of Export Promotion on Ratchadapisek Road.

Auto sector grows 12%

Thailand’s automobile industry posted 12-per-cent growth last month with sales of 50,872 vehicles, data compiled by Toyota Motor Thailand Co Ltd show.

Kiosks to sell Bt10 meals

The Commerce Ministry is launching a caravan of 1,000 vendors of cheap meals to ease the public’s suffering from higher food prices.

LATE NEWS: Appeal to US

The Andaman Shrimp Hatcheries Club has urged the United States to end its anti-dumping duty against imports of Thai shrimp to help save farmers whose facilities were severely damaged in the tsunami disaster.

COMPANY REPORTS

BANGKOK INSURANCE’s board of directors approved an interim dividend of Bt2.75 per share, payable on September 14.

HOT STOCKS: Stock: Shin Corp Plc (SHIN)

Recommendation: Buy

CONSUMER ELECTRONICS: BenQ halves its prices

Price war on the cards as it slashes retail cost of LCD televisions, digital projectors

Viset: No rush to have nuclear power

Thailand does not have to rush into nuclear power because its natural-gas reserves can produce electricity for another 10 to 15 years, Energy Minister Viset Choopiban said yesterday.

IN BRIEF: COST-CUTTING: THAI orders the retrenchment

of 53 locally hired Los Angeles staff

Breakfast partnership

Unilever Best Foods (Thailand) and Gardenia Foods (Thailand) have joined forces to launch a campaign to get consumers to eat more breakfast and increase bread consumption.

MASS-TRANSIT SYSTEM: Mahidol to meet with MRTA

Will renew effort to develop integrated Bangkok rail system

WATER SHORTAGE: Thai Olefins earmarks Bt960m to tackle crisis

Thai Olefins Plc has set aside a budget of Bt960 million for short, medium, and long-term solutions to the water shortage problem that affects its operations in Map Ta Put, Rayong.

NTC may do NBC’s work

The government may move to allow the telecom regulator to temporarily oversee the broadcasting industry if the National Broadcasting Commission cannot be set up this year, PM’s Office Minister Suranand Vejjajiva said yesterday.

FINANCIAL SYMPOSIUM: East Asia urged to establish monetary mechanism

An expert suggested yesterday that central banks in East Asia form a regional monetary mechanism to help boost their global financial role beyond that performed by the world’s largest debtor, the United States.

Mega-project budget ‘won’t be cut’

Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya yesterday insisted that the government would maintain its Bt1.7-trillion mega-project budget, saying Bt1 trillion would go to mass transit, transport and energy projects and the rest to social projects that require no imports.

Further TOT listing delay likely

TOT Plc will have to postpone its plan to trade its shares on the Stock Exchange of Thailand until the first quarter of next year if it fails to end legal disputes with private concessionaires, reduce its regulatory costs and become exempt from telecom excise tax.

STREET WISE: Taxing times for breweries

Two weeks ago, the anti-drinking network spent a sizeable sum on ads protesting against Thai Beverage’s proposed listing. Yesterday, it was Boonrawd Brewery’s turn to sound off.

Tough time ahead for banks

Most not ready for changes expected under financial master plan: BOT

SMEs vulnerable to forex volatility

SMEs are extremely vulnerable to foreign-exchange volatility, as they operate under a perilous currency mismatch without adequate risk-management tools, the Bank of Thailand said yesterday.

UPWARD TREND: Rates for term deposits on the rise

More banks are pumping up interest rates on term deposit accounts in reaction to the rising interest rate trend set in motion last year.

Blue-chip SET firms lead rise in profits

A total of 432 companies on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) have reported a 22-per-cent rise in combined profits for the first half of the year.