Rumours of sale to Chinese firm denied. Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra yesterday strongly denied that her family would sell its controlling stake in telecom giant Shin Corp Plc. “We have no plan at all to do that. No way. We have never even thought about it,” she said.

PTT Chemical to trade on SET next month

PTT Chemical Plc, the merged entity that will rise from the consolidation of National Petrochemical Plc (NPC) and Thai Olefins Plc (TOC), is expected to start trading on the stock market on December 13. The merger of the two companies will create Asia’s third-biggest olefins producer and the Stock Exchange of Thailand’s 10th-largest company in terms of capitalisation.

Boonklee opposes auction for 3G licences

The national telecom regulator should award 3G licences by a “beauty contest” not an auction, the CEO of Shin Corp said yesterday.

THAI’s 2006 profit ‘at least Bt10 billion’

Thai Airways International Plc’s net profit will bounce back from last fiscal year’s slide below Bt10 billion thanks to contributions from new ancillary businesses and the opening of Suvarnabhumi Airport, Finance Minister Thanong Bidaya predicted yesterday.

Ibis to join growing budget-hotel market

Budget hotels have become increasingly popular, serving a new kind of tourist who travels more frequently but with shorter stays, Prakit Shinamourpong, vice president of the Thai Hotel Association, said on Thursday.

LATE NEWS: Power regulator

Nominations this month: Viset

FTA SIGNING: Trade pact with Peru in the offing

‘Early harvest’ scheme to be inked later this month at the Apec summit

‘Regulator needed to achieve medical hub’

Thailand needs a supervisory body to regulate medical standards and the image of hospitals nationwide if it hopes to become the medical hub of Asia, a local operator of 14 hospitals said yesterday.

EU upbeat on Thai, Asian investment potential

Investment will get an overdue boost in Asia, particularly Thailand, as the European Union has confidence in the region’s economic stability and government trade and investment policies, the head of the European Commission’s delegation to the Kingdom said yesterday.

TDT explains share allocation to SET

Thai Durable Group Plc (TDT) yesterday clarified to the Stock Exchange of Thailand its allocation of newly issued ordinary shares to Charoen Saksirisilpa and Shi Kai Bon Jeffrey.

Insurers assess risk ‘poorly’

The Insurance Department has urged non-life insurers to improve their risk assessment ahead of upcoming free-trade agreements, especially the pact with the United States which is expected to be concluded soon.

Transport budget speed-up

The Transport Ministry has ordered all of its units to speed up spending its Bt93.9-billion budget allocated for the 2006 fiscal year, mainly to accomplish key strategies in improving infrastructure and logistics networks.

Phatra sees SET at 780

Believing the Stock Exchange of Thailand index will reach 780 by the end of January on the back of a so-called “Santa Claus rally”, Phatra Securities has chosen a property developer, a bank and an airline as its current top picks.

COMPANY REPORTS

ASIA PLUS SECURITIES reported a third-quarter net profit of Bt103.35 million, down from Bt197.29 million in the same period last year.