BoI deputy secretary-general Hirunya Suchinai said Dowise was the first Thai-owned company to use scrap plastic for a raw material. The manufacturing process uses 19.2 tonnes of scrap plastic per day to yield about 2.69 million litres of crude oil per year. The crude oil is then sent to an oil refinery.

The company's total investment is Bt14.2 million.

The BoI has already approved investment privileges for 22 alternative-energy producers with a combined total investment of Bt7.31 billion. Awaiting approval are nine other projects with a total investment of Bt2.58 billion, focusing mainly on ethanol, biogas and biodiesel production.

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Residential property

Demand booming in Hua Hin

Hua Hin is enjoying a robust property market thanks to growing demand for long-term investments, reports a recent survey by Knight Frank, one of the world's leading property consultants.

The survey shows a huge demand for prime areas in Hua Hin and Cha-am, but beachfront locations suitable for property development are becoming increasingly difficult to find.

Out of a total of 1,732 condominium units priced from Bt30,000 to Bt100,000 per square metre in 18 projects, 75 per cent have already been sold.

Another factor supporting the Hua Hin property market is the robust local tourism industry, as reflected in Tourism Authority of Thailand figures of 1.8 million Thais and 400,000 foreigners visiting the town last year, up 15 per cent on 2004.