IN BRIEF
Tourism: Bomb blasts to cause 600,000 drop in foreign tourists in first quarter
Thailand's tourism revenue in the first quarter will be slashed by Bt8 billion as the number of foreign tourists should drop by 600,000 due to the bomb blasts in Bangkok, according to Kasikorn Research Centre.
It was originally expected that in 2007 Bangkok would welcome 15 million tourists, up 9 per cent from last year, who would spend Bt220 billion.However, the New Year's Eve bombings which claimed three lives and injured some foreigners, forced many countries to issue travel warnings. The higher number of patrolling police officers in the capital will also damage the overall environment. "This should reduce the tourist arrivals by 600,000 in the first quarter, 17 per cent down from the target," the research centre said. To restore confidence and boost arrivals in the remaining three quarters, the centre urged the government to maintain the police presence all year round, not just during the festive season. Automotive Industry: CEVA Logistics signs GM contract CEVA Logistics has expanded its activities with General Motors outside the US with the announcement of a new contract with General Motors (Thailand). Matthew Stimpson, business development director for CEVA, said the contract will further strengthen CEVA's global relationship with General Motors, which includes significant operations in the US, South America, Europe and Australia. The CEVA operation will involve the collection of components from suppliers for delivery to General Motors' plant in Rayong. It is envisaged that the contract will grow significantly during its second year. BIG & BIH Fair: Ministry aims for 100,000 visitors The Commerce Ministry aims for the Bangkok International Gift Fair and Bangkok International Houseware Fair (BIG & BIH) to attract up to 100,000 visitors and boost gift exports by 10 per cent this year. The event will run between April 17 and 22 at Challenger Hall, Impact Muang Thong Thani. Rachane Potjanasuntorn, director-general of the ministry's Department of Export Promotion, expects up to 100,000 visitors to flock to BIG & BIH 2007 - 20,000 during trade days on April 17-20 and 80,000 during the public days on April 21-22. This event targets up to 1,000 companies to join in this event, including local manufacturers and exporters, local importers of overseas products and foreign manufacturers from Laos, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Burma, Hong Kong, Nepal, Cambodia and Ghana.
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