The bank's loan-loss provisions as of the end of last year stood at Bt16.5 billion, while its non-performing loans accounted for 6.26 per cent of total loans. - The Nation.

China TechFaith to supply phones

China TechFaith Wireless Communication Technology said yesterday it would sell CDMA mobile phones to Hutchison CAT Wireless Multimedia.

The handset application software and handset solution provider based in China said it had also clinched contracts with Asia Pacific Telecom Group in Taiwan and Sferia SA in Poland.

The first phase of these contracts is valued at US$3.2 million (Bt114 million) in total and will be delivered in three months. All contracts are for CDMA 1X ODM model phones.

TechFaith said that by leveraging its advantages in handset design it was now capable of providing tailor-made feature-phone handset solutions that satisfied regional carriers' specifications globally.

In the past three months, TechFaith's feature phones have successfully entered new international markets following the company's smart-phone business, said Dong Defu, TechFaith's chairman and CEO. - The Nation.

Thailand to gain from Mt Fuji

Thailand is expected to be one of the major beneficiaries of flights from Japan's Mount Fuji Shizuoka Airport when it opens in March 2009.

This past Monday, Juthaporn Rerngron-asa, deputy governor of international marketing at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, welcomed Isao Kuriara, the finance director of Shizuoka prefecture, along with members of his team upon their visit to Thailand as part of preopening marketing for the airport. The party also met officials of Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Thai Aviation Department.

Charter flights are being planned to link Shizuoka and Bangkok as well as other Asia-Pacific cities, such as Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Guam and Honolulu.

With more than 1 million arrivals a year, Japan is the second largest source of visitors to Thailand after Malaysia. - The Nation.

Connors Bros closes Thai financing

Canadian fish-processor Connors Bros has closed financing of its 10-per-cent investment in Thai tuna processor Sea Value, completing an agreement disclosed last May, the Canadian Press reported in Toronto on Thursday. Financial terms of the investment were not revealed.

In a related move on Thursday, Connors' tuna-canning subsidiary Bumble Bee struck a supply deal with Sea Value to acquire canned tuna and frozen tuna loins. - The Nation.