• 
• 

Published on October 9, 2007

Director-general Viraphol Jirapraditkul said plant-owners should submit their proposals, and those with the lowest bids would be first to receive support. The maximum grant is Bt1 for each unit of energy to be saved.

The programme targets industrial plants and office buildings that consume about 500,000 units of power per year and is aimed at reducing energy consumption 500 million units a year, or about 77 megawatts.

Criteria review

The Stock Exchange of Thailand is reviewing its listing criteria with a view to adjusting them to fit a changing market environment. Particular areas of concern are those criteria that could increase the costs of compliance to listed companies.

Chairman Pakorn Malakul Na Ayudhya said a committee of review included representatives of both the exchange and the Association of Listed Com-panies. The experience of foreign exchanges will be taken into account, and the committee is expected to deliver proposals within a month.

Je festival

Hat Yai's annual Je Festival kicks off tomorrow, hosted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand and local tourism associations. It is hoped the vegetarian festival will boost the city's tourism.

Organisers have offered tour packages in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and about 15,000 packages have been booked. Hotels in Hat Yai with a combined 10,000 rooms are expected to enjoy an occupancy rate of more than 60 per cent. The revenue target for the festival is Bt150 million.

Pattaya resort

Swiss company Movenpick Hotels and Resorts has signed a management agreement with Apex Development for a five-star resort with 300 rooms and suites that will open in Pattaya at the end of 2010.

It will be Movenpick's second Thai property.

"Pattaya is currently investing heavily in its infrastructure to firmly position itself as a leading tourist destination," said Movenpick president Jean Gabriel Peres.

Biogas power

Sahasinwattana Cogenera-tion will spend about Bt500 million on a second biogas power plant to generate electricity for the company's glucose-manufacturing facilities.

The new plant will be managed by Excellent Energy International. That company's managing director, Arthit Vechakij, said the new power plant would cut the glucose plant's energy costs 30-40 per cent.

The plant will be a co-investment by the FE Clean Energy Group, Esco Venture and Sahasinwattana Starch and Sweetener. It is expected to break even in eight years. The co-investors will get returns from Sahasinwattana's savings in electricity costs over eight years, after which the plant will be fully owned by Sahasinwattana.

Fraud charge

The Bangkok North Municipal Court has informed two executives of Thai Samsung Electronics, managing director Park Kwang-kee and general manager Chung Jun-kim, that it will consider charges of alleged fraud made against them by handset distributor SAM.

The Nation