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Published on November 14, 2007

President Apichai Boontherawara yesterday said that most Thai companies contained a low capital base that was insufficient to support their business expansion. Borrowing only raises their debt-to-equity ratio, increasing failure in tapping more loans.

As a long-term investor, Exim Bank vows to increase their efficiency to cope with fiercer competition. The bank plans to own no more than 30 per cent of such companies, and the holding period will be fixed.

Executive chairman Narongchai Akrasanee said sectors that showed high potential included tourism and spas, energy, trade, logistics and infrastructure.

Seminar on FTA

The Commerce Ministry's Foreign Trade Department will host a seminar on "The FTA Fund" tomorrow at the ministry's headquarters in Nonthaburi.

All interested are welcomed to join the seminar free of charge.

Director-general Apiradi Tantraporn said the funding criteria and process would be revealed at the seminar, so that anyone suffering from a free-trade agreement (FTA) would know how to access financial assistance.

"This will help all those affected," she said. "They can better understand and adjust themselves for competition against foreign companies."

Toro Pallets coming

Canonball Business Products has been appointed as authorised sales agent for Toro Pallets in Thailand under the brand name Toro Aluminium and Hybrid Pallets.

"We believe the Thai warehousing industry been waiting for this new technology previously available only in the US," said CEO Porpong Eadla-ong. "There is a need for such pallet solutions for the Thai market, especially with the advantages a Toro aluminium and hybrid pallet can offer and particularly with RFID [radio-frequency identification system] tracking as standard."

UK exhibitors

The UK's Engineering Industries Association (EIA), with the support of UK Trade and Investment, will again bring a group of nine British companies to exhibit at Thai Metalex 2007, which will take place at the Bangkok Trade and International Exhibition Centre from tomorrow to next Sunday.

On Friday, a "New Technologies in Automotive Manufacturing Seminar" will be held from 1-5pm, organised by the British Embassy.

The Nation