briefs

Krung Thai Bank to maintain KTBS stake

Krung Thai Bank is maintaining a 50-per-cent holding in KTBS following a 40-per-cent stake sale by Charnchai Kunthavarakorn and his group, bank president Apisak Tantiworavong said yesterday.

Chaipatr Srivisarvacha, executive chairman and CEO of Seamico Securities, said yesterday that the company had purchased the 40-per-cent holding in KTBS.

He expects the acquisition will enable Seamico to expand its customer base in securities trading, wealth management and investment banking. Seamico's business expansion is targeted at the Indo-China region.

The company will join hands with larger financial institutions in a bid to penetrate the market more rapidly, Chaipatr said. - The Nation

Tisco opens in Krabi

Tisco Bank yesterday opened a branch in Krabi, paving the way for building a bigger business base in the South.

"Krabi has high potential, with business expanding in agriculture and tourism, where a number of five-star hotels are being launched. This would lead to expansion in the property business and other trade activities," said Sakchai Peechapat, executive vice president for retail banking.

At the new branch, the bank will focus on building deposits and extending hire-purchase loans. It is the bank's 29th branch and its fifth in the South. - The Nation

Patkol expansion

Patkol, a systems engineering firm, will provide the ice-block-making and cold-storage rooms and freezing systems for two major trade fairs in Australia and Dubai.

Piya Chongvatana, managing director, said the expansion into Australia and the Middle East would enable the company to meet its sales target for the year.

Overseas distributors will also be appointed to help maintain Patkol's overseas sales proportion at 20 per cent. - The Nation

Interlink eyes bids

Interlink Communication plans to bid for six cabling and computer-networking projects worth a combined Bt1.3 billion by year-end.

The company is confident of winning contracts of between Bt500 million and Bt600 million, president Sombat Anantaramporn said yesterday. If it does so, revenue will be realised in the next two to three years.

The company targets revenue of Bt1.08 billion and net profit of Bt100 million this year, he added.

Interlink earlier increased its product prices in line with rising raw-material costs. The slowdown in raw-material price rises in the second half is beneficial to its revenue stream. - The Nation

Foreign opportunity

Bangkok Bank and the Board of Investment invite business people to join them on visits to Vietnam, Indonesia and Laos in October and November.

Both are exploring business opportunities in these countries. Specifically, they are looking at food, food processing and tourism and hotels.

The delegations will meet national investment agencies and local businesses. - The Nation

Krungthai Card fair

Next year's Krungthai Card travel fair is expected to attract 1,000 trade members and 700,000 visitors and generate sales of Bt800 million, said Staporn Sirisinha, senior executive vice president for leisure marketing.

The fair will be held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre from February 26 to March 1. - The Nation

Expressway talks

The Expressway Authority of Thailand is ready to explain to its labour union this week the Bt18-billion extension of its second-stage expressway concession to Bangkok Expressway.

Agency governor Pachern Pairojsak said he was confident the union would understand the matter, adding that the correct legal procedure had been followed. - The Nation