Latest:

• Obama fever

  New president committed to policy of diplomatic engagement Obama will have to resort to soft power: Chula professor

• Some rubber traders renege on contracts

  As rubber prices continue to fluctuate, some farmers and producers have faced problems with buyers defaulting on contracts, the president of the Thai Rubber Association said yesterday.

• Top global personal tax rates

  Top personal income tax rates around the world have fallen by an average of 2.5 percentage points in the past six years as one measure taken by gov¬ernments to woo investors and foreign executives, according to a report by KPMG International.

• Draft retail law investment impact concerns

  UK Cabinet objects to current version

• Srtithai Superware production upgrade to go ahead

  Firm says export markets safe from crisis

• Nokia Siemens sees spectrumlicence

  Major telecomequipment supplier NokiaSiemens Networks has urged Thailand to speed up the process of issuing the 2.1GHz spectrum licences for developing 3G serv¬ice, which it views as one way to boost economic growth.

• SPA INDUSTRY POISED

  The Thai spa industry should maintain high growth despite the global eco¬nomic slowdown because of the coun¬try's image and quality service, the Commerce Ministry and the Thai Spa Association said yesterday.

• Briefs

  CIMB eyes 100% of BankThai

• Phatra sees listed firms' 2009 earnings growth in negative territory

  With a global recession looming, Phatra Securities has warned that listed companies' earnings growth will drop well into negative territory next year.

• Sharpest decline in major economies' growth since WWII: Fitch

  Fitch Ratings predicts that the world's major advanced economies - the United States, the United Kingdom, the euro area and Japan - will next year experience the steepest decline in economic growth since World War II.

• SUCHART URGES BOT TO CUT RATE

  Finance Minister Suchart Thadathamrongvech has urged the Bank of Thailand (BOT) to slash its policy interest rate of 3.75 per cent to below the deposit interest rate. He said the central bank should also reduce bond issues to financial....

• Bond Outlook

  The Thai bond market rallied last month, driven by a dovish Bank of Thailand monetarypolicy outlook and capital flight. The US dollar liquidity drought early in October drove foreignexchange swap points deep into discount (from premium in....

• Company Reports

  KULTHORN KIRBY reported a planned investment of about Bt300 million for new machinery and equipment. Bt200 million will come from the company's recapitalisation, and the rest from financial institutions and working capital.

• company reports

  SAHACOGEN (CHONBURI) posted a third-quarter net profit of Bt81.25 million, down from Bt90.14 million in the same period last year.

• Like it or not, Thaksin is unforgettable

  Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has never lost public attention, indeed.

• Company reports

  SRI TRANG AGRO-INDUSTRY's board approved setting up a new, 50:50 joint venture in Singapore with Semperit Technische Produkte Gesellschaft Australia, to be called Sempermed Singapore, with registered capital of US$6 million (Bt209 million).

Keeping them smiling