Latest:

• Affordable netbooks

  Portable and affordable netbook PCs and mixed-marketing strategies abound at Commart Comtech Thailand 2008, which kicked off yesterday at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.

• Monetaryeasing cycle likely to start sooner

  The Bank of Thailand is expected to revise its policyrate call on the back of a sharp decline in inflation, a deceleration in economic activity and the risk of inactive fiscal policy in the near term.

• JubileE Enterprise confident of keeping its shine

  Jubilee Enterprise ,

• ALTERNATIVE SITES FOR BLAST FURNACES

  The Sahaviriya

• Univanich working on new

  Univanich Palm Oil is in talks with seed-gardening firms in Indonesia to set up a joint venture for growing oil palms and expects to conclude a deal next year.

• Natural Park in last-ditch struggle

  Debt-ridden property developer Natural Park is in a final struggle to survive, trying to raise new equity before its shareholders' equity falls into negative territory.

• Robinson foresees slowing sales

  Robinson Department Store expects sales growth to slow next year as a result of the global slump.

• Telecom interconnection charge too high: TDRI

  The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) says the national telecom regulator should examine the interconnection charge for telecom operators, because it is too high.

• SET likely to retest the 384 low in H1' 09

  The stock market is likely to retest the recent low of 384 points in the first half of next year and possibly break the 300 barrier if the market fails to hold at the recent trough, Phatra Securities warned yesterday.

• Long-term equity funds can reduce your income tax.

  With the end of the year approaching, our marketing officers are receiving numerous phone calls about taxsaving longterm equity funds (LTFs). My advice? Buy into them up to the maximum limit.

• World Bank proposes multilation

  Policy challenges need to be addressed at the country level, but it is more critical than ever that the international community acts in a coordinated and supportive fashion to make each country's task easier.

• KBank to give added risk protection for exporters

  With more and more foreign financial institutions falling prey to the global financial crisis, Kasikornbank (KBank) has moved to protect exporters from revenue and letterofcredit risk by grading their foreign counterparties.

• Briefs

  Thai Beverage profit increases after interest expenses decline

• Company reports

  SIAM COMMERCIAL BANK's third-quarter net profit fell to Bt4.8 billion, from Bt5.3 billion in the same period last year.

• Streetwise: Staying young at heart with vigorous exercise

  At 76, what do you think you are capable of, physically?

• Kingsgate discovers new gold deposit

  Kingsgate Consolidated, owner of Thailand's biggest gold mine, discovered a new deposit near its Chatree mine.

Keeping them smiling