briefs

PTT to cut back NGV station investment,

allow private firms to invest in their own

PTT has scaled down its investment in building natural-gas-for-vehicle stations to 595 from 700, in line with the decline in NGV-installed vehicles.

Nattachart Jaruchinda, PTT's executive vice president, said yesterday that the decline in oil prices had reduced NGV consumption. The Energy Ministry has decided to reduce promotion of NGV following a suggestion from PTT.

PTT has revised down the NGV consumption estimates in 2012 from 20 per cent to 13 per cent, while the NGV installation in vehicles will be revised to 220,000 from 320,000 in the same year. Moreover, PTT will scale down the NGV-station expansion to 595 outlets from 700, he said. The revision is based on the Dubai crude oil price at US$55 (Bt2,000) per barrel.

Nattachart said PTT would also allow private companies to invest in NGV stations. The move will complement PTT's scaled-down investment. PTT had earlier allowed Siam Rajathanee to launch the first NGV station.

"It is in the company plan to allow private firms to build mother NGV stations and [stations for] compressed gas, which will help us to reduce the investment budget to Bt600 million," he said.

PTT yesterday signed contracts with three private firms to set up mother NGV stations. He said PTT planned to encourage private firms to set up about 50 NGV stations a year.

Thai Airways to cease service on

Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son route

Thai Airways International will stop its service on the Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son route from March 29.

 A THAI source said the airline had agreed that PB Air could lease the ATR aircraft currently used to operate the daily service, but it did not know whether PB Air would utilise the plane to serve the route.

Visutr Buachum, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Mae Hong Son office, said there had been a rumour that THAI would cease its Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son flights. While the carrier may be making a loss from the route, local businesses are still able to profit from the tourists that the service brings, he said.

Jain Charnnarong, president of SGA Airlines, said the airline would increase its flights on the Chiang Mai-Mae Hong Son route from once to five times daily from March 29.

NIDA, Siam City Research hold

seminar on economic crisis tomorrow

NIDA Business School, together with Siam City Research Institute, will hold a "Crisis Watch Series 6: solutions to the economic problem" seminar tomorrow morning at the Stock Exchange of Thailand building.

Draft terms of reference for leasing

4,000 NGV buses agreed by BMTA

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority's board yesterday approved the draft terms of reference for the project to lease 4,000 natural-gas-for-vehicle public buses.

BMTA board chairman Piyapan Jampasut said the board had agreed to cancel the requirement of closed-circuit televisions in the buses, a driver-training simulator and the coin system, which will be replaced by an electronic ticketing system.

The board also assigned BMTA executives to seek more 14-bus terminals from the current 21 in order to serve the 4,000 NGV buses, he said. He added that the bidding could be started this month or next.

Krungthai Car Rent in discussions over

foreign firm taking stake of up to 40%

Krungthai Car Rent and Lease (Kcar), a car-rental firm, is negotiating with an overseas company as part of its plan to extend the business.

Senior assistant managing director Sakditouch Chantarasereekul yesterday said the company was ready to welcome a foreign firm to acquire a stake of 20-40 per cent in Kcar. However, the company believes the deal may not be concluded this year because of the current economic circumstances.

He said the company expected its revenue this year to grow at a faster pace than the automobile industry, which is expected to rise by 15 per cent. This is because more corporations will prefer outsourced vehicles due to their lower costs.

Sakditouch added that Kcar planned to spend Bt1.5 billion this year to purchase 2,000 new cars. About 80 per cent of the investment budget will come from financial institutions.

Thai Samsung boosts range, marketing

in bid for bigger digicam market share

Thai Samsung Electronics plans to introduce nine series of digital cameras by the middle of the year.

IT business group director Boonlerd Viboonkiat said the firm had allocated a marketing budget of Bt50 million for this year to promote its digital cameras through every media channel. It expects to sell 200,000 cameras and increase market share to 18 per cent this year.

Thai Beverage to spend Bt50 million

on refreshing Archa economy beer

Thai Beverage, the leading local brewer, yesterday announced an investment of Bt50 million to refresh the image of its Archa economy beer, seeing great potential amid the recession and lower spending power, which forces consumers to drink more cheap beer.