Briefs

Cellphone sales expected at Bt36 bn Mobile-phone sales will reach Bt36 billion this year, with smart phones grabbing half the market, according to a forecast by Thai Samsung Electronics.

Last year the market was Bt29 billion, of which Bt8 billion was smart-phone sales.

Sitthichoke Nopchinabutr, senior manager for telecom marketing, said yesterday |that smart-phones sales would grow faster once the country had a nationwide 3G network in place.

The average price of a smart phone is about Bt5,000.

Asia Books takeover

BJC International, a subsidiary of TCC Holdings, will take over the operations of Asia Books, a major chain specialising in English-language publications.

In a filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, BJI said it would purchase 100 per cent of Asia Books for Bt1.19 billion.

TCC Holdings is owned by leading liquor tycoon Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi.

Berli Jucker, also part of the TCC empire, said it would purchase shares or provide a loan of up to Bt1.2 billion to assist BJI's acquisition of Asia Books.

Two jobs for Pylon

Pylon Plc has clinched two jobs worth Bt116.7 million.

In a filing to the Stock Exchange of Thailand, the civil-engineering firm said one contract was with Chewathai Co for bored pilings for the building foundations of the Chewathai Ramkhamhaeng project.

The other contract was with Chulalongkorn University for similar work at Siam Square.

4 Chewathai projects

Chewathai Co plans to develop three or four residential projects a year with the goal of generating revenue of Bt1 billion a year.

Executive director Choon Kiat Boon told a news conference yesterday that the company's major shareholder, TEE Group from Singapore, had strong confidence in Thailand's economy after the election, so it wanted to launch both low-rises such as single-family homes and townhouses and high-rises such as condominiums this and next year.

If the company achieves its revenue target, it plans to apply for a listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

Appeal on rice price

The Commerce Ministry yesterday asked packers to freeze their retail price at Bt15 a kilogram for white rice, despite the skyrocketing price of paddy rice.

Vatchari Vimooktayon, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, said the rice packers agreed to hold retail prices for a few months.

Although the price-guarantee project of the next government will push up the domestic rice price, the ministry will ask modern traders to reduce their entrance fees to minimise the impact on consumers.

The department is projecting that the retail price of white rice in the domestic market will rise from Bt15 a kilo currently to Bt25 after the price-pledging project is underway.

The price of jasmine rice will go up from Bt30 to Bt34 a kilo.

NBTC candidates

The Senate Human Rights Committee is teaming up with the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and the Information and Technology Press Club under the Thai Journalists Association to ask the candidates for the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission to present their vision for the industry.

The event is set for July 26 and 29, and the public is welcome to attend.

The proceedings will be broadcast live through the Senate's ratio network and via satellite television. |- The Nation