Dr.Somchai
The Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) yesterday said the economy in December and the entire fourth quarter of last year showed several signs of significant slowdown.
However, the Center for Economic and Business Forecasting (CEBF), University of Thai Chamber of Commerce, today projected that it is expected to turn around in this year’s third quarter.
Dr.Somchai Sajjapongse, director-general of the FPO, said the country’s export in the fourth quarter had contracted for the first time in seven years by 10.6 percent from the previous year to US$38.7 billion, mainly due to the slowdowns …

HP iPAQ Data Messenger (left) and iPAQ Voice Messenger (right)

Hewlett-Packard will be introducing its latest members of 3G smartphone portfolio in Thai market from now till early next month.
HP’s iPAQ Data Messenger will arrive first at the price of 23,900 baht, inclusive of VAT, while iPAQ Voice Messenger will follow at 12,900 baht, also inclusive of VAT.
According an announcement made by HP Thailand on Wednesday, both iPAQ handhelds are the newest members of the HP smartphone portfolio, giving users access to email, voice and GPS while on the go.
The …

Suvarnabhumi Airport is ready to welcome domestic flights back from Don Mueang Airport, beginning from March 29.
Serirat Prasutanond, acting president of the state-controlled Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) which operates six international airports in Thailand, yesterday said many airlines, including the national flag carrier Thai Airways International (THAI), have agreed to move their services back to Suvarnabhumi airport from March 29 onward.
Serirat, also a director of Suvarnabhumi airport, said some airlines, which still disagree to the government plan to relocate all domestic flights to Suvarnabhumi, will be persuaded to move back …

Accord, one of the vehicles manufactured at Honda's plant in Ayutthaya Province
Asian Honda Motor has last year exported more than 104.58 billion baht of automobile and motorcycle products from Thailand, up four percent from 2007.
The Bangkok-based Asia and Oceania regional headquarters of Honda Motor today reported that the exports include some 65 billion baht of completely built-up (CBU) and completely knocked down (CKD) cars, accounting for 62 percent of the total export value, more than 23.88 billion baht of CBU and CKD motorcycles, 23 percent of the total export …

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) has appointed Dr.Veerathai Santiprabhob as new chief strategy officer, as well as the executive director of its Capital Market Research Institute, from January 26 onward.
The Thai bourse yesterday announced that Dr.Veerathai, former executive vice president for strategic planning at Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) — Thailand’s third largest bank, will be in charge of Corporate Strategy and Development Division of the Thai bourse, overseeing business policies for SET and developing strategic plans.
He will also head the Capital Market Research Institute, which will support the works …

Telenor Research & Innovation Centre Asia Pacific (TRICAP) recently found that young Thais spend an estimated 15 percent of their monthly budget on mobile phones and they would use their mobile phones for an average of 1.52 years before changing to the latest models and styles.
Telenor, the Norwegian majority shareholder of Thailand’s Total Access Communication Plc (DTAC), earlier this week revealed the results of the research, conducted by its Malaysia-based research arm TRICAP and Synovate (Thailand) Ltd, on mobile communications and internet habits among Thai youth during which 1,148 young …