Rajiv Bawa, corporate affairs chief and business development officer at the listed company, said its subsidiary DTAC Trinet (DTN) “would like to draw the NBTC’s attention to our proposals as per our referenced letter to NBTC on April 9, 2018.

“We strongly believe that the proposed original draft auction rules for the 1800 MHz spectrum need substantial improvement if the NBTC is to conduct a successful auction and maximise the benefit for industry, consumers and the ambition of Thailand 4.0”.

In this regard, DTN has made four proposals, as follows:

1. Reserve price: “We maintain our view that the reserve price based on the winning price of the last 1800MHz auction is not a proper practice as it was driven by the bidder who was unable to pay for the licence. As such, the proposed reserve price is excessively high. If spectrum is sold at all at that price level, it will likely cause a financial problem for the winner to pay the auction price as it has already happened.

“The government should not set reserve prices at levels which are certain to leave spectrum unsold and unused. Prices need to fall to permit the industry to use more frequencies to the benefit of Thai subscribers and society as a whole. Recent mistakes by governments and regulators in India and Bangladesh need not be repeated in Thailand,” the letter stated.

2. Licence block size: “The proposed three licences of 2x15MHz are not practical taking into account the different demands for spectrum of the potential bidders. The fixed 2x15MHz block size will likely leave spectrum unsold in the auction.

“A 2x5MHz block size will offer more flexibility for the bidders to buy the spectrum at the amount best serving their real demands based on their specific spectrum inventory, business plan and financial status. The smaller block size will also incentivise new entrants as the barrier to entry will be less.

“As the latest wireless technologies are designed to apply for the spectrum of 2x5MHz for highest efficiency, most countries put forward the auction of 2x5MHz block size; recent examples of this approach include spectrum auctions in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Australia, Germany and the US,” the letter reasoned.

3. N-1 rule: “DTN strongly disagrees with the proposed N-1 rule for the 1800MHz auction. It is widely known that Thailand needs to increase spectrum availability significantly in order to catch up with other countries. Contrary to this notion, the N-1 rule will increase scarcity of spectrum as the number of licences sold will be less than the number of bidders.

“Apart from the negative impact on the industry and the country, this is a new rule which has never been applied before in any auction and is considered unfair to the bidders,” it argued.

4. Payment terms: “Both Tru [TrueMove] and AIS [Advanced Info Service] have asked the NCPO [National Council for Peace and Order] for relief in payment terms two years after the 2015 auctions. This is clear evidence that the financial pressure on the operators is extremely high. The NBTC should relook at the payment terms in the upcoming auctions and make sure that the payment terms are established in a rational way,” the letter concluded.

Delta has already made significant progress in its plans to lead development in EV infrastructure and green solutions, and is collaborating with government institutions to set standards for EV charging stations in Thailand, president Hsieh Shen-yen said in a press release.

Delta produces EV power electronics for global top-tier car brands in major export markets, including the US and Europe.

In addition, it leverages innovation in green energy and the industrial Internet of Things to provide solutions for emerging markets and address global trends such as urbanisation, climate change, ageing populations and technological breakthroughs, he said.

Phool has been an active member of the ITCC for the past 15 years and last served as the vice president.

A veteran of the insurance industry in Bangkok, Phool is currently the COO at Chaz Insurance Brokers Ltd.

“I am honoured to serve as president of the ITCC and look forward to working alongside our committee to promote closer trade and business ties between India and Thailand,” said Phool.

At the same time, TRIS Rating assigns a “A+” rating to KTC’s proposed issue of up to Bt16 billion in senior unsecured debentures due within 10 years.

The ratings reflect an enhancement from KTC’s stand-alone rating, as a strategically important subsidiary of its parent bank, Krung Thai Bank Plc (KTB).

The upgrade reflects the enlarged cash flow from its power portfolio and the improvement in its financial profile, said TRIS Rating in a release on Monday.

At the same time, TRIS Rating affirmed EA’s partially guaranteed debenture at “A-” and fully guaranteed debentures at “AA”.

The debentures are guaranteed by Siam Commercial Bank PLC (SCB), which is rated “BBB+” (International scale) by S&P Global Ratings.

The rating reflects the company’s position as one of the leading private power producers in Thailand, its well-diversified portfolio of cogeneration power units under the Small Power Producer (SPP) scheme and reliable cashflows from long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) and reputable clients.

The rating also reflects BGRIM’s proven record of operating gas-fired combined cycle co-generation units and its opportunities for further growth. These strengths are partially offset by a highly leveraged balance sheet while it pursues its growth strategy.

The new alliance is designed to enhance the ShopBack shopping experience, broaden the range of brands available and provide Shopee users with savings of up to 6.5 per cent on their purchases.

Refunds will be paid directly into users’ bank accounts, allowing for greater convenience, ShopBack Thailand chief Kawin Prachanukul said on Monday.

ShopBack has experienced swift growth in Thailand with more than 1,300 merchants, 4 million users and about 1,000 orders per hour.