Thai business survey finds optimism about economy despite headwinds

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Thai business survey finds optimism about economy despite headwinds

Thai business survey finds optimism about economy despite headwinds

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 09, 2022

Thailand’s economy will face several challenges in the first quarter next year, including inflationary pressure and the ongoing impact of the war in Ukraine, according to the latest survey of 200 leading executives by the Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce released on Thursday.

Despite headwinds, the survey of chamber members was generally optimistic: more than half of respondents forecast that the Thai economy’s performance will improve in the first quarter of next year.

Chamber president Narongsak Putthapornmongkol said respondents were most worried about inflation and the fallout from the war.

Thai business survey finds optimism about economy despite headwinds

Narongsak said the survey, which was conducted from November 24 to December 1, aims to “predict the economic direction in the first quarter of next year”.

He said respondents were less worried about rising fuel prices because they believed they were likely to drop.

The survey also found concerns about household debt, non-performing loans, currency exchange volatility, and a decline in exports.

Still, respondents were optimistic about the return of foreign tourists and more foreign investment.

“Respondents believe that the return of foreign tourists, especially Chinese tourists, and the potential to draw foreign investors into ‘new industries’ will help Thailand’s economy recover quickly,” Narongsak said.

The survey found that foreign investors are most interested in Thailand’s electric vehicle, e-commerce, agriculture and foods, renewable energy and tourism industries.

Narongsak said the survey also found that rising consumer confidence and the government’s investment in utilities are seen as additional drivers of future growth.

Moreover, 57% of respondents expect Chinese companies to increase their investment in Thailand as they select the country as a production base for Asean.

Thai business survey finds optimism about economy despite headwinds

Key responses to the survey include:

When asked if they were confident that the return of foreign tourists will help the Thai economy recover, most respondents expressed optimism:

24.3% very confident

58.6% moderately confident

When asked when inflation would stabalise, slightly more than 50% of respondents said in the first half of next year:

33.2% second quarter

23.7% third quarter

21% first quarter

When asked to forecast China’s economic health in the first quarter of next year compared to this year, the majority of respondents said it would either improve or remain the same:

37.6% better

32.6% remain the same

When asked about Thailand’s exports to China in the first quarter of next year, about half of respondents said they would rise:

50.3% increase

33.7% remain the same

When asked about Thailand’s imports from China in the first quarter next year, respondents said:

44.8% increase

32.6% remain the same

When asked about Thailand’s economic performance in the first quarter next year, more than half of respondents said it would improve:

55.3% better

31.5% remain the same

10.5% slow down

When asked about Thailand’s stock market in the first quarter next year, respondents were mixed:

37% rise

33.1% remain the same

27.1% drop

Related stories:

Banpu NEXT and PlanetComm team up to expand smart safety platform

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Banpu NEXT and PlanetComm team up to expand smart safety platform

Banpu NEXT and PlanetComm team up to expand smart safety platform

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Smart energy provider Banpu NEXT has signed a memorandum of understanding with digital technology provider PlanetComm to jointly expand its smart safety platform.

The platform provides data analytics and energy management solutions and numerous other features to help businesses improve security and performance. It also provides users with swift updates about developments in Thailand’s digital economy.

Thailand has seen an increase in both Thai and international tourists following the country’s reopening starting from the middle of this year.

At the same time, the country is heading towards the development of Smart City. Recently, the government has approved a total of 30 locations in 23 provinces as designated Smart Cities and is pushing for Smart City development, resulting in the rising demands for smart city technology and solutions. These technology and solutions are key for 7 Smart City development areas which are Smart Environment, Smart Energy, Smart Economy, Smart Living, Smart Governance, Smart People and Smart Mobility.

Banpu NEXT and PlanetComm are therefore committed to driving forward the use of digital platform for city management especially in terms of safety, not to mention making the city more livable and boosting the country’s economy

Mr. Sinon Vongkusolkit, Chief Executive Officer of Banpu NEXT Co., Ltd., said, “Banpu NEXT and PlanetComm share a similar business vision to use high-performance solutions and expertise from each organization in support of Thailand’s Smart City development and to promote digital economy. 

The success of Phuket Smart City is a solid proof of a long-term strategic partnership between Banpu NEXT and PlanetComm in response to the expansion of Smart City across the country. The collaboration will enhance the capability of each organization to offer good and helpful solutions for people in the society and to serve as a much-needed assistance for the sustainable development of Smart City.”

“With that said, Banpu NEXT introduces “Smart Safety Platform”, an end-to-end security solution that connects and allows seamless operations between hardware, software, and digital platform. Importantly, data collected by the Smart Safety Platform will be analyzed and processed by AI and IoT and will be sent to War Room in real-time for officials’ planning and management via both website and mobile application.

Mr. Prapat Rathlertkarn, Chief Executive Officer of Planet Communications Asia PLC., said “PlanetComm has offered technology and hardware system in support of city development in various areas. One of the flagship projects is Phuket Smart City which is carried out in partnership with Banpu NEXT. We incorporated our safety devices and Banpu NEXT’s Smart Safety Platform for the improvement of Thalang Road and Rommanee Alley, Phuket City Municipality and Laem Phromthep to be safer and much more livable.

“We are confident that the platform will help with the development of smart city in various locations given its customizable features and ability to fix pain points”. Mr. Sinon concluded.

Festive Feast in the City at Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok

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Festive Feast in the City at Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok

Festive Feast in the City at Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Bangkok, December 6, 2022: Make Christmas & New Year’s festivities a breeze by taking the families and loved ones out for a festive feed. Check in and be merry with us at the Greenhouse Restaurant and Terrace of the Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok Hotel (directly accessible from BTS On Nut station exit 3).

Nothing beats a great Christmas meal with great drink. Our culinary delights and many delectable festively inspired desserts awaits you. A roasted turkey, an oyster bar, fresh seafood on ice, a wide selection of meat and seafood, and live cooking station are among them. A live band and Christmas carols are planned to round out your special evening.

Continue to welcome those who are looking forward to enhancing the end-of-year celebration with delectable cuisine. An oyster bar, pan-seared foie gras, fresh seafood on ice, a cheese and coldcuts selection, a BBQ on the terrace with lamb, beef, and seafood, and a live cooking station with BBQ duck, soft shell crab curry, steamed black crab, and sweet treats are among the delectable dishes created by our Executive Chef. Your dinner will be complete with an entertaining live band and DJ.

As the countdown begins, toast to a new beginning on the sky-high terrace with our free-flow drinks. Share joy and best wishes with loved ones for a fantastic start to the new year. Come and enjoy the magic of the season with your family and friends over delicious food and a wide range of exciting events, sparkling entertainment, and fun things to do all throughout the holiday season, no matter what your holiday traditions are or what kind of food you like. We promise to make your Christmas and New Year’s Eve unforgettable.

The choice of time and price for each celebration is shown below.

Christmas Eve Dinner
December 24, 2022 – : 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. 

-THB 1,250++ per person for buffet dinner*
-THB 1,850++ per person for buffet dinner with free-flow drinks*

Christmas Day Lunch
December 25, 2022: Noon – 3:00 p.m. 
– THB 1,150++ per person for buffet lunch*
– THB 1,750++ per person for buffet lunch with free flow drinks*

New Year’s Eve Dinner
Saturday, December 31, 2022: 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

– THB 1,850++ per person for buffet dinner*
– THB 2,450++ per person for buffet dinner with free flow drinks*

New Year’s Eve Countdown
Saturday, December 31, 2022: 10:00 PM – Midnight
-THB 999++ per person for 2-hour free flow drinks*

Remark: *The rates are subject to a 10% service charge and applicable 7% government tax

Children under the age of 12 receive a 50% discount. Get a 20% discount on food only for groups of six or more (excluding children). Early bookings and payments received before December 18, 2022 will receive a 20% discount off the original price!

For more information about the food and beverage menu, as well as reservations, visit https://mhg.to/zmgm7 or call 02-079-7555.

Vaccines losing race against new Omicron mutants in Thailand: Dr Yong

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Vaccines losing race against new Omicron mutants in Thailand: Dr Yong

Vaccines losing race against new Omicron mutants in Thailand: Dr Yong

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

The Covid-19 virus is mutating so quickly that new vaccines cannot keep up, leading virologist Dr Yong Poovorawan warned on Thursday.

Writing on Facebook, Yong explained that the Omicron variant that was dominant at the start of the year had since mutated from BA.1 to BA.2, BA.4, BA.5 and BA.2.75 subvariants, respectively.

BA.2.75 has become the dominant strain in Thailand over the past two months, overtaking BA.5 which accounted for most cases in June, he added.

BA.2.75 has sent daily Covid infections in Thailand soaring to over 700 per day in the past week.

However, Yong expects BA.2.75 to be replaced as Thailand’s dominant strain by Omicron BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 subvariants spreading from the West.

“The mutation is happening over time,” he said, adding that genetic changes are occurring too quickly for vaccines to keep up.

Yong also said that the protection offered by second-generation vaccines targeted at Omicron strains was no higher than first-gen vaccines.

But Covid-19’s severity would drop as awareness and immunity in Thailand rise, he added.

He also expects the Covid situation to improve once new antiviral drugs are rolled out.

Related stories:

Don’t wait for newer Covid-19 vaccines, get your jabs now, says top virologist

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Don’t wait for newer Covid-19 vaccines, get your jabs now, says top virologist

Don’t wait for newer Covid-19 vaccines, get your jabs now, says top virologist

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 03, 2022

People should not wait for newer Covid-19 vaccines to arrive before they get their booster shots, a top Thai virologist has advised citing rising cases.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Dr Yong Poovorawan said cases began rising in mid-November and will hit a peak in January. 

However, he said the numbers will start dropping from mid-February before picking up again during the rainy season from June to September.

Hence, he said, it is important for people to boost their immunity right away instead of waiting. He added that though the vaccines available in Thailand target older variants, they are still very effective.

Dr Yong said that though vaccines targeting specific variants may offer more immunity, this protection will reduce over time. But, he said, the more shots and boosters people get, the better chance they will have of preventing severe symptoms.

Hence, he said, everybody should get at least three shots and the fourth one within six months.

Those who received their fourth jab more than six months ago could also get a fifth one because their immunity will have started dropping.

Dr Yong went on to say that Omicron and its BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.75, BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are still most prevalent in Thailand and had infected nearly 70% of the population. He was citing a study from blood samples in Chonburi.

As for news of Deltacron infections, he said it will not be a problem in Thailand because the main variant is still Omicron.

Related stories

Ratchanok off to a winning start at World Tour Finals

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Ratchanok off to a winning start at World Tour Finals

Ratchanok off to a winning start at World Tour Finals

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Thai badminton player Ratchanok Intanon maintained her dominance over compatriot Busanan Ongbamrungphan, beating her in straight games in the BWF World Tour Finals 2022 on Wednesday at Nimibutr Arena in Bangkok.

Under the rules of the World Tour Finals, which began on Wednesday and offers a total prize money of US$1.5 million, singles and doubles players take on their compatriots in the opening group match.

Photo Credit: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit
 

Ratchanok routed Busanan 21-15, 21-13 in 40 minutes to win their Group B match. Ratchanok had also beaten Busanan 2-0 at the 2022 Japan Open.

Ratchanok off to a winning start at World Tour Finals

The Thai world No. 7 said that she was satisfied with her performance as she encountered wind resistance and hence tried to force the pace.

Ratchanok off to a winning start at World Tour Finals

Ratchanok praised Busanan for her racquet skills but said that her footwork could be improved. She advised Busanan to move more and find a better chance to attack more accurately.

Ratchanok off to a winning start at World Tour Finals

Speaking of her next opponent, China’s world No. 3 He Bingjiao, Ratchanok said she was tricky and has been in great, having beaten the formidable Tai Tzu-ying twice. She said that every point would be important to secure a win on Thursday.

Ratchanok off to a winning start at World Tour Finals

She was pleasantly surprised to see the high number of spectators even though the match was held on a weekday.

Ratchanok off to a winning start at World Tour Finals

Ratchanok said that the event in Thailand has started off well, as many Thai fans had come to watch the first match.

Meanwhile, Busanan will play Taiwan’s world No. 2 Tai Tzu-ying, also on Thursday.

Related stories

Brazil’s dancing about happiness, not disrespect – Vinicius Jr

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Brazil's dancing about happiness, not disrespect - Vinicius Jr

Brazil’s dancing about happiness, not disrespect – Vinicius Jr

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

THE NATION

Brazil’s Vinicius Jr said they would not stop dancing to celebrate goals at the World Cup as it was an expression of happiness that was part of Brazilian culture.

Brazil thrashed South Korea 4-1 in their World Cup last-16 match on Monday, but it was not just their footballing masterclass that caught the eye.

Brazil’s dancing celebrations as the goals flew in sparked criticism from pundits like former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane, who felt it was ‘disrespectful’, which generated a viral discussion online.

“Sure, some love to complain when they see other people’s happiness and we Brazilians are a joyful people, so it will always bother,” Vinicius told a news conference on Wednesday.

“The goal is the most important moment in football, in a World Cup it is even more important so it’s a moment of joy not only for us, players, but for our entire country.

“We still have many celebrations ready, so we need to keep playing better, winning games and stay joyful in the process.

“We need to stay calm and focus because there are more people with us than against us.”

BrazilBrazil

Even ever-serious Brazil coach Tite joined in the celebrations, with an awkward imitation of striker Richarlison’s ‘pigeon dance’.

Brazil’s players rushed over to the dugout after Tottenham forward Richarlison put the five-times world champions 3-0 up inside 30 minutes and Tite briefly joined in with the dancing.

“I try to adapt to the characteristics of the players,” the 61-year-old said when asked about his moves at a news conference on Monday.

“They are very young and I try to adapt a bit to their language, and part of their language is dancing.”

Vinicius Jr lauded Tite’s leadership and ability as a mentor and the impact that both had in his development as a player.

The 22-year-old has become a key part of Brazil’s team that is bidding for a record-extending sixth World Cup title after a brilliant season with Real Madrid.

He scored the Spanish giants’ winner in the Champions League final against Liverpool and finished eighth in the Ballon D’Or ballot last month.

“I always try to evolve, not only here, but at the club where I have more time to work,” said Vinicius.

“(Real Madrid coach Carlo) Ancelotti helps me a lot and he sometimes works together with Tite, they communicate and are very similar in the way they talk and relate to the players.

“In football, even more so at the top level, you don’t have time to complain, you have to evolve, learn.”

Brazil face Croatia in their World Cup quarter-final on Friday.

THE NATION

World Cup quarter-finals 2022: which teams qualified?

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World Cup quarter-finals 2022: which teams qualified?

World Cup quarter-finals 2022: which teams qualified?

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Reuters

The World Cup knockout phase in Qatar will continue with the quarter-finals on Friday and Saturday. Below are the teams who made it into the last eight.

ARGENTINA
Argentina beat off a frenzied Australia fightback to win 2-1 and reach the quarter-finals, where they will face the Netherlands on Friday.

Captain Lionel Messi, who has said he intends to retire from the national team after the tournament, scored his first goal in a World Cup knockout round in his 1,000th match to beat Diego Maradona’s tally of eight World Cup goals.

La Seleccion won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, and reached the final on three more occasions, most recently in 2014 when they lost against Germany.

Group performance:

Argentina 1-2 Saudi Arabia

Argentina 2-0 Mexico

Poland 0-2 Argentina

Round of 16:

Argentina 2-1 Australia

ArgentinaArgentina

BRAZIL

Brazil stormed into the quarter-finals with an overwhelming 4-1 victory over South Korea, scoring all their goals in the first 36 minutes. They next face Croatia in the first match of the quarter-finals on Friday at 1500 GMT.

The Selecao have lifted the World Cup five times and are the pre-tournament favourites to win a record-extending sixth title.

Brazil have played in every World Cup since 1930 but have not reached the final since they last won the title in 2002.

Group performance:

Brazil 2-0 Serbia

Brazil 1-0 Switzerland

Cameroon 1-0 Brazil

Round of 16:

Brazil 4-1 South Korea

BrazilBrazil


CROATIA

Goalkeeper Dominic Livakovic saved three spot-kicks as Croatia beat Japan 3-1 in a penalty shootout after an enthralling 120-minute contest finished deadlocked at 1-1.

The Croats will next face Brazil on Friday.

This is the sixth World Cup for Croatia, who reached the final in 2018 when they lost to France.

Group performance:

Morocco 0-0 Croatia

Croatia 4-1 Canada

Croatia 0-0 Belgium

Round of 16:

Croatia 1-1 Japan (3-1 on penalties)

ENGLAND

England secured a spot in the quarter-finals with a 3-0 win over African champions Senegal in another emphatic victory after comfortably beating Wales and Iran in the group stage.

The Three Lions are set to meet reigning champions France on Saturday.

England have won the World Cup only once in 1966, and finished fourth in 2018.

Group performance:

England 6-2 Iran

England 0-0 United States

Wales 0-3 England

Round of 16:

England 3-0 Senegal

 EnglandEngland
FRANCE

Another one of the bookmakers’ favourites to win the title, France beat Poland 3-1 to advance to the quarter-finals.

Led by Olivier Giroud – who surpassed Thierry Henry as France’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals – and current tournament top marksman Kylian Mbappe, Les Blues will meet England on Saturday.

France have won the World Cup twice, in 1998 and 2018.

Group performance:

France 4-1 Australia

France 2-1 Denmark

Tunisia 1-0 France

Round of 16:

France 3-1 Poland


MOROCCO

Morocco reached the quarter-finals for the first time with a 3-0 penalty shootout win over Spain and will face Portugal on Saturday.

Spanish-born Achraf Hakimi scored the decisive spot-kick for Morocco, following a 0-0 draw over 120 minutes.

They are playing in their sixth finals, having reached the last 16 once before in 1986.

The only African side still in the running, Morocco failed to qualify for the knockout stage in 2018 with one point.

Group performance:

Morocco 0-0 Croatia

Belgium 0-2 Morocco

Canada 1-2 Morocco

Round of 16:

Morocco 0-0 Spain (3-0 on penalties)


NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands advanced to the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over the United States on Saturday, and will face Messi’s Argentina on Friday.

The Dutch — unbeaten in 19 games after their elimination at Euro 2020 — have been the runners up at three World Cups in 1974, 1978 and 2010.

This year marks their return to the global stage after failing to qualify in 2018.

Group performance:

Senegal 0-2 Netherlands

Netherlands 1-1 Ecuador

Netherlands 2-0 Qatar

Round of 16:

Netherlands 3-1 United States


PORTUGAL

Portugal’s Goncalo Ramos netted a hat-trick on his first World Cup start in a 6-1 demolition of Switzerland, sending his side through to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006.

Coach Fernando Santos took the brave call to bench Cristiano Ronaldo and was rewarded with an artful display from his side as they set up a last-eight clash with Morocco on Saturday.

Portugal’s best World Cup result is a third place in 1966. Most recently, they won the Euro 2016 in France.

The run-up to the last-16 match was marked with speculation regarding the future of Ronaldo, who left Manchester United by mutual consent last month, and his outburst following his substitution against South Korea.

Group performance:

Portugal 3-2 Ghana

Portugal 2-0 Uruguay

South Korea 2-1 Portugal

Round of 16:

Portugal 6-1 Switzerland

Reuters

Champagne sailing conditions greet sailors on second day of Phuket King’s Cup

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Champagne sailing conditions greet sailors on second day of Phuket King’s Cup

Champagne sailing conditions greet sailors on second day of Phuket King’s Cup

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Blue skies, warm water and nice breeze greeted sailors today as they gathered off of Cape Promthep to compete in the second day of sailing at the 34th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.

While the International Dinghy Classes finished four days of racing today, it was the second day of racing for the keelboats and multihulls. Race Officer Simon James sent the IRC Zero, and IRC One classes on a windward-leeward for their first race and a coastal race for their second while sending the IRC Premier Cruising, Charter Cruising and the Multihull classes off on a separate passage race.

The two TP52s (Team Hollywood and THA 72) are staging their own mini-Super Series in this regatta as Ray Roberts’ boat sailed to two victories today giving it five points and a one-point lead over Kevin Whitcraft’s THA 72 going into race day three. Windsikher managed a second in the first race but trails the TP52s with eleven points overall. Sarab Singh and Nick Burns’ crew seem to be feeling the effects of victory euphoria as they won and dominated the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta just over a week ago.       

The IRC One class had Garry Holt’s Let’s Get It On and Kazuki Kihara’s Char Chan flip flop first and second place in the two races the class sailed today. As such Let’s Get It On and Craig Douglas’ Ramrod sit tied at the top of the leader board with eight points with Char Chan trailing by a point. Morten Jakobsen’s smallish VXOne Hanuman XXXIX is holding its own against the bigger boats and sits in fourth spot with 10 points. Fifth place belongs to Matti Sepp’s Judy (19pts) with Craig Nichols Alright in last spot (25pts) as they did not finish the first race of the day. 

The Thai vessel Pine Pacific expertly skipped by Ithinai Yingsiri won the three-boat Premier Cruising class narrowly beating Peter Cremers Shatoosh by less than two minutes on corrected time with Simon Piff’s Firstlight coming in 45 minutes later on corrected time. Pine Pacific and Shatoosh are tied for the lead in this class with three points followed by Firstlight with seven. Firstlight along with Ramrod and Windshihker made the trip up from Langkawi to compete in this regatta after recently sailing in Malaysia’s Raja Muda regatta, which is annually held two weeks before the Phuket King’s Cup.

Champagne sailing conditions greet sailors on second day of Phuket King’s Cup

The Charter Cruising Class saw a repeat placing of day one with Torben Kristensen’s Kinnon winning the race and leading the class with two points. Jakod Handte’s Fei Jian was second and remains in second overall with four points. Masami Yamashita’s Sunsail Inlova was third and stays in third with six points.       
  
The Multihull OMR class saw Hermann Schwarz’ 2Fast4you win again beating Hang Chen’s ZOE by close to six minutes on corrected time, so 2Fast4you leads the class by two points.     

A veteran of many King’s Cup campaigns, Sydney-based Craig Douglas, the co-owner of Ramrod, a Farr 40, reflects on what sets the Phuket King’s Cup apart from other sailing competitions: “It’s a fantastic event and very competitive. All the other regattas are like a rally: people are there for the journey, hotels and the food. But at King’s Cup, the sailors really thrash it out and take it to the next level. It’s a badge of honour to win it. 

“The regatta is also very challenging: you can’t come into it in cruising mode because the handicap and the IRC rating will get you. If you are having a bad day, it’s not forgiving, you are either on good pace, or you will get punished. You need to race with a good and experienced crew.  

“And the conditions: you usually get good wind, and if get splashed by water, it’s 25-28 degrees. If it rains, the rain is warm and you dry quickly. Once you hit the shore, you walk fifty metres up the beach to your hotel and you are surrounded by great food and people. Not many places can say that, it’s a great formula.”    
 
Craig’s co-owner Gordon Ketelby owns another Farr 40 called Zen, which he keeps at the Middle Harbor Yacht Club in Sydney. The idea being to seamlessly swap sails, parts and crew between the two and it’s worked.     

The International Dinghy Classes (Optimist Boys, Optimist Girls, Open ILCA4, ILCA6, ILCA 7, 420, 470, Skiff Boat and Open Skiff) finished racing today as 182 dinghies from Thailand, United Kingdom, Singapore, India, Japan, Malaysia and China saw action with an awards ceremony taking place at the north end of Kata Beach in the evening.  

Thais did very well in the dinghy competitions as Chanatip Tongglum won the Optimist Boys and Prin Subying won the Optimist Girls class. In the Skiff Boat class Narisara Satta and Nichapa Waiwai of Thailand lead the pack. The Open ILCA4 was won by Kenan Tan of Singapore with fellow countrymen Khoo Zachary taking the Open ILCA6 division. The Open ILCA 7 saw Thai national Prakasit Hongpradab win with fellow Thais Paliga Poonpat and Chakkaphat Wiriyakitti winning the 420 class. The 470 class was captured by Navee Thamsoontorn and Panida Suksomporn of Thailand and the Open Skiff championship went to Anandi Chandavarkar of India.

The return of the King’s Cup has been a breath of fresh ocean air to the Kata Beach business community who perennially depend on Thai and foreign sailors to boost the local economy every December. But it’s been three long years since that happened so hotels, restaurants and shop owners are ecstatic to see sailors of Asia’s most prestigious regatta roaming the streets and cruising the waterways again.    

Keelboats and multihulls spread over five classes are competing in the Asia’s longest-running and most prestigious regatta, held over five days racing through scenic courses amidst the beautiful Andaman Sea islands. Combined with the 182 participating dinghies it brings the total of participating boats to just below 200. A great bounce back as the regatta was put on hold in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
             
The Royal Awards Ceremony will be on 10th December 2022 at Beyond Resort Kata, Kata Beach, Phuket.

Sponsors of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta include Kata Group, RMA Group, Haad Thip PCL. and Workforce International.

For more information and result, please visit http://www.kingscup.com.

Gulf Energy CEO Sarath is richest shareholder on Thai stock exchange for 4th year

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Gulf Energy CEO Sarath is richest shareholder on Thai stock exchange for 4th year

Gulf Energy CEO Sarath is richest shareholder on Thai stock exchange for 4th year

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 08, 2022

Gulf Energy Development CEO Sarath Ratanavadi is the wealthiest Thai stockholder for the fourth consecutive year, according to rankings compiled by Money and Banking magazine and Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Commerce and Accountancy.

The rankings listed major shareholders at close of trade on September 30, when the Stock Exchange of Thailand Index fell to 1,589.51 from 1,605.68 points on the same date last year.

Sarath remained the wealthiest Thai stockholder with total shareholdings of 218.98 billion baht in 2022. He had first entered the list with 120.95 billion baht in 2019, 115.28 billion baht in 2020, and 173.09 billion baht in 2021.

He is also the first Thai stockholder with total shareholding exceeding 200 billion baht.

The 10 wealthiest Thai shareholders in 2022 are:

1. Sarath Ratanavadi, Gulf Energy Development CEO; total shareholding of 218.98 billion baht, up by 45.88 billion baht or 26.51% last year.

2. Panicha Dao, major shareholder of PSG Corporation; total shareholding of 81.63 billion baht. Panicha has made it to the list for the first time.

3. Prasert Prasattong-Osoth, founder of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services and Bangkok Airways; total shareholding of 62.73 billion baht, up by 4.51 billion baht or 7.76% last year. Prasert moved down from second place last year.

4. Niti Osathanugrah, heir to the Osotspa beverage empire; total shareholding of 58.12 billion baht, up by 1.87 billion baht or 3.33% last year. Niti moved down from third place last year.

5. Somphote Ahunai, CEO of Energy Absolute; total shareholding of 36.36 billion baht, down by 16.66 billion baht or 31.42%. Somphote moved down from fourth place last year.

6. Poramaporn Prasarttong-Osoth, chief operating officer and CEO Group 1 of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services; total shareholding of 35 billion baht, up by 20.95 billion baht or 149.09% last year.

Poramaporn, who is Prasert’s daughter, moved up from 21st place last year.

7. and 8. Chuchat Petaumpai and Daonapa Petampai, who own shares in Muangthai Capital, moved down from sixth and fifth last year, respectively.

Chuchat’s holdings were worth 26.51 billion baht, down by 15.13 billion baht or 36.30%; Daonapa’s holdings were valued at 26.10 billion baht, down by 15.84 billion baht or 37.77%.

9. Anant Asavabhokhin, chairman of Land and Houses; total shareholding of 25.45 billion baht, up by 2.71 billion baht or 11.95%. Anant moved up from 12th place last year.

10. Keeree Kanjanapas, chairman of BTS Group Holdings; total shareholding of 22.70 billion baht, down by 1.92 billion baht or 7.83%.

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