The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,523.11 on Tuesday, up 0.39 points or 0.03 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt87.87 billion with an index high of 1,531.29 and a low of 1,522.41. The SET levelled out after yesterday’s gain of almost 1 per cent.
In the morning session, a Krungsri Securities analyst forecast the day’s index would fluctuate between 1,515 and 1,520 points on hopes of US stimulus rollout as well as mass buy-ups of stocks whose fourth-quarter performance is expected to improve.
“However, investors should beware of mass sell-offs due to the SET’s tight valuation and the impact of cash balance rules on Delta Electronics shares,” he said.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were OR, EA, PTTGC, PTT, CBG, KBANK, BAM, GPSC, BBL and IVL.
As of 4.30pm, the price of oil rose by US$0.35 or 0.59 per cent to $59.82 per barrel, while gold rose by $0.10 or 0.01 per cent to $1,823.30 per ounce.
For other Asian indices:
Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 30,467.75, up 383.60 points or 1.28 per cent.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed at 30,746.66, up 573.09 points or 1.90 per cent.
South Korea’s KOSPI closed 3,163.25, up 16.25 points or 0.52 per cent.
Stock markets in mainland China and Taiwan were closed for Lunar New Year.
Kasikorn Research Centre (KResearch) expects a 2.6 per cent growth in the Thai economy provided there is no new wave of Covid-19 infections and the country can reopen by the fourth quarter of this year.
KResearch said Thailand’s economy in 2020 fell by 6.1 per cent year-on-year, which was less than the 6.7-per-cent drop expected by the centre. This was thanks to the government’s stimulus measures, especially the “Khon La Khrueng” (Let’s Go Halves) scheme, which expanded spending by up to 0.3 per cent.
“Recovery of the global economy has also helped Thailand’s fourth-quarter exports to contract less than the centre’s expectation of 2 per cent,” the report said.
It added that the Covid-19 vaccine was still key to reopening the country in the second half of this year.
“Based on the current situation, the number of vaccines in Thailand may not be enough to reopen the country within this year, so it is necessary to address government measures to mitigate the Covid-19 impact on the economy, especially measures to support the tourism sector,” the centre added.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa to introduce purpose-driven environmental protection experience as part of ‘Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy’
Feb 16. 2021
By THE NATION
PHUKET, THAILAND – 15 Feb 2021 – Against the backdrop of the global pandemic, and with travelers increasingly aspiring to make a positive impact on the communities they visit whether locally or abroad, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa introduces the Turtle Shelter, as part of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa joins 14 other Marriott International properties across Asia Pacific as part of the program’s pilot launch. Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy is a program offering meaningful travel across Asia Pacific, aiming to create opportunities for guests to forge first-hand connections with local communities and the environment during their stay, promoting both cultural understanding and positive change.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa is nestled on Mai Khao Beach, next to Sirinat National Park, which is where leatherback sea turtles come to nest and lay eggs. As custodians of this land, the resort understands that it has a responsibility to protect these endangered reptiles. The Turtle Shelter is a dedicated facility at the property, operated in partnership with the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Rehabilitation & Education Center and Phuket Marine Biology Center, which helps to care for the turtles that are disable and injured on Mai Khao Beach. Hotel guests can visit the shelter, learn about the turtles’ life-cycle, observe feeding sessions and be educated about the environmental issues that impact their survival.
The resort’s turtle mascot, Nong Ta Wahn, is on-hand meet and greet guests and all visitors will receive a turtle bracelet made by the local community. The hotel has also created plenty of turtle-themed features around the resort, especially at the kid’s club and pool, and guests can take part in turtle towel-folding classes! The 16th Mai Khao Turtle Run is taking place virtually this year, to raise awareness of the project. The overall aim is to deliver meaningful experiences for every guest, which raise awareness about the plight of leatherback sea turtles and support their conservation, while also working with the local community and generating benefits for the entire area.
Every year during Songkran Festival, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa together with Mai Khao Marine Turtle Rehabilitation & Education Center organize an annual “Sea Turtles Release Ceremony”. The aim of this event is to release fully recovered turtles back to their natural habitat in the ocean.
“One of the growing trends we’re observing is how conscious people are of their personal impact on the environment and the destinations they visit,” said George Varughese, General Manager, JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa. “The Turtle Shelter offered at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa provides an excellent opportunity for our guests to connect with nature, allowing them to give back while staying with us. We are excited to launch the Turtle Shelter as part of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy and look forward to bringing truly meaningful travel to our guests at home, or from abroad once international travel resumes.”
Feb 16. 2021Tanate Kasemsarn, Partner, KPMG in Thailand
By THE NATION
In 2020, even best laid plans were hijacked by COVID-19. And the uncertainty of the pandemic still hangs all around us. But the world is already moving forward. KPMG recently launched a report detailing 10 Emerging Global Infrastructure Trends for 2021.
“In 2021, the infrastructure sector globally is expected to adjust itself to cope with the changes from disruptions and from the COVID-19 pandemic. The infrastructure project should be resilient and focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) to emerge from the crisis with renewed vigor, fulfilling a key role as a catalyst to sustainable economic recovery,” says Tanate Kasemsarn, COO and Head of Infrastructure and Government, KPMG in Thailand. “The year ahead will likely be characterized by growth, sustainability and resilience. These are the 10 trends we expect to see in 2021.”
Trend 1: Uncertainty creates planning complexity
With the current uncertain situation, how do infrastructure planners differentiate between the impact that are permanent and those that are temporary, especially with building assets with lifecycles that span decades? In the absence of clarity, infrastructure owners and planners are now trying to identify investments that align to their existing long-term plans but allow for increased flexibility and agility. Over the coming year, we expect to see a much more nimble and flexible approach to infrastructure planning as well as much more focus on leveraging technology, data and analytics and other decision-making tools.
Trend 2: Cities rethink their value proposition
Over the coming year, expect urban planners and city infrastructure leaders to begin reassessing the infrastructure needs of their cities to understand not only how they deliver value to citizens today, but what citizens will consider value-adding in the future. Smart, digitally enabled cities will undoubtedly play a role, helping government evolve the urban environment in order to deliver a better, cleaner and more efficient quality of life for its citizens.
Trend 3: Borders become real again
With borders closed, nationalistic policies and trade wars, flows of goods between borders were greatly impacted. As a result, airport and port operators have recognized the need for technology and automation as a way to create greater resilience and stronger response mechanisms. Over the coming year, expect to see greater investment into digital and smart ports, airport automation and the development of institutional mechanisms for improving collaboration between supply chain actors.
Trend 4: Infrastructure supply networks evolve
The pace of change in infrastructure and construction supply chains will pick up as organizations invest in resiliency. We expect to see developers start to think more broadly about the factors that influence their supply strategies. In some cases, this will likely mean a strong shift towards re-shoring and near-shoring. And it will almost certainly mean that inventory levels will rise considerably, offering opportunities for new suppliers and smaller suppliers to grow
Trend 5: New finance floods the market.
2021 should see a flood of new capital flow in from pension funds and insurance companies who, now that the risks are better understood, are looking aggressively at brownfield assets and greenfield projects for increased returns.However, the flip side of the coin is that lower interest rates and increased funding options also means that well-structured projects in emerging markets are attracting investors with much lower return expectations. Expect to see new investors gravitate towards infrastructure vehicles that provide sustainable inflation-protected long-term annuity returns, particularly as treasury rates remain low.
Trend 6: Toward a greener, fairer rebuild
Expect to see the infrastructure agenda be powerfully influenced by a focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) outcomes aimed at ensuring actions are contributing to a fairer, more inclusive and more equitable world. On the environmental side of the ESG equation, at least, governments clearly agree, and many have been making significant policy announcements to support that agenda.
Trend 7: Resilience jumps up the agenda
While the pandemic may have taken the spotlight in recent months, governments and asset owners have increasingly focused on the resilience of their infrastructure to climate and weather-related risks. Apart from climate and weather-related risks, the definition of resilience has also broadened. Many infrastructure players have started to ask whether their assets could react quickly to unexpected demand fluctuations. Over the coming year, expect infrastructure owners, planners and regulators to start asking difficult questions about the resilience of their assets in the broadest sense.
Trend 8: Delivering securely in a digital world
Today is an era of hyperconnectivity. Connectivity technologies like 5G and cloud will also be central to driving innovation and value in infrastructure. Governments will start to recognize that they must address the growing deficits in their digital infrastructure to drive growth in both their economies and balance their sheets.
Trend 9: Government gets permission to transform
This year, we expect to see government officials and infrastructure leaders assess the extent to which they can make some of the pandemic-driven changes, such as online learning and distance healthcare delivery, more permanent.Data will be critical to imagining and implementing radical change.However, one clear challenge will be around privacy as seen by mixed reception of apps such as COVID-19 track and trace. Expect privacy considerations to play a much greater role in infrastructure decision-making going forward.
Trend 10: Governments look for partners
Governments increasingly see that the private sector can be a trusted delivery partner. And, as a result, a range of new opportunities for private sector participation are emerging. Beyond traditional financing partnerships, many governments are now striving to create partnerships that give them access to enhanced expertise and capabilities, as seen in the COVID-19 vaccine development and delivery. These new partnerships will be driven by innovation and the desire to deliver more to stakeholders.
Lifestyle changes brought by Covid-19 mean Thai buyers are shifting from luxury condominiums to luxury city houses in search of better value, according to Nexus.
The property consultant says its “Luxury House Grand Sale” campaign is targeting people who love city-living but at lower prices than condos in the same area.
A luxury city house is defined as a house of 300-1,000 square metres, usually three storeys or more, on a compact plot, explained Nalinrat Chareonsuphong, managing director of Nexus Property Marketing. A luxury city house can be a town home, twin house or single house.
Supply of luxury houses in Bangkok has grown over the past five years, with 56 new projects and 796 units, valued at more than Bt40 billion, said Nexus.
Ninety per cent of Bangkok’s total supply is in the city centre, close to public transport. Locations with highest number of units are Ekkamai-Ramintra (26 per cent), Sathorn-Rama III (21 per cent) and Sukhumvit (20 per cent). Projects are now expanding to Ratchada-Lat Prao and Phaholyothin-Vibhavadi.
Prices run from Bt20 million to more than Bt100 million, though most new luxury houses go for Bt30 million-Bt50 million (42 per cent) and Bt20 million-Bt30 million (27 per cent). The price of these houses is about three times lower than condos, said Nexus. For example, in Sathorn, the average price per sqm of super-luxury condominium is Bt293,000 but only Bt78,000 for a luxury house. Those with a budget of Bt50 million could afford a 200-sqm Penthouse condominium or a house with over 700 sqm, said the property consultancy.
Nexus’s Luxury House Grand Sale features leading developers of over 20 projects, with properties priced from Bt22.9 million to Bt70 million and maximum discounts of Bt11 million. Special promotions including Euro Creations furniture from Italy are available until March 31.
Thailand Post Distribution (THPD) launched a campaign to deliver face masks to people with chronic kidney disease on Monday.
The campaign aimed to protect kidney patients against catching Covid-19, which would lead to severe symptoms, said Wannaporn Thephasadin na Ayutthaya, THPD president.
“We expect to deliver 30,000 surgical masks to patients this month,” she said.
Meanwhile, THPD managing director Peera Udomkitsakul said the company will continue delivering about 5.5 million bags of dialysis solution per month to chronic kidney disease patients.
“The company has improved delivery service in line with standards like ISO9001, Good Storage Practice (GSP) and Warehouse Management System (WMS) to ensure that dialysis solution is delivered to patients nationwide,” he said.
Laos’ move to defer payments for its power consumption will not have a significant impact on BCPG, the company’s president Bundit Sapianchai said on Monday.
SET-listed BCPG Plc is a renewable energy arm of Bangchak Corporation Plc.
Bundit said Laos has paid its dues regularly, adding that BCPG has recently signed an agreement with Electricity Vietnam (EVN) to start delivering power generated in Laos to Vietnam from next year.
“EVN offers a take-or-pay guarantee and accepts payments in the US dollar, which will help boost BCPG’s revenue stability and return on investment,” he said.
He added that BCPG has started building a 150-kilometre 220-kilovolt transmission line to deliver power generated at the Nam San 3A and 3B hydroelectric power plants to Vietnam. The line, which is expected to be ready within the period specified, will supply more than 500 megawatts.
“Apart from distributing electricity to countries with high demand, it will also help Laos manage excess electricity and boost liquidity,” he said.
He added that BCPG will discuss the power distribution plan with the Lao government and EVN.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index rose by 2.32 points, or 0.15 per cent, to 1,525.04 in the morning session on Tuesday.
A Krungsri Securities analyst predicted the SET to fluctuate between 1,515 and 1,520 points amid hopes of the rollout of US economic stimulus measures, as well as mass buy-ups of stocks whose fourth-quarter performance is expected to improve.
“However, investors should beware of mass sell-offs of stocks due to the SET’s tight valuation and the impact of cash balance rules on Delta Electronics shares,” he said.
▪︎ CBG, ICHI, OSP, SAPPE, RBF, DOD and PTG, which benefit from positive news on hemp production and its general use.
The SET Index closed at 1,522.72 on Monday, up 14.37 points or 0.95 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt106.65 billion with an index high of 1,529.98 and a low of 1,513.33.
The price of gold rose by Bt50 per baht weight in morning trade on Tuesday, the Gold Traders Association reported.
As of 9.28am, the buying price of a gold bar was Bt25,700 per baht weight and selling price Bt25,800, while gold ornaments were priced at Bt25,241.40 and Bt26,300, respectively.
At close on Monday, the buying price of a gold bar was Bt25,650 per baht weight and selling price Bt25,750, while gold ornaments were Bt25,180.76 and Bt26,250, respectively.
Spot gold price on Tuesday moved to US$1,825 (Bt54,525) per ounce. The US gold market on Monday was closed for President’s Day.
Hong Kong gold price fell by HK$250 to $16,800 (Bt64,746) per tael, the Chinese Gold and Silver Exchange Society reported.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,522.72 on Monday, up 14.37 points or 0.95 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt106.65 billion with an index high of 1,529.98 and a low of 1,513.33.
In the morning session, a Krungsri Securities analyst expected the day’s index to rebound to between 1,520 and 1,525 points on hope of new US economic relief, the rising oil price, and 12.7 per cent growth in Japan’s fourth-quarter GDP.
“However, investors should beware of mass sell-offs of stocks due to the tight index valuation,” he warned, adding that the SET price-earnings ratio was 30.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were OR, PTT, BAM, SCGP, KBANK, BANPU, PTTEP, DELTA, GPSC and CBG.
As of 4.30pm, the price of oil rose by US$1.03 or 1.73 per cent to $60.50 per barrel, while gold dropped by $4.80 or 0.26 per cent to $1,818.40 per ounce.
For other Asian indices:
Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 30,084.15, up 564.08 points or 1.91 per cent.
South Korea’s KOSPI closed 3,147.00, up 46.42 points or 1.50 per cent.
Stock markets in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan were closed for Lunar New Year.
Tanate Kasemsarn, Partner, KPMG in Thailand
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Bundit Sapianchai
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