“We are really interested in this project. CP Group should finalise the decision over the next few months,” said chairman and chief executive officer Dhanin Chearavanont.CP Group was invited by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to build it, since there were no financial conditions.

Dhanin said the group would shift its investment to the “digital economy” to cash in on the global trend.

High-tech businesses such as high-speed rail are being pushed by the government, he said. Biotechnology, medical equipment, and food and medicine for the elderly are targets.

The success of a high-speed rail system requires the building of towns or high-tech communities, he said. If urban areas such as Pattaya, Rayong and a proposed township in Chachoengsao are developed, commuters could easily travel to work in Bangkok within one hour.

“If new towns are developed, new high-tech industries like good hospitals, good universities and high-profile people will move into the areas,” Dhanin said.

The government has also reportedly invited Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, another tycoon, to build another high-speed-rail spoke, from Bangkok to Hua Hin.

CP Group has started working with Harvard University to develop biotech products, with DuPont to develop high-tech food, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop robots, and with the Science and Technology Ministry to develop biotechnology in the local market.

The efforts are aimed at developing quality food and health products, and supply them to three consumer groups – general people, the elderly and patients.

The group plans to produce its own medicine especially for the elderly in the home market. It has been producing medicine in China for years and achieved a large market share.

The service industry and high-tech products will become very important in the future, so manufacturers will have to produce and supply higher-technology products, Dhanin said. The digital economy then will employ quality local staff and import labour for some jobs.

The global economy is facing uncertainty but it is a good time for the country to turn this crisis into opportunity by shifting up to high-tech industry, he said. Huawei has said it will set up a research and development centre in Bangkok to help get Thai small and medium-sized enterprises into such industries.

Tsinghau Tsinghua University has said it will help develop high-tech industry and management here.

Thailand needs to keep big investors, particularly from Japan, producing in Thailand, Dhanin said.

“With the best strategic location, close to China, Thailand only needs to improve infrastructure and the stability of policies for long-term growth.

“However, we still and always consider Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines as our competitors,” he added.

Therefore, we hope to help our partner hotels to enhance customers’ experience through real-time feedback,” Benoit Jolin, vice president for global products, said yesterday.

The company expects to complete the service roll-out to its partner hotels worldwide, including Thailand, in a few months.

“We have received over 5.6 million feedback responses since the trial launch.

More importantly, properties that respond to real-time feedback see up to 10-per-cent-higher post-stay review scores,” he said.

Pimpawee Nopakitgumjorn, director for marketing of Expedia Lodging Partner Services Thailand, said that besides the mobile platform, this new tool would also run on desktops and other platforms.

“The mobile platform is playing a key role in today’s travel business.

In Thailand, 45 per cent of consumer traffic searching for rooms and travel-related services at Expedia sites comes from mobile devices, while 22 per cent make a room reservation via their mobile phone,” he said. The company spent more than US$830 million (Bt29.3 billion) on technology development last year, particularly on the mobile platform, to respond to the increasing demand from small and medium-sized hotel operators.

Last year, Expedia generated $6.67 billion in revenue from its online travel services, which were involved with numerous travel brands comprising more than 200 booking sites attracting more than 450 million unique visitors on a monthly basis, across 35 languages in 75 countries.

The company also spent more than Bt119 billion on advertising its brands and products globally, both online and offline, including on TV and on transit and outdoor media.

“The situation of the auto market is expected to improve this year and we are expecting buyers from the eastern Bangkok-Samut Prakan area to come. This is a good opportunity for those who want to purchase a new or previously owned vehicle,” Pattanadesh Asasappakij, organising chairman, said yesterday at the opening of the show.

The event rolls on until Sunday at the Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Bitec).

Pattanadesh said 3,000 bookings were expected for 2,000 new cars and 1,000 used vehicles.

The 13 auto companies joining the show are Honda, Hyundai, Isuzu, Mazda, MG, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki, Toyota, Porsche, Thai Rung, MG Used Cars and Subaru.

Chalatchai Paphatphong, vice chairman for new cars, said there were loads of sales promotions.

“Not only can visitors enter the show free of charge, those who book or buy a car at the show will receive a chance to win a Suzuki Celerio worth Bt366,000.

“There are also other lucky draws for visitors with gold necklaces and other prizes,” he said.

A total of 16 used-car dealers are participating, and all used cars are inspected by Pattanadesh prior to going on sale to ensure high quality.

“A money-back guarantee is offered if it can be proved that the used car that is purchased has gone through a heavy accident,” said Asadavut Asasappakij, vice chairman for used cars.

“The used-car dealers are also competing against one another in offering special promotions, which include low down payments, long-term instalment plans with low interest rates, and other special offers,” he said.

TOT president Montchai Noosong said yesterday that the state enterprise was preparing a public fund to finance the construction of the viaducts for its own use and for lease to telecom operators, which will be required to bury their lines, including fibre-optic cables, in Bangkok.

The government has announced a policy to move all overhead electricity and telecom lines in major cities to below ground.

TOT plans to list the fund on the stock exchange and hopes to raise about Bt10 billion from it this year.

It estimates annual rental income of Bt1 billion from the viaducts.

TOT already has 25,000 kilometres of underground telecom tubes nationwide, of which about 20,000km are in Bangkok.

Last September the Cabinet approved a budget of Bt48.72 billion for the Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA) to replace 127.3km of aerial power lines in the metropolitan area with underground lines from 2016-25 in a bid to improve the cityscape.

Krisada Boonrat, chairman of the MEA and permanent secretary of the Interior Ministry, said the MEA would shorten the 10-year plan to five years.

The MEA, National Police, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, TOT and National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission yesterday signed the agreement to cooperate in the project.

Korkij Danchaivichit, deputy secretary-general of the NBTC, said regulations were being drafted for leasing viaducts.