Directors of the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) on Friday (September 27) announced the winners of two of four contracts to build the Rama III Expressway, which will feature a two-kilometre cable-stayed bridge spanning the Chao Phraya River.

A consortium called CTB, comprised of China Harbour Engineering Co, Thipakorn Co Ltd and Buri Ram Thong Chai Construction Co Ltd, posted the winning bid of Bt6.44 billion for Contract 2, 11.06 per cent lower than the reference rate.

Ch Karnchang Pcl was awarded Contract 4 – the bridge itself – with a Bt6.636-billion bid, 16.46 per cent under the reference rate.

Two other contracts are expected to be awarded at the end of October, by which time a new EXAT governor will have succeeded retiring Phuttigun Kanjanapangka.

The expressway will cover 19km from Rama III Road in Phra Nakhon to the Western Outer Ring Road in Thon Buri.

Contract 1, involving a 6.4km segment of the expressway, has a reference rate of Bt6.98 billion. A consortium of China State Construction Engineering Corp, Nawarat Patanakarn Pcl and AS Associated Engineering (1964) Co Ltd have bid Bt5.897 billion.

Contract 3, for a 5km section, has a reference rate of Bt6.991 billion. A consortium of China Railway 11th Bureau Group Corp, Civil Engineering Co Ltd and Bunchai Panich (1979) Co Ltd has offered Bt6.098 billion.

THAI management will next month submit to the board a proposal to lease three Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to support operations for six years, he said.

If approved, the leasing process would begin immediately. No Cabinet endorsement would be required.

Unless unforeseen obstacles arise, the leasing procedure would likely take four months, with the jets delivered beginning early next year.

The THAI board on Tuesday asked management to review plans to procure 38 more aircraft worth a combined Bt156 billion.

The directors cited a “fast-changing situation” in asking for a fresh plan within the next six months.

Although the carrier needs a partner to boost its performance, it does not need a financial backer, said chief executive officer Wutthiphum Jurangkool, adding that the Jurangkool family could meet the funding needs of the airline. Members of the Jurangkool family own 67 per cent of Nok Airlines.

Wutthiphum said he could not tell when the company would find a strategic partner.

Nok’s management will submit a rehabilitation plan to the board in November.

“The PTT board will meet to discuss the plan, but it may not make a decision on the listing unless the plan proves to be faultless,” the source added.

The board of directors will also consider the interim dividend payment for PTT shareholders as well as its winning bid for the Bt55.4 billion expansion of the Map Ta Phut seaport.

The PTT Oil and Retail Business Public Company Limited (PTTOR)’s main products are fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas, lubricant as well as food and beverage. Part of its retail business is “Café Amazon”, which PTT executives often say earns far more than the sale of fuel.

PTTOR entered China on September 26 by opening a Café Amazon in Nanning, Guangxi province, with full backing from the company’s partners in both Thailand and mainland, PTTOR’s president and chief executive officer Jiraphon Kawswat said. The conglomerate plans to open other Café Amazon branches at Sinopec petrol stations across China and has given operating rights to PTTOR China (Shanghai), a unit under its umbrella.

Apart from China, Café Amazon has also made its presence felt in Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Japan and Oman.

This business has been growing annually in terms of new branches and sales. Last year, it recorded sales of 225 million cups, Jiraphon added.

“The appreciation of the baht against the US dollar and the Chinese yuan has hit our revenue by up to Bt10 billion,” said Somboon Wattanavanichkul, president of the North Eastern Tapioca Trade Association.

Exporters want the baht in the range of Bt32 to the dollar in order to ensure price competitiveness of farm products in export markets, he said.

The baht currently trades at around Bt30 to the dollar, a five per cent appreciation since January this year. If the US Federal Reserve cuts its policy rate again, that would further strengthen the baht hence Thai authorities should look at the exchange rate market, he said. Thai exporters and their Chinese counterparts recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to trade 2.68 million tonnes of tapioca products — chips and starch — valued at $608 million (Bt18.464 billion).

The MoU signing took place last week during the visit of a Thai delegation to China led by Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit in a bid to export more farm products to China.

Chinese traders will import this batch of tapioca chips and starch between October this year and October next year.

Boonchai Srichaiyongpanich, president of the Thai Tapioca Trade Association, said that export demand is higher than Thailand’s tapioca production cane meet, leading to the rising price of cassava roots. The fresh root now sells at between Bt2.10 to Bt2.40 per kilogram.

Currently, Thailand has the capacity to produce about 30 million tonnes of tapioca. He said that production capacity should increase to 40 million tonnes to meet high export demand. Thailand could increase cassava root yields from 3.6 tonnes per rai to 5 tonnes per rai, he suggested. Total land area for plantation of tapioca in Thailand is estimated at 8 million rai

From January to July, Thai traders exported 4.5 million tonnes of tapioca products value at $1.69 billion, down 11.63 per cent and 6.88 per cent respectively year on year. However, the Chinese export market remains promising as China is expected to import more cassava products to produce ethanol and feed meal, according to Thai exporters.

The company said it was accelerating its climate change efforts. Over the past four years, Nestle said it had aligned its objectives with science-based targets to keep the temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius.

The company vowed to play a leading role in tackling climate change and said that over the next two years, it would come up with a time-bound plan consistent with the 1.5 degrees Celsius goal. Nestle said it would review its progress annually to ensure it was on track.

“Climate change is one of the biggest threats we face as a society. It is also one of the greatest risks to the future of our business,” said Mark Schneider, Nestle’s CEO.

“We are running out of time to avoid the worst effects of global warming. That is why we are setting a bolder ambition to reach a net-zero future. Deploying Nestle’s global resources and industry know-how, we know we can make a difference at a significant scale. Our journey to net zero has already started. Now, we are accelerating our efforts,” he added.

The “Combating Food Fraud and Food Defence Strategy” will complement the work Thai Union already does under its global sustainability strategy, SeaChange, which includes tracing products to identify and record their provenance and progress along the supply chain.

“We have an unwavering commitment to protect our supply chain,” Sirilak Suwanrangsi, Thai Union’s global regulatory leader, said in announcing the policy at the World Seafood Congress in Penang, Malaysia.

“This new strategy will strengthen our existing work to prevent any threats to our business and to our customers.”

Thai Union has introduced a “Manual of Mitigation Measures to Combat Food Fraud and Intentional Adulteration”, which provides guidance in developing measures against threats specific to each business.

Suwanrangsi said it’s important for companies such as Thai Union to have systems in place that protect reputations and assess any vulnerabilities in supply chains.

“Collectively, these efforts will reduce risks in Thai Union’s supply chain and help protect our business” said Dr Darian McBain, Thai Union’s global director of corporate affairs and sustainability.

Food fraud includes the deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering or misrepresentation of food, ingredients or packaging, along with false or misleading statements made about a product, for economic gain.

The first outlet in the country is located at a Sinopec petrol station in Nanning of Guangxi, marking the tenth foreign market it has entered.

OR president and chief executive officer Jiraphon Kawswat said plan for first branch in China was supported by the company’s partners in Thailand and the host country.

The company has awarded the right to operate the branch to PTT OR China (Shanghai), a unit under its umbrella.

OR will continue to roll out Cafe Amazon branches at other Sinopec petrol stations across China, the world’s biggest consumer market.

Cafe Amazon has now made its presence in ten countries: China, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Japan, and Oman.

It has been growing annually in terms of the number of new branches and sales.

Last year, it recorded sales of 225 million cups.

Shoke Na Ranong, the executive vice president of BBL’s credit card division, on Thursday said that with young people preferring to making payments online, the bank has decided to join Rabbit LINE Pay so that they could enjoy both online and offline options.

“The aim is to ensure that customers can conveniently and confidently complete all their financial transactions, such as transfers and withdrawals, via the Be1st Smart Rabbit LINE Pay card or via e-transactions through the Thai Payment Network [TPN] or UnionPay,” Shoke said.

Sudrutai Thongsong, the senior vice president of BBL’s consumer product development under consumer banking, said the BBL–RLP cooperation will enable the bank to offer new financial services that match customer demand and lifestyle.

“This is also a good opportunity for the bank to expand its customer base into the new generation, which is more used to completing transactions online. And this is also a step towards a cashless society,” she said.

Jin Woo Lee, the CEO of Rabbit-LINE Pay, said the tie-up is an important step for the programme to maintain its leadership in the area of mobile payment services. This is the first time that the company has developed a payment system that supports TPN UnionPay accounts, as well as BBL branches nationwide.

“This cooperation strengthens our standing in the ‘Young Gen’ customer base, and we are confident that we will receive a good response. I believe the new debit cards will make transactions more convenient and help meet the lifestyle needs of customers. This is part of the drive to achieving a cashless society,” Lee said.

RLP has around 6.5 million customers and is accepted in more than 60,000 shops nationwide, which is planned to be expanded to 100,000 shops across Thailand by the end of this year.