The committee tasked with developing Thailand into an international medical hub on Friday approved in principle guidelines for opening four more airports in the provinces for medical tourists.
Tares Krassanairawiwong, director general of the Department of Health Service Support, said the airports in question are U-Tapao, Samui, Chiang Mai and Phuket.
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports are already open to medical tourists.
The committee is awaiting approval from the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA).
Currently, there are 1,123 foreigners staying in alternative hospital quarantine, of whom 652 are patients and 471 are their companions. This group has brought Bt114 million in revenue so far.
Meanwhile, a CCSA sub-committee has approved the concept of wellness or spa quarantine and the department will soon draw up guidelines to govern this service.
EconOct 02. 2020Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow
By The Nation
Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said on Friday that though the government has no plans to set up a fund to stabilise the stock market, it might launch some tools to shore it up.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index ended the week at 1,237.54, down 10.05 points or 0.81 per cent. Total transactions stood at Bt54.24 billion with an index high of 1,246.78 and a low of 1,231.11.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index closed at 1,237.54 on Friday, down 10.05 points or 0.81 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt54.24 billion with an index high of 1,246.78 and a low of 1,231.11.
In the morning session, an analyst at Krungsri Securities expected the day’s index to fluctuate between 1,240 and 1,255 despite positive sentiment over a new US$2.2-trillion US stimulus bill.
“The sharp fall in the oil price due to uncertainty over fuel demand, and foreign investors’ mass sell-offs of Thai shares will pressure the index,” he said.
Around midday, the SET index plummeted 13.09 points or 1.04 per cent to 1,235.25 following news that US President Donald Trump had contracted Covid-19.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value today were STGT, PTTEP, PTT, MICRO, KBANK, MINT, STA, DIF, AOT and BBL.
As of 4.30pm, the price of oil dropped by US$1.31 or 3.38 per cent to $37.41 per barrel, while gold dropped by $3.60 or 0.19 per cent, to $1,912.70 per ounce.
Elsewhere in Asia, Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 23,029.90, down 155.22 points or 0.67 per cent.
Stock markets in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were closed for the Moon festival, while South Korea’s KOSPI market was closed for the Chuseok festival.
Energy Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said his ministry is in the process of preparing guidelines and criteria related to community power plants and the report should be ready this month.
He said these new power plants should promote the cultivation of new energy crops, increase jobs and generate income.
The report should be handed over to the National Energy Policy Council before the end of this month and the pilot 100 to 150 megawatt plant should be operating by the end of the year.
“Power plants should be placed in an area where 80 per cent of the land is devoted to energy crops and the remainder to fast-growing plants such as Napier grass and Earleaf acacia,” Supattanapong said.
He added that energy production businesses will have to adapt to new conditions once community power plants kick off.
Short sales shot up 251 per cent on Thursday after the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) implemented the old short sales regulation, or the zero-plus-tick rule.
Short sales value rose to Bt2.1 billion, from the average of Bt600 million per day in September.
Previously, the SET used the uptick rule that allowed investors to engage in short-selling only when the share price was higher than the latest trading price, to mitigate market volatility. It announced recently that it would use the old zero-plus-tick rule, which enables investors to engage in short-selling when the share price is higher or equal to the latest trading price from October 1 onwards.
Nuttachart Mekmasin, assistant managing director at Trinity Securities, expected the value of short sales to rise over Bt1 billion due to liquidity in making transactions and high stock valuation.
“Short sales would cause the SET to fall below 1,200 points because the index would move in line with reality after the previous uptick rule was changed,” he said.
The top five shares with the highest short sales on Thursday were Kasikornbank (KBANK) Bt158.12 million, Minor International (MINT) Bt132.73 million, PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) Bt124.31 million, Airports of Thailand (AOT) Bt108.24 million, and Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) Bt104.45 million.
The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has joined hands with Spain’s Wallbox Chargers SL to enter the smart electric vehicle charging service business.
Egat assistant governor Jiraporn Sirikum said that the company had signed a partnership agreement on September 28 with Wallbox Chargers SL, a Spanish startup company that has been successful in developing and manufacturing the world’s first residential-use smart bi-directional charger, to jointly develop the Smart EV charging service charger between electric vehicles and the electric systems.
The National Power Regulatory will amend the regulations for electricity supply from electric vehicles back to the power system. The Energy Regulatory Commission will prepare the Thai power system to support virtual power plant innovation to buy electricity from the electric vehicle battery into the electric system, especially during peak hours of electricity demand, as a backup system to help strengthen the country’s electricity security.
Wallbox Chargers SL will help Egat develop a smart electric vehicle charging service that is suitable for Thailand.
Egat has been granted the right to provide maintenance services and equipment installation, including the software myWallbox service, to manage the EV charging station system of operators under the Wallbox brand.
In the first phase, Egat has started providing Wallbox service to car manufacturers and prepare to develop a hotel business model to attract other organisations to join EV life.
KE Group teams with Alibaba Cloud to launch ‘first-in-Asia’ SKY OS platform for retail and real estate sector
Oct 01. 2020
By The Nation
Luxury real-estate-developer KE Group and global tech leader Alibaba Cloud have teamed up to create SKY OS – a platform offering new sales channels backed by big data to malls, shops, restaurants, hotels, offices and more.
A payment gateway and e-wallet are also included to complete the SKY OS loop.
The “SKY” application of the platform integrates different applications from its partners to provide a connected system for clients’ sales and operation management.
SKY OS has five elements:
1. A Loyalty and Campaign module enabling businesses to cultivate big data from their customer database, create the right promotions, build and maintain relationships with members, and optimise results from marketing.
2. O2O (Offline-to-Online) model for businesses to join offline and online channels through integration of sales and marketing operations.
3. Seamless integration via what Alibaba Cloud calls its world-class engine and infrastructure.
4. A massive data analytical engine provided by Alibaba Cloud to give businesses access to big data so they can target customers precisely.
5. Cashless system of e-wallet, e-voucher, e-coupon, and points collection and redemptions that serve most retail businesses’ needs.
KE Group said the platform is open to all, but will be available by the end of this year to tenants of SET-registered Bualuang K E Retail, including CDC Shopping Center, the Crystal Ekamai-Ramindra, Ratchapruek, Chaiyapruek, The Scene, Plearnary Mall, Amorini, Summakorn Place Ratchapruek, Ramkamhang, Rangsit and I’M Park Chula.
KE Group said building a SKY OS platform will cost small and medium-sized businesses between Bt300,000 and Bt1 million, compared to the Bt800,000-Bt5 million it would cost to build their own application.
Ikea to stop selling non-rechargeable alkaline batteries by Oct 2021
Oct 01. 2020
By The Nation
Ikea announced it will remove non-rechargeable alkaline batteries from its global home furnishing range by October 2021, hoping customers who use batteries frequently will make the switch to rechargeable solutions, saving money while also reducing waste over time.
“We are pleased to be phasing out Alkalisk alkaline batteries from our range globally and increasing the focus on our rechargeable batteries,” said Lars Svensson, sustainability director for Ikea Southeast Asia and Mexico. “We hope this enables many in Southeast Asia to opt for an affordable and convenient rechargeable battery, prolonging the life of products and materials while also reducing waste and saving money.”
The nickel metal hydride (NiMH) range of Ladda batteries can be charged up to 500 times. Several current studies show that rechargeable NiMH batteries have a lower environmental impact than alkaline batteries when used in high-energy-consuming devices that are charged on a regular basis, such as toys, flashlights, portable speakers and cameras, Ikea said.
After 10 charges, a rechargeable Ladda battery sold in Ikea’s stores emits lower greenhouse gas than alkaline batteries when obtaining the same amount of energy.
Ikea sold about 300 million alkaline batteries last year around the globe. Customers at its stores in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia bought some 3.4 million packs of non-rechargeable Alkalisk batteries.
Hypothetically speaking, if all Ikea customers switch from alkaline batteries to rechargeable ones for high-draining devices (and charge these just 50 times), global waste can be reduced by as much as 5,000 tonnes a year, the store said.
At this stage, the lithium-ion button cell battery called Plattboj will be kept in the range as some applications currently being sold by Ikea require a button cell battery to function, it added.
Sena rolls out condos at under Bt1 million to woo first jobbers
Oct 02. 2020
By THE NATION
Property developer Sena Development Plc is focusing on low-price condominiums that are affordable for first jobbers because of the fallout of the Covid-19 crisis that has hit several sectors hard, including property, and led to contraction of the economy.
Kesara Tanyaluckpak, Sena’s deputy chief executive officer, said the company was targeting those aged 25-30 years with a monthly salary of Bt15,000 and above.
“We have introduced the brand “Sena Kitt” that features eight condo projects at sub-Bt1 million price with total value at Bt2.37 billion,” she said. “Four projects have already opened, in the Rangsit, Bankradee, Phaholyothin and Phetkasem areas, in the first half of 2020. We plan to announce the rest of the projects before the year-end.”
Kesara added that the latest project, “Sena Kitt Theparak”, which opened last week, was able to secure the sale of 158 out of 328 units, valued at Bt126 million.
Samma Keetasin, the company’s independent board member, added that the condo market in Bangkok and surrounding areas in the first half of 2020 had seen a huge drop from 66,367 units sold last year to only 8,792 units sold.
“Condos priced at Bt1 million to Bt3 million have the highest sales of over 6,000 units in the first half of this year, while those under Bt1 million sold only 221 units,” he said. “We estimate that towards the year-end, the demand for low-price condos will rise corresponding to the economic status and average household income that have been affected by the outbreak.”
Mortgage rates fall as demand for home loans rises
Oct 02. 2020
By The Washington Post · Michele Lerner · BUSINESS, PERSONAL-FINANCE, US-GLOBAL-MARKETS
Mortgage rates fell as growing demand for home loans continue to strain lenders’ capacity to process them.
The average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage reached 2.88%, down from 2.90%, with an average 0.8 point, according to a Freddie Mac report released Thursday. (A point is a fee buyers pay, in addition to the interest rate, that equals 1% of the loan.) The average rate is substantially down from what it was a year ago – 3.65%.
The 15-year fixed-rate average reached 2.36%, down from 2.40%, with an average 0.7 point. The five-year adjustable-rate average at 2.90%, with an average 0.2 point, was unchanged from the previous week. The 15-year rate was 3.14% and the five-year was 3.38% a year ago.
“Mortgage rates are in a holding pattern because we have lots of big things looming and investors are waiting to see what happens,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist with Realtor.com. “Obviously, they’re waiting on the election results, but also on the next stimulus plan, which seems to start and stall. I expect mortgage rates to stay stable and not go up or down much until we get some of this big news.”
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, from which the averages are derived, is confined to rates on conventional home loans for borrowers who make a 20% down payment and have excellent credit. Rates are likely to be higher for borrowers who make a smaller down payment and who have a lower credit score.
The yield on 10-year Treasury notes, Federal Reserve policies, the stock market and other economic indicators as well as the volume of mortgage applications also all play a role in determining rates individual borrowers are offered from week to week.
Pending home sales, which are homes that are under contract but have not yet gone to closing, rose by 24.2% in August compared to August 2019, according to the National Association of Realtors. They were also up 8.8% compared to July. The buyers of these homes are in the process of finalizing their mortgage loans, which contributes to high loan demand.
At the same time, mortgage applications for the week dropped – not so much from declining demand but from lenders trying to deal with an overwhelming interest from borrowers by curtailing the number of applications they will accept.
Lenders who “have been able to increase business capacity continue to offer more competitive rates than others who have been forced to slow volume with higher, less competitive rate offerings to consumers,” said Paul Buege, president and COO of Inlanta Mortgage in Pewaukee, Wis. “Lenders who have been forced to slow business by offering less competitive rates will usually adjust their refinance price offerings, but not their rates on mortgage loans to purchase a home.”
Because the Federal Reserve intends for at least the next two years to continue buying bundles of mortgages sold to investors called mortgage-backed securities, or MBSs, analysts say they expect home loan rates to remain at near historically low levels for the long term. Still, many lenders advise potential borrowers not to wait.
“The advice offered by most lenders: Act now and take advantage of the historically low rates to finance the purchase of a home or refinance a current mortgage,” Buege said. “Most agree rates will not drop much further, but have a slight chance of increasing. If you have a reason to act, do it now.”
Another possible reason not to wait, according to experts: Rising home prices might offset the savings generated by low mortgage rates.
Borrowers taking out a $400,000 loan at this week’s 2.88% would save about $170 per month, or more than $2,000 per year, compared to borrowers taking out that same loan at 3.65%, the rate this time last year.
“But keep in mind that a $400,000 loan with a 20% down payment would be a $500,000 property, which would look different than a $500,000 property a year ago because prices have risen so dramatically,” Hale said. “If prices are up 10% compared to last year, that $500,000 house would have cost $450,000. So, basically, low rates are saving only about $2 or $3 a month and are just offsetting the price increases. Low rates are helpful, but it depends on how long you’ve been shopping for a home whether they help that much.”
In a statement, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, added: “We’re seeing potential home buyers who now have more purchasing power and many current homeowners who have the option to refinance their loan for a better rate. However, several factors could disrupt this activity, including high home prices, low inventory and lender capacity.”
The inability of lenders to keep up with the crush of demand for home loans is playing out in the weekly Mortgage Bankers Association report. The market composite index, which measures the total volume of applications, dropped 4.8%. The purchase index slid 2% but was 22% higher than a year ago. The refinance index fell 7% from a week earlier but was 52% higher than a year ago.
“There are indications that refinance rates are not decreasing to the same extent as rates for home purchase loans, and that could explain last week’s decline in refinances,” Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting, said in a statement. “Many lenders are still operating at full capacity and working through operational challenges, ultimately limiting the number of applications they are able to accept.”
Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow 
