Investors in stocks should follow political developments both at home and abroad, as it could pressure the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index next week, market analysts said.
The baht this week (September 7 to 11) moved between Bt31.23 and Bt31.46 against the dollar before closing at Bt31.32 and Bt31.33.
The baht strengthened against the dollar as the US Federal Reserve looked set to maintain the interest rate at nearly zero in the long term after Fed chairman Jerome Powell announced a plan to raise inflation to support the US labour market and economy. This caused a weakening of the dollar compared to other major currencies.
An analyst at CIMB Thai Bank expected the baht to move between Bt31.00 and Bt31.50 next week against the dollar, adding that several central banks would hold meetings next week, such as the Fed (September 15-16), the Bank of Japan (September 16-17) and the Bank of England (September 17).
The SET Index on Friday (September 11) closed at 1,279.96, down 10.93 points or 0.85 per cent, while total transactions amounted to Bt44.155 billion.
An analyst at Tisco Securities expected the index next week to remain in negative territory between 1,260 and 1,300 due to political pressure both domestic and international.
“In Thailand, student protesters will hold a large political rally next Saturday. Investors were concerned that it would prolong and intensify,” the analyst said. “In foreign countries, we have to follow US-China tensions and the number of Covid-19 cases, so investors should be careful while investing.”
The price of gold on Saturday (September 12) was US$1940.50 per ounce while the price in Thailand was Bt28,700 per baht weight.
An analyst at YLG Bullion International said the price of gold would fluctuate sideways in the short term, advising investors to buy gold when the price dropped to the support line between $1,936 and $1,927 per ounce and take profit when the price rises to the resistance level between $1,956 and $1,966 per ounce.
“If the price drops below the support line, investors should wait to buy gold when the price drops to the next support line at $1,906 per ounce,” the analyst said.
The price of gold dropped by Bt150 per baht weight in morning trade on Saturday (September 12), the Gold Traders Association reported.
As of 9.18am, the buying price of a gold bar was Bt28,600 per baht weight and selling price Bt28,700, while gold ornaments were priced at Bt28,091.48 and Bt29,200, respectively.
At close on Friday (September 11), the buying price of a gold bar was Bt28,750 per baht weight and selling price Bt28,850 while gold ornaments were priced at Bt28,227.92 and Bt29,350, respectively.
The Comex (Commodity Exchange) gold price to be delivered in December dropped by US$16.4, or 0.83 per cent, closing at $1,947.9 (Bt60,908.36) per ounce on Friday. Gold price rose by 0.7 per cent this week.
Gold moved to negative territory on Friday, as investors sold the precious metal to take profit, while it was pressured by strong US economic data.
MEA seminar discusses data governance and Personal Data Protection Act
Sep 12. 2020
By THE NATION
The Metropolitan Electricity Authority (MEA), in cooperation with State Owned Enterprise Digital Club of Thailand (SOE-D), organised a seminar on “Guidance on management towards data governance and PDPA [Personal Data Protection Act],” on Friday (September 11).
The seminar was held at the MEA head office in Bangkok’s Khlong Toey district.
MEA deputy governor Wanchai Jiarawattanawi, who is also the 13th president of SOE-D, opened the seminar and gave a lecture on data governance and the PDPA, after which he signed a memorandum of understanding between MEA, SOE-D and Asean Chief Information Officer Association (ACIOA) to promote future cooperation between the three organisations.
The seminar also featured a lecture on the PPDA by Chaijaroen Atiphaet, ACIOA’s president, and a lecture on government’s data protection by Sak Sekkhunthod, ACIOA digital transformation adviser and former director of the Digital Government Development Agency.
Lands on Silom Road are the priciest, according to data on estimates in Bangkok gathered from 2016-2019 and reported by the Treasury Department on its website.
Silom had the highest estimated price at Bt700,000-Bt1 million per square wah (4 square metres), followed by lands on Phloen Chit Road (Bt900,000 per sq.wah) and lands on Rajdamri Road (Bt750,000-Bt900,000 per sq.wah).
Meanwhile, the cheapest lands in Bangkok are farmlands in Bangkhuntian district, which are estimated at Bt500-Bt10,000 per sq.wah.
The 10 roads with the costliest lands in Bangkok are:
1. Silom Road (Bt700,000-Bt1 million per sq.wah)
2. Phloen Chit Road (Bt900,000 per sq.wah)
3. Rajdamri Road (Bt750,000-Bt900,000 per sq.wah)
4. Rama I Road (Bt400,000-Bt900,000 per sq.wah)
5. Wireless Road (Bt500,000-Bt750,000 per sq.wah)
6. Sathorn Road (Bt450,000-Bt750,000 per sq.wah)
7. Yaowarat Road (Bt700,000 per sq.wah)
8. Thaniya Road, Pattanapong Road, Pattanapong II Road (Bt600,000 per sq.wah)
9. Narathiwas Rajanakarin Road (Bt280,000-Bt600,000 per sq.wah)
10. Ratchawong Road, Sampeng Road (Bt550,000 per sq.wah)
Properties on Silom Road are also one of the costliest in Bangkok. A four-storey office of 170 sq.wah on Silom Road could go for up to Bt155 million, or around Bt900,000 per sq.wah. Meanwhile, the recorded highest asking price of land and property sale in Bangkok is a 37-storey office building on Sathorn Road, area 4 rai and 8 sq.wah, with asking price of Bt7 billion or Bt4.35 million per sq.wah.
The department also mentioned that it had recorded only the asking prices of land and property, which might go down during negotiations.
Projects under the Village Fund worth Bt16 billion have been approved by a state subcommittee vetting the budget for local community development.
The projects will now be submitted to the Cabinet for approval on September 15, said National Village and Urban Community Fund Office director Rakpong Sengcharoen.
He said his office had asked for Bt200,000 for each of 79,604 Village Funds nationwide, aiming to generate jobs and revenue in the communities and mitigate the impact of Covid-19.
He said that the projects could begin in October and will end next February.
EconSep 11. 2020Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam, right
By The Nation
Betong Airport in the southern province of Yala should be open for services by December, Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam said on Friday (September 11).
Now that the airport’s construction has been completed, the authorities are running tests ahead of applying for operating licence and installing related aviation systems. The minister added that he will discuss the airport’s opening with related agencies, including the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand, to ensure all remaining work is completed in the next two months.
The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) Index dropped further on Friday to close at 1,279.96, down 10.93 points or 0.85 per cent. Total transactions amounted to Bt44.155 billion with an index high of 1,296.13 and a low of 1,279.33.
In the morning session, an analyst from Krungsri Securities said he expected the index to fall to between 1,280 and 1,285 due to lack of positive sentiment.
“The index is also under pressure from the direction of foreign indices, the low oil price and uncertainty over domestics politics after student protesters vowed to go ahead with their September 19 rally,” he said.
The 10 stocks with the highest trade value on Friday were JMART, JMT, STGT, MINT, SUPER, KBANK, SCC, GPSC, AOT and CRC.
As of 4.30pm, the price of oil rose by US$0.03 or 0.08 per cent to $37.33 per barrel, while gold dropped by $10.70 or 0.54 per cent, to $1,953.60 per ounce.
Other Asian indices were mixed:
Japan’s Nikkei Index closed at 23,406.49, up 171.02 points or 0.74 per cent.
China’s Shang Hai SE Composite Index closed at 3,260.35, up 25.52 points or 0.79 per cent, while the Shenzhen SE Component Index closed at 12,942.95, up 200.10 points or 1.57 per cent.
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index closed at 24,503.31, up 189.77 points or 0.78 per cent.
South Korea’s KOSPI Index closed at 2,396.69, up 0.21 points or 0.0088 per cent.
Taiwan’s TAIEX Index closed at 12,675.95, down 15.80 points or 0.12 per cent.
Muji Thailand is continuing to revise its prices so the brand becomes more affordable for Thai consumers, said Akihiro Kamogari, managing director of Muji Retail (Thailand).
He said the company has been able to reduce prices by eliminating unnecessary processes and improving its operating efficiency.
This year, the brand adjusted its retail price of more than 604 items sold in Thailand, 127 of which are in garment category and 477 in the household category. The brand plans to revise the price of 55 furniture items this month.
Last month, Muji opened its 20th store in Thailand at the Mall Ngamwongwan in Nonthaburi. This new store is the second biggest branch after the one at Samyan Mitrtown in downtown Bangkok.
eBay pitches its Global 24/7 programme to boost Thai product sales across the world
Sep 10. 2020
By The Nation
eBay, a leader in international e-commerce, today (September 10) launched its Global 24/7 programme, designed specifically to help SMEs in Thailand and other markets across Southeast Asia to leverage its platform for global exports as the economy gradually enters a recovery phase from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The programme is available to any business entity that is new to eBay and wants to start a global online business by joining eBay’s marketplace of more than 182 million active buyers, the platform said.
“Global e-commerce is experiencing exponential growth due to a shift in consumer behaviour resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Tam Yong Sheng, head of Business Development, eBay Southeast Asia. “Thai SME exporters on our platform have seen a corresponding increase in sales, especially in categories such as vitamins and dietary supplements, guitars and bass parts and accessories, fine jewellery, motorcycle parts, and garden & outdoor living, where volumes have shown strong growth compared to the same period last year,” he added.
“This shows e-commerce is a key driver for SMEs, helping them to recover from the economic downturn. Our aspiration with the eBay Global 24/7 programme is to empower businesses by helping them move online more quickly and giving them the opportunity to participate in an international marketplace with approximately 1.5 billion live listings at any given time across 190 markets,” Sheng said.
According to eBay, the programme, which runs from now until December 31, 2020, offers new sellers a range of benefits, including:
• New business seller incentives: eBay will waive 100 per cent of eBay Store fees at the basic subscription tier and 50 per cent of fees for businesses to use the platform’s Promoted Listings to advertise their products. Total rebates for each seller can be as high as US$1,000 (Bt31,290 baht). These benefits will significantly reduce the costs for SMEs, allowing them to grow their businesses online.
• Educational webinars: eBay offers webinars for business owners to gain insights on cross-market selling opportunities on eBay, best practices to optimise listing rankings and visibility, and tips on developing a traffic generation plan for their virtual storefront.
• Free Access to Product Listing Tools worth up to $700: Sellers will have full access to Viewider, enabling easy store set-up on eBay and building on the strengths of their existing online selling channels. Those in the Automotive category will be entitled to additional listing assistance to map their items to eBay’s Master Vehicle List, enhancing visibility through eBay’s fitment finder. These tools will reduce the amount of manual work SMEs need to complete and accelerate their go-global journey.
• Special Offers from DHL Express: eBay sellers who register a new account with DHL Express will get a Bt500 discount voucher, an additional Bt300 when using the service at least once a month for three consecutive months, special shipping rates, 30-day credit (juristic persons), and the chance to collect more discounts every quarter with accumulated shipping with DHL First Promotion.
• Special offers from Fastship: eBay sellers can enjoy a 5 per cent discount when registering a new Fastship account at https://app.fastship.co/joinus/ebay2020 and completing a transaction via Fastship’s API called “eBay Feed”. Sellers can also enjoy a Bt300 discount by using the ebay300 discount code at checkout.
• Dedicated business development manager: Each business owner with more than 100 products listed on eBay will also be assigned a dedicated adviser, who offers personalised guidance and consultation to ensure the owners make the most of their online stores.
• Market intelligence: To help business owners make better-informed decisions and strategies, eBay offers local market intelligence reports for their specific product categories and industries.
SMEs operating an existing business that does not have an eBay account are eligible to apply for this programme.
To get started, they need to apply at eBaySEAforbusiness.com/th and follow the instructions that are provided in subsequent emails. The application period for the eBay Global 24/7 programme is from now until September 30.
Thai products sold on eBay
The United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and Canada were the top five export destination markets for Thai sellers on eBay in the first quarter of 2020.
Guitar and bass parts and accessories, vitamins and mineral supplements, fine earrings and rings, motorcycle parts, and plants, seeds & bulbs were among the leading items sold globally.
According to eBay, retail exports by Thai sellers on the platform for the first quarter show a strong growth trajectory year-on-year for the following “hot-selling” categories:
> Parts and accessories for guitars and basses saw a growth of roughly 38 per cent in the US market.
> Thai sellers recorded growth of 53 per cent in vitamin and mineral supplements to the UK.
> Thais also recorded massive growth of 98 per cent in vitamin and mineral supplement sales to Australia.
> Thailand’s trade with Germany for fine rings and fine earrings recorded more than 50 and 110 per cent growth, respectively.
> Sales to France, Italy and Spain of motorcycle parts and plants, seeds & bulbs grew 44 and 32 per cent, respectively.
THAI brings its top-class Royal Orchid Dining Experience down to earth
Sep 10. 2020
By The Nation
Thai Airways International’s catering department has launched the Royal Orchid Dining Experience, making meals from its Royal First and Royal Silk in-flight menu available to general customers on the ground.
Following the success of a gourmet event held from July to August, with high-quality meals being prepared by international chefs, another event was held at THAI headquarters’ employees’ canteen, which was converted into a Royal Orchid Dining Experience by volunteer staff from the airline’s technical, operations, and ground equipment services departments, THAI Catering managing director Varangkana Luerojvong said.
To generate a passenger cabin atmosphere on the ground, plane seats and furniture are made from discharged aircraft engines, engine fans have been converted into table legs and rubber wheels made into tables. Some engine parts including the spinner core are on display. Customers can get to climb a ladder car similar to real embarking, before scanning a QR code to receive an e-boarding pass on their smartphones.
Menus served at the latest dining experience were bestsellers from the previous event, such as pasta, shawarma, chicken tikka, yakisoba, cheesecake, macaroni, salad, roasted beef with nam jim jaew, and kanom chin nam prik, with prices starting at Bt65.
There were also special menus made of high quality ingredients by international chefs from THAI Catering, which has over 60 years of experience in serving THAI and customer airlines.
These special menus are now being rotated every month.
Local and imported ingredients used in preparing inflight meals, mixed fruit juice, tamarind tea and lime butterfly pea are sold in the TG Market Zone.
The Royal Orchid Dining Experience is now open every Wednesday to Sunday. Coffee, tea and baked goods are sold from 7am, while international meals are available from 9am-2pm.
Self-service set menus are also on sale at the main level of the Royal Orchid Dining Experience, while full service set menus for a group of customers are served on the mezzanine level. For reservations, please call 0-2356-1666 from 8am-5pm. Those interested need to book three days in advance.
THAI Catering also aims to introduce the Royal Orchid Pop-up Dining Experience at its THAI Silom and Larn Luang offices later this year.
Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam, right 
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
(1).JPG)
