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Published on September 14, 2007

Theera said the ministry had prepared plans for further spending before the fiscal year ends on September 30 that would raise the total amount of budget spent from 80 per cent at the end of August.

The ministry is also trying to speed up the opening of bidding for contracts to construct three electric rail lines for Bangkok, he said.

"If the Japan Bank for International Cooperation does not provide a loan to construct the train system, the government will get loans from domestic financial institutes," Theera said.

Discussion on drafts

The Bank of Thailand has invited members of the National Legislative Assembly to its headquarters today for an explanation of four controversial draft laws, in order to hasten their passage. The laws are to be submitted for the assembly's consideration this month.

Chanchai Boonritchaisri, senior director of the central bank's Legal and Litigation Department, said he expected the four laws to be passed under the current government.

Advice for shrimpers

With the slowdown of Thai shrimp exports to the United States, the Commerce Ministry is encouraging farmers to improve their standards and take advantage of the country's free-trade agreements to target new markets.

Thailand's trade partners are potential markets to boost exports due to their lower tariffs, but these countries also have high safety standards for imported shrimp, Noppadon Sarawasi, deputy director-general of the Trade Negotiations Department, said yesterday.

The Kingdom has trade pacts with Japan, Peru, Australia, New Zealand and China.

The US accounts for 52 per cent of Thai shrimp exports, but its anti-dumping duties and import regulations have caused trouble for exporters.

Big discounts at fair

A Commerce Ministry fair at Sanam Luang from today to next Tuesday is offering food, consumer goods and Otop (One Tambon One Product) items at discounts of 20-40 per cent.

Internal Trade Department director-general Siripol Yodmuangcharoen said the fair was aimed at helping low-income consumers.

"The fair should at least reduce the high burden on consumers during a period of rising oil prices and higher prices of other products," he said.

More coffee houses

Central Food Retail, Central Retail Corp's food retail subsidiary and operator of the Tops Supermarket chain, yesterday said it would spend Bt80 million to open more Segafredo Zanetti Espresso coffee houses in Bangkok and other major cities over the next two years.

Three outlets were opened earlier this year - at CentralWorld, on Soi Thonglor and on Sukhumvit 41 - and four more will be opened by year-end.

Kannikar Veerapong, Central Food Retail vice president for food and beverages, said there would be about 15 Segafredo Zanetti Espresso coffee houses in Bangkok and cities such as Chiang Mai, Phuket and Pattaya by the end of 2008.

Many of them would be stand-alone outlets with retail space of between 80 and 120 square metres.

The company expects to open 35-40 coffee houses over the next five years.

The Nation.