Gulf records B1.4bn profit in second quarter
Gulf records B1.4bn profit in second quarterGulf commenced commercial operation of the first unit of the GSRC power project on March 31 of this year. Gulf Energy Development Plc reported core profit of 1.4 billion baht in the second quarter of the year, an increase of 42% year-on-year or 412 million baht. Total revenue for the second quarter was recorded at 11.8 billion baht, an increase of 2.71 billion baht or 29.6% year-on-year. On Aug 13, the board of directors approved the restructuring of the group's business by changing the company name of Gulf Energy International Company Limited, a subsidiary in which the company holds 100% equity stake and operates as a holding company, to Gulf Renewable Energy Co. Gulf Renewable Energy will also be the investment arm for the company's renewable energy business expansion in the future.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:37 UTC
Get beauty advice from experts online
Charlotte Tilbury Thailand has launched a new channel for shopping for its beauty products via Chat & Shop at the brand's Line Official Account @CTILBURYMAKEUP_TH. The service includes advice on choosing cosmetics and virtual consultations, which provides tips and techniques on applying make-up and skincare products through a video call with its beauty experts. One of the world's most influential make-up artists, Charlotte Tilbury MBE founded her eponymous brand back in 2013. Last October, a partnership with The Mall Group led to the presence of the British beauty brand in Thailand, with the first counter at Paragon, followed by a pop-up at The Emporium. The Chat & Shop service will allow shopping from home, to buy the award-winning Magic Cream, Magic Foundation, Cheek to Chic two-tone blush, Matte Revolution lipstick and other items with special offers.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:37 UTC
Blocking transmission
Photo courtesy of BiotecFor the first time last week, the National Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (Biotec) unveiled three coronavirus vaccines that are currently in development. It creates antibodies to catch the spike protein and block its entry into host cells," said Surapong Koonpaew, who works in the virology and cell technology research team. A vaccine with an adenovirus base can carry the long spike protein but the one with an influenza base can keep only the tiny receptor-binding domain of the spike protein due to a constraint. We need to talk with the Food and Drug Administration to speed up the process because only the spike protein has changed," she said. Scientists should improve machine learning to classify and annotate large amounts of genomic data and model human immune responses to predict pathogens and mutations.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:37 UTC
Festive farewell
Two things, however, caught my attention -- the performances of the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (nicknamed Skapara) and skateboarders zipping everywhere. The band emerged during a roots boom that included Okinawan bands like Rinkenband, The Boom and Tokyo roots rockers Shang Shang Typhoon. In fact, in the early 1990s, I went on tour with Shang Shang Typhoon and Skapara on the former's Southeast Asian tour as their photographer, covering the Thai and Indonesian legs of the tour. Skapara were one of the first ska bands in Asia. Ska fans interested in Skapara's best work should check out the band's debut EP Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra and Tokyo Strut (Epic, 1006).
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:37 UTC
CPN set to open Si Racha hub
CPN set to open Si Racha hubA digital rendition of Central Si Racha in Chon Buri's Si Racha district. Central Pattana Plc (CPN) is preparing to officially open the mixed-use project 'Central Si Racha' on Oct 27 in Chon Buri's Si Racha district. "Central Si Racha is ready for opening with an official opening date of Oct 27 this year," Mr Nattakit said. Central Si Racha is also designed to be environmentally-friendly under the sustainable business approach. The semi-outdoor format is a model based on another CPN project, Central EastVille.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:26 UTC
Nod for 7+7 provides cheer
Patong beach in Phuket recently started to see a gradual increase in tourists thanks to the Phuket sandbox. Dusida WorrachaddejchaiPhuket sandbox and other provinces in the south struggling with ways to reopen for international tourists will be buoyed after the CCSA on Monday nailed down the long-awaited 7+7 extension plan. According to the 7+7 Phuket extension plan, the areas to included are Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao in Surat Thani; Khao Lak, Kho Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi in Phangnga; Koh Phi Phi, Railay Beach, and Koh Ngai in Krabi. After testing the country's reopening programme with Phuket sandbox, the province has recorded 394,877 room nights in 394 hotels with 35,480 guests. Therefore, the 7+7 extension plan which mainly connects tourists via boat is seen as an alternative for tourists who will be able to enjoy more travel options.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:26 UTC
Kratom inmates to walk free
Kratom inmates to walk freeThe Ministry of Justice is pledging to free and dismiss drug charges against 12,000 inmates convicted for kratom possession before the plant is formally removed from the list of banned narcotics on Aug 24. The move was announced in the Royal Gazette on May 26, with the changes expected to take effect from Aug 24 onwards. "From Aug 24, kratom will no longer be an illegal narcotic. "If we fail to discharge inmates in prisons before Aug 24, they will be a victim of the system, and we will need to compensate them. Those who are remanded will be released immediately, but inmates will still need to wait for a court warrant before they can walk free, which will be read online.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:26 UTC
NRF earmarks B2bn for e-commerce ventures
NRF earmarks B2bn for e-commerce venturesMr Dan said the company is likely to settle 2-3 deals to acquire startups or SMEs in the rest of the year. SET-listed NR Instant Produce Plc (NRF), the producer and distributor of food from plant protein, plans to invest 2 billion baht in the e-commerce business in 2021-2022 in a move to boost sales to 5 billion baht in 2023. With WellPath and new e-commerce deals, NRF will extend its e-commerce business by importing products to sell in Thailand and the Asean market via e-commerce platforms. Boosted by new acquisitions, the company recently revised its revenue target to 5 billion baht within 2023, from 3 billion baht earlier projected. Of the total, 50% revenue will come from e-commerce business, with 20% from plant-based products and the rest from others including functional hemp products.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:26 UTC
Ratch eyes completion of two more acquisitions
Ratch eyes completion of two more acquisitionsSET-listed Ratch Group Plc, a major power operator, plans to conclude two more deals on power generation asset acquisition within this year in a move to expand its capacity to 10 gigawatts over the next five years. Ratch has prepared capital spending worth 15 billion baht for asset acquisition this year. At present, Ratch runs power plants, with a combined capacity of 7,053MW. Its two power plants are scheduled to start operation in October this year. During the first half of this year, Ratch spent 5.44 billion baht for both power and non-power businesses.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:26 UTC
Property outlook worsens
"The pandemic situation in the second quarter was worse than in the first quarter, resulting in an economic regression. The second quarter recorded housing transfers totalling 62,072 units worth 194.4 billion baht. The key driver was single detached houses with 36% growth to 62.72 billion baht, while townhouses and condos had a single-digit increase of 7% to 34.97 billion baht and 4% to 49.68 billion baht, respectively. Pruksa reported 14.16 billion baht in presales in the first half, a 48% growth from the same period last year. Presales in the second quarter had a consecutive rise since the fourth quarter last year with 7.2 billion baht.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:26 UTC
Philippines scraps plan to tax imported Thai cars
Philippines scraps plan to tax imported Thai carsCars for export are lined up at the Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Chon Buri province. Thai car exporters' prospects have become brighter after the Philippines scrapped plans to impose tariffs on cars imported from Thailand, and returned 1.2 billion baht worth of safeguard duty to importers. The duty has been charged on Philippine importers at 42,000 baht per passenger car and 66,000 baht per pickup truck. This has resulted in higher expenses for Philippine importers, with a total of 1.2 billion baht charged on the two types of imported cars, according to Mr Jurin. He said pickup trucks imported from Thailand control up to 99% of that particular automotive niche in the Philippines, while Thai passenger cars control 20% of that sector.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 23:26 UTC
Protesters rally at Government House
Like in the past three days, nighttime clashes between police and demonstrators followed in the Din Daeng area in Bangkok after the rally ended. According to them, the goal of the rally was for Gen Prayut to resign unconditionally. The group ended the rally at 6pm but some demonstrators went back to the Din Daeng area where riot police were stationed. Since Saturday, different groups of anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in Bangkok and the provinces, demanding that Gen Prayut resign. Their rally site in the capital has always been Gen Prayut’s house in the 1st Infantry Regiment.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 13:00 UTC
Melbourne under coronavirus curfew after street parties, pub crawls
Melbourne under coronavirus curfew after street parties, pub crawlsAuthorities in Melbourne are trying to stamp out an outbreak of the Delta coronavirus variant. MELBOURNE: A coronavirus curfew was announced Monday for Australia's second-biggest city of Melbourne, with residents confined to their homes overnight as authorities work to stamp out a Delta variant outbreak. More than five million Melbourne residents will be unable to leave their homes between 9pm and 5am from Monday evening, with essential workers requiring permits to be on the streets. Victoria state premier Dan Andrews said the decision came after a series of street parties, pub crawls and home gatherings over the weekend, as Melbourne reached a "tipping point" in its latest outbreak. Australia has recorded more than 39,000 cases of Covid-19 and 966 deaths to date in a population of 25 million.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 04:41 UTC
Yet another reason to love the Lab
Prof Dr Kaywalee Chatdarong, deputy dean for Research and Innovation at the Faculty of Veterinary Science. The main objective of the sniffer dogs project is to screen people who have asymptomatic Covid-19 or people who show no symptoms. Even though the screening results of trained dogs showed high accuracy, Prof Dr Kaywalee does not recommend using the results on its own. There are many confounding factors that affect recent sweat samples, including vaccines and variants," said Prof Dr Kaywalee. These projects are possible but we need financial resources in order to train new dogs with patient sample cases," added Prof Dr Kaywalee.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 00:45 UTC
New app an asset for analysis
New app an asset for analysisFazWaz invested more than 15 million baht in the development of the app. FazWaz, a Thailand-based online real estate group, has recently launched a new app aimed at accelerating the digitalisation of the local property market. Brennan Campbell, FazWaz chief executive, said the app will help real estate developers, institutional investors, banks and brokers better analyse the market and consumer needs through a base of historical and real-time data. He said online search and transaction data was showing a "remarkable uplift" in resort markets such as Hua Hin. The Insights app is now available free on both the App Store for iOS and Play Store for Android.
Source:Bangkok Post
August 16, 2021 00:33 UTC