Bina Puri bags RM81m Bangkok warehouse distribution centre job

Bina Puri Holdings Bhd has bagged a RM80.88 million contract from Thai Consumer Distribution Centre Co Ltd to build a warehouse distribution centre in Bangkok, Thailand.
 
Bina Puri, via its unit Bina Puri (Thailand) Ltd, received a letter of award on March 27, 2013 for the purpose. The construction period will take 14 months.
 
"With the award, the group's current unbuilt book order stands at RM1.86 billion," said Bina Puri in a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday.
 
The contract is expected to contribute positively to the earnings of Bina Puri Group for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2013.

Myanmar's Dawei infrastructure project in trouble

 The budget for the construction of the project was set at US$8 billion. But two years have been passed and the project has used only US$52 million, the source said.

 The project, implemented by Italian-Thai Development (IDP) has been importing construction tools and machinery since January 2011.

 Although the company has spent on tools and machinery for the project, the amount invested is unknown and there has been no transparency. It is believed that the company is in financial difficulty, the source said.

 Construction tools and machinery were imported via Nabule and Htikhi border trade centres last year. This year, they've been brought though the Nabule border trade centre.

Egco's solar power plants win ADB's loan

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing $85 million (Bt1.65 billion) for the construction of Solarco's three solar power plants in the central part of Thailand.

 Solarco is a special-purpose company owned by Yanhee EGCO Holding, a subsidiary of Electricity Generating Plc, the country's first independent power producer and currently the second large private power producer in Thailand.

 Under a public-private partnership programme, the three solar power plants will generate 57 megawatt.

 "ADB is contributing to build a critical mass of successful large scale solar power projects in Thailand, which will give confidence to more investors and banks that solar power is a proven technology and a sound investment," said Daniel Wiedmer, Senior Investment Specialist at ADB's Private Sector Operations Department.

MRTA and SRT oversee Bt2-trillion rail plan

Big roles for MRTA, SRT in expansion drive

 The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) and State Railway of Thailand (SRT) are tasked with implementing multiple rail and mass-transit projects under the Bt2-trillion state borrowing programme.

 The government is awaiting parliamentary approval for its proposed legislation to borrow the massive amount.

 According to Yongsit Rojsrikul, governor of the MRTA, his agency alone is responsible for eight elevated-train and subway projects in Bangkok and peripherals under the programme.

 "The Purple Line of 23 kilometres from Bang Yai to Bang Sue is under construction," Yongsit said. "It's now 50 per cent completed. Another project, the extended Blue Line, which is more than 20km long, is also under construction. The third project under way is the south Green Line, which is 17km long, from Bearing to Samut Prakan.

Ch Karnchang gets Phase 2 of Bearing-Samut Prakan route

The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) has contracted Ch Karnchang for construction of the second phase of Green Line route between Bearing and Samut Prakan, worth about Bt2.4 billion.

MRTA chairman Ratchanee Treepipatkul said the contract would involve design and construction of the rail system, the third rail powering the electric train, and the maintenance centre. The construction will require 1,350 days. The elevated route will be 13 kilometres in length and include nine stations.

Purple Line readies for 2016 debut - New route expected to add 100,000 travellers

The long delayed Purple Line mass transit project is expected to be operational by 2016 as the operating and maintenance contract is estimated to be approved by the cabinet after Songkran, says subway operator Bangkok Metro Plc (BMCL).

The project was scheduled to start services in 2014 but massive flooding in 2011 caused delays to construction, said BMCL president Chaiwat Utaiwan.

He said the new route will help add another 100,000 passengers on top of estimated ridership of 270,000 for this year.

Mr Chaiwat said construction of the 16-kilometre route is halfway done and should take another 40 months before it is operational.

Thailand: Energy minister says solar roof to become more popular

Solar roofs are expected to be more popular in Thailand in the coming years given falling solar cell costs and rising gas prices, says energy expert and former energy minister Piyasvasti Amranand, the Bangkok Post reports.
 
Mr Piyasvasti, chairman of the Energy for Environment Foundation, said the average cost of solar energy at 5.12 to 5.99 baht per megawatt-hour (unit) will make it competitive with liquefied natural gas (LNG), which costs 5.71 baht per unit.
 
Solar roof costs are in the range of 5.4 to 6.5 baht per unit.

In the longer term, LNG prices will rise in line with global oil prices.

Solar power can also be a power back-up, particularly during peak hours. Normally, solar panels generate electricity during peak hours given the intensity of the sunlight.
 
"Demand for electricity at midday and in the afternoon should be served by electricity generated by solar panels," said Mr Piyasvasti.

Developers leaning towards demolition of apartments

The developers of the "Leaning Towers of Pathum Thani" are today due to announce whether or not they will demolish the 100 million baht project and rebuild.

 Don Muang Grand Plaza Co Ltd has so far invested 70 million baht to build two apartment blocks with 132 rooms in each, located behind Zeer Rangsit Mall in Lam Luk Ka. Zeer Rangsit Mall owns the property.

"There is an 80% chance that we will destroy the building and rebuild again," the company said in a statement after a meeting with residents from the nearby Pummarin housing estate on Thursday.

"But we can't confirm what we are going to do with the building at the moment. We are still looking into the problem and considering the best solution," the statement said, adding they would announce their decision today.

Ku Kot municipality issued an evacuation order for the area on Monday, after police started receiving reports from local residents on Sunday that one of the towers was collapsing. Work was immediately suspended and labourers evacuated from the construction site.

BEUMER Group Opens New Factory Building in Thailand

BEUMER Group celebrated the official opening of the new factory building in Thailand, located in the eastern Chachoengsao Province.

BEUMER aims to offer more support for customers in this high-growth market and continue its practice of strategic internationalisation. In Chachoengsao Province, east of Bangkok, the intralogistics specialist has created a local presence with the founding of BEUMER (Thailand) Co. Ltd. enabling a fast delivery of spare parts and optimised service for the benefit of its customers. "I am convinced that, with the construction of a new building here in Asia, we have done exactly the right step to keep up with the growth of the Southeast Asian market", said Dr. Christoph Beumer. Peter Weiß, director of BEUMER group company in Thailand, called the successfully completed construction "a milestone". The building, with a production area and an office area of 1,000 square meters each, was finished in less than a year. It accommodates 80 workplaces in total. From now on, established BEUMER products will be prepared for delivery and components will be manufactured locally according to BEUMER quality standards.

Part of Purple Line train route to be run as MRT

The board of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) has decided that the connection between the MRT subway and the Purple Line rail should be constructed and run by Bangkok Metro Plc (BMCL), and be an underground train line like the MRT.
 
The MRTA board decided that the one-kilometre route, connecting Tao Poon station of the Purple Line train route with the MRT's Bang Sue station, should be jointly built by the government and BMCL, who is currently running MRT train services.
 
According to chairwoman of the MRTA board Ratchanee Tripipatkul, this section of the Purple Line should be run as part of the MRT underground system because it is physically connected with the MRT station at Bang Sue.
 
MRTA Governor Yongsit Rojsrikul said that he agreed with the board's decision. He added that the MRTA would talk with BMCL and see whether the construction of the one-kilometre connection could be added as an extension to the MRTA's existing contract with BMCL.

Pak Bara seaport (Satun) plan to continue in face of opposition

The government is determined to go ahead with the construction of the Pak Bara seaport, in Satun Province of Thailand, despite criticism by environmentalists and local fishermen.

Marine Department Director-general Sorasak Sansombat said that the government will press ahead with the Pak Bara seaport project, which has been delayed for over a decade.
 
The Transport Ministry aims to conduct an environmental impact assessment (EIA) on the project, and start construction in 2016. The port is aimed to be finished in 2020.

Flood plans doomed to fail, engineers warn

The government's ambitious Bt350 billion water and flood management plans will likely fail to be completed within the five-year deadline due to environmental hurdles and opposition from communities over land expropriation, the Engineering Institute of Thailand (EIT) warned yesterday.

The flood-management plans for dams, reservoirs, a massive diversion channel and retention areas would be required to undergo environmental and health impact assessments. The massive projects will also require the cooperation of local communities and will take up large amounts of land. These processes, especially environmental assessment, will take at least two years to complete for each project, the EIT said.

 Moreover, some projects will take more than five years negotiate the land deals with locals in order to avoid lawsuits, said EIT chairman Suwat Chaopreecha.

Skies clear over Dawei

New strategy agreed on by Thai and Myanmar governments secures the future of industrial and logistics megaproject, with contractor ITD still playing a leading role
 
After two years struggling to get the Dawei deep-sea port and industrial site in Myanmar off the ground, Italian-Thai Development Plc (ITD) has faced up to the reality that it will need to share the pie with other investors.

Though it held the original concession to develop the massive complex worth tens of billions of dollars, ITD saw that a change of approach was needed, said a source at the Bangkok-based contractor. It was simply waiting a clearer picture of what the Myanmar government wanted the company to be: either a developer or contractor.

Today, the picture is quite clear. And progress under the new strategic direction is expected to put an end to rumours that Dawei may fail to go ahead.

ITD managing director Premchai Karnasuta said recently that the new structure finalised by the Thai and Myanmar governments was the best way forward. It wasn’t the company’s idea, but he has no regrets about agreeing to changes.

Sonnedix completes 9.5MW Thai plant

 Solar power producer Sonnedix has surpassed 100MW of installed solar capacity following the completion of a 9.5MW solar plant in the Mae Chan district in Chiang Rai, northern Thailand.

 The plant was constructed by CH Karnchang and Assyce Fotovoltaica. Sonnedix previously completed a 7.5MW plant with Assyce in the north west province of Nakhon Ratchasima. REC solar modules numbering 41,000 and 16 ABB inverters were used in the construction. Long-term bank debt was provided by Krung Thai Bank on a non-recourse project finance basis.

The Chiang Rai Solar Plant is claimed to supply enough electricity to meet the annual needs of about 7,200 average Thai homes. It is expected to generate more than 14,400MWh of clean electricity per year, offsetting carbon dioxide emissions of more than 10,000 tons a year.

Burasiri aims to build international hotel chain, beginning in Asia

Burasari Group, the operator of Burasari hotels and resorts, is looking for business opportunities in Asia to build up its hotel chain and increase its international profile.
 It is interested in Sri Lanka and Asean countries, including Myanmar. However, its expansion plan will go step by step to secure its investment. In Asean, the investment climate is still undermined by unclear regulations from country to country, according to Lily Udomkunnatum, the group's managing director.

 Last December, the firm opened the four-star Burasari Heritage Luang Prabang in Laos, its first hotel abroad, at a cost of Bt125 million, which offers 23 rooms.

 Currently, the firm operates two hotels in Thailand - Burasari Resort Patong in Phuket and Shanghai Mansion in Bangkok. It expects its future expansion to help raise its chain profile in the international market before beginning to expand into the hotel-management business.

Italian-Thai to spend initial $300 mln on Myanmar's Dawei

The Thai developer of the multi-billion-dollar Dawei economic zone in Myanmar plans to spend an initial $300 million in 2013 on developing the project after receiving support from the Thai and Myanmar governments, an executive said on Monday.

The amount will be used for the relocation of local people, as well as utilities, roads and a port before a special purpose vehicle (SPV) is set up at the end of this year, said Premchai Karnasuta, President of Italian-Thai Development Pcl.

"After the governments' agreement about setting up the SPV, there is more confidence in the project. For Italian-Thai, the situation has improved," Premchai told reporters.

Italian-Thai, Thailand's largest construction firm, has struggled to find the $8.5 billion needed to finance infrastructure and utilities under the first phase.

DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT GROUP GREEN LIGHT FOR TREES

Phuket, Thailand.  4 March 2013 – Development Management Group Co., Ltd. (DMG) is pleased to announce that Sasalak Pikoolpon, Jamroom Thongsen and Chiewchan Passananont have achieved Thailand’s Rating on Energy and Environmental Sustainability (TREES) Associate Accreditation certified by the Thai Green Building Institute (TGBI).  The TREES qualifications demonstrate their knowledge and expertise necessary to facilitate a building’s sustainability certification process.  DMG’s team members are amongst the small number of sustainable building specialist in Thailand.

Businesses today are building meaningful corporate images by showing commitment to helping the environment and participating in corporate social responsibilities by qualifying for sustainable certification. In Thailand, six well known businesses including Univenture, Toyota Motor Thailand, Toyota Nakornratchasima (Tai-Yen), Kasikornbank, Siam Cement Group’s Siam Fibre Cement, and Ananda Development are pioneered in their commitment in receiving the LEED certification on an international level (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, certified by the U.S. Green Building Council).  The LEED program provides a framework of requirements and prerequisites for projects to earn points on LEED’s rating scale.  Businesses can apply for standard, silver, gold and platinum certificates.  

Thai Government Orders Investigation of All Phuket Property: Major Titles Probe Begins Next Week

All land titles on Phuket are to be reviewed in a major investigation to clarify property rights in advance of the Asean Economic Community in 2016, a leading official announced yesterday.
 
Beachfront titles along Phuket's entire west coast are to be reexamined in every detail to save Phuket's popular destinations from illegal encroachers.

Far from abandoning initial investigations into misappropriated national parkland and coastal reserves, the Thai Government is going to make its investigations complete and review all land titles.

More power for Samui, Pa-ngan islands

A new power station on Thailand’s southern island of Koh Samui was officially launched today.

 The Samui electricity station II, linked by underwater cable from the mainland power plant in Kanom district of Surat Thani province, will generate power to Samui and the sister island of Koh Pa-ngan.

 The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) spent a budget of Bt4.198 billion in building the station and laying the 54km 115KV cable to supply 220MW of electricity to the two islands.

 The supply should be sufficient for the total demand for at least a decade, a PEA official said.

Thai railways set eyes on dual track system

A seven-year scheme for a dual track rail system, to be developed by the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), will change the face of the nation, a senior official said today.

 SRT Governor Prapas Chongsa-nguan said the government is issuing a bill to seek Bt2 trillion in loans for the project to connect Thailand from Chiang Khong district of northernmost Chiang Rai province to the southernmost town of Padang Besar, and the northeastern province of Nong Khai with neighbouring Lao PDR.

 The dual track rail links will connect Thailand with southern China and the wider Southeast Asian region, he said.