Thai Retail Industry News

Despite fears of a bubble from some experts, Bangkok’s property boom continues and a new 77-storey tower could take over from the Baiyoke Tower as Bangkok’s tallest building. Expected to be completed in 2014, the MahaNakorn’s unique design will surely be a standout on Bangkok’s skyline, according to AFP.

Singha Corporation, the country's largest brewer, is interested in expanding into soft drinks to strengthen its non-alcoholic product lineup.

After being perceived as an entertainment district for decades, the Ratchadaphisek area is being transformed into a major new business district with at least seven new commercial properties totalling 800,000 square metres scheduled to be completed in 2013.

Nokia Thailand is undergoing a major restructuring by setting up a specific wireless "ecosystem" division to drive its device and application service bundling strategy.

Charoen Pokphand Group, the country's largest agro-business conglomerate, said yesterday that it stood ready to increase minimum wages to Bt300 and new graduates' salaries to Bt15,000 in line with the incoming government's policy pledges, in order to drive the country's growth and domestic consumption.

Two food chains under Minor Food Group _ Dairy Queen and Burger King _ aim to expand their businesses faster in the second half of this year to respond to the public's greater spending power.

Thai Union Frozen Products Public Company Limited ("TUF"), Thailand's leading processor and exporter of canned and frozen seafood products, successfully placed a series of bonds to a group of institutional and high net worth investors.

Central Food Retail Co (CFR), the operator of the Tops supermarket chain, will speed up expansion of Tops Daily stores and renovate its Tops Supermarket outlets.

Hangover 2 has boosted Thai tourism by creating a new route featuring the movie's shooting locations, increasing foreign filmmakers' confidence in shooting their movies in the country.

Thai Union Frozen Plc (TUF), Thailand's largest seafood exporter, is confident it can achieve a 40% increase in sales this year to at least US$3 billion despite the European debt crisis, says president Thiraphong Chansiri.