Business news

Check to see if you got the right answers on the weekly business news quiz. Asterixes ("***") mark correct answer.  1. Recently, sales of notebooks.... a. Increased ***b. Decreased. c. Remained the same.  2. Why do people in the tourism industry not like the 500 baht entry fee to Thailand?  a. The tourism ministry does not oppose the plan.  b. Thailand needs higher quality tourists.  ***c. Tourists may feel they are being cheated.  d. Tourists will get health insurance with the new entry fee.  3. What allows BAAC bank to borrow 140 billion more for government rice purchases?  a. A 500 million baht cap on debt.  ***b. A loan guarantee by the Finance Ministry.  c. Repayment in full of previous amounts borrowed.  d. Selling more rice than expected.  4. Did the surprise amnesty bill this week make the prices of Thai stocks rise or fall?  a. Rise ***b. Fall  c. No change.  5. What kind of industries did the BoI … [Read more...] about Answers to weekly business news quiz: October 21-25, 2013

Check if you understand the issues and vocabulary in this week's most important business news stories. Vocational students learning practical job skills at a vocational school. Questions on articles included below with articles. Answers to quiz are here.  To study vocabulary see original articles: October 21, 2013 October 22, 2013 October 24, 2013 October 25, 2013 What's new in business news: October 22, 2013 TECHNOLOGY  Notebook sales continue to fall  This year is poised to become the worst in history for Thailand's notebook market, with a 20% contraction with sales of 1.6 million units, down from the 2 million targeted.  High household debt and a sluggish economy have been blamed for the sharp drop in sales. Tablets and smartphones have thrived at the expense of notebooks. At least 300 IT retail outlets have closed down this year and others are relocating their stores to cheaper locations. 1. Recently, sales of notebooks.... a. Increased. b. Decreased. c. … [Read more...] about Weekly business news quiz: October 21-25, 2013

Amnesty bill sends stocks & baht downwards, low-income earner household debt rising & CP Group invests in Russia. BANKING Low earners' debt rising The debt service ratio of 52% of disposable income for low-income earners in 2011 far exceeded the appropriate level of 28-30%. The debt service ratio at the bottom end of the income scale - those earning less than 10,000 baht a month - rose from 46% in 2009. The debt service ratio is the proportion of debt payment to disposable income, with a higher ratio indicating more vulnerability to the upward interest rate cycle. The Bank of Thailand last week said rising household debt limits the scope of a policy interest rate cut, and left the policy rate unchanged at 2.5%, amid weakening economic growth triggered by tepid domestic consumption. Ms Sutapa said the debt service ratio of those earning more than 10,000 baht a month was 25% in 2011. The higher debt burden of low-paid workers has also hurt motorcycle sales. Thailand's … [Read more...] about What’s new in business news: July 26, 2013

First rice auction finished, drought, disease lower farm sector growth & Laem Chabang port's plans for expansion. AGRICULTURE First rice auction finished   More than 200,000 tonnes of rice will be auctioned next week, following the first bid in two years of 60,000 tonnes two weeks ago. The government disclosed the results yesterday of the first rice auction called by the Commerce Ministry, which drew five interested bidders. 60,000 tonnes of 5% white rice from six warehouses were sold.  The minister refused to disclose the prices, saying only the auction fetched decent prices higher than the benchmark set by the committee that handled the government's rice stock sales. He said disclosing the price would affect sales in future auctions. However, a rice industry source said the winners might have proposed to buy the grains for under 12,000 baht per tonne. If this was the case, the auction would have realised losses worth 11,500 to 12,000 baht a tonne. The losses are … [Read more...] about What’s new in business news July 30th, 2013

Asian manufacturing grows weaker, AIA insurance shifts investment overseas to avoid risk & govt help for SMEs hurt by min wage rise. Asian manufacturing grows weaker   By Kelly Olsen (AFP) Asia's manufacturing sector weakened in July, private surveys showed Thursday, with China's showing a deepening contraction amid nagging worries over the growth outlook for the world's second-largest economy. Closely-watched monthly assessments on Asian manufacturing released by British banking giant HSBC showed that contractions also worsened in key exporters South Korea and Taiwan, while ongoing expansions in India and Indonesia weakened. In China, HSBC's final reading of its purchasing managers' index (PMI) for July came in at 47.7, down from 48.2 in June and the lowest since August last year. The PMI surveys track manufacturing activity in factories and workshops and are closely watched gauges of economic health. A reading below 50 indicates contraction, while anything above signals … [Read more...] about What’s new in business news: August 2, 2013