By Andy Pasztor The Wall Street Journal Sun., Nov. 11, 2018 Rocket Lab, a U.S.-New Zealand startup that seeks to set the pace for frequent, inexpensive launches of small satellites into relatively low orbits around the earth, has successfully blasted its first commercial payload into space. The company’s Electron booster, featuring lightweight composite tanks and 3D-printed engines, lofted six satellites into orbit from a remote launch facility on the east coast of New Zealand at around 4:50 p.m. local time on Sunday. Following a successful test flight in January, a scrubbed launch in April and then a roughly seven-month delay to redesign a key engine component, the 56-foot tall booster carried with it the ambitions of a budding market segment that aims to drastically cut the cost of access to space. The goal is to eventually reduce those costs to hundreds of thousands of dollars per customer for satellites weighing no more than hundreds of pounds. That … [Read more...] about Rocket Lab successfully launches its first commercial payload into orbit
Launching price
Discounts, launch delays in wake of property cooling measures
New private property projects after Daintree Residence - the first new launch since the surprise round of cooling measures kicked in on July 5 - are expected to enter the market at slightly lower prices, following slower sales at some projects launched earlier this month, analysts say. Discounts of up to 5 per cent from expected launch prices and other incentives are being offered to entice buyers in the wake of the higher Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) rates and tighter loan limits. For instance, Parksuites in Holland Grove Road is offering an additional 5 per cent discount "for a limited time only", according to its newspaper advertisement last Saturday. … [Read more...] about Discounts, launch delays in wake of property cooling measures
Prices of resale condominiums and apartments up again: SRX
The en-bloc rally continued to boost the private home market last month, with prices of resale condominiums and apartments up again. Real estate portal SRX Property, which released the data yesterday, also noted that the monthly price change for last month was revised sharply up to 1.2 per cent from the earlier estimate of 0.6 per cent. Resale prices of non-landed private property rose 1.2 per cent last month compared with April and were a significant 10.8 per cent higher than May last year. The prime district, or Core Central Region (CCR), increased 1.3 per cent over April while the Outside of Central Region (OCR) rose 1.8 per cent. Prices in the Rest of Central Region (RCR) remained unchanged. The three regions were up between 9.9 per cent and 11.4 per cent over May last year. "We can attribute the strength in the resale market partly to the spillover effect from the en-bloc sale fever, where a significant number of collective sales of properties in the OCR and RCR were concluded in … [Read more...] about Prices of resale condominiums and apartments up again: SRX
PSH to launch 75 projects worth B66.7bn
SET-listed property firm Pruksa Holding Plc (PSH) plans to launch 75 new residential projects worth a combined 66.7 billion baht, aiming to have presales growth of 13% to 53.7 billion baht by the end of the year. Supattra Paopiamsap, deputy group chief executive, said the company expects presales to be double the overall market's growth of 3.4%. The overall market is expected to see 420 billion baht in presales, up from 406 billion last year.The company aims for 50.5 billion baht in 2018 revenue, growth of more than 10% from last year, while net profit is projected to rise 13% this year and 15% in the next five years.According to the company's market research, presales in the residential market this year will be boosted by townhouses, which will see growth of 8% to 82.5 billion baht, while condominium and single-house presales will see an increase of 4% each to 230 billion baht and 95.5 billion baht, respectively.Housing transfers will total 303 billion baht, marking growth of 7.5% … [Read more...] about PSH to launch 75 projects worth B66.7bn
Retail prices for cigarettes under review
The Excise Department is discussing the legality of prohibiting cigarette importers from setting their retail prices below the prices listed before Sept 16, 2017, the first day the new excise tax came into force. The tax-collecting agency can potentially level the playing field after state-owned Thailand Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) cried foul, claiming that foreign cigarette importers are exploiting the new excise levy by cutting retail prices to pay a smaller tax burden."Normal market" wording, which is stated in Section 17 of the new Act 17, under Clause 2, could be interpreted as regular retail prices before Sept 16, 2017. If that is the case, cigarette importers are not permitted to slash retail prices to understate the tax bill, said an informed source at the Excise Department.The source said the department could apply Section 17, Clause 3, which bars cigarette importers from trimming retail prices to a level below the sales price before the new law was enforced.The prohibition not … [Read more...] about Retail prices for cigarettes under review