Thailand

Thailand’s green building and energy efficiency construction sector, which may need BT400bn ($13bn) in spending over the next two decades, is looking toward better certification standards and government incentives to drive growth. Figures released by the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency (DEDE) show that BT216bn ($7bn) was spent on energy efficiency between 2003 and 2011, highlighting the growing awareness of sustainability and conservation within Thailand in recent years.

The beer industry in Thailand is set for a shake up as Ajethai, the producer of Big Cola, moves into the market, providing a new challenge for existing local brewing giants Singha and Chang.

In a trend that has continued into 2012, Thailand’s remarkably resilient tourism industry showed itself to be largely unaffected by the country’s devastating floods last year, giving a strong performance that produced year-on-year increases in both arrival numbers and revenue.

OBG talks to Celina Chew, the managing director of Bayer Thai, about opportunities in agriculture, research and development, and pharmaceuticals.

The government is looking to tap the bond market to make up its budgetary shortfall for this year and launch more debt offers to fund its ambitious infrastructure programme. Pricing could be an issue, however, with concerns that uncertainty over the European financial crisis could cause ripples in Asian economies and push up borrowing costs.

In a move that heralded the long-awaited rollout of 3G services in Thailand, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), in late June set a reserve price for an auction of 3G 2.1-Ghz spectrum mobile licences.