I-Quest Corporation from Hong Kong introduced into Thailand a hi-speed Internet system with DSL technology. The company has already signed contracts with 8 customers, while local ISPs are still testing the technology.

Juthathip Hongsophon, Country Manager of I-Quest Thailand, said that the company has already installed the system in the Erawan Hotel. The organizational customers will not incur any expenses. I-Quest, on the contrary, will be providing communication systems, laptops and parallel equipment to customers. Profits will be shared 50:50 between customers and I-Quest.

The DSL service will enable hotel guests to plug in their laptops and have access to the Internet at speeds more than 175 times that of a 56k modem. The hotel will charge 600 baht per day; hotel guests can rent a laptop and pay 1,400 baht per day.

I.C.C. International Plc, producer of underwear products under the brand Wacoal, said that the company expects to achieve more than 10% growth in revenue this year. Last year, the company earned revenue of 3,000 million baht. Fifteen million baht is spent each year in R&D, 5-7% goes to market promotion.

This year, the company is set to launch a marketing campaign on 2 main collections. During the early period of the year, the company will promote Young Wacoal, and the adult underwear collection will be promoted in the latter part of this year.

Sales revenue during January-February experienced a growth rate of more than 10%, compared to the same period last year. The overall (or is it underall) underwear market has a value of 8,000-10,000 million baht, which is equally shared by the upper and lower markets. Wacoal products have more than a 60% share in the upper market.

Dr. Bindu N. Lohani, secretary general of ADB, said during the press conference for the annual ADB meeting that the Thai economy is obviously seen as recovering, based on the figure of 4% economic growth rate in 1999.

ADB stated that poverty has been decreased by 50%. ADB agrees with the strategy that Thailand is trying to reduce construction projects and focus more on social issues. Forty percent of ADB loans have been allocated to solve the poverty problem. The remaining loan amount is for problems in society, discrimination, environment and information technology.

Thailand first received loans from ADB in 1968, which amounted to USD5 million, to support a project called First Industrial Finance Cooperation of Thailand. Until now, Thailand has been supported by ADB in terms of loans in an accumulated amount of USD5,312.11 million.

Within a month, TOT will activate a new single phone rate of 3 baht for all Internet connections countrywide. The new phone rate policy will enable all Internet users, wherever they are in Thailand, to surf the net at cheaper costs and be charged equally on their phone bill.

TOT will at the same time improve and solve signal problems to serve Internet communication more efficiently. TOT will be working on wireless communication network in addition to the normal network that TOT has been using.

In the near future, TOT plans to provide Internet services in 2 areas ญ 1. In sections where TOT works together with existing ISPs, and 2. In sections where TOT is running the services by itself. However, TOT has no plans to hold shares in private ISP companies.

Advance Manufacturing Online Ltd., an online marketer in hi-tech parts, introduced a new product called EC-Part to serve as a solution in e-commerce. The new solution product also performs as a platform for online trading.

AMO will use its existing customer base in pushing EC-Part into the market. EC-Part will support work in the field of stock trading and on-line trading of hi-tech parts. Its customers will obtain the services for free. There are no admission or monthly charges. However, customers are requested to pay commission when a transaction is made.

AMO established its branch office in Thailand in July 1999. Currently, AMO has 5 main customers ญ Matsushita, Minebea, Sony Mobile, and GSS. As for their target group of customers, AMO focuses on multinational and major local companies.

Kijja Menakan, Director of the International Industrial and Economic Division of the Ministry of Industry, said that nowadays trade barrier practice has gone to the extent that it is required for an ISO certificate be obtained from issuers of the particular countries receiving the imports.

Thai exporters holding an ISO certificate issued locally or from a country outside the importing country, are having a hard time due to the importer country refusing to accept the products for the reason that the certificate quality may not meet with the standards of the importer country. The only way to make the importer country accept the goods is for the exporter to hire an ISO consultant that the importer country will accept. Mostly, the consultants come from the importer country.

The expenses in hiring foreign ISO consultants and issuers, compared to local companies, are much different. The exporter, who exports products to many countries in different regions, may need to hold up to 3 ISO certificates issued from different sources. This practice is increasing export costs.