GMM Grammy PLC

- The Gold Trading Association wants further concessions from the Thailand Futures Exchange, arguing that gold futures contract sizes should be increased further to limit the participation of retail investors.

- The influential Templeton Growth Fund has doubled its weighting in the Thai share market to 20 per cent, suggesting that valuations have dipped far enough to attract foreign investors back to the country, according to SCB Asset Management.

- Globlex Holding Management Plc (GBX) has reduced the size of a planned share buy-back programme to 17 million baht (US$493,748), from 60 million announced earlier. The number of shares to be repurchased was also scaled back to up to 18 million, or 1.68 per cent of its total, compared with 6.53 per cent announced earlier.

- The Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata) is to report declines in income from its major revenue-generating activities this year, setting the stage for what is expected to be a testy board of directors' meeting in Hyderabad, India, from Sept 19-21.

- The Association of Siamese Architects (ASA) plans to propose a new fee of at least 3.5 per cent of the value of government sector jobs to the Comptroller General's Department by the fourth quarter of the year, according to president Thaweejit Chandrasakha.

- Advanced Info Service will speed up deployment of its third-generation infrastructure in Bangkok to keep pace with rival DTAC, which has received regulatory approval to start the high-speed wireless broadband services.

THE NATION:

- Somchai Wongsawat, the acting prime minister, yesterday lifted the emergency rule imposed since September 2 by former premier Samak Sundaravej, saying it was no longer necessary.

- The Thai Rice Exporters' Association will ask the new government to lower the price-intervention level for main-crop rice in the upcoming harvest.

- Tesco Lotus, the world's third largest retail business, has chosen Siam Commercial Bank PCL (SCB), Thailand's premier universal bank, as the payroll service provider for their 36,000 employees nationwide. With this collaboration SCB sets a new record for private corporate sector payroll service in Thailand, offering optimal benefits for Tesco Lotus and its employees.

- Thanachart Bank has raised the top deposit saving rate by 50 basis points, offering its depositors 1.50-3 per cent, with immediate effect.

- GMM Media Plc's independent directors voiced their supports to the company's plan to delist from the Stock Exchange of Thailand, saying that the shareholding restructuring plan as proposed by the parent company GMM Grammy Plc is sound and reasonable.

- Leading businessmen expressed disappointment at reports that Samak Sundaravej could return as prime minister, a move that would likely prolong the current standoff with anti-government protesters under the People's Alliance for Democracy.

- State enterprise workers have not yet decided whether to resume strikes in the event that Samak Sundaravej returns as prime minister, says Sirichai Mai-ngam of the State Enterprise Labour Relations Confederation.

- Thailand's consumer confidence fell in August, after a tiny uptick in July, to the lowest level this year on mounting political strife.

- The SET-listed coal miner and ethanol producer Lanna Resources says it planned to open another mine in Indonesia by the fourth quarter to help ease the impact of the forced closure of one of its other mines there. The opening had been delayed from earlier this year due to heavy rains in Indonesia, where until recently the company operated two coal mines, said business development director Srihasak Arirachchkaran.

- Thai Airways International looks poised to reduce fuel surcharges in line with easing fuel prices, but other carriers in Thailand remain undecided whether to follow suit. THAI executives said yesterday that an across-the-board reduction in fuel surcharges could take place "as soon as possible," probably before the end of this month. The sizes of the cuts, however, are still under consideration. "I think we are moving towards that direction (cutting fuel surcharges) in response to how the airline industry is reacting to the recent decline in fuel prices," said THAI executive vice-president Pandit Chanapai.

- Thailand's gems and jewellery exports are expected to emerge unscathed from domestic political instability, as healthy expansion in new markets is spurring trade growth. According to Vichai Assarasakorn, president of the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association, the country's ongoing political chaos has delivered no impact to the gems and jewellery industry, with exports expected to achieve their target at year-end.

THE NATION:

- If Samak Sundaravej is voted back as prime minister today, his new government would probably not last longer than three months, business leaders believe.

- Police last night stepped up security in and around Parliament House ahead of today's scheduled vote for the new prime minister.

- Tesco Lotus, the world's third largest retail business, has chosen Siam Commercial Bank PCL (SCB), Thailand's premier universal bank, as the payroll service provider for their 36,000 employees nationwide. With this collaboration SCB sets a new record for private corporate sector payroll service in Thailand, offering optimal benefits for Tesco Lotus and its employees.

- Thanachart Bank has raised the top deposit saving rate by 50 basis points, offering its depositors 1.50-3 per cent, with immediate effect.

- GMM Media Plc's independent directors voiced their supports to the company's plan to delist from the Stock Exchange of Thailand, saying that the shareholding restructuring plan as proposed by the parent company GMM Grammy Plc is sound and reasonable.