Thaiglobaltel

Telecoms in Thaialnd

Thailand's AIS Profits Up Despite Prepaid Slowdown
ShinCorp holds investments in mobile networks in Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. AIS, the Thai market leader, is by far the largest operation of these three, with a customer base of 26.77m at the end of Q3 08. The Laotian operation Laotel had just under 0.80m customers at the end of the quarter, while Cambodian operation Camshin had 0.71m.
However, the two smaller networks are growing in importance: .......

• True halves losses, but still $48m in red
• TDRI: Raise foreign investor cap
• TOT targets 1m ADSL customers
• Jasmine goes full throttle with broadband effort
• Tough year ahead for state telecom agencies

Broadcast in Thailand

MCOT board urged to clarify president's contract termination
BANGKOK - Thailand's three media associations Tuesday issued a joint statement urging the MCOT Plc board of directors to explain to the public why they have terminated the employment contract of company president Wasan Paileeklee.
The joint statement, issued by The Thai Journalists Association, Thai Broadcast Journalists Association and The Thailand Cable TV Association, said..

• Wasan dismissal riles media
• MCOT enjoys modest revenue increase
• MCOT's continuity disrupted
• Siege of Thai PBS Chiang Mai called off
•

It & Media in Thailand

Developers' paradise, Software Park Phuket opens its doors
After a long wait, the dream of turning Phuket into a paradise for software developers from around the world will come closer to reality next month, with the opening of Software Park Phuket.
The park is owned and operated by a private firm called Blue Lagoon (Thailand), a subsidiary of Phuket property company, Anuphas Group.
It aims to enable Phuket's tourism and hospitality industries to improve .......

• Warner Music changes business model
• THAILAND: Now Google AdSense 'speaks Thai'
• Mun proposes see- through ministry
• Case studies: S&P, Thai Life Insurance
• New technologies to lure companies next year

Thailand Focus

Thailand's auto production in 2009 set to fall 17%
BANGKOK - Sluggish global economy resulted from financial crisis in the US is expected to hurt Thailand's automobile production in 2009 as it is projected to drop17.24 per cent from this year's level, according to a senior executive.
Adisak Rohitasune, senior vice president of Asian Honda Motor Co., Ltd. said Thailand's auto exports next year are expected to decline, and ............

• Amendment draft ready
• Thai economy likely to grow 4-5% next year: Kbank
• After year-long rise, Thai Inflation rate begins to fall in October
• Thai shares up sharply by over 7% at intermission
• Bank of Thailand advised to cut interest rates

Thailand Mass Media News

Recording companies redefine consumers
GMM Grammy and RS Public, Thailand's leading recording companies, are being challenged by pirated CDs, free music downloads and friend-to-friend share programmes and are redefining their strategy to strengthen their product quality in tune with changing consumer behaviour.
Both have completed restructuring plans to recover from their recent losses. Grammy has its "X-ray strategy", in which albums ............

• BEC set to lift ad rates again
• Meet the anime ambassador
• Foreign investment deals at risk, says NTC
• Us or else ...
• Cabinet approves tax incentives for foreign filmmakers

ASEAN-Hub News

Thai-Cambodia meeting on military stand off fails to reach agreement
An eight-hour meeting between Thailand and Cambodia to solve military stand off near Preah Vihear Temple failed to reach any breakthrough on Monday.
Both countries will remain number of their troops and weapons there and will order their troops not to use forces in the area.
Supreme Commander Gen Boonsang Niempradit and Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Gen Tea Banh who chaired the ..........

• Myanmar becomes seventh ASEAN member to ratify charter
• Cambodian-Thai border dispute on ASEAN agenda
• Myanmar foreign minister says Suu Kyi could be freed in 6 months
• Thailand, Cambodia border dispute talks underway as reinforcements grow
• Thailand offers 'reasonable proposals' to defuse tension: Supreme Commander

Worldwide Telecom News

Microsoft cuts price of 20GB Xbox 360
BEIJING - Microsoft has finally announced the long-anticipated price drop for the standard 20GB Xbox 360, bringing it down by 50 U.S. dollars to 300 dollars, according to media reports Monday.
Also, the new 60GB Xbox 360, identical to the 20GB version but triple the storage, is due for launch next month and priced at 350 dollars.

• INDONESIA: Indosat to shuffle management team
• KOREA: 3G War Pits SKT Against KTF on TV
• iPhone 3G ready for global debut
• INDONESIA: Online learning reaches further
• China almost done with map of moon surface

Worldwide Broadcast News

TAIWAN : Chinese media accused of belittling Taiwan
China's CCTV and Xinhua allegedly referred to Taiwan's Olympic team as "China, Taipei" rather than "Chinese Taipei"
TAIPEI, Taiwan --- The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lashed out at Chinese state media yesterday for allegedly belittling Taiwan by referring to the national Olympic team as "China, Taipei" ahead of the opening of Beijing Summer Olympics.

• TAIWAN: 'China Times' employees scrap strike in narrow vote
• KOREA : President set against broadcasters
• TAIWAN: Al Jazeera English TV makes debut in Taiwan
• NEPAL: Nepal 1 TV closes Kathmandu office
• INDONESIA: Children study radio broadcasting during holiday

DATABASE (Updated : Jan 2008)

THAILAND RECORD

43.3 million                 Nationwide mobile subscribers at Q1/2007, increased from 28.41
                             million subscribers at Q1/2006 (NTC)
6.84 million                 Nationwide fixed line subscribers at Q1/2007, increased 5.56%
                             from 6.48 million at the end of 2004 (NTC)
69.03                    Mobile telephone density was 69.3 subscibers/100
                             population at Q1/2007 (NTC)
10.89                     Fixed line telephone density was 10.89 subscribers/100
                             population at Q1/2007 (NTC)
6                                    Number of mobile telephone operators : AIS, DTAC, True Move,
                             DPC, Thai Mobile, and Hutch (thaiglobaltel.com)
3                                  Number of fixed line telephone operators : TOT, True, and TT&T
                             (thaiglobaltel.com)
1.7 million                   Total registered low speed internet subscribers at the end of
                             2007 (NTC)
0.71                          Total registered ADSL subscribers was 710,000 at the end of
                           2007 (NTC)

THAILAND FORECASTS

107 Mobile telephone density will be 107 subscribers/100 population
at 2010, and increasing to 116 subscribers at 2011 (Gartner)

WORLDWIDE RECORDS

201.3 million               Mobile users in India at the end of August 2007 (TRAI)
127.1 million               W-CDMA subscribers by June 2007 (Wireless intelligence)
75 million                    1xEV-DO subscriber by September 2007 (CDMA DG)

WORLDWIDE FORECASTS

170 billion                         Global mobile messaging market revenue will be $170 billion.
                                 Asia (exclude Japan) $28b, China $7.9b, and India $4.2b.
                                 (Ovum)
67 billion                           Global SMS revenues are expected to reach $67 billion by 2012
                                 (Portio Research)
120 million                        Nearly 120 million mobile subscriber are forecast to receive
                                 broadcast TV services by 2012 (Juniper Research)
103 million                        Global IPTV subscribers will rise to this figure in year 2011,
                                 expanding 92% annually, translating into $39.1 billion in
                                 revenue, up 40-fold from $960.5 million in 2006 (iSuppli)

Thailand Telecom Industry
White Papers

Thailand Telecommunications Industry
(Part 1)
The growth of business and commerce in Thailand have increased the demand for modern communication services not limited to only basic services but also value-added service.

Overseas Call Service Business Competition in Thailand
Since 1976, Thailand started the new era for overseas telephone service, provided by the Communications Authority of Thailand (CAT) , corporatised to CAT Telecom Public Company Limited later, to worldwide except neighboring countries , (e.g. Malaysia, Laos PDR , Myanmar and Cambodia). For neighboring countries , international phone service was launched by the Telephone Organization of Thailand (TOT) , corporatised to TOT Public Company Limited, to Malaysia since 1989 and Laos PDR in 1994

Thailand broadcast Industry White Papers

Impacts of the old and new constitution in telecom and broadcasting
In the context of Thailand constitution, there are major differences between old and new ones. Not only amendment on a core Section but it was added an extra section for prohibiting the politicians to be an owner of or own equity in newspaper, radio and television broadcasting, and telecommunication businesses or directly or indirectly delegate other persons to be owner or own equity in the business on his ......

Broadcasting Industry in Thailand 2007
Thailand broadcasting Industry started for long time ago. The two largest players for the television and radio broadcasting sector are MCOT Public Company Limited (MCOT) , formerly known as Mass Communications Organization of Thailand , a former state enterprise of which the government still owns 77%, and the Royal Thai Army (RTA) which owned numerous broadcast frequencies or airwaves nationwide. The other players are the Public Relations Department (PRD) of the Prime Minister's Office , broadcasted in the country’s public service broadcaster regime , Channel 11 and also PRD operated TITV station in commercial style which is formerly operated by Shin Corporation, a communications conglomerate controlled by Temasek Holdings of Singapore, under contract.

Thailand Wireless Industry
White Papers

Third Generation Mobile (3G) in Thailand context
Third-generation (3G) cellular mobile service in Thailand stepped more, with clearly pictures, than the past when telecom regulator recently approved the frequency range table for 3G cellular licensing regulations. Also they are seeking a consultant to study the spectrum table and prepare 3G licensing terms and conditions, including the number of 3G licenses and hopes to finish the 3G licensing regulations in December 2007 before holding a public hearing on them.

Thailand : Cellular Mobile Operators Family
Thailand’s Digital cellular mobile industry can be divided to the state-owned enterprise group and the private companies group, but they all had some relationships under the Build-Transfer-Operate (B-T-O) concession . TOT and CAT Telecom were the state-owned enterprises, and private companies were AIS, DTAC, True Move, Hutch CDMA, and DPC. Thai Mobile was a joint venture company of TOT and CAT , with share 52% and 48% respectively.

Thailand Political News

King endorses cabinet
         His Majesty the King endorsed Somchai Wongsawat as Thailand's 26th Prime Minister and his 35 cabinet ministers on Wednesday. There were no major surprises.
         Mr Somchai also takes a double position as Defence Minister.
         Former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, former justice minister Sompong Amornwiwat, former deputy prime minister Sanan Kachornprasart,...

• Former PM Samak resigns from PPP leadership
• Cabinet to push ahead for charter rewrite
• Govt vows reconciliation
• Thailand's new Cabinet sworn in
• Ex-PM Samak loses court case; bail granted

Who’s Who in Thailand
Who’s Who in Thailand Telecom Regulator		Who’s Who in Thailand Broadcast and Post

Who’s Who in Thailand Telecom		Who’s Who in Thailand Public Broadcast Service