At A Glance

Thailand’s fully integrated natural rubber company, Sri Trang Agro-Industry, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Prince of Songkla University to jointly conduct research and development on rubber.
The R&D agreement will cover all stages from the company’s upstream processes to finished products. The company said the collaboration was aimed at ensuring its long-term leadership in the rubber industry.

BIG SUCCESS FOR THAI DESTINATIONS IN ASIAN TRAVEL SURVEY

Thailand has performed exceptionally well in the 2017 edition of the SmartTravelAsia.com Best in Travel Poll, with Bangkok, Phuket, Ko Samui and Hua Hin all named among the top 10 holiday destinations in Asia.
For Bangkok, Phuket and Ko Samui, this represents a sustained presence among the annual survey’s top echelon of holiday spots around the region. All three destinations made 2016’s top 10 list as well. The Smart Travel Asia Best in Travel Poll 2017 also placed Bangkok and Phuket among the top 10 cities for meetings in Asia.
Thai Airways International (THAI) and Bangkok Airways each earned spots in both the top 10 airlines worldwide and top 10 airlines, cabin service worldwide lists. THAI, the national flag carrier, also secured a place on the top 10 airlines, business class worldwide ranking, while a third Thai airline – Nok Air – was listed among the top 10 budget airlines for Asia.
For Bangkok Airways, there was a further honour, with its airport at Ko Samui in the Gulf of Thailand being named among the top 10 airports worldwide.
On the accommodation scene, Thailand’s Centara Hotels and Resorts was named among the top 10 hotel brands for Asia, while the listings for the top 10 boutique Hotels Asia, top 25 business hotels Asia, top 25 conference hotels Asia, top 25 spa hotels Asia, top 25 leisure hotels Asia, and top 25 family hotels Asia all featured one or more hotels or resorts from around Thailand.
Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased with the awards for Thailand achieved in the Smart Travel Asia Best in Travel Poll 2017. Collectively, the various tourism-related businesses from Thailand that were named in this year’s poll rankings accounted for nearly 70 of the over 200 places up for grabs across the various poll categories. And that is great recognition and exposure for Thailand as a leading tourism destination.”
The SmartTravelAsia.com Best in Travel Poll is an independent, free and fair survey voted by the online magazine’s readers, who number more than 1.2 million worldwide.

SMBC UNSECURED BAHT-DENOMINATED NOTES RANKED AAA

Fitch Ratings (Thailand) has assigned a National Long-Term Rating of AAA (tha) to Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s (SMBC; A/Stable/F1) upcoming three-year Thai baht-denominated senior unsecured notes. The notes will be issued by SMBC’s Bangkok Branch. The proceeds will be used for general operating purposes.
SMBC’s Bangkok Branch is one of the largest foreign-bank branches in Thailand, with total assets of Bt345 billion at the end of March this year.

International PR firm Porter Novelli opens first Chinese branch 

Porter Novelli, an international public relations and communication firm, has set up its first Chinese branch in Beijing to meet the growing demand from Chinese small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) that are eyeing the international market, said CEO Brad MacAfee on Thursday.
The company, which is part of Omnicom Group, officially launched its service platform named China Desk global network on its 45th anniversary. MacAfee said China is a vital part of the world economy and has invested a lot of money in overseas markets, helping to upgrade industry and create a lot of jobs around the world.
The service will cover the market in North America, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and South America. It aims to provide a gateway for Chinese and international businesses to expand their global ambitions. 
MacAfee added that the China Desk’s mission is to bring Chinese companies and enterprises, especially SMEs, to the world and help them stand firmly in the international market.
Shen Guofang, a former spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said he hoped the China Desk by Porter Novelli would provide a one-stop service for Chinese companies.
“We are glad to see Porter Novelli has set up its global network in China,” said Shen. “Under the Belt and Road Initiative, the firm will help Chinese companies better discover future investment opportunity in the overseas market.”