What's new in business news: March 27, 2014

Watch out for fake banking apps, Songkran powder gets gamma radiation blast & exports rebound in February.

BANKING & INTERNET CRIME 

Watch out for fake banking apps 

Thai banks have warned of widespread fake banking apps and advised mobile users to check who the application developers are before downloading them. Information posted on SCB Thailand Facebook page on Thursday says imposter apps using names and logos of many banks can be found in the Google Play Store and they were not  developed by the actual banks. The only developer of SCB apps is Siam Commercial Bank.

Krung Thai Bank (KTB) posted  a message on its Line page warning clients who want to do financial transactions with the bank through mobile devices to use apps developed only by Krung Thai Bank. According to reports, SCIENTIFIKA MEDIA has released apps replicating the functions of many Thai and foreign banks, such as KTB, Bangkok Bank, SCB, Bank of Ayudhya and Thanachart Bank.

Read full story here 

TOURISM 

Songkran powder gets gamma radiation blast

The Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology (Tint) plans to hand out sterilised clay powder to help revellers celebrate the Songkran festival next month. Ajaya Malakrong, chief of the Tint’s Thai Irradiation Centre, said few revellers are aware that the white paste they apply to their faces during the festival, which is made from clay, often contains germs. Bacteria, viruses, and yeast have been found in clay tested by the centre. This could result in conditions ranging from blisters to blood infections, she said. The germs, however, can be killed with gamma radiation from a cobalt-60 source.

TINT will distribute sterilised chalk to the public at Sala Daeng BTS station on April 3, and also April 9-10 from 10am. A total of 500 kilogrammes of chalk will be handed out.

Read full story here 

ECONOMY

Exports rebound in February

Exports rebounded in February, driven by the weak baht and the global economic recovery. Shipments rose by 2.43% year-on-year last month to US$18.4 billion after falling by 1.98% in January to $17.9 billion. February's export growth was a six-month high after 3.92% in April. Exports in the first quarter will likely see zero growth or decrease slightly from the same period last year. But whole-year prospects remain upbeat, given the improving economies of traditional key markets and better shipments of seafood and poultry products. Risk factors that may affect export performance include higher oil prices, widespread drought, exchange rate fluctuation and political tensions.

Industrial exports rose by 6.8%, led by a 17.2% increase in shipments of autos and automotive parts and a 9.6% rise in shipments of electronic items plus a 7.2% increase in electrical appliances. Shipments of agricultural products contracted 5.7%, but rice exports increased 17.4% thanks to lower prices and a weaker baht. Exports to Japan rose by 2.7% to $1.85 billion, with those to the 15-nation EU up by 7% to $1.67 billion, Asean up 0.9% to $4.57 billion and the Middle East up 0.4% to $976 million. Those bound to the US fell by 2.3% to $1.75 billion and and to China 0.8% to $2.21 billion. Imports last month dropped by 16.6% to $16.6 billion due to a slowdown in the purchase of machinery, vehicles and vehicle parts, while the figures for the first two months fell 16% to $37 billion.

Read full story here 

สามารถฝึกอ่านออกเสียงและดูคำแปลได้ที่ : http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/learning-from-news/402022/what-new-in-business-news-march-27-2014